FORE-WARN'D, FORE-ARM'D: OR, A CAVEAT TO BATCHELORS, IN THE CHARACTER OF A BAD WOMAN
Foemineum servile genus crudele superbum,
Mant. Ecl. 3.
A
Bad Woman! Heav'n bless us, Sirs! who dare
Approach so near, to write her
Character?
Plagues owe their Birth to her envenom'd Breath;
To
see her's dangerous; to
touch her Death.
All Tormets, and all Ills, at first did grow
From her, and thence (as from a Spring) still flow.
He favour'd her too much, that call'd her worse
Than all th'Ingredients cramm'd into a Curse.
The Bane of Mankind, Foe to Innocence,
First-born of Hell, and Poysons Quintessence;
Creations Blot, and Natures great'st Disgrace,
The Seven Deadly Sins drawn in One Face.
A Sex for Servitude by Heav'n design'd,
Yet the most proud and cruel of Humane kind:
Bold, flattering, fond, disdainful, idle, vain,
[...] double Tongue, false Heart, and giddy Brain;
[...]nconstant, gadding, tatling, simple, light,
Compos'd of Rashness, Self-love, Fraud, and Spite;
Revengeful, sullen, covetous, ambitious,
Alwayes complaining, envious, superstitious;
Faithless, ungrateful, subtle, troublesome;
Contentious with her Neighbours, more at home:
Who alwayes lives in the
Intemperate Zone;
For Means and Measure she'l be rul'd by none;
But
chilling Frost, or
scorching Dog days proves,
Mortally hates, or else too fondly loves.
The Studies of her Youth are wanton Dances,
[...]ascivious Songs, Plays, Masquerades, Romances;
[...]hese antedate her guilty, and begin
[...]o debauch her long before she's ripe for Sin.
[...]he ne're regards the Laws of
Right and
Just,
[...]ut tramples all things to promote her Lust.
[...]he Wickedness her Strength to act denies,
[...]he by Deceit and Subtilty supplies.
With seeming Modesty she baits her Hooks,
[...]onsults her Glass to frame enticing Looks,
[...]sps, minces, simpers, and instructs her Eyes
[...]hat Glances are most charming to surprise:
[...]er Face (as Tavern-Bush) bedeck'd with
Toys,
[...]ut easie Youth into her Toyl decoys:
Her Curls, like Streamers waving, seem to court
Each spritely Combatant to storm the Fort;
Whilst naked panting Breasts too plainly shew
Th' insatiate Thirst that she endures below.
And though in
Single Life she oft be naught,
Yet when at length some doating Fop sh' hath caught
And into wretched Noose of
Wedlock brought,
By Midwife-Rules she boldly goes to Bed,
And on the Novice pawns a Maiden-head:
Who starts next Morn to see her in his Arms;
She's perfect
Hag, when stript of Arts gay Charms
The
painted Roses of her Cheeks are dropt,
Hunch-back's discover'd, with Pads underpropt;
He's forc'd with strong Perfumes to guard his Nose
From poys'nous Whiffs of
Breath, Arm-pits, and
T
Ah cursed Love! well art thou feigned Blind.
His mistake's no less fatal in her Mind.
Handsom, she proves
a Wench; Deform'd, a
Witch
If
Poor, she makes him
Beggar; Slave, if
Rich:
Or if sh' affects the Name of
Virtuous Woman,
(That's one who sins but
seldom, is not
Common)
She then takes Priviledge, and thinks she may
Justly rant, domineer, and disobey.
Her
Husband soon into Consumption cast:
(For Back and Purse do both together waste)
Whiles to allay, not quench her wanton Fires,
Sometimes she
Dildoes, sometime
Stalion hires.
Fine Clothes, new Fashions, Gossiping, rich Fare,
And sturdy Gallants, take up all her Care.
Honour she counts an
empty term, no tye;
Her Zeal's Pretence;
her Study, Vanity;
Her Beauty, Paint;
her Wit, Baudery refin'd;
Her Kisses, Baits;
her Love, a Snare design'd;
Her Soul (if she have one) so foul and base,
Hell's half asham'd it self t'afford it place.
But hold; enough. Let none be angry here,
And thinks our Pen to sharp a Nib doth bear:
All this of a
Bad Woman's understood:
But prithee
(Reader) shew me
One that's Good.
FINIS.
EDINBƲRGH, Printed by J. van Solingen, and J. Colmar, 1685.