 | The poetical works of George Keate |  |
171
CUPID's REMONSTRANCE, AN EPILOGUE,
Spoken at Drury-Lane Theatre, 1772, By Miss Hopkins, in the Character of Cupid.
My Arrows blunted, and unstrung my Bow,
What can poor Cupid do? or whither go?—
So mighty once, where'er I aim'd my Dart
It pierc'd the Bosom, and inflam'd the Heart;
But Times are chang'd!—Now, all's so hard within
My utmost Efforts cannot raze the Skin.—
Good Folks, behold my Rival
—These Indentures
Now settle,—sign,—and seal all Love Adventures.
By Passion quite unmov'd your modern Lover
Wraps his Affections in this Sheep-skin Cover;
Int'rest, not Choice decides, Wedlock is bought,
As for the Party, 'tis not worth a Thought:
Girls argue thus, “If I dislike my Man,
“A Sep'rate Maintenance shall be my Plan;
“Or should Another charm, I'm free to choose,
“For Doctors Commons will undo the Noose.—”
Hearts now are ty'd with Knots that slip with Ease,
To slacken, or disjoin whene'er they please:
Hence new Subscription Balls, hence new Pantheons
Strip new Dianas, and make new Acteons;
Hence Bills are daily read in both the Houses,
To sep'rate faithless Wives, from faithless Spouses;
Nay, my old Gall'ry Friends untye their Fetters,
And cross the Breed, to imitate their Betters.
What can poor Cupid do? or whither go?—
So mighty once, where'er I aim'd my Dart
It pierc'd the Bosom, and inflam'd the Heart;
But Times are chang'd!—Now, all's so hard within
My utmost Efforts cannot raze the Skin.—
172
Now settle,—sign,—and seal all Love Adventures.
By Passion quite unmov'd your modern Lover
Wraps his Affections in this Sheep-skin Cover;
Int'rest, not Choice decides, Wedlock is bought,
As for the Party, 'tis not worth a Thought:
Girls argue thus, “If I dislike my Man,
“A Sep'rate Maintenance shall be my Plan;
“Or should Another charm, I'm free to choose,
“For Doctors Commons will undo the Noose.—”
Hearts now are ty'd with Knots that slip with Ease,
To slacken, or disjoin whene'er they please:
Hence new Subscription Balls, hence new Pantheons
Strip new Dianas, and make new Acteons;
Hence Bills are daily read in both the Houses,
To sep'rate faithless Wives, from faithless Spouses;
173
And cross the Breed, to imitate their Betters.
Thus turn'd adrift, deserted and forlorn,
The few who dare protect me, meet with Scorn;
Nay more—to prove this Town not made for me,
They have Black-ball'd me at the Coterie.—
My Pow'r extinct, think you I'll e'er endure
To live among you on a Sinecure?
Not I in faith;—I'll hence to Justice Brass,
And to my Paphian Parish,—beg a Pass.
The few who dare protect me, meet with Scorn;
Nay more—to prove this Town not made for me,
They have Black-ball'd me at the Coterie.—
My Pow'r extinct, think you I'll e'er endure
To live among you on a Sinecure?
Not I in faith;—I'll hence to Justice Brass,
And to my Paphian Parish,—beg a Pass.
| The poetical works of George Keate | |