And who are born, it cannot be denied, To have their wants and their demands supplied. She knows that money is a needful thing, That fathers first, and then that husbands bring; Or, if those persons should the aid deny, Daughters and wives have but to faint and die, Till flesh and blood cannot endure the pain; 130 And then the lady lives and laughs again. To wed an ague, and to feel, for life, Hot fits and cold succeeding in a wife; To take the pestilence with poison’d breath, And wed some potent minister of death, Is cruel fate—yet death is then relief; But thus to wed is ever-during grief. Oft have I heard, how blest the youth who weds Belinda Waters!—rather he who dreads That fate—a truth her husband well approves, 140 Who blames and fondles, humours, chides, and loves. TALE XVI. _THE DEALER AND CLERK._ I. Bad men are seldom cheerful; but we see That, when successful, they can merry be. ONE, whom I leave, his darling money lends, On terms well known, to his unhappy friends; He farms and trades, and in his method treats His guests, whom first he comforts, then he cheats. He knows their private griefs, their inward groans, And then applies his leeches and his loans To failing, falling families—and gets, I know not how, with large increase, their debts. 10 He early married, and the woman made A losing bargain; she with scorn was paid For no small fortune. On this slave he vents His peevish slights, his moody discontents. Her he neglects, indulging, in her stead, One whom he bribed to leave a husband’s bed— A young fair mother too, the pride and joy Of him whom her desertion will destroy. The poor man walks by the adulterer’s door, To see the wife, whom he must meet no more; 20 She will not look upon the face of one Whom she has blighted, ruined, and undone. He feels the shame; his heart with grief is rent; Hers is the guilt, and his the punishment. The cruel spoiler to his need would lend Unsought relief—his need will soon have end. Let a few wint’ry months in sorrow pass, And on his corse shall grow the vernal grass. Neighbours, indignant, of his griefs partake, And hate the villain for the victim’s sake; 30 Wond’ring what bolt within the stores of heaven Shall on that bold, offending wretch be driven. Alas! my grieving friends, we cannot know Why Heaven inflicts, and why suspends, the blow. Meanwhile the godless man, who thus destroys Another’s peace, in peace his wealth enjoys, And, every law evaded or defied, Is with long life and prosperous fortune tried. “How long?” the Prophet cried, and we, “how long?” } But think how quick that Eye, that Arm how strong, 40} And bear what seems not right, and trust it is not wrong! } Does Heaven forbear? then sinners mercy find—