495 Or

may

the Heavens fall, and cover Thefe Reliques of your conftant Lover. You have provided well, quoth fhe, (I thank you) for your felf and me; And fhewn your Prefbyterian Wits 500 Jump punctual with the Jefuits.

A most compendious Way, and civil,
At once to cheat the World, the Devil,

the Francifcan Order were of Opinion, that whatever Lies a Man told a Woman to gain her Confent to his Defires, was not Heresy, fo that he believ'd in his Heart, the carnal A& was Sin. (Baker's Hiftory of the Inquifition, chap. 5. p. 28.)

Jusjurandum Amatorium.
Julia fum pollicitus futurum.
Me fibi fidum, calidufque amore
Jurejurando fimul obligavi

Me quoque fcripto.
Hifce nec vinclis tenet obligatum
(Dum placent nymphæ, retinent amantes)
Ventus infcriptum folio ratumque

Cum folio aufert.

499, 500. And fhewn your Presbyterian Wits,-Jump punctual with the Jefuits.] There was but too much Truth in this Obfervation; for there were several Jesuits, and Popish Priefts, got into Livings in thofe Times. (See Bishop Kennet's Register and Chronicle, p. 231. p. 781.)

'Tis the Obfervation of Mr. Long, (Ep. Ded. to his Hiftory of Popish and Fanatical Plots) " That the Jefuits and Diffenters have fo long communicated Politicks, that it is hard to determine,

K 3

"whe

And Heaven and Hell, your felves, and those On whom you vainly think t' impose. 505 Why then (quoth he) may Hell furprize. That Trick (faid fhe) will not pafs twice : I've learn'd how far I'm to believe Your pinning Oaths upon your Sleeve. But there's a better Way of clearing 510 What you would prove, than downright SwearFor if you have perform'd the Feat,

The Blows are vifible as yet,

Enough to ferve for Satisfaction

[ing;

Of niceft Scruples in the Action. 515 And if you can produce thofe Knobs, Although they're but the Witches Drubs, I'll pass them all upon Account, As if your natural Self had don't. Provided that they pass th' Opinion 520 Of able Juries of old Women;

"whether there be now more Fanaticism in the Jefuits, or more "Jefuitifm among the Fanatics." And Mr. Petyt (fee Vifions of the Reformation, p. 20.) comparing the Papifts and Presbyterians, fays, "You will find, that though they have two Faces that look "different Ways, yet they have both the fame Lineaments, the "fame Principles, and the fame Practices; and both impudently deny it; like the two Men that ftole the Piece of Flesh from "the Butcher in the Fable: He that took it, swore he had it not, "and he that had it, fwore he did not take it. Who took it? or "who has it? I don't know, (quoth the Butcher) but by Jove you "are a Couple of Knaves. As in their pharifaica! Difpofition they

fymbolize with the Jew, fo in fome of their Pofitions they "jump pat with the Jefuit: For though they are both in the "Extremes, and as contrary one to the other as the Scales of a "Diameter; yet their Opinions and Practices are concentrick to "deprefs regal Power; both of them would bind their Kings in

"Chains,

Who, us'd to judge all Matter of Facts
For Bellies, may do fo for Backs.

Madam (quoth be) your Love's a Million, To do is less than to be willing,

525 As I am, were it in my

Power,

T'obey, what you command and more.
But for performing what you bid,

I thank you as much, as if I did.

You know I ought to have a care
530 To keep my Wounds from taking Air:
For Wounds in those that are all Heart,
Are dangerous in

any Part.

I find (quoth fhe) my Goods and Chattels Are like to prove but mere drawn Battels; $35 For ftill the longer we contend,

We are but farther off the End.

But granting now we should agree,
What is it you expect from me?

"Chains, and the Nobles in Links of Iron." (The true Informer, who-difcovereth- the chief Caufes of the fad Diftempers in Great Brittany, and Ireland. Oxford, 1643. p. 9.)

The Roman Catholick, advance the Cause,
Allow a Lie, and call it Pia Fraus ;
The Puritan approves, and does the jame,
Diflikes nought in it, but the Latin Name:
He flows with his Devifes, and dare lie
In very Deed, in Truth, and Verity.

He whines, and fighs, and lies with so much Ruth;
As if he griev'd, caufe he could near speak Truth.

(Puritan and Papift. By Mr. A. Cowley, p. 1.)

. 520. Of able Juries of old Women.] See y. 884. . 531. For Wounds in thofe that are all Heart, &c.] racter of Little Hugo Gondibert, book 1. canto 2. p. 20.

See Cha

and San

K 4

cha's

Your plighted Faith (quoth be) and Word 540 You paft in Heaven on Record,

545

Where all Contracts, to have and t' hold,
Are everlastingly enroll'd.

And if 'tis counted Treafon here
To raze Records, 'tis much more there.
Quoth fhe, there are no Bargains driv'n,
Nor Marriages clapp'd up in Heav'n,
And that's the Reason, as fome guess,
There is no Heav'n in Marriages;
Two Things that naturally prefs
550 Too narrowly, to be at Ease,

cho's Advice to Don Quixote, "Whofe little Heart, he says, was "no bigger than a Hazel-Nut," vol. 3. p. 86.

. 539, 540. Your plighted Faith (quoth he) and Word,—You pafs'd in Heaven, on Record.] The Author of a Book, intitled, The Devil upon two Sticks, (vol. 1. chap. 9. p. 108. edit. 1708.) makes Mention of a Couple of young Ladies, talking upon the Subject of Matrimony, after their Father's Death." He is "dead at last, said the eldeft, our unnatural Father, who took a "barbarous Pleasure in preventing our Marriage; he will now no "more cross our Defigns. For my Part, faid the youngest, I am "for a rich Husband, and Don Bourvelas fhall be my Man. Hold, Sifter, reply'd the eldeft, don't let us be hafty in the Choice of Husbands; let us marry thofe the Powers above "have decreed for us; for our Marriages are registred in Heaven's Books. So much the worfe, dear Sifter, return'd the younger; "for I am afraid my Father will tear out the Leaf."

. 543, 544. And if 'tis counted Treafon here,-To raze Records, 'tis much more there.] I cannot learn that it is Treafon to raze Records by any Law in Being in Mr. Butler's Time: It was made Felony by 8. of Richard the Second, and 8. Hen. 6. 12. See Statute Book. Merito capitale eft inconfultâ curiâ delere, vel immutare. Vide Spelmanni Gloffar. fub Voce Recordum, Recordatio, p. 480. That infamous Solicitor General St. John, in his Argument against the Earl of Strafford, fays, "It's Treafon to embefel judicial Records." Walker's Hiftory of Independency, part 3,

Their Bus'ness there is only Love,

Which Marriage is not like t' improve,
Love, that's too generous t' abide
To be against it's Nature ty'd:
555 For where 'tis of it felf inclin'd,

It breaks loose when it is confin'd;
And like the Soul, it's Harbourer,
Debarr'd the Freedom of the Air,
Difdains against it's Will to stay,
560 But struggles out, and flies away:
And therefore never can comply
T'endure the Matrimonial Tie,

P. 15. Serjeant Thorp (one of the infamous Judges of the Times) in his Charge to the Grand Jury at York, March 20, 1648. p. 15. in his Lift of Felonies against the Poffeffion, fays, "It is Felony, "if any raze, imbezzel, or withdraw any Record of the Court.'

. 545, 546, 547, 548. Quoth he, there are no Bargains driven,-Nor Marriages clapt up in Heaven ;-And that's the Reafon as fome guess,-There is no Heav'n in Marriages.] Marriage is ridicul'd in an extraordinary Manner in this whole Speech of the Widow, fhe begins very wittily and fatyrically. The Comparifons of Marriage to a double Horse, and of Love to an Ague, are finely imagin'd, and exceedingly well fuited to the Nature of this Poem, which is Burlesque in Perfection. We are ready to pardon these Reflections upon that happy State of Life, because they proceed out of a Lady's Mouth. If we confider her present Cafe, fhe could not avoid making fuch frightful Representations of that State; not from any Difaffection she had to it, but to deter the Knight from it; and confequently by this Method to get quit of his Addreffes, which were very disagreeable to her. (Mr. B.)

This Paffage alludes to our Saviour's Anfwer to the Sadducees that in Heaven there is no marrying, nor giving in Marriage.

To which Mr. Owen, in one of his admired Epigrams, alludes. Epigrammat. Johan. Owen-lib. 2. p. 21. Amor Conjugalis, p. 200. edit. 1633.

Plurimus in cœlis amor eft, connubia nulla,

Conjugia in terris plurima, nullus amor.

There