But he disdaining to embrace

So filthy a design and base,

You fell to vapouring and huffing,

425

And drew upon him like a ruffian;
Surpriz'd him meanly, unprepar'd,
Before he 'ad time to mount his guard,
And left him dead upon the ground,

With many a bruise and desperate wound
Swore you had broke and robb'd his house,
And stole his talismanique loufe,

430

And all his new-found old inventions,
With flat felonious intentions,

Which he could bring out where he had,

435

And what he bought them for, and paid.:

His flea, his morpion, and punefe,

He 'ad gotten for his proper ease,
And all in perfect minutes made,

By th' ableft artist of the trade;

440

Which (he could prove it) fince he lost,
He has been eaten up almoft,

And did not doubt to bring the wretches.
To ferve for pendulums to watches,

450

Which, modern virtuosi say,

Incline to hanging every way.

VOL. I.

U

Befide,

Befide, he fwore, and fwore 'twas true,
That, ere he went in quest of you,

He fet a figure to discover
If f you were fled to Rye or Dover,

And found it clear that, to betray
Yourselves and me, you fled this way,
And that he was upon pursuit,

455

To take you fomewhere hereabout.
He vow'd he had intelligence

460

Of all that pafs'd before and fince,

And found that, ere you came to him,

You ftrove t'oblige him, by main force,
To fcourge his ribs instead of your's,

He wonder'd how fhe came to know

What he had done, and meant to do i
Held up his affidavit-hand,

As if he 'ad been to be arraign'd ;

Caft towards the door a ghaftly look,
In dread of Sidrophel, and spoke :
Madam, if but one word be true

Of all the wizard has told you,

Or but one fingle circumftance

In all th' apocryphal romance,

May dreadful earthquakes swallow down
This veffel, that is all your own!

Or may the heavens fall, and cover

me,

Thefe reliques of your conftant lover!
You have provided well (quoth fhe)
(I thank you) for yourself and
And shewn your Presbyterian wits
Jump punctual with the Jefuits;
A moft compendious way, and civil,
At once to cheat the world, the devil,
And heaven and hell, yourselves, and those
On whom you vainly think t' impose.

485

490

495

500

Why then (quoth he) may hell furprize.

505

That trick (faid fhe) will not pass twice

I've learn'd how far I 'm to believe

Your pinning oaths upon your sleeve ;
But there's a better way of clearing

What you would prove, than downright fwearing; 510 For, if you have perform'd the feat,

The blows are visible as yet,

U 2

Enough

For bellies, may do fo for backs.

Madam (quoth he) your love 's a million,

To do is less than to be willing,

As I am, were it in my power,

525

T' obey what you command, and more;

But for performing what you bid,

I thank you as much as if I did..

You know I ought to have a care,

To keep my wounds from taking air;
For wounds in those that are all heart,

Are dangerous in any part.

I find (quoth fhe) my goods and chattels Are like to prove but mere drawn-battels ; For ftill the longer we contend,

530

535

We are but farther off the end;

But granting now we should agree,

What is it you expect from me?

Your plighted faith (quoth he) and word

You past in heaven on record,

540

Where all contracts, to have and t' hold,

Are everlastingly enroll'd;

And

To raze records, 'tis much more there.

Quoth fhe, There are no bargains driven,

545

Nor marriages clapp'd up, in heaven,
And that's the reason, as fome guesɛ,
There is no heaven in marriages,;
Two things that naturally prefs

It breaks loose when it is confin'd,
And like the foul, its harbourer,
Debarr'd the freedom of the air,
Difdains against its will to stay,
But ftruggles out, and flies away;
And therefore never can comply
T'endure the matrimonial tye,
That binds the female and the male,
Where th' one is but the other's bail;
Like Roman gaolers, when they flept,
Chain'd to the prifoners they kept,

560

565