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Matthew Prior - Pallas And Venus. An Epigram
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The Trojan swain had judged the great dispute,
And beauty`s power obtain`d the golden fruit, 
When Venus, loose in all her naked charms,
Met Jove`s great daughter clad in shining arms,
The wanton goddess view`d the warlike maid
From head to foot, and tauntingly she said;

Yield sister; rival, yield: naked, you see,
I vanquish: guess how potent I should be, 
If to the field I came in armour dress`d, 
Dreadful like thine my shield, and terrible my crest!

The warrior goddess with disdain replied,
Thy folly, child, is equal to thy pride:
Let a brave enemy for once advise,
And Venus (if `tis possible) be wise:
Thou to be strong must put off every dress;
Thy only armour is thy nakedness;
And more than once (or thou art much belied)
By Mars himself that armour has been tried.
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