[_double rule_]



A
RIBALD


I²S the Devil’s Hypocrite, the endeavours to
make himſelf appear worſe than he is. His
evil Words and bad Manners ſtrive which
ſhall moſt corrupt one another, and it is hard
to ſay which has the Advantage. He vents
his Lechery at the Mouth, as ſome Fiſhes are
ſaid to engender. He is an unclean Beaſt that
chews the Cud ; for after he has ſatisfied his
Lust, he brings it up again into his Mouth
to a ſecond Enjoyment, and plays an After-
game of Letchery with his Tongue much worſe
than that which the _Cunnilingi_ uſed among the
old _Romans._ He ſtrips Nature ſtark-naked, and
clothes her in the moſt fantaſtic and ridiculous
Faſhion a wild Imagination can invent. He
is worſe and more naſty than a Dog ; for
in his broad Deſcriptions of others obſcene
Actions he does but lick up the Vomit of ano-

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ther Man’s Surfeits. He tells Tales out of a
vaulting School. A leud baudy Tale does
more Hurt, and gives a worſe Example than
the Thing of which it was told ; for the Act
extends but to a few, and if it be concealed
goes no further ; but the Report of it is un-
limited, and may be conveyed to all People,
and all Times to come. He expoſes that with
his Tongue, which Nature gave Women Mo-
deſty, and brute Beaſts Tails to cover. He
miſtakes Ribaldry for Wit, though nothing is
more unlike, and believes himſelf to be the
finer Man the filthier he talks ; as if he were
above Civility, as _Fanatics_ are above Ordinan-
ces, and held nothing more ſhameful than to be
aſhamed of any Thing. He talks nothing but
_Aretine_’s Pictures, as plain as the _Scotch_ Dia-
lect, which is eſteemed to be the moſt copious
and elegant of the Kind. He improves and
huſbands his Sins to the beſt Advantage,
and makes one Vice find Employment for
another ; for what he acts looſely in private,
he talks as looſely of in public, and finds as
much Pleaſure in the one as the other. He
endeavours to make himſelf Satisfaction for
the Pangs his Claps and Botches put him to with

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vapouring and bragging how he came by
them. He endeavours to purchaſe himſelf a
Reputation by pretending to that which the
beſt Men abominate, and the worſt value not,
like one that clips and waſhes falſe Coin, and
ventures his Neck for that which will yield
him nothing.

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