When e're you touch me with your melting hand But when you kiss O 't is not to be spoke Phae. No no you have not nay you can't offend me You 're innocent Alth. In act in Word in Thought I call the Gods to attest by innocence If e're I wish'd or hop'd or thought of joy But what you gave but what was all in you May you be angry may you be unkind Or in one curse to sum up all that 's hateful May you soon love some other Phae. Gods Gods can I hear this and yet be false Aside Alth. So maâ— the Lord of my desires be true As they all movâ— and center all in you Plae Alas Althea I can't doubt thy truth And know thy love But yet Alth. But yet but what He walks up and down discomposedly and thoughtfully Unfold that fatal Yet O tell me that Phae. Aside Gods why am I by double love made wretched Too much abundance 't is that makes me poor Oh! had I ne're seen One or seen but One I had been happy then but seeing both I burn for both and with an equal fire I love them both and both I most desire Alth. Oh why thus thoughtful why that look cast down Those folded Arms Oh why those sudden starts Some fatal Sorrow you conceal from me That shakes your soul thus Give O! give my part O! do not rob me of my share of woe Not on these terms I gave my plighted faith To taste your joys and not partake your grief Indeed I cannot hear such cruel kindness Such partial woe where I must have no share Weeps Phae. Aside O wav'ring heart do I deserve such love Treacherous false persidious as I am Yet she is excellent divinely excellent Looks earenestly at her Young as the Spring and as the Graces fair Constant as Truth as melting Pity tender As Want ingenious and as Goodness kind Alth. Speak my dear Lord these looks are kind indeed Come let your Tongue convey my bitter potion Which yet to share with you will be most sweet Pha. Aside Lybia is fair as her She must be proud too of the Crowns she brings If she wou'd bring 'em me for tho I lov'd her Yet she perhaps woud never have lov'd me Or not so well so fiercely as Althea Alth. Quite lost in Thought he hears not what I say Pha. Aside ' Love â—nd Ambition bear such equal sway And have such blended power o're my soul That 't is with difficulty they 're distinguish'd It must be so Ambition pleads for Lybia But for Althea Love And Love prevails Aloud turning to her She must she shall she does possess me all Be gon Ambition with thy noisy charms Thy tinsel glare Haste take me to thy arms O fold me here most charming of thy kind Run into her ' rms Here form me mold me shape me to thy mind Glory Ambition all you 've driven away You ne're possess'd me all till this triumphant day Alth. O racking joy O most transporting Rapture O gift bevond return what shall I say What shall I do to she how I am ravish'd What can I give I 've given you all before I 've given my self and I can give no more But take that gift I 'll give it o're and o're Flies into his Arms and embraces him Phae. O! gift like Heav'n the same yet always new Full of young pleasures and unfading joys Unwasting fuel of Loves growing Fires Exhaustleâ—s source of ravishing desires I will forego the chace of false renown And my pursuit shall be thy Charms alone Of all things else unknowing and unknown Happy in thee I will sublimely move Within the perfect circle of my love There blooming pleasures will be always found And ever springing Raptures fill the glorious Round ACT II. SCENE I. The same Scene of the Grove continues Enter Epaphus and Clymene Clym WIthin this Grove or th' adjacent Valley You 'll find your friend my hapless Phaeton I have us'd all perswasions of a Mother To make him quit this cunning Samian Songstress But all in vain I hope from friendship more And what I cou'd not you perhaps may gain Epa. Clymene be sure I 'll do my utmost Epaphus is not usâ—d to be deny'd When in so just a cause he makes demand Clym I will be near to come to your Assistance Friendship and filial duty join'd can't fail Epa. You need not stay but leave it all to me I 'll free you from this Samian Clym Be not too rough He will not brook Command tho to entreaty Plyant Epa. Madam retire I hear some coming Leave this Affair entirely to my conduct Clym I go but not far off for fear he fail As she goes out There mark the strengths where friendship can't prevail Then against those my battâ—ring Engines move Of Powâ—r Ambition and a Virgins Love Exit Epa. Gods the proud Boy presumes too much yet sure He builds upon my former friendship for him He durst not else have brought this hated Greek This Neice of hostile Argus into Egypt Nay ev'n into the sacred Roofs of â—sis My great but injur'd mother But he comes Enter Phaeton And at his sight my blood with fury boyls And combates fiercely with expiring friendship Phae. What do I see My friend my Epaphus Come to my Arms and let me press thee close Offers to embrace him but Epaphus puts him away with his Hand Epa Forbear for tho 't is certain you see Epaphus Yet whether he ought to be your friend yâ—had Best consider if not I press no Foe To this true bosom Phae. What can this strangeness mean I am not conscious to my self of ought That does deserve this cold this unkind meeting After thy long thy most regretted Absence Epa. Perhaps you hoped I never shou'd return Phae. O! barbarous thought for one so well belov'd It was my Mornings Pray'r my daily Vow That thou mights it loon be here Epa. You thought me tame then Mean Cowardly base enough to bear it Pha. Bear it bear what Epa. Come come you know you 've wrong'd me And this affected ignorance is unmanly Phae. Come come you know I cannot wrong you Epa. How cannot wrong me Phae. The brave can do no wrong I cannot wrong my Fee much less my Friend Epa What er the brave can do I say you 've wrong'd me Treacherously falsly wrong d me Phae. Wrongâ— Falshood False to my Friendâ— as soon I woud forego m Love my Mistress nay Epa. Mistress what Mistress for when I left thee Thou stoodst an activâ— Candidate for Glory Fame was thy Mystress then and War thy Courtship Thy Sword the moving eloquence that won her If thou art alter'd if thouâ— rt faln from her If thou art sunk to puling Womans Love Thou' rt false too chang'd to be a friend of mine Phae. That I do love a Woman is most true But such a Woman so unlike her Sex Full of such noble Virtues Epa. Full of Follies Fall of Vice most worthless of her
Sex Phae Hold friend no more I charge thee say no more For sâ—ouâ—d I bear to hear he wrong'd by thee Thou well mighâ—st think I 'd wrong an absent Friend Epa. Name not that sacred word a Friend is what Thou dost not understand for Friend to Friend Is holy sacred preferr'd to all but Heavn While thou deseâ—â—e't thy friend for a vile Woman A Toy a Butterflye the worst of Women too Phae. No more it is a mâ—ghty proof of Friendship That I can bear all thâ—s tho evâ—n from thee I do prefer my friend to all but Honor And Hoâ—our binds me to this worthless Woman Epa. Honour what Honour canst thou challenge now That you foorsook when you affronted me Affronted me in much my dearest part My Mother Isis the Goddess of thy Country Aegypt's protectress the belov'd of Iove What honor binds you to a Vagabond When your friends honor and your Mothers tears The safety of your native soil and Gods Forbid her presence this hateful Niece this Limb of cursed Argus Pha. I owe my life To her Epa. I 'd sooner owe it to a Coward He has the face of Man but to this Woman Phae. I drew her from her Father and her Country Epa. That was your Crime now send her back then Pha. ' Twouâ—d be Unjust to leave her now Ep. 'T is impudence To keep her here Come come young man you must Forego this Samian Pha. Must Ep. You shall Pha. Shall Ep. Shall yes shall I come to force her from thee Pha. Force her from me ha ha I laugh at thee Thou know'st proud Man thou canst not force her from me Epa. Proud obstinate Boy I will Pha. Ha! By the Bright God m' illustrious Father Epa. Name him not He must dis own thee a Womans Property A fond convenient tool for useful ends Do Gods get such as thee no 't is a Boast An empty groundless Boast Some Trader got thee and some Strumpet bore thee And shuffl'd thee into the Royal Cradle Pha. If I bear this may Girls and Eunuchs hoot me Cowards buffet me Infamy drive me From all Resorts where manhoodâ—s to be shown Draws Draw draw thou noisie Talker try whose Arm Will best assert its Heav'nly Author Epaphus draws too Ep. Come on Clymene runs in betwixt them Cly. O! hold O! stay your furious Swords and Arms Or else thro me you cut your guilty passage Pha. Ha! my Mother Was this your cunning Sir To place your Safeguard e're you durst provoke me But I shall find a Time she shan't protect thee Thou Wordy Hero thou Tongue thou Woman Fighter Thy guilty Mother lurk'd within a Cow So long she fixt the dastard Spirit in thee Of that tame Brute Ep. Madam I pray withdraw Or I before you shall chastise that Boy By your approach made bold Cly. O! Epaphus Was this well done was this done like a Friend To heap more Sorrows on me by this Quarrel Wast thus that I shou'd leave it to your Conduct Was this your Word to Mâ—rops and to me Did we entrust to you our Common Darling To brave insult and quarrel with him Under the Friend have you conceal'd the Foe And made me lead you to destroy my Son It is unjust inhospitable base Unworthy the bright Goddess whence you sprung To her I must appeal against her Son Ep. I have been to blame I ask your Pardon But thoughts of Injuries from him in Absence And offer'd to my Mother from him I lov'd My only bâ—som Friend that shou'd have made My Cause his own so stung my Heart before So wrought my fiery Temper up to Rage That at his sight I scarce kâ—ew what I did Pha. A poor Evasion of th Affront you 've giv'n To avoid its Punishment I 'll surely pay The Time be sure I 'll find I will till then I will have naught to say to thee Ep. You know I do not fear you but Iâ—m calm Cly. O! my dear Phaeton I do conjure thee I would command but you 've forgot Obedience By all the Pains and Fears I 've felt for thee To give me up thy Vengeance and thy Anger Ep. I ask the same tho not for Fear but Friendship Cly. O think that both a Friend and Mother ask you Pha. He said I was a Womans Property A Tool And can a Tool have any Friend Ep. I said it in my Rage but couâ—d not think it The Injuries of such a one cou'd never move me Pha. The wrong I did you if I 've done you wrong I had not thought enough that it was so I was so lost in Love else Iâ—d not done it For if there be a Love above the Love Of Woman sure it is the Love of Friends And that I had for thee in its Perfection If then a Fault tho done without Design Because a Friends so touch'd the Friend in thee How must thy bitter and reviling Words Move such a Friend wound such a Friend as me Ep. You were too Good and I too rudely brutal You gave too much to Friâ—ndship I too little Phâ— If thou think so I gave not then enough I should have born more much more if possible Or else have left thee till thou dâ—'â— been more calm But that I thought your Friend shouâ—d not be bravâ—d Perhaps I h'd been more passive O' my Brother You usâ—d me Harshly but you are my Friend And have a Right to chide me O! Epaphus Thy name has â—ousâ—â— the Friend which bears down all And over-runs my Soul canâ—t thou forgive me Epa. Oh! canst thou ask it ask it too of me Who have offended most Shame and Confusion Sink me Oh! let me kneel and crawl into thy Arms. I dare not chear my guilty Eyes with thine Till they with Tears have wash'd away my Stain Kneels and moves forward to him on his Knees embracing his Pha. Taking him up Oh! rise my Friend or I shall dye with shame Cleave to my Bosom with an unfeignâ—d Ardor Thou shalt to o'recome this Samian shall be gone And bear this guilty Wretch away from Egypt Yes Iâ—ll attone my Mother Friend and Country The Angry Gods too with my just Exile â—pa Now Heavâ—n forbid No rather let ten thousand Samians stay Let rather the whole Race of Argus stay Than Egypt shou'd lose thee the pride of Youth The Soldiers Courage and the Virgins wish No by the Gods I will my self step in 'Twixt thee and Fare appease my Mothers Rage Or in her Temple sacrifice her Son Pha. But his Samian Epa. Now by my Soul do with her what thou wilt Give me but Friendship firm me but thy Friend Pha. embracing O! with more Joy than I wou'd grasp at Victory Epa. Ha! in that Word your Native Virtue spoke I wou'd not cou'd I help it have my Friend Unlike the Son of the All-seeing Sun Lye thus obscurâ—d in Shades in Groves and Grotto's Averse to Glory and inviting Greatness But mount himself to th' topmost spoak of Fortune And meet the waiting
cause till your Revenge is sure Enter Merops Guards and Attendance Merops How long must I command you hence in vain Weak Monarchs thus are Brow-beat by their Slaves When they forget to see themselves obey'd Therefore depart immediately away For hence I 'll not remove till you are gone Alth. Protect me Heav'n this blow compleats my Ruin Ah! me to whom Ah! whither shall I turn When thus I fall on every side most wretched Merops I have no leisure now to hear you rave Impatient of your hated sight be gone Ease me and mine of this most odious Burden Alth. Thus low opprest with such a Weight of Woe Permit me ask the Reason of my Exile What new what sudden motive cou'd I give A helpless Woman and of All forsaken Merops Let it suffice I fear thee For mean disguises are below a King I fear you 'll plot some Mischief against my Daughter And for these Fears you are a fertile Cause Asia and Europe yield too fatal Proofs With what impetuous Fury 't is you love And how my Lybia ought to dread your Rage Since you 're divorc'd for her from Phaeton Alth. I grant that forc'd by Loves Almighty Pow'r I dard above my Sexes â—oster Temper For him that said nay swore too that he lov'd me Above his Life his Life above his Glory Yet think not Merops think me not so mean So very fond to love when I am slighted What eâ—r I did for him when yet he lov'd I nothing shall attempt for him that hates Nor boots it me who loves or who 's belov'd Since he loves me no more since he hates me Go on proceed consummate their Espousals Live long live happily I envy't not Allow this Wretch alas a sad Retreat A shelter against worse Fortune 's all I ask In secret only Iâ—ll on him complain Murmur the pangs of my expiring Love Where soon Iâ—ll learn to yield him up to her That more deserves him than my self Merops Your Words a specious Mildness only bear I fear the deadly Rancour hid within For with more Ease w' oppose the Lust of Vengeance When it appears in its own native fury Than when disguis'd in smooth submissive Words Therefore be gone nor think with subtle Speeches To change my Will thy Exile is decreed Nor shall thy cunning Arts reverse thy Doom Alth. Oh! I will clasp your Knees O Sir by these She kneels and clasps his knees By the new Pair I beg I do conjure you Mer. You beg in vain all you can say is lost Alth. It is unkingly to reject a Suppliant Mer. It is unjust to prize you 'bove my Family Alth. O! my Country 't is now 't is now t is now alas That I remember thee Mer. That you shou'd ne'r Have suffer'd to escape your Memory Alth. O Love destructive plague to womankind Mer. Yes when pursu'd against a Parents will Alth. O! Iupiter Remember who was the Author of all this Mer. Trifler be gone and free me from my Cares Alth. 'T is me 't is me alone hat Cares oppress No need I more to make me wholly wretched Mer. Be gone I say or Slaves shall drive you hence Alth. O! Merops hear me yield to my Request Mer. In vain you strive to break my fix'd Resolve Alth. No I will go I aim not by my Tears To bend your Stubborn Mind to let me stay Rises Mer. What wouâ—d you then Why leave you not my Kingdom Alth. Give but a day to fit me for my Journey And since their Father has forgot his Children Permit me give em the best Help I can Ah! pity them for youâ—ve had Children too As youre a Parent let a Parents sorrows Touch you Young tender and unus'd to Hardships As you well know I am yet O Merops I am not griev'd for my own Banishment But the Misfortunes that attend my Infants My little helpless Babes my early Orphans Orphans while yet their Father is alive 'T is these torment me these that rack my Soul Mer. That Iâ—m not rulâ—d by an obdurate Mind Let this convince you your Desire is granted Yet hear me Woman hear and mark me well If then to morrows Sun do find thee here Thou dy'st thou and thy Childrâ—n surely dye Exit Merops cum suis. Mer. Alas unhappy Mistress What will you do or whither will you flye To unexperienc'd miseries expos'd Cass. Whose Friendship or what Nation will you seek What Hospitable coast against your sufferings Alth. 'T is true my Friends Ill-Fortune does surround me Yet think not that I ll lose this last success Think you I cou'd have couch'd so to the Tyrant Have been His Suppliant held to Him these Hands Had not my hopes of Vengeance bent my Knees Soften'd my Language and thrust out my Arms Besotted Merops shou'd have driv'n me hence Not giv'n a Day a Day 's a mighty Space Enough to Sacrifice all all my Foes The Daughter Father Mother Son My perjur'd Husband Where shall I begin Amid this Crop this Glut of my Revenge Shall I set fire to their curs'd Nuptial Bed Or with this Dagger pierce their guilty Hearts No by more subtle Arts I must prevail Deceit with the Deceivers shou'd not fail Yet if this do not as it ought succeed I with this Hand will do the dreadful Deed Amid their Guards in the full face of Day Nor Heav'n nor Hell shall stop my furious way I 'll wound I 'll stab transfix their conscious Hearts â—aufes From me they shall be sure of their Deserts With joy I 'd dye and as in Triumph fall If with my pondrous Fate I crush'd them all Exeunt Omnes The End of the Third Act. ACT IV. SCENE I. Enter Phaeton on one side and Althea on the other attended by her Maids Phae. MOv'd by my Love I come unkind Althea To mourn and to provide for your sad Journey For I can't wish you Evil tho you hate me Alth. Then you are come you dare approach me then O! worst of Men most guilty of thy kind For want of Pow'r allows me but Reproaches 'T is not assurance but vile Impudence That brings you to a Friend you so have wrong'd And yet 't is well 't is just that you are come That I may vent m' imprison'd Griefs on thee And with contageous Sorrows blast thy Joys Phae. Madam I have no joys while you 're in Pain Alth. First for I ll begin with my first Benefits I savâ—d your Life nor can you yet deny it When in one Night your Guiltless Friends were slain Then you Ingrate then you too shou'd have dy'd In pity of your untimely Fate I Snatch'd you from my angry Fathers Rage And set you free O! that I h'd done no more But press'd by my ill stars o're pow'red by Love By artful sighs and your unmeaning Vows At once his Hopes and Veâ—geance I betray'd Not only gave you life but â—led too with you Again in Asia where I might have reign'd Neglecting still all interests of my own To save
silence o're the rest I 've heard too much too much already lend your hand The Ghastly Image sinks my floating Senses I bore what man cou'd bear but Ills like these O'recome the God within me Faints away Enter a Messenger Mess. Where where 's the Prince the Multitude Enrag'd at what the Royal House has suffer'd Forcing the Palace with one common Voice Devote Althea to immediately Vengeance Alth. No dull AEgyptian no I am not born To fall by their vile Hands by base Aegyptians This Dagger is my Safe-guard and this Hand Protects from that Infamy Cassi. O! Madam do not pierce your own dear Bosom This awful Temple will repel their Fury And gain you Time for a more gentle Fate Atlh. Impossible the People Rage spares nothing Has no respect to Altars or to Gods Besides Happiness has for ever left me And to live wretched is much worse than Death It is enough I 've liv'd to see my Wrongs Amply revenged I 'll leave no turn to Fortune To rob me of that Joy but thus Cassi. O! stop your fatal Hand As she stabs herself they seize her hand and wrest the Dagger from her but cou'd not prevent a slight wound Merops What have you done Alth. Do you conspire too against my Peace 'T is well the Daggerâ—s arm'd with double Fate I h'd mist my Aim else now this scratch will do it What the Blow can't the Poison will perform Epa. He breathes go bear him gently to his Bed I 'll but appease the people and attend him They bear off Phaeton Enter another Messenger Mess. My Lord the tumult now is grown too fierce To be repell'd or ev'n to be withstood Like Fire in Stubble driven before the Wind They bear down all Althea's Lodgings they 've destroy'd already And tore her Children in ten thousand pieces Nor satisfy'd with this they rave for her And much I fear unless she 's found their Fury Will reach the Prince himself as her Concealer Epa. The Prince alas he feels too much already Of this their common Woe Mess. You they declare As Son to their bright Goddess King of Aegypt Epa. The Crown I own is an Illustrious offer Yet not to be accepted by a Friend In a friends wrong that is unworthy me I will go to 'em Appease their fury with the Awe of Isis Or fall my self to vindicate my Friend Fortune does ev'ry day dispose of Crowns But Heav n too seldom gives a faithful Friend Ex. cum suis Alth. Ha! Merope what did the fatal Raven Croak My Children my dear Infants torn to pieces O! dreadful News O! cruel Rage O! cursed Aegypt Mer. T' was so alas he said Alth. Dead are they dead the pretty Orphans dead Their Tongues that us'd to charm me with such Music For ever silenc'd And their sparkling Eyes Shut up and clos'd for ever Walks up and down discomposedly Cass. Grieve not too much for What you can't redress Alth. Yet the great Gods that suffer'd all this Evil Might have some mighty End and Purpose in it To prevent Ills hid in the Womb of Time They took them innocent from this bad World As yet incapable of Guilt or Grief For had they liv'd perhaps they might have prov'd False as their Father or like me unhappy Mer. Then grieve no more for what the Gods have doom'd Alth. But thus to ' dye thus to be torn to pieces Their Limbs dissever'd their dear litte Arms That have so often twisted round my Neck Their balmy Lips that have so often kiss'd me Mangl'd and torn to pieces by vile Slaves By barbarous curs'd Aegyptians O! pain O! Torture greater far than Lybia bore She faints away into their Arms. This cannot must not be Oh! Cass. Oh! Merope our wretched Lady's dead Mer. No Life still struggles with grim Death within her Her Heart with furious and thick beating Throbs Bounces against her Breast Bend her more forward So she revives Alth. Stand off and give me way that I may fly Swifter than thought to stop the murdering Hand Of Destiny Gods Gods I 'm come too late The Deed is done their tender Threads are cut Oh! for the pow'r of strong Thessalian Charms To mock her Envy and reverse their Doom All will not do they are for ever lost Mer. Alas she raves her Look and Motion 's wild Cass. Alas my Heart bleeds at the piteous sight Alth. Hist in your Ear. I 've found the secret out Drawing 'em to her Softly we 'll creep to the black horrid Scene Of Infants Blood and steal the precious Pieces Gather them all and carry 'em to the Gods To solder them together the Gods can do it Cass. What can we do to give her some Relief Merops Oh! 't is not to be done Despair and Poison Unite their Force to disappoint ous Wishes Alth. Ha! th' unequal Gods deny the Boon Again disperse and scatter the dear Reliques I with such Pain and Hazard have collected Pauses and looks upward 'T is Guilt not Innocence is now their Care For perjur'd Phaeton is born a loft And grows familiar with the partial Gods Mer. O! ye jut Gods remit her ranging Grief Cass. Oh! that I cou'd by sharing it abate it Alth. Ha! now he 's leapt into his Fathers Seat He h's seiz'd the â—iery Chariot of the Sun But see the Steeds despise his feeble Rein And swiftly whirl him o re the Azure Plain pauses looking fix'dty upward The Chariot burns th' Heav'ns blaze th Earths on Fire See Athos Ida Taurus Oeta Flame Hills and Valleys burn Fountains and Streams dry up Stars Earth and Air are swallow'd up in Fire Ambition falls see now he tumbles down The Precipice of Heav'n Oh! shield us Iove For now he comes directly on our Heads Breaks from them that endeavour to hold her tears off her Head-Cloaths c. and her hair tumbles about her Shoulders Tear tear tear off these Flaming Tresses These burning Garments this catching Fuel Haste haste into the Flood or we consume Throws herself down So so hark hark that Thunderclap has sav'd us See hes faln he 's motionless he 's dead Ha! how freezing cold he 's grown already I 've caught the shudd'ring Fit it chills my Heart Oh! Dyes Re-enter Epaphus Epa. Here let the People wait till we return Speaks entring Too far already has their Fury bore 'em Aegyptians Countrymen see where she lies And let your Anger terminate with Death But learn ye All from this too fatal Day That Iove o're Kings maintains an awful Sway. All things are order'd by the Pow'rs above Against whose Will our Counsels fruitless prove In sad Events our wisest hopes we lose And what we can't expect the Gods produce Exeunt Omnes ERRATA IN the Preface p. 1. l. 22. r specious p. 2. l. 19 add of p. 4. l. 40 r. yours l. 41 r. Benefits p. 7. l. 30. r. Reasonable p. 8. l. 21. r. dum l. 35.1 Identity In the Play p. 3. l. 22. r. graceful p. 10. l. 10. add and p. 11. r. Goddess p. 13.4.30 r. her p. 16. l. 15. r. Shade p. 19. l. 8. r. crouch'd l. 15. add and her 1.26 dele pauses p. 20. l. â— add too p. 22.1.4 aster Pow'r add that and after hence dele that p. 24. l. 48. for Me r. them THE EPILOGUE Made by a Friend and Spoken by Mr. Mills OUR Poet wanting some kind Friend in Vâ—gue To give you the Desest of Epilogue His Stock being Spent has sent me here to borrow Of you Some Wit to write one for tomorrow Stay 〈◊〉 me see Where shall I find this Wit Gad I 'm affraid to venture on the Pit What if I hunted in the Side Box Rows But who wou'd seek for wit among the Reaux O! there 's a twisted Stinkirk but his Wits plac'd Preposterously from his Chin down to his Waste Below his head if any where I 'm sure His Brain can nothing but Pulvils endure There 's one well powder'd gad and be looks bigg And yet his Head is empty in a full Wigg I know him he 's an old Halt-Act Peeper A true Friend I mean to our Door-keeper To plunder there 's a sin of that degree ' Twou'd come within the Act of Immortality But there 's a Cit I 'm sure that he has None At least â—o spare Unlesâ— upon a Loan And to begg there is a too vile Disgrace For City Security's wrist upon his Face His Wit besides another Way is Bent As how t'evade some Act of Parliament O! now I 've found it And be can't withstand it Death 't is a Soldier and his Wit 's disbanded No Beaux no Wit no sharper left to spark it What a Plague are they all gone to New Market Since he in vain here to the Men wou'd Sue Our Poet Ladies throws himself on You His Inspiration seeks from your bright Eyes Those Charms wou'd make the dullest Spirits Rise FINIS