CVCKOLDOM, that bugbear Misfortune, (in former Days, as terrible to a Courtier as his Prince's Frowns, and more dreadful to an old Citizen than Popery and Slavery) is now advanc'd to such Dignity, that it's crept into great Mens Families; and often be­comes the serious Consideration of our grave Senate: and is so far from being thought Scandalous in this Age, that it's grown the most useful Liberty ima­ginable in a Married State, and serves, upon Occasion, to dissolve that Gordion-Knot, which the Priest so craftily tyes, to the Misfortune of many Thousands, who have unwarily fallen under the fatal Conjunction.

Were it not in a Womans power to recompence the Slavery of her servile Station, and revenge the Affronts, and cool Neglects, she is under a conju­gal Necessity of enduring from her Husband, what charming Innocence, at Eighteen, would for the sake of Coach and Horses, or a plentiful Table, suf­fer an old wither'd Hand to crop the Flower of her Virginity, and waste her Youth and Beauty in the fruitless Embraces, and under the peevish Checks and Snubs of old Age, Iealousy, and Impotence? What can such a Compound of Infirmities, made an Eunach in his Age by the Debaucheries of his Youth, expect from a Wife, possess'd of all the Charms and Perfections that can be lodg'd by Nature in blooming Iuvenility? Which none but the powerful Nerves of a strenuous Lover is truly capable of enjoying.

Would Parents in the Disposal of their Children, but match 'em with as much care as they do their Dogs or Horses, it would, in a great measure, mu­tually preserve the State of Matrimony from any Adult'rous Invasion; For what true Northern Breeder will endure an old surfeited Iade, Spavin'd, Founder'd, and Wind-gaul'd, to Leap his Hunting Favourite? Or suffer his fine shap'd Greyhound to Bastardise her Breed with an old mangy Mungril? Yet perhaps his handsome Daughter must be thrown away upon some old mi­serly Curmudgeon, who only Marrys to palliate his Gouty Pains, and cherish his feeble Carcass in the Winter of his Age, by her warm enlivening Touches, and counterfeit Embraces.

It is certainly an unnatural Imposition upon the fair Sex, to be thus dispo­sed on; and though their worldly Interest, Obedience to Parents, or Importu­nities of Relations, may prevail upon 'em to put Nature in Masquerade, and seem to be well-pleased with their wrinkl'd Fumbler; yet, I do not question, but the poor young Bride, who labours under these Hardships, will soon find a way to communicate her Distress to some faithful Confident, who may, without any great Injury to his Conscience, at once gratify both the reasonable Desires of Youth, and justly reward the Folly and Lasciviousness of Age who desires to ingross that Blessing, to which (says the Law of Nature) no Priest can give [Page] him an equitable Title; for if the Disproportion be so great as between Fifty and Fifteen, the Church may tye their Hands, 'tis true, but their Hearts are incapable of Vnion. I heartily pity that young Lady, who, either for want of Discretion in her Parents, or her self, has unhappily cast her Pearl before a Swine, who, knowing not how to use it, gives her just Provocation to dispose of the precious Iewel to him, who will convert it to tis natural Em­ployment; and to him that it's most Vseful, before it will be most Valuable.

As to the following Poem, I shall say nothing of it in the Preface; but on­ly hope, The Newness of the Subject, and the Pertinency of the Matter, will be sufficient to recommend it to an ingenious Reader: So having thought fit to give you this little Hint, I shall proceed to wind up the bottom of the Fron­tispiece, with a Concise Character of a Cernuted Fumbler.