To Teach thy Base Thoughts Manners

To teach thy base thoughts manners: th'art one of thoseThat thinks each woman thy fond flexible whoreIf she but cast a liberal eye upon thee;Turn back her head, she's thine; or amongst company,By chance drink first to thee, then she's quite gone,There's no means to help her; nay, for a need,Wilt swear unto thy credulous fellow lechersThat th'art more in favour with a lady at first sightThan her monkey all her life time.How many of our sex, by such as thou,Have their good thoughts paid with a blasted nameThat never deserved loosely, or did tripIn path of whoredom, beyond cup and lip.But for the stain of conscience and of soul,Better had women fall into the handsOf an act silent, then a bragging nothing.There's no mercy in't -- what durst move you, sir,To think me whorish? A name which I'd tear outFrom the high German's throat, if it lay ledger thereTo dispatch privy slanders against me.In thee I defy all men, their worst hates,And their best flatteries, all their golden witchcrafts,With which they entangle the poor spirits of fools,Distressed needlewomen and trade-fallen wives,Fish that must needs bite or themselves be bitten;Such hungry things as these may soon be tookWith a worm fastened on a golden hook.Those are the lecher's food, his prey; he watchesFor quarrelling wedlocks and poor shifting sisters;'Tis the best fish he takes; but why, good fisherman,Am I thought meat for you, that never yetHad angling rod cast towards me? Cause, you'll say,I'm given to sport, I'm often merry, jest:Had mirth no kindred in the world but lust?O, shame take all her friends then; but how ereThou and the baser world censure my life,I'll send 'em word by thee, and write so muchUpon thy breast, cause thou shalt bear't in mind.Tell them 'twere base to yield where I have conquered.I scorn to prostitute myself to a man,I that can prostitute a man to me,And so I greet thee.