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Show O n the Death of M r $ Kotherine Philips. CRuel Difeafe ! Ah could it not fnffice Thy old and conftant fipight to exercife Againfi the gentlefi and the fairefi fiex^ Which fiill thy Depredations moft do vex ? Where ftill thy malice moft of all (Thy malice or thy luft) does on the faireft fall r And in them moft affault the faireft place, The Throne of Emprefs Beauty, even the Face ? There was enough of that here to affwage (One would have thought) either thy Luft or Rage : Waft not enough, when thou, Profane Difeafe, Did ft on thifglorious Temple fiei%e? Waft not enough, like a wild %ealot there, All the rich outward ornaments to tear ', Deface the Innocent Pride of beauteous Images ? Waft not enough thus rudely to defile, But thou muft quite deftroy the goodly Pile ? N And thy unb ounded Sacrilege Commit On tti inward Holy eft Holy of her Wit P CrudDifeafe I there thou miftookft thy Power ', No Mine of Death can that Devour; On her Embalmed Name it will abide An Everlafting Pyramide, As high as Heaven the Top, as Earth the Bafis wide* 3. All Ages paft, Record \ all Countrys now In various kinds fuch equal Beauties fhow, That even Judge Paris would not kgow On whom the Golden Apple to beftow. Though Goddcffes to his fientence did fubmit, Women and hovers would appeal from it', Nor durft be fay, of all the female race This is the fovereign Face* And fome ([though thefe be of a hond that's Rare, That's much, oh much lefs frequent than the Fair) So equally renown d for virtue are, That it the Mother of th&^Gods might pofe, When the beft Woman for her guide fbe chofe : But if Apollo fbould defign A Woman Laureat to make, Without difpute he would Orinda ta^e, Though Sappho and the famous Nine Stood by, and did repine. To be a Princefs or a Queen Is Great, but 'tis a Greatnefs always feen; The World did never but two Women know Who, one by fraud, the other by wit did rife To the two tops of Spiritual dignities', One Female Pope of old, one Female Poet now. 3- Of Female Poets who had names of old, Nothing is fbewn, but only told, And all we hear of them, perhaps may be Male Flattery onely, and Male Poetry ; Few minutes did their Beauties Lightning waft, The Thunder of their voice did longer loft, But that too foon was paft. The certain proofs of our Orinda'S Wit In her own lofting charaSiers are wri', And they will long my praife of them furvive, Though long perhaps too that may live. The trade of Glory managd by the pen Though great it be, and every where is found, Does bring in but fmall profit to us men ; 'Tis by the number of the fharers drowtfd, Orinda in the female Coafts of fame Engroffes all the Goods of a Poetique name, She does no Partner with her fee '-> Does all the Bufinefs there Alone which we Are forcd to carry on by a whole company. But Wit's like a Luxuriant Vine, ZJnlefs to Virtues prop it join, Firm and ereB towards Heaven bound, (crown d, Though it with beauteous leaves and pieafant fruit be It lies deformed, and rotting on the ground. Now |