"The cautious Virgin, ignorant of Man, / No Glances threw, nor exercis'd the Fan, / Found Love a Stranger to her easie Breast, / And 'till the Wedding Night--enjoy'd her Rest."
— Gay, John (1685-1732)
Author
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for Bernard Lintott
Date
1713
Metaphor
"The cautious Virgin, ignorant of Man, / No Glances threw, nor exercis'd the Fan, / Found Love a Stranger to her easie Breast, / And 'till the Wedding Night--enjoy'd her Rest."
Metaphor in Context
PROLOGUE.
Spoken by Mrs. Mountfort.
If ancient Poets thought the Prologue fit,
To Sport away superfluous Starts of Wit;
Why should we Moderns lavish ours away,
And to supply the Prologue starve the Play?
Thus Plays of late, like Marriages in Fashion,
Have nothing good besides the Preparation.
How shall we do to help our Author out,
Who both for Play and Prologue is in doubt?
He draws his Characters from Chaucer's Days,
On which our Grandsires are profuse of Praise;
When all Mankind,--(if we'll believe Tradition,)
Jogg'd on in settled Conjugal Fruition:
Then, as Old Wives with serious Nod will tell us,
The wise contented Husband ne'er was Jealous;
The youthful Bride no sep'rate Trading drives,
Ev'n Citizen could--satisfie their Wives.
The cautious Virgin, ignorant of Man,
No Glances threw, nor exercis'd the Fan,
Found Love a Stranger to her easie Breast,
And 'till the Wedding Night--enjoy'd her Rest.
No gilded Chariot drew the Ladies Eyes,
Ensnar'd their Hearts, and bore away the Prize;
Then the strict Father no hard Bargains drove
For Jointures--all their Settlement was--Love.
Believe all this who will,--for let me die!
They knew the World as well as You and I.
Lovers would Then,--as Now-a-days, for swear,
Seize the soft Moment, and surprise the Fair,
And many a modest, knowing Bride was led,
With artful Blushes to the Nuptial Bed.
Our Author hath from former Ages shown,
Some ancient Frailties which are still our own;
The Wife of Bath in our weak Wives we find,
And Superstition runs through all the Kind;
We but repeat our Grandsires Actions o'er,
And Copy Follies which were theirs before.
Spoken by Mrs. Mountfort.
If ancient Poets thought the Prologue fit,
To Sport away superfluous Starts of Wit;
Why should we Moderns lavish ours away,
And to supply the Prologue starve the Play?
Thus Plays of late, like Marriages in Fashion,
Have nothing good besides the Preparation.
How shall we do to help our Author out,
Who both for Play and Prologue is in doubt?
He draws his Characters from Chaucer's Days,
On which our Grandsires are profuse of Praise;
When all Mankind,--(if we'll believe Tradition,)
Jogg'd on in settled Conjugal Fruition:
Then, as Old Wives with serious Nod will tell us,
The wise contented Husband ne'er was Jealous;
The youthful Bride no sep'rate Trading drives,
Ev'n Citizen could--satisfie their Wives.
The cautious Virgin, ignorant of Man,
No Glances threw, nor exercis'd the Fan,
Found Love a Stranger to her easie Breast,
And 'till the Wedding Night--enjoy'd her Rest.
No gilded Chariot drew the Ladies Eyes,
Ensnar'd their Hearts, and bore away the Prize;
Then the strict Father no hard Bargains drove
For Jointures--all their Settlement was--Love.
Believe all this who will,--for let me die!
They knew the World as well as You and I.
Lovers would Then,--as Now-a-days, for swear,
Seize the soft Moment, and surprise the Fair,
And many a modest, knowing Bride was led,
With artful Blushes to the Nuptial Bed.
Our Author hath from former Ages shown,
Some ancient Frailties which are still our own;
The Wife of Bath in our weak Wives we find,
And Superstition runs through all the Kind;
We but repeat our Grandsires Actions o'er,
And Copy Follies which were theirs before.
Categories
Provenance
Searching "breast" and "stranger" in HDIS (Drama)
Citation
First performed May 12, 1713. At least 3 entries in ESTC (1713, 1730).
The Wife of Bath. A Comedy. As it is Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane, by Her Majesty's Servants. By Mr Gay (London: Printed for Bernard Lintott, 1713).
The Wife of Bath. A Comedy. As it is Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane, by Her Majesty's Servants. By Mr Gay (London: Printed for Bernard Lintott, 1713).
Date of Entry
03/06/2006
