But choofe no miftrefs in thy drunken fit;

Wine gilds too much their beauties and their wit.
Nor truft thy judgment when the tapers dance;
But fober, and by day, thy fuit advance.
By day-light Paris judg'd the beauteous three;
And for the fairest did the prize decree.
Night is a cheat, and all deformities
Are hid, or leffen'd in her dark disguise.
The fun's fair light each error will confefs,
In face, in fhape, in jewels, and in drefs.
Why name I ev'ry place where youths abound?
"Tis lofs of time, and a too fruitful ground.
The Baian baths, where fhips at anchor ride,
And wholfome streams from fulphur fountains glide;
Where wounded youths are by experience taught,
The waters are less healthful than they thought.

Or Dian's fane, which near the fuburb lies,

Where priests, for their promotion, fight a prize.
That maiden Goddefs is Love's mortal foe,
And much from her his fubjects undergo.

Thus far the fportful Mufe, with myrtle bound,
Has fung where lovely laffes may be found.
Now let me fing, how the who wounds your mind,
With art, may be to cure your wounds inclin'd.
Young nobles, to my laws attention lend;
And all you vulgar of my school attend.

First then believe, all women may be won;
Attempt with confidence, the work is done.
The grafhopper shall first forbear to fing
In fummer feafon, or the birds in fpring;
Than women can resist your flatt'ring skill:
E'en fhe will yield, who swears she never will.
To fecret pleafure both the fexes move;
But women moft, who moft diffemble love.
"Twere beft for us, if they would first declare,
Avow their paffion, and fubmit to pray'r.

R 2

The

The cow, by lowing, tells the bull her flame:
The neighing mare invites her stallion to the game,
Man is more temp'rate in his luft than they,
And, more than women, can his passion sway.
Biblis, we know, did first her love declare,
And had recourfe to death in her despair.
Her brother she, her father Myrrha sought,
And lov'd, but lov'd not as a daughter ought.
Now from a tree fhe ftills her od❜rous tears,
Which yet the name of her who shed 'em bears.
In Ida's fhady vale a bull appear'd,

White as the fnow, the fairest of the herd;
A beauty-spot of black there only rose,
Betwixt his equal horns and ample brows:
The love and wish of all the Cretan cows.
The queen beheld him as his head he rear'd;
And envy'd ev'ry leap he gave the herd.
A fecret fire fhe nourish'd in her breast,
And hated ev'ry heifer he carefs'd.

A story known, and known for true, I tell;
Nor Crete, though lying, can the truth conceal.
She cut him grafs; (fo much can Love command)
She ftrok'd, the fed him with her royal hand:
Was pleas'd in pastures with the herd to roam;
And Minos by the bull was overcome.

}

Ceafe, queen, with gems t'adorn thy beauteous brows; The monarch of thy heart no jewel knows. Nor in thy glafs compofe thy looks and eyes: Secure from all thy charms thy lover lies: Yet truft thy mirror, when it tells thee true; Thou art no heifer to allure his view. Soon wouldst thou quit thy royal diadem To thy fair rivals, to be horn'd like them. 'If Minos please, no lover seek to find; If not, at least seek one of human kind.

The

The wretched queen the Cretan court forsakes;
In woods and wilds her habitation makes:
She curfes ev'ry beauteous cow she fees;
Ah, why doft thou my lord and master please!
And think'ft, ungrateful creature as thou art,
With frisking aukwardly, to gain his heart!

She said, and straight commands, with frowning look, To put her, undeserving, to the yoke;

Or feigns fome holy rites of facrifice,

And fees her rival's death with joyful eyes:
Then, when the bloody priest has done his part,
Pleas'd, in her hand fhe holds the beating heart;
Nor from a fcornful taunt can scarce refrain;
Go, fool, and ftrive to please my love again.
Now she would be Europa, Io now;

(One bore a bull, and one was made a cow.)
Yet fhe at laft her brutal bliss obtain'd,
And in a wooden cow the bull fuftain'd;
Fill'd with his feed, accomplish'd her defire;
Till by his form the fon betray'd the fire.
If Atreus' wife to inceft had not run,
(But, ah, how hard it is to love but one!)
His courses Phoebus had not driv'n away,
To fhun that fight, and interrupt the day.
Thy daughter, Nifus, pull'd thy purple hair,
And barking fea-dogs yet her bowels tear.
At fea and land Atrides fav'd his life,
Yet fell a prey to his adult'rous wife.
Who knows not what revenge Medea fought,
When the flain offspring bore the father's fault?
Thus Phoenix did a woman's love bewail;
And thus Hippolytus by Phædra fell.

Thefe crimes revengeful matrons did commit:
Hotter their luft, and sharper is their wit.
Doubt not from them an easy victory:
Scarce of a thousand dames will one deny.

All women are content that men fhould woo:
She who complains, and she who will not do.
Reft then fecure, whate'er thy luck may prove,
Not to be hated for declaring love.

And yet
how can't thou mifs, fince womankind
Is frail and vain, and ftill to change inclin'd?
Old husbands and ftale galants they defpife;
And more another's, than their own, they prize.
A larger crop adorns our neighbour's field;
More milk his kine from fwelling udders yield.
Firft gain the maid: by her thou shalt be fure
A free access and easy to procure:

Who knows what to her office does belong,
Is in the fecret, and can hold her tongue.
Bribe her with gifts, with promises, and pray❜rs;
For her good word goes far in love-affairs,
The time and fit occafion leave to her,
When fhe most aptly can thy fuit prefer.
The time for maids to fire their lady's blood,
Is, when they find her in a merry mood;
When all things at her with and pleasure move
Her heart is open then, and free to love.
Then mirth and wantonnefs to luft betray,
And smooth the paffage to the lover's way.

Troy ftood the fiege, when fill'd with anxious care &
One merry fit conciuded all the war.

If fome fair rival vex her jealous mind,
Offer thy fervice to revenge in kind,
Inftruct the damfel, while fhe combs her hair,
To raise the choler of that injur'd fair;
And, fighing, make her mistress understand,
She has the means of vengeance in her hand:
Then, naming thee, thy humble fuit prefer;
And swear thou languisheft and dy'ft for her.
Then let her lofe no time, but push at all;
For women foon are rais'd, and foon they fall,

Give their first fury leisure to relent,
They melt like ice, and fuddenly repent.

T'enjoy the maid, will that thy fuit advance?
'Tis a hard question, and a doubtful chance.
One maid, corrupted, bauds the better for't;
Another for herself would keep the sport.
Thy bus'nefs may be further'd or delay'd:
But by my counfel, let alone the maid:
E'en tho' fhe should confent to do the feat;
The profit's little, and the danger great.
I will not lead thee through a rugged road;
But where the way lies open, fafe, and broad.
Yet if thou find'ft her very much thy friend,
And her good face her diligence commend:
Let the fair mistress have thy first embrace,
And let the maid come after in her place.
But this I will advife, and mark my words;
For 'tis the best advice my skill affords:
If needs thou with the damfel wilt begin,
Before th' attempt is made, make sure to win:
For then the secret better will be kept;

And she can tell no tales when once she's dipt.
'Tis for the fowler's int'reft to beware,
The bird intangled fhould not 'fcape the fnare.
The fish, once prick'd, avoids the bearded hook,
And spoils the sport of all the neighb'ring brook,
But if the wench be thine, fhe makes thy way,
And, for thy fake, her miftrefs will betray;
Tell all she knows, and all the hears her say.
Keep well the counsel of thy faithful spy:
So fhalt thou learn whene'er fhe treads awry.

All things the ftations of their seasons keep;
And certain times there are to fow and reap.
Ploughmen and failors for the feafon stay,
One to plough land, and one to plough the fea:
So fhould the lover wait the lucky day.