commands Tyes up my tongue and binds my hands 3. Ah! must your bleeding Lover dye And see his balm and see his cure so nigh Or fierce and eager of the bliss Shall he presume to seize a balmy Kiss 4. No he 'll ten thousand deaths endure And all the rigours of his fate attend E're he 'll by Sacriledge attempt his cure And his dear Bellamette offend An Ode upon a Kiss Out of French 1. NAy now ambitious thoughts farewel I pity Kings in all their state While thus in Lesbia's arms I dwell And mighty Love does on my Triumphs wait 2. Thus let me languishing expire Incircled in her snowy arms Till she revives me with her charms And pours into my breast a nobler fire 3. Thus let me sigh my Soul away And revel in immortal bliss Thus let me spend th' auspicious day And crown each smiling moment with a Kiss 4. Adonis ne're was half so blest Nor half the pleasure shar'd as I Tho Love's bright Goddess him carest And in her arms hugg'd the delicious Boy 5. Nor Iove himself such transports knew When Danae's charms the captive God did hold Tho he the pleasure to pursue Mortgag'd his poor Almighty ship to Gold 6. A thousand Loves in solemn state On those two rosie lips reside While busie I with eager pride Sip all their sweets and bless my happy fate 7. Now on her glowing Breasts I range Now kiss her Cheeks and now her Eyes The pleasure 's heighten'd by the change And fills me with unruly joys 8. But ah my Beauteous Nymph beware How you encrease my store For else your pamper'd Slave may dare Drunk as he is with joy to press for something more 9. For say fond Lovers what you will To deifie a Kiss T is but a pledge or Prologue still To the succeeding Acts of Bliss A Sapphic Ode in the Valesiana DUlcius quam fit putat esse mollis Virgo quod nescit sitis inde magna Cognitae nondum Veneris puellas Torquet adultas At recordantur Viduae peractas Cum viris noctes sit is inde major Cognitae dudum Veneris priores Suscitat ignes Virgini ignosci Viduaene malis Illa quod nescit cupit experiri Haec quod experta est avet inde Virgo Aequius ardet A Translation Principio Coelum Terras Titaniaque astra Spiritus intus alit totumque insusa per artus Mens agitat molem I 'Ll sing how God the world 's almighty Mind Thro all infus'd and to that All confin'd Directs the parts and with an equal hand â—upports the whole enjoying his command How all agree and how the parts have made â—trict Leagues subsisting by each others aid How all by Reason move because one Soul â—ives in the parts diffusing thro the whole For did not all the friendly parts conspire To make one whole and keep the Frame entire â—nd did not Reason guide and Sence controul The vast stupendious Machine of the whole â—arth wou'd not keep its place the Skies woud fall â—nd universal stiffness deaden all Stars wou'd not whirl their round nor day nor night Their course perform but stop their usual flight Rains wou'd not feed the Fields and Earth deny Mists to the Clouds and Vapours to the Sky Seas wou'd not fill the Springs nor Springs returâ— Their grateful Tribute from their flowing Urâ— Nor wou'd the All unless contriv'd by Art So justly be proportion'd in each part That neither Seas nor Skies nor Stars exceed Our wants nor are too scanty for our need Thus stands the Frame and the Almighty Soul Thro all diffus'd so turns and guides the whole That nothing from its settled station swerves And Motion alters not the Frame but still preâ—serves This God or Reason which the Orbs does move Makes things below depend on signs above Tho far remov'd tho hid in shades of night And scarce to be descry'd by their own light â—et Nations own and men their influence feel â—hey rule the public and the private will â—he proofs are plain Thus from a different Star â—e find a fruitful or a barren year â—ow grains increase and now refuse to grow â—ow quickly ripen now their growth is slow â—he Moon commands the Seas she drives the Main â—o pass the Shores then drives it back again â—nd this Sedition chiefly sweells the streams â—hen opposite she views her Brother's beams â—r when she near in close Conjunction rides â—erears the Flouds and swells the flowing Tides â—r when attending on the yearly race â—he Equinoctial sees her borrow'd face Her power sinks deep it searches all the Main â—estaceous fish as she her light regains â—â—crease and still diminish in her wane â—or as the Moon in deepest darkness mourns â—hen rays receives points her borrowâ—d horns Then turns her face and with a smile invites The full effusions of her Brother's Lights They to her Changes due proportions keep And show her various Phases in the deep So Brutes whom Nature did in sport create Ignorant of themselves and of their fate A secret instinct still erects their Eyes To parent Heav'n and seems to make them wise One at the New Moon 's rise to distant shores Retires his body sprinkles and adores Some see storms gathering or serenes foretel And scarce our Reason guides us half so well Then who can doubt that Man the gloriouâ— Pridâ— Of all is nearer to the Stars ally'd Nature in Mans capacious Soul has wrought And given them Voice expressive of their thought In Man the God descends and joys to find The narrow Image of his greater mind But why should all the other Arts be shown Too various for productions of our own Why shou'd I sing how different tempers fall And inequality is seen in all How many strive with equal care to gain The highest prize and yet how few obtain Which proves not Matter sways but Wisdom rules And measures out the bigness of our Souls â—â—re Fate stands fixt nor can its Laws decay â—is Heaven 's to rule and Matter 's essence to obey Who cou'd know Heaven unless that Heav'n bestowd â—he knowledge or find God but part of God â—ow cou'd the space Immense be e're confin'd â—ithin the compass of a narrow mind â—ow cou'd the Skies the Dances of the Stars â—heir motions adverse and eternal wars â—nless kind Nature in our Breasts had wrought â—oportion'd Souls be subject to our thought Were Heaven not aiding to advance our mind To know Fate 's Laws and teach the way to 〈◊〉 Did not the Skies their kindred Souls improve Direct and lead them thro the Maze above Discover Nature shew its secret springs And tell the sacred intercourse of things How impious were our search how bold oâ— couâ—â— Thus to assault and take the Skies by force A most convincing Reason's drawn from Seâ—â— That this vast Frame is mov'd by Providence Which like the Soul does every whirl advance It must be God nor was it made by chance As Epicurus dreamt He madly thought This
Grace That Colour whose inchanting Red Me to Love's tents a Captive led Strange turn of Fate that she Who from my self so oft has stoln poor me Now by the just revenge of Time stoln froâ— herself should bâ— 6. Time was when Lyce's powerful face To Phyllis only gave the place Perfect in all the little tricks of love That charm the sense and the quick fancy movâ— But fate to Phyllis a long reign deny'd She fell in all her blooming Beauty's pride She conquer'd whilst she liv'd and triumph as she dyâ— 7. Thou like some old Commander in disgrace Surviving the past Conquests of thy face Now the great business of thy life is done Reviewst with grief the Trophies thou hast won Damn'd to be parch'd with lust tho chill'd with Age And tho past action damn'd to tread the Stage That all might laugh to see that glaring light Which lately shone so fierce and bright End with a stink at last and vanish into night The x. Ode in Horace L. 3. Paraphrased Extremum Tanaim si biberes Lyce c. THo you my Lyce in some Northernâ—â—ood Had chill'd the current of your blood Or lost your sweet engaging Charms In some Tartarian Husband 's icy arms Were yet one spark of pity left behind To form the least impression on your mind Sure you must grieve sure you must sigh Sure drop some pity from your Eye To see your Lover prostrate on the ground With gloomy night and black despair encompass'd all around 2. Hark! how the threatning Tempests rise And with loud clamors fill the Skies Hark! how the tott ring buildings shake Hark! how the Trees a doleful Consort make And see oh see how all below The earth lyes cover'd deep in Snow The Romans clad in white did thus the Fasces woe And thus your freezing Candidate my Lyce sues for you 3. Come lay these foolish niceties aside And to soft passion sacrifice your pride Let not the precious hours with fruitless questions dye But let new scenes of pleasure crown them as they fly Slight not the flames which your own charms infuse And no kind friendly minute lose While Youth Beauty give you leave to chuse As men by acts of Charity below Or purchase the next world or think they do So you in Youth a Lover shou'd engage To make a sure retreat for your declining Age. 4. Let meaner Souls by Virtue be cajol'd As the good Grecian Spinstress was of old She while her Sot his youthful prime bestow'd To fight a Cuckolds Wars abroad Held out a longer Siege than Troy Against the warm attacks of proffer'd joy And foolishly preserv'd a worthless Chastity At the expence of ten years lyes and perjury Like that old fashion'd Dame ne're bilk your own delight But what you 've lost i' th' day get get it in the night 5. Oh! then if prayers can no acceptance find Nor vows nor offerings bend your mind If all these pow'rful motives fail Yet let your Husbands injuries prevail He by some Play-house Jilt mis-led Elsewhere bestows the tribute of your Bed Let me his forfeited Embraces share Let me your mighty wrongs repair Thus Kings by their own Rebels powers betray'd To quell the home-bred Foe call in a foreign aid 6. Love let Platonics promise what they will Must like Devotion be encourag'd still Must meet with equal wishes and desires Or else the dying Lamp in its own Urn expires And I for all that boasted flame We Poets and fond Lovers idly claim Am of too frail a make I fear Shou'd you continue still severe To brave the double hardships of your fate And bear the coldness of the nights and rigor of your hate The xxvi Ode in Hor. L. 3. Paraphras'd Vixi puellis nuper idoneus c. 1. T Is true while active Blood my veins did fire And vigorous Youth gay thoughts inspire By your leave Courteous Reader be it said I cou'd have don 't as well as most men did But now I am the more 's the pity The veriest fumbler in the City 2. There honest Harp that hast of late So often bore thy sinful Masters fate Thou a crack'd side and he a broken paâ—e Hang up and peaceful rest enjoy Hang up while poor dejected I Unmusical unstrung like thee sit mourning by 3. And likewise all ye trusty bars With whose assistance heretofore When Love engag'd me in his Wars I 've batter'd heaven forgive me many a dooâ— Lye there till some more able hand Shall you to your old pious use command 4. But oh kind Phaebus lend a pitying ear To thy old Servant's humble prayer Let scornful Chloe thy resentments feel Lash her all o're with rods of Steel And when the Jilt shall of her smart complain This 't is then tell her to disdain Thy sacred power and scorn a Lover's pain The xv Ode in Horace Lib. 3. Imitated Vxor pauperis Ibyci c. 1. AT length thou antiquated Whore Leave trading off and sin no more For shame in your old Age turn Nun As Whores of everlasting Memory have done 2. Why shouldst thou 〈◊〉 frequent the sport The Balls and â—evelâ— of the Court Or why at glittering Masks appear Only to fill the Triumphs of the Fair 3. To Ghent or Brussels strait adjourn The lewdness of your former life to mourn There brawny Priests in plenty you may hire If whip and wholesom Sackcloth cannot quencâ— the fire 4. Your Daughter 's for the business made To her in Conscience quit your Trade Thus when his conquering days were done Victorious Charles resign'd his Kingdom to his Son 5. Alas ne're thrum your long disus'd Guittar Nor with Pulvilio's scent your hair But in some lonely Cell abide With Rosary and Plalter dangling at your side The Epigram in Martial L. Imitated Quaeris sollicitus diu rogasque Cui tradas Lupe filium Magistro c WHen e're I meet you still you cry What shall I do with Bob my Boy Since this Affair you 'll have me treat on Ne're send the Lad to Pauls or Eaton The Muses let him not confide in But leave those Jilts to Tate or Dryden If with damn'd Rimes he racks his wits Send him to Mevis or St. Kit's Wouâ—d you with wealth his Pockets store well Teach him to pimp or hold a door well If he has a head not worth a Stiver Make him a Curate or Hog driver In obitum Tho. Shadwell pinguis memoria 1693. 1. COnditur haec tumulo Bavius gravis esâ— memenâ— Terra duo Bavio nam fuit ille tibi 2. Tam cito miraris Bavii foetere cadaver Non erat in toto corpore mica salis 3. Mors uni Bavio lucrum nam jugera Vates Qui vivens habuit nulla sepultus habet 4. Porrigitur novus hic Tityus per jugera septem Nec quae tondebit viscera deerit Avis 5. Dicite nam bene vos 〈◊〉 gens Critica vateâ— An fuâ—rit Bavius pejor an historicus 6. Militiam sicco Wilhelmus Marte peregit
triple Brass The daring Mortal surely wore Who first the faithless Main durst pass And in a treacherous Bark new Worlds explore 4. What scenes of Death cou'd shake his Soul That unconcern'd saw the wild Billows rise And scaly Monsters on the surface rowl And whizzing Meteors paint the gloomy Skies 5. In vain wise Heav'ns indulgent care Lands from the spacious Ocean did divide If with expanded Sails bold Ships prepare To plow the deep and brave the swelling Tide 6. But Man that busie reasoning Tool Cheap happiness disdains to chuse Sick of his ease the restless fool At his own cost forbidden paths pursues 7. From the refulgent Orb of day A glitt'ring Spark the rash Prometheus stole And fondly stampt into a Soul T' inform his new-made Progeny of Clay 8. Strait to reward his Sacrilegious Theft Fevers and Ills unknown before Their old infernal Mansions left And thro the sickning air their baleful poyson bore 9. Then Death that lately travell'd slow Content with single Victims where he came Made haste and eager of his Game Whole Nations lopp'd at one compendious blow 10. To what fantastic heights does Man aspire Doom'd to dull Earth the Sot wou'd clambâ—â— higher Heav'n he invades with impudent pretence And makes Iove thunder in his own defence An Imitation of an Epigram 44. in Mart. lib. iii. Occurrit tibi nemo quod libenter c. THat Cousins Friends and Strangers fly thee Nay thy own Sister can't sit nigh thee That all men thy acquaintance shun And into holes and corners run Like Irish Beau from English Dun The reason 's plain and if thou 'dst know it Thou' rt a most damn'd repeating Poet. Not Bayliff sowr with horrid Beard Is more in poor Alsatia fear'd Since the stern Parliament of late Has stript of ancient rights their State Not Tygers when their Whelps are missing Nor Serpents in the Sun-shine hissing Nor Snake in tail that carries rattle Not Fire nor Plague nor Blood nor Battle Is half so dreaded by the throng As thy vile persecuting Tongue If e're the restless Clack that 's in it Gives thy Head leave to think a minute Think what a pennance we must bear Thy damn'd impertinence to hear Whether I stand or run or sit Thou still art i' th' repeating fit Weary'd I seek a nap to take But thy curst Muse keeps me awake At Church too when the Organ's blowing Thy louder pipe is still a going Nor Park nor Baguio's from thee free All places are alike to thee Learn Wisdom once at a Friend's instance From the two Fellows at St. Dunstan's Make not each man thou meet'st a Martyr But strike like them but once a quarter SONG By Mr. Gl 1. PHyllis has a gentle heart Willing to the Lovers courting Wanton nature all the Art To direct her in her sporting In th' embrace the look the kiss All is real inclination No false raptures in the bliss No feign'd sighings in the passion 2. But oh who the Charms can speak Who the thousand ways of toying When she does the Lover make All a God in her enjoying Who the Limbs that round him move And constrain him to her blisses Who the Eyes that swim in love Or the Lips that suck in kisses 3. Oh the freaks when mad she grows Raves all wild with the possessing Oh the silent Trance which shows The delight above expressing Every way she does engage Idly talking speechless lying She transports me with the rage And she kills me in her dying On Dr. Lower who was observed to bâ— grown good-natur'd a little beforâ— his Death By another hand HAd not good humour o're the ill prevail'd Death in attempting Dr. Lower had fail'd For he alas good man in health declin'd By changing the bad manners of his mind And 's very Understanding got a Cough By leaving an old habit too soon off For had he kept his humour most austere He might have yet liv'd with us many a year Preserv'd in his own pickle Vinegar But when the Alkali had kill'd the sowr His blood being sweeten'd off troopt Dr. Lower Verses put into a Lady's Prayer-book Supposed to be written by the late Earl of Rochester 1. FLing this useless Book away And presume no more to pray Heaven is just and can bestow Mercy on none but those that mercy show With a proud heart maliciously inclin'd Not to increase but to subdue mankind In vain you vex the Gods with your Petition Without repentance and sincere contrition You 're in a Reprobate condition 2. Phyllis to calm the angry powers And save my Soul as well as yours Relieve poor Mortals from despair And justifie the Gods that made you fair And in those bright and charming Eyes Let pity first appear then love That we by easie steps may move Thro all the joys on earth to those above The Fable of the Horse and the Stag By Mr. S 1. THe Horn-arm'd Stag deny'd the Horse The privilege of the Common Till starv'd for want of equal force He begg'd assistance from Man 2. For why resolv'd at any rate To get his share of Pasture He rather chose to champ the Bit Than leave the Stag sole master 3. With Man astride he march'd to fight A foe that durst not face him For he with strangeness of the sight Was frighted from his grazing 4 Nor had Sir Palfry much to brag He got by this adventure Since Man from routing of the Stag Commenc'd perpetual Centaur A Translation of Lesbia mi dicit semper male Out of Catullus 1. EAch moment of the long-liv'd day Lesbia for me does backwards pray And rails at me sincerely Yet I dare pawn my life my eyes My soul and all that Mortals prize That Lesbia loves me dearly 2. Why shou'd you thus conclude you 'll say Faith 't is my own beloved way And thus I hourly prove her Yet let me all those curses share That heav'n can give or man can bear If I don't strangely love her On one Becker a Parson of Amsterdam who in a Book entitled The World Bewitch'd pretends to prove there is but one Devil PLures O Beckere negas dum Daemonas esse Contra te gens est imperiosa tua Thus in English More Devils than one why does the Sot deny All Holland gives his argument the lye The Fable of the Wolf and Porcupine In answer to The Argument against a Standing Army 1. ISgrim with hunger prest one day As through the Woods he posted A Porcupine found on the way And in these terms accosted 2. Our Wars are ended heav'n be prais'd Then let 's sit down and prâ—ttle Of Towns invested Sieges rais'd And what we did in Battle 3. The Plains a pleasing prospect yield No fire nor desolation While plenty reigns in every field And Trade restores the Nation 4. Yet you your Quills erected wear And tho none seeks to harm ye In time of Peace about you bear Methinks a Standing Army 5. Friend quoth the Porcupine 't is true The War 's at
see the uncertainty of humane affairs omnia sunt hominum we were stopt by the Monarch of the night at Ludgate apparent nova Monstra Crys he whence come ye sed vos qui tandem or whether are you going Quove tenetis iter Shall I send one of my Myrmidons to see you home auxilio tutos dimittam or will you reign with me in this Elbow-Chair of State vultis his mecum pariter considere regnis By my Faith my Throne and all is at your service Vrbem quam statuo vestra est No said Ned Townly I beg your excuse haud equidam tali me dignor honore I love you Gentlemen Constables with all my heart Odâ— profanum vulgus arceo but I have a morose thing call'd a Father at home est mihi namque domi pater besides a Mother-in law as mischievous as a fury Hircanaeque admorunt ubera tygres So if you please we 'll ev'n take our leaves of one another worthy Sir satis est quod sufficit and thus through so many nocturnal principalities and powers per tot discrimina rerum we at last got safe to the Commons tendimus in Latium Had I the Lungs of a hundred Lawyers non mihi si centum linguae sint yet were I not able to tell you all my adventures omnes scelerum compendere formes But to conclude this was the issue of this tragical night haec finis Priami fatorum but who the plague could have foreseen it quid sit futurum â—ras fuge quaerere However I shall have more wit for the future piscator sapit ictus so begging your pardon for this tedious Letter veniam petimus dabimusque vicissim I promise you Ne quid nimis shall hereafter be the word with Your most humble L. I. LETTER IX To Madam kept by a Jew in Covent-Garden By Capt. Gr AT my coming to Town I was supriz'd to hear two things That the Duke of Savoy had quitted the Confederates and gone over to the French and what startled me more that Mrs Lucy had thrown off her old Christian acquaintance and revolted to the Jews Faith Child I could never have imagined that you of all the women in the world wou'd ever have chosen a Gallant out of that Religion which clips and diminishes the current Coyn of Love or could ever be brought to like those people that liv'd two thousand years on Types and â—igures But perhaps you fancy'd the Nation for Sampson's sake of brawny memory If you did you are like to lose your longing for you may as well look for some of the race of the two Gyants at Guildâ—hall in Cheapside as for any of Sampson's progeny in Dukeâ—s-place Some of your Friends alledge in your justification that you were wholly directed by your interest in this choice and troth I can't blame you Our Statesmen and Senators our Divines Merchants and Lawyers act all upon that principle and why a poor frail woman should not be allowed the same priviledge I cannot see So then I find 't is neither circumcision nor uncircumcision that avails any thing with you but money which is in reality of all Religions and you only put in practice what your kind Keeper's Ancestors did formerly in the Wilderness that is you fall down before the Golden Calf which the Rabbies say was some excuse for their Idolatry Upon this foot I 'll allow you to grant some favours to your old Testament Spark so long as his pot of Manna continues full and you find him like the Land of Canaan flowing with Milk and Honey However in the mean time consider how his Predecessors served the Aegyptians and let it not disturb your pious Conscience to use him in the same manner For your comfort all our Câ—suists agree that it is no more sin to cheat a Jew than to over-reach a Scot or to put false Dice upon a Stock-jobber And now old friend of mine to tell thee the truth I have a great inclination upon me to be wonderfully loving to thee and I 'll tell thee the reason if thou hadst kept still within the pale of the Church I believe you and I knew one another so intimately well before that I should have lain under no great temptation to trespass with thee But since thou hast admitted an Interloper into thy Bosom I have a wonderful longing to beat up his quarters and am resolved to cuckold this Eleazar this Aben-Ezra this Son of Circumcision only to shew my zeal to Christianity Therefore meet me dear Lucy this very evening in the Pit for I long to know first how thou mad'st a shift to pass the Levitical muster with him and secondly and lastly to be inform'd whether Aaron's Bells make better Musick than ours Adieu LETTER X. From a Gentleman in Holland to his Friend in England By the same hand YOu may imagin I lead none of the most comfortable lives here when I tell you that I am quartered in a little pimping village on the Frontier of Flanders where I have no men to converse and no women to intrigue with To begin with the former I am a perfect Barbarian to them and so I believe I should be if I liv'd among them till Doomsday For all I know they may wish me at the Devil and curse me when I fancy they are at their compliments However this is no more temptation to me to learn their croaking language than I should have if I were marry'd to imitate the jealous Italian in Poggius who gelt himself on purpose to know whether his Wife was true to his bed Then their liquor is so abominable â—hat there 's no enduring it rather than do pennance in such vile stuff two of my Soldiers 〈◊〉 forced to fill their guts with water every day and then stand upon their heads a quarter of an hour together to make themselves giddy which gives them some feeble representation of drunkenness In short I am grown rusty for want of exercise and pass away my time as uneasily as a poor Carp that has been us'd to range in a River does in a little Cistern of Water at a Fishmonger's by Temple Baâ— However I could make a shift to bear the brutality of the men if the other Sex made me amends but i'faith they are cold to such a degree that neither Love nor Wine can unthaw them I must needs own I have the same quarrel to the generality of your Women in London as the Clâ—rgy have to the Laity that is to say they know too much but a plague on 't the Females here have the contrary fault and are such flegmatic stupid Creatures that a man must live the Age of a Patriarch among them to teach them to fetch and carry In short you may sooner teach a Lâ—plander Algebra Tho the Virtuosi may be mistaken in their universal Character yet 〈◊〉 thought Love had an universal language which was understood from Pole to Pole and that hâ— kept an Exchange in all corners of the
Earth where the two Sexes might barter their Commodities but here it seems this Traffick is noâ— practic'd tho they trade in every thing else By signs and other motions I can make a shiâ—â— to tell them what I would eat and drink but â— cannot with all that my eyes can speak with â—ll that my fingers can express make the woâ—en understand my meaning so as to relieve â—y more pressing necessities Looking once â—ith a languishing ridiculous air as people in â—ove use to do my Landlords Daughter thought 〈◊〉 was ill and a Physician was presently sent â—or so I guest him to be by the Clyster-pipe â—anging by his side but I had the grace to reâ—â—se the civilities he design'd me To try her â—et farther I put a pledge into her hands â—hich the Women in all other parts of the Globe 〈◊〉 willing enough to exchange and know the â—alue of but she looked upon as it unconcern'd as 〈◊〉 Cheapside-Cit does at a Cuckold and returned 〈◊〉 me back and yet the Wench was plump and â—andsome was past twenty and seemed to be â—ade of the same good natured materials with â—he Women in England 'T is a common saying â—ut untrue that no Nation is so barbarous but â—ove and Religion have got footing in it If â—e may believe our modern Travellers the â—otantots have no Religon and I have found â—y sorrowful experience that the Dutch Woâ—en have no tast of Love whether this proceeds â—â—om their natural coldness which produces â—he same effects here that Grace does in other â—â—aces or whether their business to which they â—re no less bred than the men proves too prevalent for all amorous impressions I can't tell but this is certain that as a modern Author expresses himself we find among these Pagan people un certain usage de pruderie quasi generalement ètabliet je ne scaj quelle vielle tradition de continence qui passe de mere en fille comme une espece de Religion In short if Love be a Deity there are no such damn'd Atheists in the World as in this strange Climate 'T is true in other places those of the fair Sex may be too profuse in their offerings but as the Divines rightly observe Superstition is better than Prophaneness Those few here that pretend to own his power pay their oblations to him with as ill a will as a breaking Tradesman pays his Taxes to the Government It does not come from any generous principle within the heart has no share in the sacrifice and the Soul which in other Countries loves to assist and go along with the body upon these occasions is as unconcern'd here 〈◊〉 a Tradesmans rake-helly Prentice at a Quakeâ— meeting Not but that there are whores and married Women too in this Country which may seem to destroy what I have said before but thâ— latter know no more what Gallantry meanâ— than they understand Arabic and the former arâ— such rampant mercenary Devils that they wou'â— lick old Lucifer's cloven foot for a single Gilâ—der In short there 's not one honest Rahab 〈◊〉 be found among them to justify the profession and Love has ne'r a Court in all the seven Provinces where a man can be heard in forma â—auperis which is a sad thing for us poor Souldiers that are not over-stock'd with the Ready And then as I have already told you those that pass for Maids are such insensible things that one may succeed much sooner in his preâ—ensions elsewhere than he can here make himself understood or to express my self in the language of Westminster hall one may get his Cause tryed enter upon the Premisses and levy a Fine elsewhere before he â—an put in his Plea here let him use all the art â—e can The young fellows are made of the same unthinking Clay they sometimes talk of the flames of Love but 't is so as we at this diâ—tance of time talk of the fire of Troy which nothing concerns us 'T is next to an Article of Faith with them that no evacuation is so reâ—reshing as a Belch that nothing warms but Brandy and that nothing is worth a mans â—ourting but Money Guess then what a dismal pennance I have undergone in this wicked place but now Heaven be praised my persecution is like to â—e at an end for next week we are order'd â—o joyn the Army at Nivelle where I hope to meet good store of Champaign and to make my self amends out of the female recruits that â—re arriv'd from England Come Battel and Murder Bloodshed and Desolation Fire and Faggot in fine any thing but Dutch Women and the curse of Sobriety Thus prays Your most obliged Servant LETTER XI To a young Lawyer that dabbl'd in Poetry SIR YOur friends in the Country understanding to their grief that you are infected with Verse-making by the same token that the spots of Parnassus have broke out upon you in several Love-Sonnets and a Pindaric Ode upon the Peace they have desired me whom they knew to labour under the same distempeâ— formerly to attempt your Cure with thâ— same prospect I suppose as the people of Spaiâ— and Italy employ the Priests to exorcise the Devil because they are best acquainted with him Take it therefore for an undoubted truth thaâ— Law and Poetry are as incompatible as War and Plenty and that the Lawyer and Poet â—an no more inhabit in the same person than a Beau and a Chimney-sweeper The Law proposeth interest for its end and that consideraâ—ion makes its Thistles palatable but you 'll find your self damnably mistaken if you think to advance your self by the Muses After you have spent your whole age in their service you must not expect to have your Arrears paid so much as in Malt-Tickets or Exchequer-Notes Theyâ—ll put you off to one Mrs Tattle alias Fame the veryest Coquette that ever was and that prating Gossip will sham you with an Immortaâ—ity-Ticket forsoâ—th which is not to become due to you till you are laid asleep in a Church-yard and neither you nor your Heirs will be a farthing the better for it What is worse the nine Sisters above-mentioned will not only disappoint your expectations â—s to a reward but will engross all your faâ—ours and suffer no Rivals to interfere with them Like the East India Women they 'll expect you shou'd prove constant and bestow no marks of benevolence elsewhere otherwise conclude to be poison'd by them and made uncapable of any thing else and nothing you know is so furious as the revenge of a discarded Mistress If you design to touch at the most advantageous Port in the land of Poetry call'd the Theatre consider how visible the dangers and how unsuitable the returns are To please the Ladies you must take care to lard the Dialogue with store of luscious stuff which the Righteous call Bawdy To please our new Reformers you must have none otherwise gruff Ieremy will be upon your bones In short a Poet has as hard a task