[Page 118]

The PENITENT.

Occasion'd by the Author's being asked if she would take Ten Pounds for her Poems.

1 WHEN Parthenissa talk'd to-day
2 Of Profits and of Mira's Lay,
3 And list'ning Mira heard the Sound
4 Of number Ten with added Pound,
[Page 119]
5 The saucy Minx betray'd her Pride,
6 And turn'd her scornful Head aside:
7 You, doubtless, Madam, wonder'd why,
8 And hardly could believe 'twas I:
9 But all have Faults, and 'twou'd be vain
10 To boast a Heart that's free from Stain.
11 This Maxim Mira prov'd was true,
12 No golden Apples lay in view
13 Across her Path and yet she fell:
14 The Cause have Patience and we'll tell,
15 You saw not no, to my Surprize
16 It scap'd your penetrating Eyes;
17 The wicked Knot 'twas new to-day,
18 The Knot what Colour was it, pray?
19 So gay, 'twou'd make a Hermit vain;
20 Then wonder not at Mira's Brain.
21 But now disrob'd with dirty Shoes
22 And Apron ragged as the Muse,
23 In Night-cap tight and wrapping Gown,
24 No more is seen the haughty Frown;
[Page 120]
25 The fatal Top-knot laid aside
26 With its destructive Daughter Pride.
27 The vain Chimeras all are flown,
28 And Reason re-assumes her Throne.
29 Now, could you find an honest Dealer,
30 (As an Attorney or a Taylor)
31 Who wants a Muse that's not too dear,
32 Send him directly you know where:
33 We for a Trifle shall not part,
34 Nor from an easy Bargain start,
35 And that his Purchase may'nt be hard,
36 I'll add of Packthread half a Yard,
37 To satisfy the greedy Lout,
38 And bind the Papers round about.

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Title (in Source Edition): The PENITENT. Occasion'd by the Author's being asked if she would take Ten Pounds for her Poems.
Author: Mary Leapor
Themes:
Genres: occasional poem

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Leapor, Mrs. (Mary), 1722-1746. Poems upon several occasions: By Mrs. Leapor of Brackley in Northamptonshire. London: printed: and sold by J. Roberts, 1748, pp. 118-120. 15,[5],282p. ; 8⁰. (ESTC T127827; Foxon p. 413; OTA K101776.000) (Page images digitized from a copy at University of California Libraries.)

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The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.

Other works by Mary Leapor