M. WHY am I daily thus perplext?
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Why beyond Womans patience vext?
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Your Spurious Issue grow and thrive;
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While mine are dead ere well alive.
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If they survive a nine days wonder,
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Suspicious Tongues aloud do thunder;
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And streight accuse my Chastity,
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For your damn'd Insufficiency:
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You meet my Love with no desire,
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My Altar damps your feeble fire:
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Though I have infinite more Charms
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Than all you e'r took to your Arms.
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The Priest at th' Altar bows to me;
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When I appear he bends the knee.
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His Eyes are on my Beauties fixt,
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His Prayers to Heav'n and Me are mixt;
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Confusedly he tells his Beads,
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Is out both when he Prays and Reads.
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I travel'd farther for your Love
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Than Sheba's Queen, I'l fairly prove.
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She from the South, 'tis said did rome,
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And I as far from East did come.
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But here the diff'rence does arise,
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Though equally we sought the Prize;
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What that great Queen desir'd she gain'd,
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But I soon found your Treasury drain'd,
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Your Veins corrupted in your Youth,
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'Tis sad Experience tells this Truth:
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Though I had caution long before
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Of that which I too late deplore.
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J. Pray, Madam, let me silence break,
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As I have you, now hear me speak.
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These stories sure must please you well,
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You're apt so often them to tell.
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But, if you'l smooth your brow a while,
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And turn that Pout into a Smile,
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I doubt not, but to make't appear,
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That you the great'st Aggressor are.
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I took you with an empty Purse,
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Which was to me no trivial Curse.
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No Dowry could your Parents give;
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They'd but a Competence to live.
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When you appear'd, your charming Eyes
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(As you relate) did me surprize,
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With Wonder, not with Admiration,
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Astonishment, but no Temptation:
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Nor did I see in all your frame
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Ought could create an amorous flame,
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Or raise the least Desire in me,
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Save only for Variety.
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I paid such Service as was due,
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Worthy myself, and worthy you:
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Caress'd you far above the rate
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Both of your Birth and your Estate.
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When soon I found your haughty mind
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Was unto Sov'reignty inclin'd;
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And first you practis'd over me
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The heavy Yoke of Tyranny,
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While I your Property was made,
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And you, not I, was still obey'd:
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Nor durst I call my Soul my own,
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You manag'd me as if I'd none.
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