The works of Mr. Thomas Brown Serious and Comical, In Prose and Verse; In four volumes. The Fourth Edition, Corrected, and much Enlarged from his Originals never before publish'd. With a key to all his Writings |
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 | The works of Mr. Thomas Brown |  |
A Tale from Bocas, or a Cure for Cuckoldom.
Too weak are Laws, and Edicts vain,
The Hearts of Women to restrain;
For when with happy Search they find,
The Man they like, they still are kind.
So strong, so daring is their Love,
It does ev'n Fear of Death remove,
For proof of this, if others fail,
I now design to tell a Tale.
The Hearts of Women to restrain;
For when with happy Search they find,
The Man they like, they still are kind.
So strong, so daring is their Love,
It does ev'n Fear of Death remove,
For proof of this, if others fail,
I now design to tell a Tale.
At Prato, once upon a Time,
Adultery was thought a Crime:
And every kind consenting Wife,
Was doom'd by Law to lose her Life;
So partial was this horrid Act,
It equally condemn'd the Fact,
Whether the Cause was pure Desire,
Or sordid Gain and sinful Hire,
No sooner did this Edict pass,
But one Rinaldo found (alas)
His Wife Philippa, fam'd for Charms,
In lusty Lazarino's Arms.
And with Revenge and Fury fill'd,
'T was ten to one he both had kill'd;
But eager Passion he restrain'd,
The bold Adulteress arraign'd,
And to the Podestate complain'd.
The Judge for Tryal nam'd the Day,
And gave her Time to slip away;
But she resolv'd to stand it out,
In vain her Kindred went about,
By dire Descriptions of the Law,
To fright and force her to withdraw;
She minded not a Word she heard,
One wou'd have sworn, by what appear'd,
She thought her Fate wou'd glorious prove,
To suffer Martyrdom for Love.
Adultery was thought a Crime:
And every kind consenting Wife,
Was doom'd by Law to lose her Life;
So partial was this horrid Act,
It equally condemn'd the Fact,
Whether the Cause was pure Desire,
Or sordid Gain and sinful Hire,
No sooner did this Edict pass,
But one Rinaldo found (alas)
His Wife Philippa, fam'd for Charms,
In lusty Lazarino's Arms.
And with Revenge and Fury fill'd,
'T was ten to one he both had kill'd;
But eager Passion he restrain'd,
The bold Adulteress arraign'd,
And to the Podestate complain'd.
124
And gave her Time to slip away;
But she resolv'd to stand it out,
In vain her Kindred went about,
By dire Descriptions of the Law,
To fright and force her to withdraw;
She minded not a Word she heard,
One wou'd have sworn, by what appear'd,
She thought her Fate wou'd glorious prove,
To suffer Martyrdom for Love.
When solemn Day of Tryal came,
In Court appear'd the Guilty Dame,
But look'd as cheerful, brisk and gay,
As those that Ogle at a Play.
In Court appear'd the Guilty Dame,
But look'd as cheerful, brisk and gay,
As those that Ogle at a Play.
The Judge was in a horrid fright,
(Touch'd to the Quick by Charms so bright)
Lest she the Matter shou'd confess,
Her Case would then be past Redress.
You must be burnt, Madam, he said,
Your Spouse has Information made,
That you were lately caught by him,
Committing the forbidden Crime,
Adultery, and doubtless you
Have heard for this what Death is due.
Consider what you have to say,
And prudently your Answer weigh,
(Touch'd to the Quick by Charms so bright)
Lest she the Matter shou'd confess,
Her Case would then be past Redress.
You must be burnt, Madam, he said,
Your Spouse has Information made,
That you were lately caught by him,
Committing the forbidden Crime,
Adultery, and doubtless you
Have heard for this what Death is due.
Consider what you have to say,
And prudently your Answer weigh,
She said, I freely own the Fact,
He caught me in the very Act;
With Joy the pleasing Word I name,
For know, I glory in my Flame;
And since my Passion did begin,
Have often try'd the tempting Sin.
For this you say I ought to die,
But you know better, Sir, than I,
That Laws for Publick Justice meant,
Should pass'd by general Consent;
And pray what Woman did appear
To Vote for this? I ne'er could hear
Of one that lik'd it; and 'tis hard
They should unjustly be debarr'd
Their Native Right, by a Decree,
To which they never did agree;
On us alone, Restraint is laid,
Who are by bounteous Nature made
To give Content to more than one,
Which never yet by Man was done.
If Prejudice did not prevail,
Your solid Wisdom cou'd not fail
For me this Matter to decide,
And to declare the Edict void.
But, Sir, if Death must be my Doom,
Soon let the welcome Minute come;
Secure, I wait the fatal Blow,
Yet first an easy Favour show.
Pray ask my Husband, there he stands,
If all his Conjugal Demands
Have not been answer'd still by me,
With an exact Conformity?
He caught me in the very Act;
With Joy the pleasing Word I name,
For know, I glory in my Flame;
And since my Passion did begin,
Have often try'd the tempting Sin.
For this you say I ought to die,
But you know better, Sir, than I,
That Laws for Publick Justice meant,
Should pass'd by general Consent;
And pray what Woman did appear
To Vote for this? I ne'er could hear
Of one that lik'd it; and 'tis hard
They should unjustly be debarr'd
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To which they never did agree;
On us alone, Restraint is laid,
Who are by bounteous Nature made
To give Content to more than one,
Which never yet by Man was done.
If Prejudice did not prevail,
Your solid Wisdom cou'd not fail
For me this Matter to decide,
And to declare the Edict void.
But, Sir, if Death must be my Doom,
Soon let the welcome Minute come;
Secure, I wait the fatal Blow,
Yet first an easy Favour show.
Pray ask my Husband, there he stands,
If all his Conjugal Demands
Have not been answer'd still by me,
With an exact Conformity?
Rinaldo said, I must confess,
My Wife did still comply in this;
Inclin'd my wish'd Desires to grant,
And fond to satisfy my Want.
My Wife did still comply in this;
Inclin'd my wish'd Desires to grant,
And fond to satisfy my Want.
Observe, Sir, that, Phillipa said,
Whate'er he wanted, still he had;
Then wherefore, pray, this mighty pother,
If I, to gratify another,
Imploy'd the useless Residue!
Pray, Husband, what was that to you?
I, like a Charitable Fair,
Bestowing what I had to spare,
Believ'd it better to improve
My growing Overplus of Love,
Than suffer envious Marriage-Bands
To keep it dead upon my Hands.
Whate'er he wanted, still he had;
Then wherefore, pray, this mighty pother,
If I, to gratify another,
Imploy'd the useless Residue!
Pray, Husband, what was that to you?
I, like a Charitable Fair,
Bestowing what I had to spare,
Believ'd it better to improve
My growing Overplus of Love,
Than suffer envious Marriage-Bands
To keep it dead upon my Hands.
Her Speech so pleas'd the listning Crowd,
They clap'd their Hands, and laugh'd aloud.
Rinaldo durst no longer stay,
But hid his Face, and sneak'd away;
And fair Philippa, by her Art,
So brib'd the Court to take her Part,
So to her side the Judge did draw,
She sav'd herself, and damn'd the Law.
They clap'd their Hands, and laugh'd aloud.
Rinaldo durst no longer stay,
But hid his Face, and sneak'd away;
And fair Philippa, by her Art,
So brib'd the Court to take her Part,
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She sav'd herself, and damn'd the Law.
| The works of Mr. Thomas Brown | |