The Ladies of Londons Petition,
Or
Their Humble Address to the Parliament of old Wo-
men for Husbands; Sign'd by threescore thous-
and Hands, and never a crakt Maiden-head, nor
widow amongst them.
To the Tune of; Let Mary live long.
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YOU Matrons all,
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with humble submission,
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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 everie one,
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That pretty young Ladies,
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That pretty young Ladies,
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do long ly 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 though his ears,
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both morning and night,
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Yet in Taverns they'll roar
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With a noise ten times more,
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and bottles and 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 won't wed,
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for fear that his 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 & Treasure,
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To spend youth & Treasure,
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with Girles of the Game,
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Another replys:
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he can't bear the bawling,
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the whining squailing,
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And terrible cryes,
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of Children when young,
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Why the fourth cryes a wife,
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Will destroy a Man's Life.
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and waste him away:
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These are their Excuses,
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These are their Excuses,
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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 Doctor may hap,
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For cureing the Clap,
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to 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 debate,
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our case with discretion:
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its worse then oppression,
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To live at this rate,
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and spin out our dayes:
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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 well excuse.
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Is it not a shame,
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That here amongst Christians
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Nor Turks nor Philistians,
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But persons of fame,
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and learing also,
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That should wedlock deny
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Which would yeild 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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