For when (out-witted by his wife)
Man firft turn'd tenant but for life,

If women had not interven'd,

How foon had mankind had an end!
And that it is in being yet,

245

To us alone you are in debt.

And where's your liberty of choice,
And our unnatural No-voice?
Since all the privilege you boast,
And falfely' ufurp'd, or vainly loft,
Is now our right, to whofe creation
You owe your happy restoration.
And if we had not weighty cause
To not appear, in making laws,
We could, in fpite of all your tricks,
And shallow formal politics,
Force you our managements t' obey,
As we to yours (in fhew) give way.
Hence 'tis that, while you vainly strive
T' advance your high prerogative,
You bafely, after all your braves,
Submit, and own yourselves our slaves;
And, 'cause we do not make it known,
Nor publicly our interests own,
Like fots, fuppofe we have no shares
In ordering you and your affairs,
When all your empire and command
You have from us, at fecond-hand;
As if a pilot, that appears

To fit ftill only, while he steers,

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255

260

265

270

And

A

And does not make a noise and stir,
Like every common mariner,
Knew nothing of the card, nor star,
And did not guide the man of war:
Nor we, because we don't appear
In Councils, do not govern there;
While, like the mighty Prefter John,
Whose perfon none dares look upon,
But is preferv'd in clofe difguife,
From being made cheap to vulgar eyes,
W'enjoy as large a power, unfeen,
To govern him, as he does men ;
And, in the right of our Pope Joan,
Make emperors at our feet fall down;
Or Joan de Pucelle's braver name,
Our right to arms and conduct claim ;

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280

285

Who,

Ver. 277.] Prefter John, an abfolute prince, emperor of Abyffinia, or Ethiopia. One of them is reported to have had seventy kings for his vaffals, and fo fuperb and arrogant, that none durft look upon him without his permiffion.

Ver. 285.] Joan of Arc, called alfo The Pucelle, or Maid of Orleans. She was born at the town of Damremi, on the Meufe, daughter of James de Arc and Ifabella Romee; was bred up a fhepherdefs in the country. At the age of eighteen or twenty fhe pretended to an exprefs commiffion from God to go to the relief of Orleans, then befieged by the English, and defended by John Comte de Dennis, and almoft reduced to the laft extremity. She went to the coronation of Charles VII. when he was almoft ruined. She knew that

Who, though a spinster, yet was able
To ferve France for a Grand Conftable.
We make and execute all laws,
Can judge the Judges, and the Caufe;
Prefcribe all rules of right or wrong,
To th' long robe, and the longer tongue,
'Gainft which the world has no defence,
But our more powerful eloquence.
We manage things of greatest weight,
In all the world's affairs of ftate;
Are minifters of war and peace,

That fway all nations how we please.

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295

We

prince in the midft of his nobles, though meanly habited. The doctors of divinity, and members of parliament, openly declared that there was fomething fupernatural in her conduct. She fent for a fword, which lay in the tomb of a knight, which was behind the great altar of the church of St. Catharine de Forbois, upon the blade of which the crofs and fleur de lis were engraven; which put the King in a very great furprize, in regard none befides himfelf knew of it: upon this he fent her with the command of fome troops, with which the relieved Orleans, and drove the Englifh from it, defeated Talbot at the battle of Pattai, and recovered Champagne. At laft fhe was unfortunately taken prifoner in a fally at Chanipagne, in 1430, and tried for a witch or forcerefs, condemned, and burnt in Rouen market-place, in May 1430.

Ver. 288.] All this is a fatire on King Charles II. who was governed fo much by his miftreffes: particularly this line feems to allude to his French mistress, the Dutchefs of Portsmouth, given by that Court; whom the ferved in the important poft of governing King Charles as they directed.

We rule all churches, and their flocks,

Heretical and orthodox,

300

And are the heavenly vehicles

O' th' spirits in all. Conventicles :
By us is all commerce and trade
Improv'd, and manag'd, and decay'd;

For nothing can go off fo well,

305

Nor bears that price, as what we fell.

We rule in every public meeting,

And make men do what we judge fitting;
Are magiftrates in all great towns,

Where men do nothing but wear gowns.
We make the man of war strike fail,

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And to our braver conduct veil,

And, when he 'as chas'd his enemies,
Submit to us upon his knees.

Is there an officer of state,
Untimely rais'd, or magistrate,
That's haughty and imperious?

He's but a journeyman to us,
That, as he gives us caufe to do 't,
Can keep him in, or turn him out.

We are your guardians, that increase,
Or wafte your fortunes how we please ;
And, as you humour us, can deal
In all your matters, ill or well.

Tis we that can dispose, alone,

Whether your heirs fhall be your own,

To whofe integrity you must,

In spite of all your caution, truft;

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325

And,

And, 'lefs you fly beyond the feas,

Can fit you with what heirs we pleafe,

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And force you t' own them, though begotten

For, when ye 've try'd all forts of ways,
What fools d' we make of you in plays?

While all the favours we afford,

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Are but to girt you with the sword,

To fight our battles in our fteads,

And have your brains beat out o' your heads;
Encounter, in defpite of Nature,

And fight, at once, with fire and water,

350

With pirates, rocks, and storms, and feas,

Our pride and vanity t' appease;

Kill one another, and cut throats,

For our good graces, and beft thoughts;

To do your exercife for honour,

355

And have your brains beat out the fooner;
Or crack'd, as learnedly, upon

Things that are never to be known ;