Thenback they bore them motionless to sleep,
          And wake with wishes further joys to reap. 
          From these enjoyments many fully thought,
          To such enchanting scenes they should be brought,
          In future times, eternal bliss to taste,
          If death and danger valiantly they faced,
          And tried the prophet Mahomet to please,
          And ev’ry point to serve their prince would seize.

          TheMount’s old man, by means like these, could say;
          He’d men devoted to support his sway;
          Upon the globe no empire more was feared,
          Or king or potentate like him revered. 
          These circumstances I’ve minutely told,
          To show, our tale was known in days of old.

          Feronde, a rich, but awkward, vulgar clown,
          A ninny was believed throughout the town;
          He had the charge of revenues not slight,
          Which he collected for a friar white. 
          Of these I’ve known as good as any black,
          When husbands some assistance seemed to lack,
          And had so much to do, they monks might need;
          Or other friends, their work at home to speed. 
          This friar for to-morrow never thought,
          But squandered ev’ry thing as soon as brought;
          No saint-apostle less of wealth retained;
          Good cheer o’er ev’ry wish triumphant reigned,
          Save now and then to have a little fun,
          (Unknown to others) with a pretty nun.

          Ferondehad got a spouse of pleasing sight,
          Related nearly to our friar white,
          Whose predecessor, uncle, sponsor kind,
          Now gone to realms of night, had her consigned,
          To be this silly blockhead’s lawful wife,
          Who thought her hand the honour of his life. 
          ’Tis said that bastard-daughters oft retain
          A disposition to the parent-train;
          And this, the saying, truly ne’er bellied,
          Nor was her spouse so weak but he descried,
          Things clearer than was requisite believed,
          And doubted much if he were not deceived.

          Thewife would often to the prelate go,
          Pretending business, proper he should know;
          A thousand circumstances she could find;
          ’Twas then accounts:  now sev’ral things combined;
          In short no day nor hour within the week,
          But something at the friar’s she would seek. 
          The holy father then was always prone,
          To send the servants off and be alone. 
          Howe’er the husband, doubting tricks were played;
          Got troublesome; his wife would much upbraid
          When she returned, and often beat her too;
          In short,—­he unaccommodating grew.