Page:Artemisa to Cloe - Wilmot (1679).djvu/6
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On him our common gross dull Flatteries pass,Ever most Joyful when most made an Ass:Heavy to apprehend; tho' all MankindPerceive us false, the Fopp concern'd is blind;Who doting on himself———Thinks every one that sees him of his Mind.These are true Womens-men:—Here forc'd to ceaseFor want of Breath, not Will, to hold her peace:She to the Window runs, where she had spy'd,Her much esteem'd dear Friend, the Monkey ty'd:With forty Smiles, as many Antick Bows,As if't had been the Lady of the House,The dirty chattering Monster she imbrac'd,And made it this fine tender Speech at last:"Kiss me thou Curious Miniture of Man,"How odd thou art, how pretty, how Japan!"O! I could live and die with thee.—Then onFor half an Hour in Complement she run.I took this time to think what Nature meant,When this mixt thing into the World she sent;So very wise, yet so impertinent:One who knew every thing, who 'twas thought fitShould be a Fool through Choice, not want of Wit:Whose Foppery, without the help of Sence,Could ne'r have rise to such an Excellence.Nature's as lame in making a true Fop,As a Philosopher the very topAnd Dignity of Folly we attain;By curious search and labour of the Brain;By Observation, Counsel, and deep Thought:God never made a Coxcomb worth a Groat,We owe that Name to Industry and Arts,An Eminent Fool must be a Fool of Parts:And such an one was she, who had turn'd o'reAs many Books as Men, lov'd much, read more;Had a discerning Wit; to her was knownEvery one's Fault and Merit, but her own:All the good Qualities that ever bless'tA Woman so distinguisht from the rest,Except Discretion onely, she possest.And now Monsieur dear Pugg, she cries adieu,And the Discourse broke off, does thus renew: "You Smile too see me, whom the World perchanceMistakes to have some Wit; so far advanceThe Interest of Fools, that I approveTheir Merit more than Men's of Wit, in love.
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