The Ladies of Londons Petition,
OR, THEIR
Humble Address to the Parliament of old Women
for husbands; Sign'd by threescore thousand Hands, and
never a crackt maiden head nor Widow amongst them.
To the Tune of, Mary live long.
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YOu Matrons all,
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With humble Submisson,
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We bring our Petition,
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For Justice we call,
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pray hear our Complaint
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For the good Marriage-state
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Is so run down of late
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by every one,
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That pritty young Ladies,
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That pritty young Ladies,
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do long lye alone.
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A Marriage one fears
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Because he Conjectures,
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The Loud-curtain-lectures,
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Will ring through his ears
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both morning and night,
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Yet in Taverns they'll rore,
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With a Noise ten times more
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and Bottles of Wine,
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Still leaving young Lasses,
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Still leaving young Lasses,
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to sigh and repine.
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A second wont wed
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For fear his fair Beauty,
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Should stray from her Duty,
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And graft on his head
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a large pair of Horns;
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Yet he will have in store
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Twenty Harlots and more:
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Is this not a shame?
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To spend Youth and Treasure,
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To spend Youth and Treasure,
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on Girls of the Game.
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Another replys,
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He can't bear the bawling,
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The wining and squalling,
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And terrible crys
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of Children when young:
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Why the fourth crys a Wife
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Will destroy a Man's Life,
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and wast him away:
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These are their Excusies,
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These are their Excusies,
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for longer Delay.
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But yet let them know,
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That Ladies of Pleasure
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Are Wasters of Treasure,
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They'll bring a Man low
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that follows the Sport;
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Nay the Docter may hap,
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For the curing the Clap,
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may pillage his Purse
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Of more then would pay for,
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Of more then would pay for
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three Children at Nurse.
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Be pleas'd to debait
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Our Case with Discretion,
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It's worse then Oppression
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To live at this rate,
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and spin out our Days;
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Let an Act now be made
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That a Fine shall be paid
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by Men that refuse
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To Marry when twenty,
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To Marry when twenty,
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there's none we'll excuse.
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You well understand,
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That Plowing and Sowing,
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That Reaping and Hoing,
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And Tilling the Land,
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brings forth an Increase,
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So our dear Virgin-ground
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Would in Plenty abound,
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without all despute,
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But while it lies fallow,
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But while it lies fallow,
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there can be no Fruit.
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Is it not a Shame,
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That hear amongst Christains,
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Not Turks nor Philistians,
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But Persons of Fame,
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and Protestans too,
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That should Wedlock deny,
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Which would yield a supply,
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the Land to Defend
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From all that oppose us,
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From all that oppose us,
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or dare to Contend?
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