Seiz’d on his club, and made it dwindle 355
T’ a feeble distaff, and a spindle. 
’Twas he that made emperors gallants
To their own sisters and their aunts;
Set popes and cardinals agog,
To play with pages at leap-frog. 360
’Twas he that gave our Senate purges,
And flux’d the House of many a burgess;
Made those that represent the nation
Submit, and suffer amputation;
And all the Grandees o’ the Cabal 365
Adjourn to tubs at Spring and Fall. 
He mounted Synod-Men, and rode ’em
To Dirty-Lane and Little Sodom;
Made ’em curvet like Spanish jenets,
And take the ring at Madam [Bennet’s] 370
’Twas he that made Saint Francis do
More than the Devil could tempt him to,
In cold and frosty weather, grow
Enamour’d of a wife of snow;
And though she were of rigid temper, 375
With melting flames accost and tempt her;
Which after in enjoyment quenching,
He hung a garland on his engine

Quoth she, If Love have these effects,
Why is it not forbid our sex? 380
Why is’t not damn’d and interdicted,
For diabolical and wicked? 
And sung, as out of tune, against,
As Turk and Pope are by the Saints? 
I find I’ve greater reason for it, 385
Than I believ’d before t’ abhor it.

Quoth Hudibras, These sad effects
Spring from your Heathenish neglects
Of Love’s great pow’r, which he returns
Upon yourselves with equal scorns; 390
And those who worthy lovers slight,
Plagues with prepost’rous appetite. 
This made the beauteous Queen of Crete
To take a town-bull for her sweet,
And from her greatness stoop so low, 395
To be the rival of a cow: 
Others to prostitute their great hearts,
To he baboons’ and monkeys’ sweet-hearts;
Some with the Dev’l himself in league grow,
By’s representative a Negro. 400
’Twas this made vestal-maids love-sick,
And venture to be bury’d quick: 
Some by their fathers, and their brothers,
To be made mistresses and mothers. 
’Tis this that proudest dames enamours 405
On lacquies and valets des chambres;
Their haughty stomachs overcomes,
And makes ’em stoop to dirty grooms;
To slight the world, and to disparage
Claps, issue, infamy, and marriage. 410

Quoth she, These judgments are severe,
Yet such as I should rather bear,
Than trust men with their oaths, or prove
Their faith and secresy in love,