Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

to the argument of a fatire, which is no way relating to them; and firft obferve, that my author makes their luft the most heroic of their vices: the reft are in a manner but digreffion. He kims them over; but he dwells on this: when he seems to have taken his laft leave of it, on the fudden he returns to it: 'tis one branch of it in Hippia, ano ther in Meffalina, but luft is the main body of the tree. He begins with this text in the first line, and takes it up with intermiffions to the end of the chapter. Every vice is a loader, but that's a ten. The fillers, or intermediate parts, are their revenge; their contrivances of fecret crimes; their arts to hide them; their wit to excuse them; and their impudence to own them, when they can no longer be kept fecret. Then the perfons to whom they are most addicted, and on whom they com monly beftow the laft favours: as ftage-players, fidlers, finging-boys, and fencers. Those who pass for chafte amongst them, are not really so; but only for their vaft dowries, are rather fuffered, than loved by their own husbands. That they are imperious, domineering, scolding wives; fet up for learning and criticism in poetry, but are false judges. Love to speak Greek, (which was then the fashionable tongue, as French is now with us.) That they plead caufes at the bar, and play prizes at the bear-garden. That they are gofips and news-mongers: wrangle with their neighbours abroad, and beat their fervants at home. That they lie-in for new faces once a month; are fluttish with their husbands in private; and paint and dress

in public for their lovers. That they deal with Jews, diviners, and fortune-tellers: learn the arts of mifcarrying, and barrenness. Buy children, and produce them for their own. Murder their husband's fons, if they ftand in their way to his eftate, and make their adulterers his heirs. From hence the poet proceeds to fhew the occafions of all thefe vices, their original, and how they were introduced in Rome, by peace, wealth, and luxury. In conclufion, if we will take the word of our malicious author, bad women are the general ftanding rule; and the good, but fome few exceptions to it.

IN Saturn's reign, at Nature's early birth, There was that thing call'd chastity on earth; When in a parrow cave, their common shade, The fheep, the fhepherds, and their gods were laid:

When reeds and leaves, and hides of beaftswere spread

5

By mountain housewives for their homely

bed,

And moffy pillows rais'd, for the rude huf

band's head.

Unlike the nicenefs of our modern dames,
(Affected nymphs with new-affected names :)
The Cynthia's and the Lesbia's of our years, 10
Who for a sparrow's death diffolve in tears.

Ver. 1. In Saturn's reign,] In the Golden Age.

Thofe first unpolifh'd matrons, big and bold, Gave fuck to infants of gigantic mold;

Rough as their favage lords who rang'd the wood,

And fat with acorns belch'd their windy food. 15 For when the world was buxom, fresh and

young,

Her fons were undebauch'd, and therefore ftrong:

20

And whether born in kindly beds of earth,
Or ftruggling from the teeming oaks to birth,
Or from what other atoms they begun,
No fires they had, or, if a fire, the fun.
Some thin remains of chastity appear'd,
Ev'n under Jove, but Jove without a beard;
Before the fervile Greeks had learnt to swear
By heads of kings; while yet the bounteous

year

Her common fruits in open plains expos'd,

25

Ere thieves were fear'd, or gardens were inclos'd.

At length uneafy Juftice upwards flew,

And both the fifters to the stars withdrew;

Ver. 15. And fat with acorns] Acorns were the bread of mankind, before corn was found.

Ver. 23. Ev'n under Jove,] When Jove had driven his father into banishment, the Silver Age began, according to the poets.

Ver. 28.

uneafy Justice &c.] The poet makes Justice and Chastity fifters, and fays that they fled to heaven together, and left earth for ever.

From that old æra whoring did begin,
So venerably ancient is the fin.

30

Adult'rers next invade the nuptial state, And marriage-beds creak'd with a foreign weight;

All other ills did iron times adorn;

But whores and filver in one age were born. 35 Yet thou, they fay, for marriage doft provide:

40

Is this an age to buckle with a bride?
They fay thy hair the curling art is taught,
The wedding-ring perhaps already bought:
A fober man like thee to change his life!
What fury would poffefs thee with a wife?
Art thou of every other death bereft,
No knife, no ratsbane, no kind halter left?
(For every noose compar'd to her's is cheap)
Is there no city-bridge from whence to leap? 45
Would'st thou become her drudge, who doft
enjoy

A better fort of bedfellow, thy boy?

He keeps thee not awake with nightly brawls, Nor with a begg'd reward thy pleasure palls; Nor with infatiate heavings calls for more, When all thy fpirits were drain'd out before. But ftill Urfidius courts the marriage-bait, Longs for a fon to fettle his eftate,

50

And takes no gifts, though every gaping heir Would gladly greafe the rich old batchelor. 55

What revolution can appear fo ftrange,
As fuch a leacher, fuch a life to change?
A rank, notorious whoremafter, to choose
To thruft his neck into the marriage-noose !
He who so often in a dreadful fright
Had in a coffer 'fcap'd the jealous cuckold's
fight,

60

That he, to wedlock dotingly betray'd,
Should hope in this lewd town to find a maid!
The man's grown mad: to ease his frantic pain,
Run for the furgeon; breathe the middle vein:
But let a heifer with gilt horns be led
To Juno, regent of the marriage-bed,
And let him every deity adore,

66

If his new bride prove not an errant whore
In head and tail, and every other pore. 70
On Ceres' feast, restrain'd from their delight,
Few matrons, there, but curfe the tedious night:
Few whom their fathers dare falute, fuch luft
Their kiffes have, and come with fuch a guft.
With ivy now adorn thy doors, and wed ; 75
Such is thy bride, and fuch thy genial bed.
'Think'ft thou one man is for one woman meant?
She, fooner, with one eye would be content.

And yet, 'tis nois'd, a maid did once appear In some small village, though fame says not where:

80

Ver. 71. On Ceres' feaft,] When the Roman women were forbidden to bed with their husbands.

« ElőzőTovább »