Put off the man, from men to live secure; 510 Go forth a woman to the public view, And with their garb assume their manners too. Had the light-footed Greek[303] of Chiron's school Been wise enough to keep this single rule, The maudlin hero, like a puling boy Robb'd of his plaything, on the plains of Troy Had never blubber'd at Patroclus' tomb, And placed his minion in his mistress' room. Be not in this than catamites more nice, Do that for virtue, which they do for vice. 520 Thus shalt thou pass untainted life's gay bloom, Thus stand uncourted in the drawing-room; At midnight thus, untempted, walk the street, And run no danger but of being beat. Where is the mother, whose officious zeal, Discreetly judging what her daughters feel By what she felt herself in days of yore, Against that lecher man makes fast the door? Who not permits, e'en for the sake of prayer, A priest, uncastrated, to enter there, 530 Nor (could her wishes, and her care prevail) Would suffer in the house a fly that's male? Let her discharge her cares, throw wide her doors, Her daughters cannot, if they would, be whores; Nor can a man be found, as times now go, Who thinks it worth his while to make them so. Though they more fresh, more lively than the morn, And brighter than the noonday sun, adorn The works of Nature; though the mother's grace Revives, improved, in every daughter's face, 540 Undisciplined in dull Discretion's rules, Untaught and undebauch'd by boarding-schools, Free and unguarded let them range the town, Go forth at random, and run Pleasure down, Start where she will; discard all taint of fear, Nor think of danger, when no danger's near. Watch not their steps--they're safe without thy care, Unless, like jennets, they conceive by air, And every one of them may die a nun, 550 Unless they breed, like carrion, in the sun. Men, dead to pleasure, as they're dead to grace, Against the law of Nature set their face, The grand primeval law, and seem combined To stop the propagation of mankind; Vile pathics read the Marriage Act with pride, And fancy that the law is on their side. Broke down, and strength a stranger to his bed, Old L----[304], though yet alive, is dead; T---- lives no more, or lives not to our isle; No longer bless'd with a Cz----'s[305] smile; 560 T---- is at P----[306] disgraced, And M---- grown gray, perforce grows chaste; Nor to the credit of our modest race, Rises one stallion to supply their place. A maidenhead, which, twenty years ago, In mid December the rank fly would blow, Though closely kept, now, when the Dog-star's heat Inflames the marrow, in the very street May lie untouch'd, left for the worms, by those Who daintily pass by, and hold their nose; 570 Poor, plain Concupiscence is in disgrace, And simple Lechery dares not show her face,