The old serpent's reply to The electrical eel / [by James Perry].

Date:
L,DCC,LXXVII. [i.e., 1777]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The old serpent's reply to The electrical eel / [by James Perry]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [ ] And did he not with rapture fwear, Venus was of the three—moft fair. And had the fineft brufh ? Who loft Marc * Anthony the world ? Who from the throne Pompeia 'f hurl'd ? What was Cleopatra's grafp ? No longer to fuch ftories heel. It was no fmall Eledtrick Eel, But my Elaftick Afp. £ * Marc Anthony, Efq. a country gentleman of great fortune turned foldier—to get rid of a fcold of a wife call’d Mrs. Fulvia—whom Mr. Caefar, a colonel of the army, refufed to kifs.—But Tony of Rome gave up his time to a lewd Queen of Egypt—who was not only gypfy enough to tell him his fortune, but to ruin it, by way of proving her divination. A certain general now crofs the Atlantick leaves the army—and diflblves himfelf in the bewitching company of a fair and beauteous miftrefs—once celebrated for her elopement with an equeftrian Peer; fo that the army, as ufual, will be con¬ quer’d by charms, and not by arms. It is an old method of fubduing men, and a never failing one. Le monde bien perdu—et tout pour l’amour. f Pompeia, the firft wife of Julius Caefar, Efq. to whom one Mr. Claudius, a brazier of Rome, got to bed—and Caefar repudiated his lady. Drs. Harris and Marriot can give all the particular in the Commons of this adulterous cafe. t B is Paid, this extravagant Cor nelly s of the Nile, receiv’d the afp, juft before fhe died—but whofe afp—hiftorians have not yet determined. A circumftance of this fort fell out between Mr. Holland, comedian, and the innocent, and idiotical Mrs. Baddeley. When that worthy gentleman was in the laft ftage of the fmall-pox, it was found neceftary to comfort him with fome bread and wine, which was declared to be the euchariftic ceremony—and the lady hearing it; cried out—“ For heav’ns fake then “ let me out of the room until it’s over.”
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