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Invoke the God, and all the mighty Pow'rs,
That wine may not defraud thy genial hours.
Then in ambiguous words thy fuit prefer,
Which he may know were all addrest to her.
In liquid purple letters write her name,
Which she may read, and reading find the flame.
Then may your eyes confefs your mutual fires;
(For Eyes have tongues, and glances tell defires)
Whene'er fhe drinks, be first to take the cup;
And, where the laid her lips, the bleffing fup.
When the to carving does her hand advance,
Put out thy own, and touch it as by chance.
Thy service e'en her husband must attend;
(A husband is a most convenient friend.)
Seat the fool cuckold in the highest place:
And with thy garland his dull temples grace.
Whether below or equal in degree,

Let him be lord of all the company,
And what he fays, be feconded by thee.

'Tis common to deceive thro' friendship's name:
But, common tho' it be, 'tis ftill to blame:
Thus factors frequently their truft betray,
And to themselves their masters gains convey.
Drink to a certain pitch, and then give o'er;
Thy tongue and feet may ftumble, drinking more.
Of drunken quarrels in her fight beware;
Pot-valour only ferves to fright the fair.
Eurytion justly fell, by wine oppreft,
For his rude riot at a wedding-feaft,

Sing, if you have a voice; and fhew your parts
In dancing, if endu'd with dancing arts.
Do any thing within your power to please;
Nay, e'en affect a feeming drunkennefs;
Clip ev'ry word; and if by chance you speak
Too home, or if too broad a jeft you break,
In your excufe the company will join,
And lay the fault upon the force of wine.

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True drunkenness is fubject to offend;
But when 'tis feign'd 'tis oft a lover's friend.
Then fafely you may praise her beauteous face,
And call him happy who is in her grace.
Her husband thinks himself the man defign'd;
But curfe the cuckold in your fecret mind.
When all are rifen, and prepare to go,
Mix with the croud, and tread upon her toe.
This is the proper time to make thy court;
For now she's in the vein, and fit for fport.
Lay bashfulness, that ruftic virtue, by;
To manly confidence thy thoughts apply.
On fortune's foretop timely fix thy hold;
Now fpeak and speed, for Venus loves the bold.
No rules of rhetoric here I need afford:
Only begin, and truft the following word;
It will be witty of its own accord.

A&t well the lover; let thy fpeech abound
In dying words, that reprefent thy wound:
Diftruft not her belief; fhe will be mov'd;
All women think they merit to be lov'd.

Sometimes a man begins to love in jeft,
And, after, feels the torment he profeft.
For your own fakes be pitiful, ye fair;
For a feign'd paffion may a true prepare.
By flatteries we prevail on womankind;
As hollow banks by ftreams are undermin❜d.
Tell her, her face is fair, her eyes are fweet:
Her taper fingers praife, and little feet,
Such praises e'en the chafte are pleas'd to hear;
Both maids and matrons hold their beauty dear.

Once naked Pallas with Jove's queen appear'd;
And still they grieve that Venus was preferr'd.
Praise the proud peacock, and he spreads his train:
Be filent, and he pulls it in again.

Pleas'd is the courfer in his rapid race;

Applaud his running, and he mends his pace.

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But largely promife, and devoutly swear;
And, if need be, call ev'ry God to hear.
Jove fits above, forgiving with a fmile.
The perjuries that eafy maids beguile.
He swore to Juno by the Stygian lake:
Forfworn, he dares not an example make,
Or punish falfhood, for his own dear fake.
"Tis for our int'reft that the Gods fhould be;
Let us believe 'em: I believe, they fee,
And both reward, and punish equally.
Not that they live above like lazy drones,
Or kings below, fupine upon their thrones.
Lead then your lives as present in their fight;
Be juft in dealings, and defend the right;
By fraud betray not, nor opprefs by might.
But 'tis a venial fin to cheat the fair;
All men have liberty of confcience there.
On cheating nymphs a cheat is well defign'd;
'Tis a profane and a deceitful kind.

'Tis faid, that Egypt for nine years was dry, Nor Nile did floods, nor heav'n did rain fupply. A foreigner at length inform'd the king,

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That flaughter'd guests would kindly moisture bring.
The king reply'd: On thee the lot fhall fall;
Be thou my gueft, the facrifice for all.
Thus Phaleris Perillus taught to low,
And made him feafon firft the brazen cow.
A rightful doom, the laws of nature cry,
'Tis, the artificers of death fhould die.
Thus juftly women fuffer by deceit;
Their practice authorizes us to cheat.

Beg her, with tears, thy warm defires to grant;
For tears will pierce a heart of adamant.

If tears will not be fqueez'd, then rub your eye,
Or 'noint the lids, and feem at least to cry.
Kifs, if you can; refiftance if the make,
And will not give you kiffes, let her take.

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Fy, fy, you naughty man, are words of courfe;
She struggles but to be fubdu'd by force.
Kifs only foft, I charge you, and beware,
With your hard bristles not to brush the fair.
He who has gain'd a kifs, and gains no more,
Deferves to lose the blifs he got before.
If once fhe kifs, her meaning is expreft;
There wants but little pushing for the reft:
Which if thou doft not gain by ftrength or art,
The name of clown well fuits with thy defert;
'Tis downright dulnefs, and a fhameful part.
Perhaps the calls it force; but, if she 'scape,
She will not thank you for th' omitted rape.
The fex is cunning to conceal their fires;
They would be forc'd e'en to their own defires.
They feem t' accufe you, with a downcaft fight,
But in their fouls confefs you did them right.
Who might be forc'd, and yet untouch'd depart,
Thank with their tongues, but curfe you with their heart.
Fair Phoebe and her fifter did prefer
To their dull mates the noble ravisher.
What Deidamia did; in days of yore,
The tale is old, but worth the reading o'er.
When Venus had the golden apple gain'd,
And the juft judge fair Helen had obtain❜d:
When she with triumph was at Troy receiv'd,
The Trojans joyful, while the Grecians griev'd:
They vow'd revenge of violated laws,
And Greece was arming in the cuckold's cause:
Achilles, by his mother warn'd from war,
Difguis'd his fex, and lurk'd among the fair.
What means acides to fpin and few?
With fpear and fword in field thy valour fhew;
And, leaving this, the nobler Pallas know.
Why doft thou in that hand the distaff wield,
Which is more worthy to sustain the shield ?

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Of with that other draw the woolly twine, The fame the fates for Hector's thread affign? Brandifh thy falchion in thy pow'rful hand, Which can alone the pond'rous lance command. In the fame room by chance the royal maid Was lodg'd, and, by his feeming fex betray'd, Close to her fide the youthful hero laid. I know not how his courtship he began ; But, to her coft, fhe found he was a man. 'Tis thought she ftruggled; but withal 'tis thought, Her wish was to be conquer'd, when the fought. For when disclos'd, and haft'ning to the field, He laid his distaff down, and took the shield, With tears her humble fuit fhe did prefer, And thought to ftay the grateful ravisher. She fighs, the fobs, fhe begs him not to part: And now 'tis nature, what before was art. She ftrives by force her lover to detain, And wishes to be ravish'd once again. This is the fex, they will not first begin, But, when compell'd, are pleas'd to fuffer fin. Is there, who thinks that women firft fhould woo? Lay by thy felf-conceit, thou foolish beau. Begin, and fave their modesty the shame; 'Tis well for thee, if they receive thy flame. 'Tis decent for a man to speak his mind; They but expect th' occafion to be kind. Afk, that thou mayft enjoy; fhe waits for this; And on thy firft advance depends thy blifs, E'en Jove himself was forc'd to fue for love; None of the nymphs did first folicit Jove. But if you find your pray❜rs increase her pride, Strike fail awhile, and wait another tide. They fly when we purfue; but make delay, And, when they fee you flacken, they will stay.

VOL. III.

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