Perrettaat the house remained to greet
          The lordly devil whom she hoped to cheat. 
          He soon appeared; when with dishevelled hair,
          And flowing tears, as if o’erwhelmed with care,
          She sallied forth, and bitterly complained,
          How oft by Phil she had been scratched and caned;
          Said she, the wretch has used me very ill;
          Of cruelty he has obtained his fill;
          For God’s sake try, my lord, to get away: 
          Just now I heard the savage fellow say,
          He’d with his claws your lordship tear and slash: 
          See, only see, my lord, he made this gash;
          On which she showed:—­what you will guess, no doubt,
          And put the demon presently to rout,
          Who crossed himself and trembled with affright: 
          He’d never seen nor heard of such a sight,
          Where scratch from claws or nails had so appeared;
          His fears prevailed, and off he quickly steered;
          Perretta left, who, by her friends around,
          Was complimented on her sense profound,
          That could so well the demon’s snares defeat;
          The clergy too pronounced her plan discrete.

FERONDE

In Eastern climes, by means considered new;
The Mount’s old-man, with terrors would pursue;
His large domains howe’er were not the cause,
Nor heaps of gold, that gave him such applause,
But manners strange his subjects to persuade;
In ev’ry wish, to serve him they were made. 
Among his people boldest hearts he chose,
And to their view would Paradise disclose
Its blissful pleasures:—­ev’ry soft delight,
Designed to gratify the sense and sight. 
So plausible this prophet’s tale appeared,
Each word he dropt was thoroughly revered. 
Whence this delusion?—­Drink deranged the mind;
And, reason drowned, to madness they resigned. 
Thus void of knowing clearly what they did,
They soon were brought to act as they were bid;
Conveyed to places, charming to the eye,
Enchanting gardens ’neath an azure sky,
With twining shrubs, meandring walks, and flow’rs,
And num’rous grottos, porticoes and bow’rs. 
When they chanced to pass where all was gay,
From wine’s inebriating pow’rful sway,
They wondered at the frolicking around,
And fancied they were got on fairy ground,
Which Mahomet pretended was assigned,
For those to his doctrine were inclined. 
To tempt the men and girls to seek the scene,
And skip and play and dance upon the green,
To murm’ring streams, meandering along,
And lutes’ soft notes and nightingales’ sweet song: 
No earthly pleasure but might there be viewed,
The best of wines and choicest fruits accrued,
To render sense bewildered at the sight,
And sink inebriated with delight.