Once more th' old bait before their eyes fhe caft. That and her love they long'd to taste; And to her luft fhe drew them all at last. So Reuben (we may read of heretofore) } Was led aftray, and had pollution with his father's whore. XI. The better to conceal her lewd intent In fafety from observing eyes, Th' old ftrumpet did herself disguise In comely weeds, and to the city went, Affected truth, much modefty and grace, And (like a worn-out-fuburb-trull) paft there for a new face. Thither all her lovers flock'd, And there for her fupport the found A wight, of whom Fame's trumpet much does found, With all ingredients for his business stock'd, Not unlike him whofe ftory has a place In th' annals of Sir Hudibras. Of all her bufinefs he took care, And every knave or fool that to her did repair, By his contrivance to her did refort All who had been disgusted at the court. Those whofe ambition had been croft, Or by ill-manners had preferments loft, Were those on whom the practis'd moft her charms, Lay nearest to her heart, and ofteneft in her arms. Intereft in every faction, every sect, she fought; And to her lure, flattering their hopes, she brought All All those who use religion for a fashion. All fuch as practise forms, and take great pains And thrive by the distractions of a nation, She by her art enfnar'd, and fetter'd in her chains. Nay, to her fide at last she drew in all the rude, Pamper'd their follies, and indulg'd their hopes, With May-day routs, November squibs, and burning pafteboard popes. XII. With her in common luft did mingle all the crew, And from her womb, in little time, brought forth Of children born with teeth we 've heard, Born from a Wapping drab, or Shoreditch quean, The bawd Hypocrify was there, D 4 Dame Dame Scandal with her fquinting eyes, That's always talking, always loud, Behold its head of horrid form appears: When straight the bawd cry'd out, 'twas furely kin But Scandal offer'd to depofe her word, The nofe was ugly, long, and big, Which fhew'd he would in dunghills love to dig; Lov'd to cast stinking fatires up in ill-pil'd rhymes, And live by the corruptions of unhappy times. XIII. They promis'd all by turns to take him, To a fifter-witch, though of another fort, A little fmoaky mansion of her own, I A cell A cell she kept. Hell fhe ador'd, and Satan was her god; And many an ugly loathsome toad Under her roof all difmal, black, and smoak'd, All which were imps she cherish'd with her blood, To make her spells fucceed and good. Still at her fhrivel'd breafts they hung, whene'er mankind the curft, And with these fofter-brethren was our monfter nurft. In little time the hell-bred brat Grew plump and fat, Without his leading-ftrings could walk, But still new ways affected, and new methods fought. T'improve in letters, and proceed in arts; Of all perverseness brutishly was full, Till, fpite of Nature, through great pains, the fot (And th' influence of th' ill genius of our land) At laft in part began to understand. Some infight in the Latin tongue he got; Could Could fmatter pretty well, and write too a plain hand. For which his guardians all thought fit, In compliment to his most hopeful wit, He fhould be fent to learn the laws, And out of the good old to raise a damn`d new cause. XIV. In which the better to improve his mind, As by Nature he was bent To fearch in hidden paths, and things long bury'd find, Needy, and ev'n of neceffaries bare, No fervant had he, children, friend, or wife : (For all ill turns he lov'd, all good detefted, and believ'd no God) Thrice in a week he chang'd a hoarded groat, With which of beggars fcraps he bought. Then from a neighbouring fountain water got, Not to be clean, but flake his thirst. He never bleft himself, and all things else he curft. The cell in which he (though but seldom) flept, Lay like a den, uncleans'd, unfwept : And there thofe jewels which he lov'd he kept; Old worn-out ftatutes, and records Of common privileges, and the rights of lords. All |