And, (to add comfort to my life) :
Beseech'me thus to take a wife,
(Heav'n guard me from the nuptial strife!)
A thing I ne'er could yet determine.

XIX. i
“For women are such noisy cattle,
Their pretty tongues go tittle tattle, ;:;.
Just like a fine threé-farthing rattle,

Which we may buy at fair of Bart'lemy; And then the thought is most appalling, it Of wives hallooing, children squalling, Such matrimonial caterwauling. I think is quite enough to startle me, : on

"XX.",".."; “ And then you'll own (for nought more sureis,) That ladies tho’in beauty houries, : In temper may be downright furies,

And make their husbands in the roomsticks; And in the sight of ev'ry neighbour, Their backs indignantly belabor, And make them dance without a tabor,.. To little instruments calld broomsticks.

XXI - 1 vezes " And tell me, nobles, would it pleasure ye To see me rob the royal treasury,'"

hinnales. .

.

To furnish this expensive goddess?
For she must have her caps, and veils,
Her furbelows, and farthingales,
Her golden stomacher, and bodice.

XXII.
“ And she must have her box of paint,
Or else her ladyship would faint,

Swear you were stingy, I were cruel; And then (good people, have compassion!) In some accursed whin of fashion, She'd sell my kingdom for a jewel.

: xxIII. ** And she must have quite snug and handy, A private thimble-full of brandy,

To cure the mulligrubs, so stitching; .
And, though a nymph of peerless honor,
The habit prapş may steal upon her,
For liquor's mightily bewitching.

din XXIV.. “ And sure 'twould shock my tender feeling To see her Majesty a-reeling

Drunk'as the sow of good King David;
And if (an accident not rare,)
My royal wife should curse and swear,
Lord, how the multitude would stare,

To see their Queen so ill-behaved!,

XXV.
“ And she must have to wait upon her,
Grooms, pages, aye, and maids of honor,

A mob impertinent and lazy;
And then a coxcomb hot from France
To teach her gracefully to dance,

Or curl and dress her auburn jazey.

XXVI

6 And she must have her balls and plays,
And chambermaids to lace her stays,
And birth-day suits for gala days,

Hoop-petticoats, and silks and flounces;
And then to make her sweet and fair,
Three pound of powder in her hair,
Pomatum, Russia oil, so rare,
And huile antique, full twenty ounces.

XXVII.
“ Besides some pompous poor relation
To steal my cash, and starve my nation,

Who'd of my subjects match the tallest;
While some huge whisker'd German chief
Will swallow me six pounds of beef,
And prove his stomach not the smallest.

XXVIII. ' ..“ And sure such vile infernal cramming In GOTHAM's land would breed a famine,

c 2

a

Or else I'm grievously mistaken;
And ’twould much discontent produce
To give five shillings for a goose,
Or sir-pence for a pound of bacon.

XXIX. . . . .
“ And if-l'tis no impossibility,)
This lovely pattern of gentility,
To prove herself of true nobility, v . sve

When in the marriage noose we're buckled, (It is an ill which most I fear, As women's taste is sometimes queer,) . ; Should fancy some tall grenadier, -.

And make your faithful Prince a cuckold.

“ Lord, how the boys would hoot, and hollo, The fishwomen my footsteps follow, E’en the blind children of Apollo

Would pester me with filthy ditties; While some with bowels of compassion, .. As horns are now so much the fashion, Perhaps would moderate their passion, And cry,“ Oh! 'tis a thousand pities.” :

XXXI. . “ Now though with love the sex may tickle us, I think it mightily ridiculous

That men of sense should thus be duped; And tho' I'm gallant to the marrow, I ne'er was wounded by the arrow Of that sly vagabond, young Cupid...

XXXII. “ Such ills must surely have great weight To warn me from the marriage state,

For they in time might prove my own; .. And you perhaps would rue the hour A faithless woman shar'd the power Of Gotham's Prince, and Gotham's THRONE.

XXXIII.
“ But still, if I could chance to meet
A nymph with every grace replete,
In mind and body, quite complete,
. I promise -by the foot of Pharaoh,
That, vanquish'd by her matchless charms,
Dispelling all these dread alarms,
And rushing to her virgin arms
I'd wed her--and be proud to wear her.”,

"XXXIV.
Thus spake the PRINCE=as I have sung-
The hall with acclamation rung,
His praises dwelt on ev'ry tongue,