Classic Poem

ACT . IV. S CEN. VII.

To them Prusias .

— — Save you valiant Prusias .
God give you joy Sir of your handsome Widdow;
Poor Soldiers can get nothing; your three legs
And five Similitudes have done the Deed.
I'l leave you to your Beauty.
Pyl . How now Servant,
I see y' are Constant.
Pru . 'Tis your Vertue makes me.
Pyl . Do not you call my Gold my Vertue Sir?
Are not my Bags good Manners? and my Jewels
Cleanly Behaviour? You have laid your Trap,
Only to catch a Booty that may find you
Powders and Curling Irons.
Pru . I shall have
No need of those, for you shall be my Head — —
Pyl . — — And your Brain too — —
Pru . And understand for me.
Pyl . Whiles out of Ignorance perhaps you'l keep
Some needy Poet in a politike Pension
Not to write Satyrs on you, and so rent
His wit, and Liberty of him, that you may
Vent Verses, and sin safely.
Pru . I will turn
Poet my self, it is in fashion, Lady:
Hee's scarce a Courtier now, that hath not writ
His brace of Plaies. It is a Quality
That works more now upon the City Dames,
Than throwing of the Sledg, or Jumping well.
Pyl . But Poets never yet prov'd vertuous Husbands.
Pru . To please you then, I will speak only grave
Sad Morall Sentences; cough sager Proverbs;
And live your Yoakfellow in City Prose.
You shall not shake me off, although you beat me;
Nay, that shall make me love you more. I am
Your Spaniel, Lady.
Pyl . 'Twere a good experiment
To try whe'r y' are true bred or no. Elpidia !
Bring me the holly Wand, with which I last
Did exercise. Come Sir, about: I'l try you.
What? shrink for this? you have no Metall Man;
'Twill be my dayly Practice, if you have me,
To keep my self in Breath: I'm us'd to do it,
I should grow Pursie else.
Pru . No more o' your Wand!
You see my Patience Cudgell-proof; pray y' try
My sufferance, Lady, in another kind.
You shall find Prusias hardy.
Pyl . Think you so?
Say that I have some Project in my head,
Some grand exployt, durst you perform your Part?
Pru . Pray y' try me Madam.
Pyl . By my hopes o'th' Throne.
If you perform what's in this little Schedule,
Wee're Man and Wife to Morrow.
Pru . Were it to
Encounter with a Fury, I would do it.