Natures Picture Drawn by Fancies Pencil To the Life Being several Feigned Stories, Comical, Tragical, Tragi-comical, Poetical, Romancical, Philosophical, Historical, and Moral: Some in Verse, some in Prose; some Mixt, and some by Dialogues. Written by the Thrice Noble, Illustrious, and most Excellent Princess, The Duchess of Newcastle [i.e. Margaret Cavendish]. The Second Edition |
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The Feminine Description.
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 | Natures Picture Drawn by Fancies Pencil To the Life |  |
The Feminine Description.
A Man a walking, did a Lady spy;
To her he went: and when he came hard by,
Fair Lady, said he, why walk you alone?
Because (said she) my Thoughts are then my own:
For in a Company my Thoughts do throng,
And follow every foolish babling Tongue.
To her he went: and when he came hard by,
Fair Lady, said he, why walk you alone?
Because (said she) my Thoughts are then my own:
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And follow every foolish babling Tongue.
Your Thoughts, said he, 'twere boldnessfor to ask.
To tell, said she, it were too great a task:
But yet to satisfie your Mind, said she,
I'le tell you how our Thoughts run commonly:
Sometimes they mount up to the Heavens high,
Then straight fall down, and on the Earth will lye;
Then circling run to compass all they may,
And then sometimes they all in heaps do stay.
At other times they run from place to place,
As if they had each other in a Chace.
Sometimes they run as Phansie doth them guide,
And then they swim as in a flowing-Tide:
But if the Mind be discontent, they flow
Against the Tide, their Motion's dull and slow.
To tell, said she, it were too great a task:
But yet to satisfie your Mind, said she,
I'le tell you how our Thoughts run commonly:
Sometimes they mount up to the Heavens high,
Then straight fall down, and on the Earth will lye;
Then circling run to compass all they may,
And then sometimes they all in heaps do stay.
At other times they run from place to place,
As if they had each other in a Chace.
Sometimes they run as Phansie doth them guide,
And then they swim as in a flowing-Tide:
But if the Mind be discontent, they flow
Against the Tide, their Motion's dull and slow.
Said he,
I travel now to satisfie my Mind,Whether I can a Constant VVoman find.
O Sir, said she, it's Labour without end,
VVe cannot Constant be to any Friend:
VVe seem to love to death, but 'tis not so,
Because our Passions still move to and fro:
They are not fix'd, but do run all about;
Every new Object thrusts the former out.
Yet we are fond, and for a time so kind,
As nothing in the world should change our Mind:
But if Misfortune come, we weary grow;
Then former Fondness we away straight throw:
Although the Object alter not, yet may
Time alter our fond Minds another way.
We love, and like, and hate, and cry,
VVithout a Cause, or Reason why.
Wherefore go back, for you shall never find
Any Woman to have a Constant Mind:
The best that is, shall hold but for a time,
Wav'ring like wind, which Women hold no Crime.
VVe cannot Constant be to any Friend:
VVe seem to love to death, but 'tis not so,
Because our Passions still move to and fro:
They are not fix'd, but do run all about;
Every new Object thrusts the former out.
Yet we are fond, and for a time so kind,
As nothing in the world should change our Mind:
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Then former Fondness we away straight throw:
Although the Object alter not, yet may
Time alter our fond Minds another way.
We love, and like, and hate, and cry,
VVithout a Cause, or Reason why.
Wherefore go back, for you shall never find
Any Woman to have a Constant Mind:
The best that is, shall hold but for a time,
Wav'ring like wind, which Women hold no Crime.
| Natures Picture Drawn by Fancies Pencil To the Life | |