T. R. Smith, comp. Poetica Erotica: Rare and Curious Amatory Verse. 1921–22.
Epilogue
By William Wycherley (16401716)(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. | |