most her wealth a marked attention drew;
          The belle had been immured with prudent view,
          To keep her safely till a spouse was found,
          Who with sufficient riches should abound. 
          From convents, heiresses are often led
          Directly to the altar to be wed.

          Sometime the father had the girl declared
          His lawful child, who all his fondness shared. 
          As soon as she was free from convent walls,
          Her taste at once was changed from books to balls;
          Around Calista (such was named our fair)
          A host of lovers showed attentive care;
          Cits, courtiers, officers, the beau, the sage,
          Adventurers of ev’ry rank and age.

          Fromthese Calista presently made choice,
          Of one for whom her father gave his voice;
          A handsome lad, and thought good humoured too
          Few otherwise appear when first they woo. 
          Her fortune ample was; the dow’r the same;
          The belle an only child; the like her flame. 
          But better still, our couple’s chief delight,
          Was mutual love and pleasure to excite.

          Twoyears in paradise thus passed the pair,
          When bliss was changed to Hell’s worst cank’ring care;
          A fit of jealousy the husband grieved,
          And, strange to tell, he all at once believed,
          A lover with success his wife addressed,
          When, but for him, the suit had ne’er been pressed;
          For though the spark, the charming fair to gain,
          Would ev’ry wily method try, ’twas plain,
          Yet had the husband never terrors shown,
          The lover, in despair, had quickly flown.

          Whatshould a husband do whose wife is sought,
          With anxious fondness by another?  Naught. 
          ’Tis this that leads me ever to advise,
          To sleep at ease whichever side he lies. 
          In case she lends the spark a willing ear,
          ’Twill not be better if you interfere: 
          She’ll seek more opportunities you’ll find;
          But if to pay attention she’s inclined,
          You’ll raise the inclination in her brain,
          And then the danger will begin again.

          WHERE’ER suspicion dwells you may be sure,
          To cuckoldom ’twill prove a place secure. 
          But Damon (such the husband’s name), ’tis clear,
          Thought otherwise, as we shall make appear. 
          He merits pity, and should be excused,
          Since he, by bad advice, was much abused;
          When had he trusted to himself to guide,
          He’d acted wisely,’—­hear and you’ll decide.