University of Virginia Library

I who was once as great as Cæsar,
Am now reduc'd to Nebuchadnezar.
And from as fam'd a Conqueror,
As ever took degree in War,
Or did his Exercise in Battel,
By you turn'd out to Grass with Cattel.
For since I am deny'd access
To all my Earthly Happiness.
Am fallen from the Paradise
Of your good Graces, and fair Eyes.
Lost to the World, and you, I'me sent
To Everlasting Banishment
Where all the Hopes I had, t'have won
Your heart, being dash'd, will break my own.
Yet if you were not so severe
To pass your doom, before you hear,
You'll find, upon my just defence,
How much y'have wrong'd my Innocence,
That once I made a Vow to you,
Which yet is unperform'd 'tis true;
But not, because it is unpaid,
'Tis Violated, though delay'd:
Or if it were, it is no fault
So hainous, as you'ld have it thought,
To undergo the loss of Ears,
Like vulgar Hackney Perjurers,
For there's a difference in the case
Between the Noble, and the Base:
Who always are observ'd t'have don't,
Upon as different an account:
The one for great, and weighty Cause,
To salve in Honour ugly Flaws.
For none are like to do it sooner,
Than those, who are nicest of their Honour.
The other, for base Gain, and Pay,
Forswear, and Perjure, by the Day;
And make th' exposing, and retailing
Their Souls, and Consciences, a Calling.

It is no Scandal, nor Aspersion,
Upon a Great and noble Person,
To say, he Nat'rally abhorr'd
Th' old fashion'd trick, to keep his Word
Though 'tis perfidiousness, and shame,
In meaner Men, to do the same.
For to be able to Forget,
Is found more useful, to the Great:
Then Gout, or Deafness, or bad Eyes,
To make 'em pass for wondrous wise.
But though the Law, on Perjurers,
Inflicts the Forfeiture of Ears;
It is not just, that does exempt
The Guilty, and punish the innocent,
To make the Ears repair the wrong,
Committed by th' ungovern'd Tongue;
And when one Member is forsworn,
Another to be cropt or torn.
And if you should, as you design,
By course of Law recover mine.
You're like, if you consider right,
To Gain but little Honour by't.
For he that for his Ladies sake
Lays down his Life, or Limbs at Stake,
Does not so much deserve her Favour,
As he, that pawns his Soul to have her.
This y'have acknowledg'd I have done,
Although you now disdain to own:
But sentence, what you rather ought
T'esteem good Service, then a Fault,
Besides, Oaths are not bound to bear
That Literal Sense, the words infer,
But by the practice of the Age,
Are to be judg'd how far th' engage.
And where the sense by Custom's checkt,
Are found void, and of none effect.
For no Man takes, or keeps a vow,
But just as he sees others do,
Nor are th' obliged to be so brittle,
As not to yield, and bow a little,
For as best temper'd Blades are found
Before they break, to bend quite round,
So truest Oaths are still most tough,
And though they bow, are breaking proof.
Then wherefore should they not b'allow'd
In love a greater Latitude?
For as the Law of Arms approves
All ways to Conquests, so should Loves;
And not be ty'd to true or false,
But make that justest, that prevails,

For how can that which is above
All Empire, High and Mighty Love,
Submit it's great Prerogative,
To any other power alive?
Shall Love, that to no Crown gives place
Become the subject of a Case?
The Fundamental Law of Nature,
Be over-rul'd! by those made after?
Commit the censure of its Cause
To any, but it's own Great Laws?
Love, that's the Worlds preservative,
That keeps all Souls of things alive?
Controuls the Mighty pow'r of Fate,
And gives Mankind a longer date.
The Life of Nature, that restores,
As fast [as] Time, and Death devours,
To whose free gift, the World does ow
Not only Earth but Heav'n too:
For Love's the only Trade that's driven
The Interest of State in Heaven,
Which nothing but the Soul of Man,
Is capable to entertain.
For what can Earth produce, but Love
To represent the Joys above?
Or who, but Lovers, can converse,
Like Angels, by the Eye Discourse?
Address, and complement by vision,
Make Love, and Court by intuition?
And burn in Amorous Flames as fierce,
As those Celestial Ministers?
Then how can any thing offend
In order, to so great an end?
Or Heav'n it self a Sin resent,
That for its own supply was ment?
That merits in a kind mistake,
A Pardon for the offences sake.
Or if it did not, but the Cause
Were left to'th injury of Laws,
What tyranny can disapprove
There should be Equity in Love?
For Laws, that are Inanimate
And feel no sense of Love, or Hate:
That have no Passion of their own
No[r] pity to be wrought upon,
Are only proper to inflict
Revenge, on Criminals, as strict:
But to have Power to forgive,
Is Empire, and Prerogative;
And 'tis in Crowns, a nobler Jem,
To grant a Pardon, then condemn.
Then since so few do what they ought,
'Tis great, t'indulge a well meant fault.
For why should he, who made address
All humble ways, without success:
And met with nothing in return,
But Insolence, Affronts, and Scorn,
Not strive by Wit to countermine,
And bravely carry his Design?
He who was us'd so unlike a Soldier,
Blown up with Philters of Love-Powder?
And after letting Blood and Purging,
Condemn'd to voluntary Scourging?
Alarm'd with many a horrid Fright,
And claw'd, by Goblins, in the Night?
Insulted on, Revil'd and Jear'd,
With rude Invasion of his Beard?
And when your Sex was foully scandal'd,
As foully by the Rabble handled?
Attack'd by despicable Foes,
And drub'd with mean and vulgar blows;
And after all, to be debarr'd
So much as standing on his Guard?
When Horses being spurr'd and prick'd,
Have leave to kick, for being kick'd?

Or why should you, whose Mother Wits
Are furnish'd with all Perquisits?
That with your Breeding Teeth begin,
And Nursing Babies, that Lie in?
B'allow'd to put all tricks upon
Our Cully-Sex, and we use none?
We, who have nothing but frail Vows,
Against your Stratagems t'oppose?
Or Oaths, more feeble than your own,
By which, we are no less put down?
You wound, like Parthians, while you fly,
And kill, with a Retreating Eye;
Retire the more, the more we press,
To draw us into Ambushes.
As Pyrates all false Colours wear,
T'intrap th'unwary Mariner:
So Women, to surprize us, spread
Their borrowed Flags, of White and Red.
Display 'em thicker on their Cheeks,
That their old Grandmothers, the Picts:
And raise more Devils with their Looks,
Than Conjurers less subtil Books.
Lay Trains of Amorous Intriegues,
In Towrs, and Curls, and Perriwigs.
With greater Art, and cunning rear'd,
Than Philip Ny's Thanks-giving-beard,
Prepost'rously t'intice, and Gain,
Those to adore 'em they disdain:
And only draw 'em in, to clog
With idle Names, a Catalogue.
A Lover is, the more he's brave,
T'his Mistress, but the more a Slave,
And whatsoever she commands
Becomes a Favour from her hands;
Which he's oblig'd to obey, and must,
Whether it be unjust, or just.
Then when he is compell'd by her
T'Adventures, he would else forbear,
Who, with his Honour, can withstand,
Since Force is greater than Command?
And when Necessity's obey'd
Nothing can be unjust or bad:
And therefore, when the mighty Pow'rs
Of Love, your great Allie, and yours;
Joyn'd Forces, not to be withstood
By frail enamoured Flesh and Blood;
All I have done unjust or ill
Was in obedience to your Will:
And all the blame that can be due
Falls to your cruelty and you.

Nor are those Scandals I confest,
Against my Will, and Interest,
More than is daily done of course
By all men, when th'are under force.
Whence some, upon the Rack, confess
What th'Hang-man and their Prompters please.
But are no sooner out of pain
Then they deny it all again.
But when the Devil turns Confessor,
Truth is a Crime, he takes no pleasure
To hear, or pardon, like the Founder
Of Lyars, whom they all claim under.
And therefore, when I told him none,
I think it was the wiser done.
Nor am I without Precedent,
The first that on th'Adventure, went:
All Mankind ever did of course,
And daily does the same, or worse.
For what Romance can shew a Lover,
That had a Lady to recover,
And did not steer a nearer Course,
To fall aboard in his Amours?
And what at first was held a Crime,
Has turn'd to Honourable in time.

To what a height did Infant Rome,
By Ravishing of Women come?
When Men upon their Spouses siez'd,
And freely Marry'd where they pleas'd:
They ne'er Forswore themselves nor Ly'd,
Nor in the Minds they were in, Dy'd:
Nor took the pains t'address and sue,
Nor plaid the Masquerade to wooe.
Disdain'd to stay for Friends Consents,
Nor juggled about Settlements:
Did need no License, nor no Priest,
Nor Friends, nor Kindred to assist;
Nor Lawyers, to joyn Land, and Money,
In th'Holy State of Matrimony:
Before they setled Hands and Hearts,
Till Alimony, or Death departs:
Nor would endure to stay, until
Th'had got the very Bride's Good Will.
But took a wise and shorter Course,
To win the Lady's, Down-right Force.
And justly made 'em Prisoners then,
As they have often since, us Men;
With Acting Plays, and Dancing Jiggs,
The luckiest of all Love's Intrigues:
And when they had them at their pleasure,
Then talk'd of Love, and Flames, at leisure.
For, after Matrimony's over,
He that holds out but Half a Lover,
Deserves for ev'ry Minute, more
Than half a Year of Love before:
For which the Dames, in Contemplation
Of that best way of Application,
Prov'd Nobler Wives than e'er were known,
By Suit, or Treaty, to be won:
And such as all Posterity
Could never equal, nor come nigh.

For Women first were made for Men,
Not Men for them.—It follows then,
That Men have Right to every one,
And they no Freedom of their own:
And therefore Men have pow'r to chuse,
But they no Charter to refuse.
Hence 'tis apparent, that what Course
So e'er we take to your Amours,
Though by the indirectest way,
'Tis no Injustice, nor Foul Play.
And that you ought to take that Course,
As we take you, for Bett'r or Worse;
And gratefully submit to those
Who you, before another, chose:
For why should every Savage Beast
Exceed his Great Lord's Interest?
Have freer Pow'r, than he, in Grace,
And Nature, o'er the Creature has?
Because the Laws he since has made
Have cut off all the Pow'r he had;
Retrench'd the absolute Dominion,
That Nature gave him, over Women.
When all his Pow'r will not extend,
One Law of Nature to suspend:
And but to offer to repeal
The smallest Clause, is to rebel.
This, if Men rightly understood
Their Privilege, they would make good;
And not, like Sots, permit their Wives
T'encroach on their Prerogatives.
For which Sin, they deserve to be
Kept, as they are, in Slavery.
And this, some precious Gifted Teachers
Unrev'rently reputed Leachers;
And disobey'd in making Love,
Have vow'd to all the World, to prove
And make ye suffer, as ye ought,
For that uncharitable Fault.

But, I forget my self, and rove
Beyond th'Instructions of my Love.
Forgive me (Fair) and only blame
Th'extravagancy of my Flame,
Since 'tis too much, at once to shew
Excess of Love, and Temper too.
All I have said that's bad, and true,
Was never meant to aim at you;
Who have so Sov'rain a Controul
O'er that poor Slave of yours, my Soul:
That, rather than to forfeit you,
Has ventur'd loss of Heaven too.
Both with an equal Pow'r possest,
To render all that serve you blest:
But none like him, who's destin'd, either
To have, or lose you, both together.
And if you'l but this fault release,
(For so it must be, since you please,)
I'll pay down all that Vow, and more,
Which you commanded, and I swore.
And expiate upon my Skin,
The Arrears in full of all my Sin.
For, 'tis but just, that I should pay
Th'accruing Penance for Delay.
Which shall be done, until it move
Your equal pity, and your Love.

The Knight, perusing this Epistle,
Believ'd h'had brought her to his Whistle;
And read it, like a jocund Lover,
With great Applause t'himself, twice over;
Subscrib'd his Name, but at a Fit,
And humble distance, to his wit:
And dated it with wondrous Art,
Giv'n from the bottom of his heart:
Then seal'd it with his Coat of Love
A smoaking Faggot—and above
Upon a Scroll—I burn, and weep,
And near it—For her Ladyship;
Of all her Sex, most excellent,
These to her gentle Hands present.
Then gave it to his Faithful Squire,
With Lessons how t'observe and eye her.

She first consider'd which was better,
To send it back, or burn the Letter:
But, guessing that it might import,
Though nothing else, at least, her Sport.
She open'd it, and read it out,
With many a smile, and learing Flout:
Resolv'd to answer it in kind,
And thus perform'd what she design'd.