Thy will shall be religiously observ'd.
But let us bear this awful corpse to Cesar,
And lay it in his sight, that it may stand
A fence betwixt us and the victor's wrath;
Cato, tho' dead, shall still protect his friends.
From hence, let fierce contending nations know
What dire effects from civil discord flow.
'Tis this that shakes our country with alarms,
And gives up Rome a prey to Roman arms,
Produces fraud, and cruelty, and strife,
And robs the guilty world of Cato's life.[Exeunt omnes.
EPILOGUE,
By Dr GARTH.
Spoken by Mrs PORTER.
WHAT odd fantastic Things we Women do!
Who wou'd not listen when young Lovers woo,
But die a Maid, yet have the Choice of Two!
Ladies are often cruel to their Cost;
To give you Pain, themselves they punish most.
Vows of Virginity should well be weigh'd:
Too oft they're cancell'd, tho' in Convents made.
Wou'd you revenge such rash Resolves—you may:
Be spiteful———and believe the Thing we say,
We hate you when you're easily said Nay.
How needless, if you knew us, were your Fears?
Let Love have Eyes, and Beauty will have Ears.
Our Hearts are form'd as you yourselves would chuse,
Too proud to ask, too humble to refuse:
We give to Merit, and to Wealth we sell;
He sighs with most Success that settles well.
The Woes of Wedlock with the Joys we mix:
'Tis best repenting in a Coach and Six.
