His fails by Cupid's hands unfurl'd,

To keep the fair, he gave the world.
Edward our Fourth, rever'd and crown'd,
Vigorous in youth, in arms renown'd;
While England's voice, and Warwick's care,
Defign'd him Gallia's beauteous heir;

Chang'd peace

and power, for and rage Only to dry one widow's tears.France's fourth Henry we may fee

A fervant to the fair d'Eftree;

When, quitting Coutras' profperous field,
And Fortune taught at length to yield,
He from his guards and midnight tent
Difguis'd o'er hills and vallies went,
To wanton with the fprightly dame;
And in his pleasure loft his fame.

500

Bold is the critic who dares prove

505

Thefe Heroes were no friends to Love;

And bolder he, who dares aver,

That they were enemies to war.

Yet, when their thought should, now or never,

Have rais'd their heart, or fir'd their liver;

510

Fond Alma to thofe parts was gone,

Which Love more juftly calls his own.

Examples I could cite you more;

But be contented with thefe four :

For, when one's proofs are aptly chofen,

515

Four are as valid as four dozen.

One came from Greece, and one from Rome;

The other two grew nearer home.

For

B

UT fhall we take the Mufe abroad,
To drop her idly on the road?
And leave our fubject in the middle;
As Butler did his bear and fiddle?
Yet he, confummate mafter, knew
When to recede, and where purfue
His noble negligences teach
What others toils defpair to reach.
He, perfect dancer, climbs the rope,
And balances your fear and hope :
If, after some distinguish'd leap,
He drops his pole, and feems to flip;
Straight gathering all his active ftrength,
He rifes higher half his length.
With wonder you approve his flight;
And owe your pleasure to your fright.
But like poor Andrew I advance,
Falfe mimic of my master's dance;
Around the cord a while I fprawl;
And thence, though low, in earnest fall.
My preface tells you, I digrefs'd:
He's half abfolv'd who has confefs'd.

5

15

20

I like

I like, quoth Dick, your fimile:
And, in return, take two from me.
As mafters in the clare obfcure
With various light your eyes allure;
A flaming yellow here they fpread;
Draw off in blue, or charge in red;
Yet, from thefe colours oddly mix'd,
Your fight upon the whole is fix'd :

25

30

Or as, again, your courtly dames

(Whofe cloaths returning birth-day claims)

By arts improve, the stuffs they vary;
And things are best as most contrary;
The gown, with stiff embroidery shining,
Looks charming with a flighter lining;
The out- if Indian figure stain,
The in-fide must be rich and plain.
So you great authors have thought fit
To make digreffion temper wit:
When arguments too fiercely glare,
You calm them with a milder air:

35

40

To break their points, you turn their force ;
And furbelow the plain difcourfe.

Richard, quoth Mat, thefe words of thine

45

Speak fomething fly, and fomething fine:
But I fhall e'en refume my theme;
However thou may'st praise or blame.

As people marry now, and fettle;
Fierce Love abates his ufual mettle:
Worldly defires, and household cares,
Disturb the Godhead's foft affairs:

50

So

So now, as health or temper changes,
In larger compafs Alma ranges,
This day below, the next above;
As light or folid whimfies move.
So merchant has his house in town,
And country-feat near Banfted-down :
From one he dates his foreign letters,
Sends out his goods, and duns his debtors :
In t'other, at his hours of leisure,
He fmoaks his pipe, and takes his pleasure.
And now your matrimonial Cupid,
Lash'd on by time, grows tir'd and stupid.
For ftory and experience tell us,

55

60

65

"That man grows old, and woman jealous.

Both would their little ends fecure;

He fighs for freedom, the for power.
His wishes tend abroad to roam ;

And her's, to domineer at home.
Thus paffion flags by flow degrees ;
And, ruffled more, delighted lefs,
The busy mind does feldom go
To thofe once-charming feats below;
But, in the breast incamp'd, prepares
For well-bred feints and future wars.
The man fufpects his lady's crying
When he last autumn lay a-dying)

་ ༡༠

75

Was but to gain him to appoint her

And knows, that in that grief he reckon'd
On black-ey'd Sufan for his fecond.

Thus, having ftrove fome tedious years
With feign'd defires, and real fears;
And, tir'd with anfwers and replies

Of John affirms, and Martha lies,

Leaving this endless altercation,
The mind affects a higher station.
Poltis, that generous king of Thrace,
I think, was in this very cafe.
All Afia now was by the ears;

And Gods beat up for volunteers

To Greece and Troy; while Poltis fat
In quiet governing his ftate.

And whence; faid the pacific king,
Does all this noife and difcord fpring?
Why, Paris took Atrides' wife-
With eafe I could compofe this ftrife :
The injur'd hero fhould not lofe,
Nor the young lover want a spouse.
But Helen chang'd her firft condition,
Without her husband's just permiflion.
What from the dame can Paris hope?
She may as well from him elope.
Again, how can her old good-man
With honour take her back again?
From hence I logically gather,
The woman cannot live with either.
Now, I have two right honeft wives,

For whofe poffeflion no man ftrives :