Classic Poem

I.

P O or Mountford is gone, and the Ladies do all
Break their Hearts for this Beau , as they did for D'Val ,
And they the two Brats for this Tragedy damn,
At Kensington -Court, and the Court of Bantam .
They all vow and swear,
That if any Peer
Shou'd acquit the young Lord, he shou'd pay very dear;
Nor will they be pleas'd with him, who on Throne is,
If he do's not his Part, to revenge their Adonis .

II.

With the Widow, their amorous Bowels do yearn;
There are divers pretend to an equal Concern;
And, by her Persuasion, their Hearts they reveal,
In case of not guilty to bring an Appeal.
They all will unite,
The young Blades to indite,
And in Prosecution will joyn Day and Night;
In the mean while, full many a Tear and Groan is,
Where'er they meet, for their departed Adonis .

III.

With the Ladies foul Murder's a horrible Sin,
Of one handsome without, tho' a Coxcomb within;
For not being a Beau , the sad Fate of poor Crab ,
Tho' himself hang'd for Love, was a Jest to each Drab:
Then may Jer'my live long,
And may Risby among
The Fair, with Jack Barkley , and Culpeper throng;
May no Russian, whose Heart as hard as a Stone is,
Kill any of these for a Brother Adonis .

IV.

No Lady henceforth can be safe with her Beau ,
They think, if this Slaughter unpunish'd shou'd go;
Their Gallants, for whose Persons they most are in Pain,
Must no sooner be envy'd, but strait must be slain.
For all Bracegirdle 's Shape,
None car'd for the Rape,
Nor whether the Virtuous their Lust did escape,
Their Trouble of Mind, and their Anguish alone, is
For the too sudden Fate of departed Adonis .

V.

Let not ev'ry vain Spark think that he can engage
The Heart of a Female, like one on the Stage;
His Face, and his Voice, and his Dancing, are rare,
And wherever they meet they prevail with the Fair:
But no Quality Top,
Charms like Mr. Hop ,
Adorn'd on the Stage, and in East-India Shop;
So that each from Miss Felton , to ancient Drake Jone is
Bemoaning the Death of the Player Adonis .

VI.

Yet Adonis in spight of this new Abjuration,
Did banter the lawful King of this great Nation;
Who call'd God's Anointed a foolish old Prig,
Was both a base and unmannerly Whig ;
But since he is dead,
No more shall be said,
For he in Repentance has laid down his Head;
So I wish each Lady, who in mournful Tone is,
In Charity grieve for the Death of Adonis .