His flea, his morpion, and punefe, H' had gotten for his proper ease, And all in perfect minutes made, 440 By th' ableft artist of the trade;

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

And altogether might amount
To many hundreds on account:
445 For which h' had got fufficient warrant
To feize the malefactors errant,

Without capacity of bail,

But of a cart's or horse's tail;

And did not doubt to bring the wretches, 450 To serve for pendulums to watches, Which modern virtuofos fay,

Incline to hanging ev'ry way.
Befide he fwore, and fwore 'twas true,
That ere he went in quest of you,

455 He fet a figure to discover

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

Of all that past before and since;
And found, that ere you came to him,
Y' had been engaging life and limb,
465 About a cafe of tender conscience,
Where both abounded in your own sense;
Till Ralpho, by his light and grace,
Had clear'd all fcruples in the cafe;
And prov'd that you might fwear and own
479 Whatever's by the wicked done.

For which, moft bafely to requite
The fervice of his gifts and light,

You ftrove t'oblige him by main force,
To fcourge his ribs inftead of yours;
475 But that he stood upon his guard,
And all your vapouring out-dar'd;
For which, between you both, the feat
Has never been perform'd as yet.

While thus the lady talk'd, the knight 480 Turn'd th' out fide of his eyes to white,, (As men of inward light are wont To turn their optics in upon't.)

He wonder'd how fhe came to know What he had done, and meant to do: 485 Held up his affidavit-hand,

As if h' had been to be arraign'd: Caft towards the door a ghastly look, In dread of Sidrophel, and spoke. Madam, if but one word be true 490 Of all the wizard has told you, Or but one fingle circumstance In all th' apocryphal romance, May dreadful earthquakes fwallow down. This veffel, that is all your own; 495 Or may the heavens fall, and cover These reliques of your constant lover. You have provided well, quoth fhe,. (1 thank you) for yourself and me; And fhewn your Presbyterian wits 300 Jump punctual with the Jefuits.

A most compendious way, and civil,
At once to cheat the world, the devil,
And heav'n and hell, yourselves, and thofe
On whom you vainly think t'impofe..

505 Why then (quoth he) may hell furprize:
That trick (faid fhe) will not país 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

10 What you wou'd prove, than downright fwearing:
For if you have perform'd the feat,
The blows are visible as yet,
Enough to ferve for fatisfaction
Of niceft fcruples in the action.
515 And if you can produce those knobs,
Altho' they're but the witches drubs,
I'll pass them all upon account,
As if your nat'ral felf had done't.
Provided that they pafs'd th'opinion
120 Of able juries of old women ;

Who, us'd to judge all matter of facts
For bellies, may do fo for backs.

Madam (quoth he) your love's a million,
To do is less than to be willing,

525 As I am, were it in my power
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
530 To keep my wounds from taking air.
For wounds in those that are all heart,
Are dangerous in any part.

I find (quoth he) my goods and chattels,
Are like to prove but mere drawn battles :

535 For ftill the longer we contend,

We are but farther off the end.
But granting now we fhould agree,
What is it you expect from me?

Your plighted faith (quoth he) and word

540 You past in heaven on record,

545

Where all contracts, to have and t' hold,
Are everlastingly enroll'd.

And if 'tis counted treason here
To raze records, 'tis much more there.
Quoth fhe, There are no bargains driv'n,
Nor marriages clapp'd up in heav'n,
And that's the reafon, as fome guess,
There is no heav'n in marriages:
Two things that naturally press
550 Too narrowly, to be at ease.
Their bus'nefs there is only love,
Which marriage is not like t'improve.
Love, that's too gen'rous to abide
To be against its nature ty❜d:
555 For where 'tis of itself inclin'd,
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,
560 But ftruggles out, and flies away:
And therefore never can comply
T'endure the matrimonial tie,
That binds the female and the male,
Where th' one is but the other's bail;
565 Like Roman gaolers, when they flept,
Chain'd to the prifoners they kept;
Of which the true and faithfull'ft lover:
Gives beft fecurity, to fuffer.

Marriage is but a beaft, fome fay,

570 That carries double in foul way;

And therefore 'tis not to b' admir'd

It fhould fo fuddenly be tir'd:

A bargain at a venture made

Between two partners in a trade;

575 (For what's inferr'd by t'have, and t'hold,
But fomething paft away, and fold?)
That as it makes but one of two,
Reduces all things elfe as low:
And at the best is but a mart

580 Between the one and th' other part,
That on the marriage-day is paid,
Or hour of death, the bet is laid;
And all the rest of better or worse,
Both are but lofers out of purse.
585 For when upon their ungot heirs

Th' entail themselves, and all that's theirs,
What blinder bargain e'er was driv'n,
Or wager laid at fix and seven;
To pass themselves away, and turn
590 Their children's tenar.ts ere they're born?
Beg one another idiot

To guardians, ere they are begot;

Or ever fhall, perhaps, by th' one,
Who's bound to vouch 'em for his own,

595 Tho' got b' implicite generation,

And gen'ral club of all the nation:

For which she's fortify'd no lefs

Than all the island with four feas:

Exacts the tribute of her dow'r,

600 In ready infolence and pow'r :

And makes him pass away, to have
And hold, to her, himself, her slave,
More wretched than an ancient villain,
Condemn'd to drudgery and tilling;

603 More wretched, etc.] Villainage was an ancient tenure, by which the tenants were obliged to perform the most abject and flavish fervices for their lords,