T. R. Smith, comp. Poetica Erotica: Rare and Curious Amatory Verse. 1921–22.
Epilogue
By William Wycherley (1640–1716)(From The Country Wife) NOW you the vigorous, who daily here | |
| O’er vizard-mask in public domineer, | |
| And what you’d do to her, if in place where: | |
| Nay, have the confidence to cry, Come out! | |
| Yet when she says, Lead on! you are not stout; | 5 |
| But to your well-dress’d brother straight turn round, | |
| And cry, Pox on her, Ned, she can’t be sound! | |
| Then slink away, a fresh one to engage, | |
| With so much seeming heat and loving rage, | |
| You’d frighten list’ning actress on the stage; | 10 |
| Till she at last has seen you huffing come, | |
| And talk of keeping in the tiring-room, | |
| Yet cannot be provoked to lead her home. | |
| Next, you Falstaffs of fifty, who beset | |
| Your buckram maidenheads, which your friends get; | 15 |
| And whilst to them you of achievements boast, | |
| They share the booty, and laugh at your cost. | |
| In fine, you essenced boys, both old and young, | |
| Who would be thought so eager, brisk, and strong, | |
| Yet do the ladies, not their husbands wrong; | 20 |
| Whose purses for your manhood make excuse, | |
| And keep your Flanders’ mares for show, not use; | |
| Encouraged by our woman’s man to-day, | |
| A Horner’s part may vainly think to play; | |
| And may intrigues so bashfully disown, | 25 |
| That they may doubted be by few or none; | |
| May kiss the cards at picquet, ombre——lu, | |
| And so be taught to kiss the lady too; | |
| But, gallants, have a care, faith, what you do. | |
| The world, which to no man his due will give, | 30 |
| You by experience know you can deceive, | |
| And men may still believe you vigorous, | |
| But then we women—there’s no coz’ning us. | |