Classic Poem

If Public Spirits, which the Public still
Will serve, altho' against the Public's Will,
Beget, for Public Men, the Public Praise,
Why shou'd they be, all Public Dames Disgrace?
Whilst Men gain (as more Public) much more Fame,
Yet Public Women get more Public Shame,
As more t'oblige all Mankind, is their Aim;
Who shou'd obtain more Kindness, and more Praise,
As Suff'ring, for the Public, more Disgrace;
And why shou'd Men, but for destroying Man
From Mankind, but more Fame, and Honour gain?
Yet you, for your increasing Human-Kind,
From Men, more Shame and Enmity shou'd find;
Whilst Men get Praise, for being Public Foes,
Yet you, your Fame for Public Friendship lose;
Who, tho' a Friend to Soul, as Body too,
Yet, for an Enemy to both you go,
And suffer Shame, for Charities you do;
Tho' for Sin's Aid, you Scandaliz'd have been,
Who, more the Cause are, to keep more from Sin,
Than Lust's Ill Means, to draw the Frail Flesh in;
Nay, you keep Men from Sins unnatural,
Into which they, for Want of Women, fall,
From Foul Adult'ries, Incest, Sodomy,
Keep the Hot Youth's Lust, Old Man's Lechery,
To save the Honour of each Family;
For had you not the Brother's Lust allay'd,
Abroad, at Home, the Sister never had
Liv'd, or continu'd long a Spotless Maid;
Whose Pangs of Love, (if them you had not eas'd
Abroad) at Home, had her much more disgrac'd;
And of her Father's Menial Servant, had
Her Lord and Master, by Restrain'd Love, made;
Soft Females, but for you, Hard-hearted prove,
Wou'd Murther Babes for Honour, Men for Love;
Incest, Rapes, Murthers, often you prevent,
Ev'n by your Guilt, keep others Innocent,
For by you, Love's best, readiest Instrument,
Marriage, (on Free Love, the worst kind of Rape)
Unwilling Maids, forc'd by Relations, 'scape;
Nay, shun the greatest Sin, or Infamy,
Of Love, made by Church Bargain's Simony;
When that Divine Thing Love, i'th' Church is sold,
Not for the just Exchange of Hearts, but Gold;
Thus, you do Good Turns still of sev'ral Kinds,
Of Fall'n-out Lovers, make Agreeing Friends;
To th' Faithless, Cruel, give Faith, Charity,
Your House, from Ruine saves each Family;
Whose too Hot Heir, for Want of Woman, had
Himself a Bondsman of a Keeper made;
A Fetter'd Cuckold of a Libertine,
Did you, not him, to a Loose Woman join;
Old Mothers, and Church-Panders, Matchmakers,
But for thee, had undone too most Young Heirs;
So Man's, and Woman's Freedom, and their Fame,
(Keeping 'em Loose) you keep from Guilt or Shame,
When an Ill Match had been their Honour's Blame;
Oft, for the Craving Widow, Love-sick Maid,
You, with a Private Match, their Stomach's staid,
And their Impatient, Raging Lust allay'd;
Who, but for thee, might else have been undone,
Making a First, or Second Match, too soon;
So thou then art, Love's justest Instrument,
The World's, and Man's Destruction, to prevent,
Who none dost Match against their own Consent;
Which the Priests often, more Unjustly do
Thus, for the best Match-maker, shou'd you go,
Nay, the most Consciencious are you so;
Since, in Love's Franker Bargains, which you make,
You force no Lovers Vows, for Life, to take,
Which they, but as more strict, more often break;
But you make your Pairs, of their own accord,
More Honourably take each other's Word;
More Honestly you make each Party try,
(E'er they deal for it) their Commodity,
Which Priests to them, unjustly still deny;
To turn by Ties on Love, Free-Love to Strife,
A Bed-fellow, let none have but for Life,
Of a Free-Mistress, make a Slavish Wife;
And of a Free-man, but a Horn'd-Beast too,
To Drudgery to turn his Pleasure, so,
To make his Free-Love, but Forc'd Labour grow;
Whence, Marriage shou'd go for the greatest Force
On Conscience, which makes Strangers oft of Course,
Each other take, for Better, or for Worse;
To make that Vow which Two Free Lovers make,
For being Bound, more liable to Break;
Since all Frail Lovers, always are (we find)
To Things, as more bound from 'em, more inclin'd;
Forc'd Love's a Rape, by which, th' Unwilling Dame
May have the Pleasure, yet escape the Shame,
By the Kind Tyrant, who usurp'd her Lap,
But a Forc'd Marriage is, for Life, a Rape;
Forc'd Love does Force, but on our Friendship prove,
But Marriage is a Rape oft, on our Love;
Free Love in Woman, shou'd be less her Shame,
As less from her Friend, for it, is her Claim;
Then truly, none sure Love more dearly buy,
Than they who for it, pay their Liberty;
Thus Free Love, more shou'd a Maid's Honour grow,
But as it is more Cheap, and Private, so
Shou'd, for the Best Love, as most Modest, go;
Whilst Marriage, since for Int'rest, Public Love,
Its self so, the most Impudent does prove;
Forc'd Love, the Shame of Yielding does prevent,
Marriage is, to the Filthy Deed, Consent,
Which shou'd be more the Dame's Disparagement;
So can't be call'd, most Honourable Love,
By which, but Bond-Slaves, most Free-Lovers prove;
Each other's Gaolers, and forc'd Prisoners, so,
To Love's, and Faith's Disparagement, to grow,
Their Want of both, by Marriage, so to show.