_Here lies the poor Remains of a good Wife,_
_Who through an unkind Husband lost her life:_
_Tho' she was vertuous, yet he kept her poor;_
_And spent his Substance on a filthy Whore._
_Whilst she in vain of him implor'd Relief,_
_She sunk beneath a weighty Load of Grief:_
_Which Death perceiving, prov'd her kindest Friend,_
_And lent his Aid to bring her to her End:_
_Which if her Husband does not now lament,_
_He shall (when 'tis too late) at last Repent._
_And tho' he revels now without controul,_
_Yet she shall Sing, when 'tis his turn to howl._
This Good-Woman's Death, was very welcome to her unkind Husband, who had
now no Body to controul him in his wicked Courses; but the Bawd the Whore
and himself had a merry Meeting the next day after she was buried; and
being well flushed with Wine, the Jilt thus began to Triumph:
_Whore._ Well now, my Dear, we shall be all at ease; and I am rid of them
that hated me: For my Part I am resolv'd to mourn in Sack; for now I need
not fear her Spies that us'd to be still harkening at the Door; that I
cou'd hardly let a Fart, but it was carryed to her straight by one or
other. Now she can hear us talk no more unless her Ghost walks, and I'll
venture that; Come, Drink to me, my Dear, I'll pledge it, tho 'twere o'er
her Grave: My Chuck! Thou'rt the best Friend I have: For all her spite, I
always found thee constant: And what I had was still at thy command, and
Day nor Night I ne'er refus'd thee all the Pleasures I could give thee. And
I am sure study'd to delight thee all I cou'd, and so did never thy black
_Joan_, thou knowst.
_Now thou art mine, come take a Thousand Kisses,_
_There's none that now can keep us from our Blisses,_
_Prodigal._ My Love, thou know'st I have been always true to thee, and so
will ever be; and I'll say that for thee, thou never deny'dst me yet to
kiss and feel, when I'd a Mind to't. And I am glad to find thee art so
witty: But thou art nothing but Charms; methinks I see the Lilly and the
Rose (as heretofore they did 'twixt _York_ and _Lancaster_) are once again
contending in thy Cheeks; and thy Eyes sparkle like two Diamonds; Come, let
me now embrace thee in my Arms; nay never fear, here's none that will
disturb us--for she that us'd to make us both so cautious is now laid low
enough, & will disturb us here no more, I hope.
_Then come, my Dear, let Pleasure now delight us:_
_Th' old Hag is gone, & will no more affright-us._
_Bawd._ Why now it is as't shou'd be: Such a brisk Wench as this is, makes
young Blood boyl within your Veins again. Then what shou'd hinder you from
the enjoying of each other. For my part, tho' I'm past it, I love the Sport
still, and take pleasure in seeing others do it: And therefore while you
take a Touch together, I'll drink your Healths in good Canary here. I am
glad to see that you are both so brisk, and meet each other with such equal
Flames; it does me good methinks to see the Trade go forward: Nay, I be'nt
so much past it neither, but I could serve a man upon occasion, and take a
Touch or two as well as one that's younger; for I know what belongs to't
pretty well.--Well Master, I am sure you have found what I Promis'd you,
when I first brought you two together: I must likewise own that I have
tasted of your Bounty: And therefore cannot but rejoyce that you are thus
deliver'd from that Old Witch that kept you from enjoying of your Pleasures
with that delight and freedom as you may do now.
Thus did these wicked Wretches Triumph over the Ashes of a vertuous Woman;
and made a Cully of the Poor Prodigal her Husband: From whom they now
commanded what they pleas'd: And for a time went on so; for as long as he
could find 'em Money, all was well; but when he had Morgag'd his Estate
twice over, and had spent all his Money, that he could help 'em to no more,
the case was so far alter'd that he was then refus'd to be admited into
their Company. For tho before he was her Chuck and Dear, and she wou'd
never forsake him; yet when his Money was all gone, she took new Lodgings
at the other End of the Town, where he cou'd never find her. And when he
went to see the Bawd, that she might tell him where she was, she had
forsaken her old Quarters to, and he no more knew where to find her then he
did his Trull. His Children were took care of by his Wife's Relations, or
else they must have gone a begging. Whilst he being threatned with a Goal
for Mortgaging his Lands twice over, was fain to Skulk about, and to play
least in sight: Thus he that but a while ago profusely spent his Money on a
Whore, was now reduc'd to that condition that he wanted Bread: Whilst both
the Bawd and Whore which he had wasted all upon, forsook him without so
much as minding what became of him; but left him poor and penniless, to
seek his Bread where he could get it. And thus deserted by the Whore, and
hated by all honest People, and haunted by a guilty self-accusing
Conscience, he became a Burthen to himself: Cursing the Day in which he
harkned to the Bawd's Insinuations, by whose means he was thus drawn in, to
ruine both himself and all his Family: And being almost starv'd for want of
Sustenance, o'er-come with Grief and black Despair, he dy'd.