With gentle Touches he performs his Part,
This Way and that folliciting the Dart,
And exercifes all his Heav'nly Art.

All foftning Simples, known of Sov'reign Use,
He preffes out, and pours their noble Juice;
Thefe first infus'd, to lenifie the Pain,
He tugs with Pincers, but he tugs in vain.
Then to the Patron of his Art he pray'd;
The Patron of his Art refus'd his Aid.

But now the Goddess Mother, mov'd with
Grief,

And pierc'd with Pity, haftens her Relief.
A Branch of Healing Dittany fhe brought,
Which in the Cretan Fields with Care She fought;
Rough is the Stem, which woolly Leaves fur-
round;

The Leaves with Flow'rs, the Flow'rs with Purple crown'd;

Well known to wounded Goats; a fure Relief To draw the pointed Steel and ease the Grief. This Venus brings, in Clouds involv'd; and brews

Th' extracted Liquor with Ambrofian Dews, And odrous Panacee: Unseen she stands, Temp'ring the Mixture with her beav'nly

Hands:

And pours it in a Bowl already crown'd With Juice of med'cinal Herbs, prepar'd to bath the Wound.

The

The Leech, unknowing of superior Art,

the2

S

Which aids the Cure, with this foments the
Part;

And in a Moment ceas'd the raging Smart.
Stanch'd is the Blood, and in the bottom ftands:
The Steel, but fcarcely touch'd with tender
Hands

Moves up, and follows of its own Accord;
And Health and Vigour are at once restor❜d.
Iapis first perceiv'd the clofing Wound;
And first the Footsteps of a God he found :
Arms, Arms, he cries, the Sword and Shield
prepare,

And fend the willing Chief, renew'd to War.
This is no mortal Work, no Cure of mine,
Nor Art's Effect, but done by Hands Divine.

N° 573.

M

Wednesday, July 28.

Caftigata remordent.

Juv.

Y Paper on the Club of Widows has brought me in feveral Letters; and, among the reft, a long one from Mrs. Prefident, as follows.

Smart

Smart SIR,

You YOU are pleased to be very merry, as you imagine, with us Widows: • And you feem to ground your Satyr on our receiving Confolation fo foon after the Death of our Dears, and the < Number we are pleased to admit for our Companions; but you never reflect what Husbands we have buried, and how fhort a Sorrow the Lofs of them was capable of occafioning. For my own Part, Mrs. Prefident as you call me, my first Husband I was marryed to at fourteen, by my Uncle and Guardian (as I afterwards difcovered) by way of Sale, for the third part my Fortune. This Fellow looked upon me as a meer Child, he might breed C up after his own Fancy; if he kiffed C my Chamber-Maid before my Face, I C was fuppofed fo ignorant, how could 'I think there was any Hurt in it? 'When he came home Roaring Drunk

of

at five in the Morning, 'twas the Cu'ftom of all Men that live in the World. I was not to fee a Penny of Money, for, poor Thing, how could I maC nage it? He took a handfome Coufin of his into the House, (as he faid) to

be

be my House-keeper, and to govern C my Servants; for how fhould I know

how to rule a Family? and while she had what Money the pleased, which was but reasonable for the Trouble fhe was at for my Good, I was not to be fo cenforious as to dislike Familiarity and Kindness between near Relations. I was too great a Coward to contend, but not fo ignorant a Child to be thus impofed upon. I refented his Contempt as I ought to do, and as moft poor paffive blinded Wives do, 'till it pleafed Heaven to take aC way my Tyrant, who left me free Poffeffion of my own Land, and a large Jointure. My Youth and Money brought me many Lovers, and several endeavoured to establish an Intereft in my Heart while my Husband was in his laft Sickness; the Honourable Edward Waitfort was one of the firft who addreffed to me, advised to it by a Coufin of his that was my intimate Friend, and knew to a Penny what I was worth. Mr. Waitfort is a very agreeable Man, and every Bo'dy would like him as well as he does himself, if they did not plainly fee that his Efteem and Love is all taken up, VOL. XV. H

• and

1

' and by fuch an Object as 'tis impoffible to get the better of, I mean himfelf. He made no doubt of marrying me within four or five Months, and begun to proceed with fuch an affured eafie Air, that piqued my Pride not to banish him; quite contrary, out of pure Malice, I heard his firft Declaration with fo much innocent Surprife, and blushed fo prettily, I perceived it touched his very Heart, and he thought me the beft-natured filly poor thing on Earth. When a Man has fuch a Notion of a Woman, he loves her better than he thinks he does. I was overjoyed to be thus revenged on him, for defigning on my Fortune; and finding it was in my Power to make his Heart ake, I refolved to compleat my Conqueft, and entertained feveral other Pretenders.

The first Impreffion of my undefigning Innocence was fo ftrong in his 6 Head, he attributed all my Followers . to the inevitable Force of my Charms, and from several Blushes and fide Glances, concluded himself the Favourite; and when I ufed him like a Dog for my Diverfion, he thought it was all Prudence and Fear, and pitied the

• Vio