XVIII. Perfect she was, but as perfection is Went plucking various fruit without her leave. N N B XIX. He was a mortal of the careless kind, With no great love for learning, or the learn'd, XX. Now Donna Inez had, with all her merit, A great opinion of her own good qualities; Neglect, indeed, requires a saint to bear it, And such, indeed, she was in her moralities; But then she had a devil of a spirit, And sometimes mix'd up fancies with realities, And let few opportunities escape Of getting her liege lord into a scrape. XXI. This was an easy matter with a man Oft in the wrong, and never on his guard; And even the wisest, do the best they can, Have moments, hours, and days, so unprepared, That you might,,brain them with theis lady's fan;" And sometimes ladies hit exceeding hard, And fans turn into falchions in fair hands, And why and wherefore no one understands. Vol. LX. B XXII. "Tis pity learned virgins ever wed With persons of no sort of education, Or gentlemen, who, though well-born and bred, I don't choose to say much upon this head, XXIII. Don Jóse and his lady quarrell'd- why, Though several thousand people chose to try, 'Twas surely no concern of theirs nor mine; I loathe that low vice curiosity, But if there's any thing in which I shine 'Tis in arranging all my friends' affairs, Not having, of my own, domestic cares. XXIV. And so I interfer'd, and with the best Intentions, but their treatment was not kind; I think the foolish people were possess'd, For neither of them could I ever find, Although their porter afterwards confess'd — But that's no matter, and the worst's behind, For little Juan o'er me threw, down stairs, A pail of housemaid's water unawares. XXV. A little curly-headed, good-for-nothing, Upon the most unquiet imp on earth; Instead of quarrelling, had they been but both in Their senses, they'd have sent young master forth To school, or had him soundly whipp'd at home, To teach him manners for the time to come. XXVI. Don Jose and the Donna Inez led For some time an unhappy sort of life, Wishing each other, not divorced, but dead; They lived respectably as man and wife, Their conduct was exceedingly well-bred, And gave no outward signs of inward strife, Until at length the smother'd fire broke out, And put the business past all kind of doubt. XXVII. For Inez called some druggists and physicians, She next decided he was only bad; Save that her duty both to man and God Required this conduct which seem'd very odd. |