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Show From thefe the more than mafculine Pen hath reavd Our Sex \ flrfl to be praised, next to be feard. And by the fame Pen fore d, men now confefs, To hgep their greatnefs, was to make us lefs. Men kpow of how refind and rich a mould Our Sex is framd, what Sun k in our Gold s They know in Lead no Diamonds are fet, And Jewels only fill the Cabinet. Our Spirits purer far than theirs, they fee ', By which even Men from Men diflingnifh'd be : By which the Soul isjudgd, and does appear Fit or unfit for aSiion^ as they are. * When in an Organ various founds dojiroah, %fty&. Or grate the ear, as Birds flng, or Toads Croakj The Breath, that voyces every Pipe, V the fame, Bat the bad met all doth the found defame. So, if our Souls by fweeter Organs (peah^ And theirs with har(l>,falfe notes the air do break \ The Soul's the fame, alike in both doth dwell, 'Tis from her inflruments that we excell, Ask wo not then, why jealous men debar Our Sex from Books in Peace, from Arms in War j It is becaufe our Parts will fo on demand Tribunals for our Perfons, and Command. Shall it be our reproach, that we are weak, And cannot fight, nor as the Schoolmen Jpeak? Even men t hemfelves are neither flrong nor wife* If Limbs and Parts they do not exercife. Train d up to Arms, we Amazons haye been, And Spartan Virgins flrong as Spartan Men ; Breed Women but as Men, and they are thefe', Whilfl Sybarit Men are Women by their eafe. Why fbould not brave Semiramis break* Lance, And why fbould not foft Ninyas curie and dance ? Ov/id in vain Bodies with change did vex Changing her form of life, Iphis changd Sex. Nature to Females freely doth impart That, which the Males ufurp, a flout, bold heart. Thus Hunters female Beafls fear to off ail: And female Hawks more metal d than the male: Men ought not then Courage and Wit ingrofs, Whilfl the Fox lives, the Lyon, or the Horfe. Much lefs ougljt men both to themfelves confine, Whilfl Women, fuch as you, Orinda, fline. That noble friendflnp brought thee to our Coaft, We thank Lucafia, and thy Courage boafi. Death in each Wave could not Orinda fright, Fearlefs /be aBs that friendflnp fhe did write: Which manly Virtue to their Sex conflnd, Thou refcuefl to confirm our fofter mind; For there s required ( to do that Virtue right) Courage, as much in Friendflip as in Fight. The dangers we defpife, doth this truth prove^ Though boldly we not fight, we boldly love. Ingage us unto Books, Sappho comes forth, Though not of Hefiod s age, of Hefiod s worth. If Souls no Sexes have, as 'tis confefl, 'Tis not the He or She makes Poems befi: N&r can men call thefe Verfes Feminine, Be the fence, vigorous and Mafculine. Tis true, Apollo fits as Judge of Wit, But the nine Female, learned Troop are it: Thofe Lows, for which N u m a did wife appear, ' Wifer iEgeria whifpefd in his ear. The Gracchi's Mother taught them Eloquence ', From her Breafls courage flow'd, from her Brain fence ; And the grave Beards, who heard her fpeakin Rome, Blufb'd not to be inflru&ed, but orecome. Tourfpeech, as hers, commands refpeSt from all, Tour very Looks, as hers, Rhetorical: Something of grandeur in your Verfe men fee, That they rife up to it as Majefty. The wife and noble Orrery *s regard, Was much obfervd, when he your Poem heard; Allfaid, a fitter match was never feen, H*4P°in£ey'x Widow beenArfamnes Queen* b j Pom. |