I

Margarita first possest,
If I remember well, my brest;
Margarita , first of all;
But when a while the wanton Maid,
With my restless Heart had plaid,
Martha took the flying Ball.

II

Martha soon did it resign
To the beauteous Catharine :
Beauteous Catharine gave place
(Though loth and angry she to part
With the possession of my Heart)
To Eliza's conquering face.

III

Eliza till this hour might reign,
Had she not Evil Counsels ta'en.
Fundamental laws she broke,
And still new Favorites chose,
Till up in Arms my Passions rose,
And cast away her yoke.

IV

Mary then, and gentle Ann
Both to reign at once began:
Alternately they sway'd,
And sometimes Mary Fair
And sometimes Anne the Crown did wear,
Sometimes I Both obeyed.

V

Another Mary then arose,
And did rigorous Laws impose.
A mighty Tyrant she!
Long, alas, should I have been
Under that Iron-Sceptr'd Queen ,
Had not Rebecca set me free.

VI

When fair Rebecca set me free,
'Twas then a golden Time with me,
But soon those pleasures fled,
For the gracious Princess dy'd,
In her Youth and Beauties pride:
And Judith reigned in her sted.

VII

One Month, three Days, and half an Hour,
Judith held the Soverain Power .
Wondrous beautiful her Face,
But so weak and small her Wit,
That she to govern was unfit,
And so Susanna took her place.

VIII

But when Isabella came,
Arm'd with a resistless flame
And th' Artillery of her Eye;
Whilst she proudly marcht about,
Greater Conquests to find out,
She beat out Susan by the By.

IX

But in her place, I then obey'd
Black-eyed Besse her Viceroy-Maid :
To whom ensu'd a Vacancy .
Thousand worse Passions then possesst
The Interregnum of my breast.
Bless me from such an Anarchy !

X

Gentle Henriette than,
And a third Mary next began,
Then Jone , and Jane , and Audria ;
And then a pretty Thomasine
And then another Katharine ,
And then a long Et caetera .

XI

But should I now to you relate,
The strength and riches of their state ,
The Powder , Patches , and the Pins ,
The Ribbans , Jewels , and the Rings ,
The Lace , the Paint and warlike things ,
That make up all their Magazins !

XII

If I should tell their politick Arts
To take, and keep, men's hearts,
The Letters, Embassies, and Spies,
The Frowns, and Smiles, and Flatteries,
The Quarrels, Tears, and Perjuries,
Numberless, nameless Mysteries!

XIII

And all the Little-Lime-twigs laid
By Machiavel , the Waiting maid ;
'T, more voluminous should grow,
(Chiefly if I like them should tell
All Change of Weathers that befel)
Than Holinshead or Stow .

XIV

But I will briefer with them be;
Since few of them were long with Me.
A higher and a nobler strain
My present Emperess does claim;
Heleonora , First o' the name;
Whom, God grant long to reign!