Thee, happy Atys, Rhea from above
Purfu'd with chafte Defires, and honeft Love.
Had th' antiquated Goddess thee carefs'd,
And with cold Kiffes in her Bofom prefs'd,
Thy wafting Youth had found its certain Doom,
Unfinew'd of its Strength and fpringing Bloom.
For the dull Drynefs of Old Age defires
More Aliment to feed its dying Fires,
And lufty Nature's whole vivifick Stock requires.
So ever-burning Sands in Libyan Plains,
Suck in with greedy Thirft the falling Rains;
And ftill unfated with the watry Store,

Their Drought increafing, make Demands for more.

YET more from Difcord of unequal Seed,

When Youth and Age are coupled for the Breed,
Difeafes in a fickly Train proceed.

And if at laft a weakly Offspring's born,

How oft his wretched Being will he mourn?

How oft a Life in Mifery extend,

Unuseful to his Country, or his Friend?

NOR can we here forget the modifh Crime,
Which flights the Rules of our inftructing Rhyme:
How ill-advifing Thirft of Gold fupplies

The want of Paffion, and perverts our Eyes;
Which to a Face Superior and Divine
Prefers the Monarch's Image on rhe Coin:
How, fashionably vain, large Portions prove
Rebellious Subjects to commanding Love:

B

}

For

For if the Chefts of a rich Father hold

The facred Load of Writings, or of Gold;
If he can jointure a confenting Mate

With the gay Ruin of a vast Estate ;

Blind with the fhining Hopes, each Nymph will run
With proffer'd Beauty to the charming Son,

While the fond Parents wish her wealthily undone:
Tho the pale Wretch with fure Contagion kills,
Infected with an Hofpital of Ills,

And every vile Difeafe which crouds the Weekly Bills:
Tho pining in the last Decline of Life,

A fruitless Burden to his longing Wife.
How hard her Fate, who in her youthful Pride,
Finds a dry Monster fnoring by her Side,
A married Virgin fhe, and widow'd Bride!
Of her loft Bloom how oft will fhe complain,
And wet the joyless Sheets with nightly Rain!
How will the childless mourn! or what is worse,
Loath her detefted Race, a heavier Curfe!
Befides, if prompted by her ftrong Defires,
She feeks new Springs to cool her wanton Fires;
If wand'ring in the fearch of Blifs fhe flies,

To feek what her enervate Drudge denies ;

(For who wou'd with a loathsome Joy to prove,
Or languish in the Arms of fickly Love ?)
What rank Adulteries thy House will stain,
And croud it with a long promifcuous Train,
Which thou, good-natur'd Cuckold, must maintain!
'Tis true, the Boy, not thine, will bear thy Name,
Tho twenty Fathers have a better Claim.

}

}

}

Here

Here shall his Features, and his Mien express
A Baronet, and there his Groom confess:
Here a young Colonel's warlike Look, or there
A fneaking Citizen's fubmiffive Air.

Then fhall the hoarded Sums, and glittering Heap,
Which thou haft labour'd anxiously to keep;

Then fhall the Acres of thy rented Ground,
The Flocks and Herds with which thy Fields abound,
All which to thee by long Defcent have run,
Be spent in Riot by a spurious Son.

NOR does a private Family alone
Beneath the Mischief of this Poifon groan ;
In Palaces the growing Evil fpreads,
And impudently climbs Imperial Beds:
When Kings, enfeebled by luxurious Ease,
Or latent Seeds of fome uncur'd Disease,
By the warm Sides of youthful Conforts freeze;
No longer now at the foft Anvil fweat,
Too impotent to govern or beget..

Hence Infants fometimes may a Kingdom guide,
Tho Royal only by the Mother's fide:

Hence the deluded Sire's oblig'd to own
The doubted Offspring of a Blood unknown,
And willingly adopts the Baftard to his Throne.

NOR is our Sex lefs faulty than the Fair;
Alike we fall within the Golden Snare:
For if a Matron's Fortune can fupply
The want of each indearing Quality;

Tho fitter for a Tomb than Bridal Bed,

Tho Time fits hoary on her fhaking Head;
Tho from her Eyes the brackish Humour breaks,
And trickles down the Furrows of her Cheeks
Tho here and there a ftraggling Tooth is fet,
A thin Plantation, and deform'd with Jett;
Tho husky Coughs make an ungrateful Din,
And Phthyficks rattle from her Lungs within :
Yet if this complicated Ill defire

With Hymen's Torch to light her dying Fire;
If for connubial Joys enrag'd fhe thirst,
To fate her greedy and impetuous Luft;
Some younger Brother will perhaps incline
Το pay his Homage at her Golden Shrine:
Who with diffembled Love will fondly run
To kifs the wither'd wealthy Skeleton;
Will fold the Beldam in his Arms to reft,
And with diffembled Joy pant on her Leathern Breaft.
But ah! this Husband of a large Estate

Soon flags, and turns by quick Degrees to hate;
Quits the dull Carcase of the naufeous Dame,
Slights her dry Embers for a brisker Flame,
And feeks with eager Heat a nobler Game:
Some tender yielding Maid he longs to prove,
Or fome co-eval Wife's unlawful Love;
While, fingle, his neglected Confort lies,
And wastes the joyless Night in empty Sighs.
Hence Tears, preluding to deftructive Jars,
And ad Complaints to unaffifting Stars!
Hence deep Refentments rack her jealous Head,
For her wrong'd Honour, and deferted Bed!

ૐ

Tnce

Hence Study of Revenge her Love repels,
And all the Woman rifes and rebels !
In wicked Arts and deadly Drugs fhe deals,
And with diffembled Duty Rage conceals:
While careless he, and indolent of Thought,
Drinks fure Destruction in fome fatal Draught.

DID not the Tenets of Religion bind
To facred Counfels my obedient Mind,
Love fhould be Liking; nor the nuptial League
Be ty'd by Compact, or defign'd Intrigue

Of selfish Parents, who in Wedlock join

Their Sons, to raife their Wealth, and not their Line
For fhould wife Nature, for the Cyprian Joys,

Direct a Couple in their mutual Choice,
They would by Reason, not by Cuftom led,
Ne'er tie a living Body to a Dead.

Be banish'd then, unfit for amorous Sport,
The fribling Dotard from the Paphian Court:
Let Youth their Strength on Youth alone employ,
And burn with equal Love and healthy Joy,
To propagate Mankind, and people Earth
With a found Offspring, and a generous Birth.

NOR, while I dictate these important Truths,
Grateful to Maidens and unmarried Youths,
Would I to an Extreme as bad incline,
And beardlefs Boys with unfledg'd Virgins join,
New to a Blush, and fond without Design.
For prudent Nature, who has then began
To knit the Joints, and to confirm the Man,
B 3

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Has