The last I guess; and if I read aright,
Those of our fex are bound to serve a knight;
Perhaps good counfel may your grief assuage,
Then tell your pain; for wifdom is in age.
To this the knight: Good mother, would you
The fecret cause and spring of all my woe?
My life muft with to-morrow's light expire,
Unless I tell what women most defire.
Now could you help me at this hard effay,
Or for your inborn goodnefs, or for pay;
Yours is my life, redeem'd by your advice,
Ask what you please, and I will pay the price
The proudest kerchief of the court fhall rest
Well fatisfy'd of what they love the best.
Plight me thy faith, quoth fhe, that what I afk,
Thy danger over, and perform'd thy task,
That thou fhalt give for hire of thy demand;
Here take thy oath, and feal it on my
I warrant thee, on peril of my life,
Thy words shall please both widow, maid, and wife.
More words there needed not to move the knight,
To take her offer, and his truth to plight.
With that she spread a mantle on the ground,
And, firft inquiring whither he was bound,
Bade him not fear, though long and rough the way,
At court he should arrive ere break of day;
His horse should find the way without a guide.
She faid with fury they began to ride,
on the midft, the beldam at his fide.
The horse, what devil drove I cannot tell,
But only this, they fped their journey well:
And all the way the crone inform'd the knight,
How he should answer the demand aright.
To court they came; the news was quickly spread Of his returning to redeem his head.
The female fenate was affembled foon
With all the mob of women of the town:
The queen fate lord chief juftice of the hall,
And bade the crier cite the criminal.
The knight appear'd; and filence they proclaim:
Then first the culprit anfwer'd to his name :
And, after forms of law, was laft requir'd'
To name the thing that women most defir'd.
Th' offender, taught his leffon by the way,
And by his counsel order'd what to say,
Thus bold began: My lady liege, said he,
What all your fex defire is fovereignty.
The wife affe&ts her husband to cominand;
All must be her's, both money, house, and land.
The maids are mistreffes ev'n in their name;
And of their fervants full dominion claim.
This, at the peril of my head, F fay,
A blunt plain truth, the fex afpires to fway,
You to rule all, while we, like flaves, obey.
There was not one, or widow, maid, or wife,
But faid the knight had well deserv'd his life.
Ev'n fair Geneura, with a blush, confefs'd
The man had found what women love the beft.
Upstarts the beldam, who was there unfeen:
And, reverence made, accofted thus the queen.
My liege, faid the, before the court arife,
May I, poor wretch, find favour in your eyes,
To grant my juft requeft: 'twas I who taught
The knight this anfwer, and infpir'd his thought.
None but a woman could a man direct
To tell us women, what we most affect.
But first I wore him on his knightly troth,
(And here demand performance of his oath)
To grant the boon that next I should defire;
gave
his faith, and I expect my hire :
My promile is fulfill'd: I fav'd his life,
And claim, his debt, to take me for his wife.
The knight was afk'd, nor could his oath deny,
But hop'd they would not force him to comply.
The women, who would rather wreft the laws,
Than let a fifter-plaintiff lofe the cause,
(As judges on the bench more gracious are,
And more attent, to brothers of the bar)
Cry'd one and all, the fuppliant fhould have right,
And to the grandame hag adjudg'd the knight... ....
In vain he figh'd, and oft with tears defir'd,..
Some reasonable fuit might be requir'd.
But fill the crone was conftant to her note:
The more he spoke, the more fhe ftretch'd her throat.
In vain he proffer'd all his goods, to fave
His body deftin'd to that living grave.
The liquorish hag rejects the pelf with scorn ;
And nothing but the man would ferve her turn.
Not all the wealth of Eastern kings, faid fhe,
Have power to part my plighted love and me:
And, old and ugly as I am, and poor,
Yet never will I break the faith I swore;
For mine thou art by promife, during life,
And I thy loving and obedient wife.
My love! nay rather my damnation thou,
Said he nor am I bound to keep my vow;
The fiend thy fire hath fent thee from below,
Elfe how could't thou my fecret forrows know?.
Avant, old witch, for I reno ince thy bed:
The queen may take the forfeit of my head,
Ere any of my race fo foul a crone fhall wed.
Both heard, the judge pronounc'd against the knight;
So was he marry'd in his own despite :
And all day after hid him as an owl,
Not able to fuftain a fight fo foul.
Perhaps the reader thinks I do him wrong,
To pafs the marriage feaft and nuptial fong:
Mirth there was none, the man was à-la-mort,
And little courage had to make his court.
To bed they went,' the bridegroom and the bride :
Was never fuch an ill-pair'd couple ty'd:
Reftiefs he tofs'd, and tumbled to and fro,
And roll'd and wriggled further off for woe.
The good old wife lay fmiling by his fide,
And caught him in her quivering arms, and cry'd,
When you my ravish'd predeceffor faw,
You were not then become this man of ftraw;
Had
you been fuch, you might have fcap'd the law.
Is this the custom of king Arthur's court?
Are all round-table knights of fuch a fort?
Remember I am the who fav'd your life,
Your loving, lawful, and complying wife ::
Not thus you fwore in your unhappy hour,
Nor I for this return employ'd my power.
In time of need, I was your faithful friend;
Nor did I fince, nor ever will, offend.
Believe me, my lov'd lord, 'tis much unkind;.
What fury has poffefs'd your alter'd mind?
Thus on my wedding night-without pretence
Come turn this way, or tell me my offence.
If not your wife, let reafon's rule perfuade;
Name but my fault, amends shall soon be made.
Amends nay that 's impoffible, said he;
What change of age or uglinefs can be ?
Or, could Medea's magic mend thy face,
Thou art defcended from fo mean a race,
That never knight was match'd with fuch disgrace.
What wonder, madam, if I move my fide,
When, if I turn, I turn to fuch a bride?
And is this all that troubles you so fore?
And what the devil could't thou with me more?"
Ah, Benedicite, reply'd' the crone :
Then cause of juft complaining have you none.
The remedy to this were foon apply'd,
Would you be like the bridegroom to the bride:
But, for you fay a long defcended race,
And wealth, and dignity, and power, and place,
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