Social Commentaries

On a Discourteous Damsel

by Samuel Wesley 1662–1735

From Maggots (1685)

Social Commentaries

UGly! ill-natur'd! impudent, and proud!
Sluttish! nonsensical! and idly loud!
Thy Name's a ranker Scandal to my Pen,
Than all thy words could be spew'd up agen.
Yet will I do thy Vgliness the grace,
To touch thee, tho' I'm forc'd to turn my face;
Touch thee as Surgeon touches rotten sores,
Touch thee as Nures T—,or Beadles Whores.
Belch of a Toad whom Hell to Mortals sends,
Vampt up from Bottle-Ale and Candles-ends.
Hadst thou no Dick with whom thou mightst be free,
Thus to let fly thy Whetstone-jeers on me?
What Skip-kennel without his eyes offence,
Taught thee all this Dog-and-bitch Eloquence?
Thou for Doll-Troop, hadst ended Ragoo's strife,
He'd hvng'd, and never ventur'd such a Wife.
That thick deformity which daubs thy Snowt
Would make a Hell-soul'd Ravisher devout.
An Incubus from such a Face would flee;
'Twould baulk a Satyr more deform'd than thee.
E'ne get a Mask, or with thy Visage daunted,
The Londoners will swear their Streets are haunted:
Below the Plague, below the Pox and Itch,
Take your own Farewell, You 're a sawcy Bitch.

MLA

Wesley, Samuel. “On a Discourteous Damsel.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/wesley_s/19/.

Chicago

Wesley, Samuel. “On a Discourteous Damsel.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/wesley_s/19/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by Samuel Wesley