t prov'd thy Fortunes were thy due--
Go on--and, if thou canst, do more
(But 't may not be) than heretofore--
Keep the same Path You always trod,
And be an Enemy to _God_;
Apply your Fortune to oppress,
And harrass _Virtue_ with Distress;
To hide your Blemishes use Paint,
To screen the _Villain_ play the _Saint_;
Affect _Religion_, _Church_ frequent,
Kneel, _seem_ to pray, and keep up _Lent_--
_Charity_ too must be display'd,
But _Charity in Masquerade_;
Give _Alms_--but not to those that need,
But only for the _Gallows feed_;
Whene'er you meet a _preaching Thief_,
Be prompt to reach him out Relief;
If _Liars_, _Flatt'rers_, _Pandars_, _Pimps_,
Or any of my vagrant Imps,
Approach Thee, to thy Mansion take,
And give them Welcome for my Sake;
But _needy Merit_ must not dare
To hope with these _thy Alms_ to share,
Commit _that_ to the _Bridewell_-lash,
But give it neither _Food_ nor _Cash_;
Distinguish'd Honour shalt thou gain
In _Pandaemonium_, for thy Pain.
But--one Word more--My Mind misgives,
That _Virtue_ a near _Neighbour_ lives--
For in my search to find out Thee,
I spied in this Vicinity
A Knot of Friends, where I cou'd trace
_Honour_ emblazon'd in their Face,
These (for their Thoughts I plainly see)
Bear no good Will to you or me;
_Foolishly honest_, cheap they hold
_Libidinoso_ and his Gold,
And will maintain, to Conscience true,
Their Virtue, spite of Me and You.
Altho' your Influence be weak,
Oppose them for _opposing' Sake_,
Do ev'ry little Act of Spite,
And snarl, altho' You cannot bite--
Be faithful--there will come a Day,
When I thy Services will pay,
Will bring Thee to my Realm, and make
Thee _Pilot of the burning Lake_."

He said--and quick as Thought withdrew,
And to th' infernal Regions flew;
Blue sulph'rous streaks the Peasants scare,
Marking his passage thro' the Air--

_Libidinoso_ left behind,
Began revolving in his Mind
His Master's Promises, and sigh'd
To have them fully ratified;
Then homeward plodded, (but, be sure,
Before he went, he kiss'd his Whore)
Resolv'd, if possible, on more
And greater Evils than before.
All vain was the Resolve--his Cup
Of _Wickedness_ was quite fill'd up,
And no Cup can another drop
Contain, when fill'd