Classic Poem

Addressed to the Author of the C ONQUERFD Duchess . In
Answer to that Celebrated Performance.

W HAT clamour's here about a dame,
Who, for her pleasure, barters fame!
As if 'twere strange or new,
That ladies shou'd themselves disgrace,
Or one of the Milesian race
A widow shou'd pursue.

She's better, sure, than S — d — m-e,
Who, while a Duchess, play'd the wh--re,
As all the world has heard:
Wiser than lady H — r — t too,
Whose foolish match made such a do,
And ruin'd her and B — rd .

Yet she is gay as lady V — ne,
Who, should she list her am'rous train,
Might fairly man a fleet;
Sprightly as Or — f — d's countess, she,
And as the wanton T — wn — s — d free,
And more than both, discreet.

For she had patience first to wed
Before she took the man to bed;
And can you say that's bad?
Like Diomede's, your arrows rove;
Like him you wound the Queen of Love,
And may like him run mad.

There was, Sir Knight, there was a time,
If you invok'd your muse for rhyme,
That all the world stood gazing;
You sung us then of folks that sold
Themselves and country too for gold,
Or something as amazing:

How S — ds, in sense, in person queer,
Jump'd from a patriot to a peer,
No mortal yet knows why;
How P — t — y truck'd the fairest fame
For a Right Honourable name
To call his vixen by.

How C — — rose, when W-l-p-le fell,
'Twas you, and only you could tell,
And all the scene disclos'd:
How V — ne and R — sh — t, B — th — st, G — w — r,
Were curs'd and stigmatiz'd with power,
And rais'd, to be expos'd.

To heights like these your muse should fly,
To others leave the middle sky,
Whose wings are weak and flaggy;
Leave these to some young Foppington,
Who takes your leavings, W-ff-g-ton,
And tunes his odes to Peggy.

For you, who know the sex so well,
Must own that women most excell
When ruling, or when rul'd.
While young, they others lead astray;
When old, they ev'ry call obey,
Still fooling, or befool'd.

Scheme upon scheme must still succeed,
They ev'ry coxcomb's tale must heed,
Until their brains grow muzzy;
And then by one false step 'tis seen,
How slight the diff'rence is between
The Duchess and the Hussey.