Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 8.djvu/196

186 When Sirius o'er the welkin rages, Our kindly help his fire assuages; But woman is a curst inflamer, No parish ducking-stool can tame her: To kindle strife, dame Nature taught her; Like fireworks, she can burn in water. For fickleness how durst you blame us, Who for our constancy are famous? You'll see a cloud in gentle weather Keep the same face an hour together; While women, if it could be reckon'd, Change every feature every second. Observe our figure in a morning, Of foul or fair we give you warning; But can you guess from women's air One minute, whether foul or fair? Go read in ancient books enroll'd What honours we possess'd of old. To disappoint Ixion's rape Jove dress'd a cloud in Juno's shape; Which when he had enjoy'd, he swore, No goddess could have pleas'd him more; No difference could he find between His cloud and Jove's imperial queen: His cloud produc'd a race of Centaurs, Fam'd for a thousand bold adventures; From us descended ab origine, By learned authors called nubiginæ; But say, what earthly nymph do you know, So beautiful to pass for Juno? Before Æneas durst aspire To court her majesty of Tyre, His mother begg'd of us to dress him, That Dido might the more caress him; A coat