Prepared for fight, expectingly she lies, With heaving breasts, and with desiring eyes. Still as one drops, another takes his place, And, baffled, still succeeds to like disgrace. At length, when friendly darkness is expired, And every strumpet from her cell retired, She lags behind and, lingering at the gate, With a repining sigh submits to fate; All filth without, and all a fire within, Tired with the toil, unsated with the sin. Old Cæsar's bed the modest matron seeks, The steam of lamps still hanging on her cheeks In ropy smut; thus foul, and thus bedight, She brings him back the product of the night. Now, should I sing what poisons they provide, With all their trumpery of charms beside, And all their arts of death,--it would be known, Lust is the smallest sin the sex can own. Cæsinia still, they say, is guiltless found } Of every vice, by her own lord renowned; } And well she may, she brought ten thousand pound. } She brought him wherewithal to be called chaste; His tongue is tied in golden fetters fast: He sighs, adores, and courts her every hour; Who would not do as much for such a dower? She writes love-letters to the youth in grace, Nay, tips the wink before the cuckold's face; And might do more, her portion makes it good; Wealth has the privilege of widowhood.[112] These truths with his example you disprove, Who with his wife is monstrously in love: But know him better; for I heard him swear, 'Tis not that she's his wife, but that she's fair. Let her but have three wrinkles in her face, Let her eyes lessen, and her skin unbrace, Soon you will hear the saucy steward say,-- Pack up with all your trinkets, and away; You grow offensive both at bed and board; Your betters must be had to please my lord. Meantime she's absolute upon the throne, And, knowing time is precious, loses none. She must have flocks of sheep, with wool more fine Than silk, and vineyards of the noblest wine; Whole droves of pages for her train she craves, And sweeps the prisons for attending slaves. In short, whatever in her eyes can come, Or others have abroad, she wants at home. When winter shuts the seas, and fleecy snows Make houses white, she to the merchant goes; Rich crystals of the rock she takes up there, Huge agate vases, and old china ware; Then Berenice's ring[113] her finger proves, More precious made by her incestuous loves, And infamously dear; a brother's bribe, Even God's anointed, and of Judah's tribe; Where barefoot they approach the sacred shrine, And think it only sin to feed on swine. But is none worthy to be made a wife } In all this town? Suppose her free from strife, }