Yet why should not the fair her text pursue? 375
Can the more decently the doctor woo?
'Tis hard, too, fhe who makes no use but chat
Of her religion, fhould be barr'd in that.

Iface, a brother of the canting strain,
When he has knock'd at his own fkull in vain,
To beauteous Marcia often will repair
With a dark text, to light it at the fair.
O how his pious foul exults to find
Such love for holy men in woman-kind!
Charm'd with her learning, with what rapture he
Hangs on her bloom, like an indurious bee; 386
Hums round about her, and with all his power
Extras fweet wifdom from fo fair a flower!

The young and gay declining, Appia tlies
At nobler game, the mighty and the wife:
By nature more an eagle than a dove,
She impioufly prefers the world to love.

Can wealth give happinets? look round, and
fee

395

What gay diftrefs! what fplendid mifery!
What ever fortune lavishly can pour,
The mind annihilates, and calls for more.
"Wealth is a cheat; believe not what it lays;
Like any lord, it promifes and pays.
How will the mifer ftattle, to be told
Of fuch a wonder, as infolvent gold!
What nature wants has an intrinsic weight;
All more is but the fashion of the plate,
Which, for one moment, charms the fickle view;
It charms us now; ane. we caft anew;

VOL. VIII.

400

426

But turn her o'er one moment to her will.
The languid lady next appears in ftate,
Who was not born to carry her own weight;
She lolls. reels, and ftaggers, till fome foreign aid
To her own fature lifts the feeble maid.
Then, if ordain'd to so fevere a doom,
She, by juft ftages, journeys round the room:
But, knowing her own weakness, the despairs
To fcale the 1'ps-that is, afcend the fairs. 430
My fan! let others fay, who laugh at toil;
Fan! hood! glove! fcarf! is her laconic tile;
And that is fpoke with fuch a dying fall,
That Betty rather fees, than bears the call:`
The motion of her lips, and meaning eye,
Piece out th' idea her faint words deny.
O liften with attention most profound!
Her voice is but the fhadow of a found.
And help! oh help! her fpirits are fo dead,
One hand fearce lifts the other to her head. 440
If, there, a tubborn pin it triumphs o'er,
She pants! fhe finks away! and is no more.
Let the robuft and the gigantis: carve,
Life is not worth fo much, fhe'd rather farve:
But chew the mnt herfelf; ah cruel fate
That Rofa inda can't by proxy eat.

435

455

An antidote in female caprice lies (Kind heaven) against the poifon of their eyes. Thaleftris triumphs in a manly mien; Loud is her accent, and her phrafe obfcene. 450 In fair and open dealing where's the fhame? What nature dares to give, the dares to name. This boneft fellow is fincere and plain, And justly gives the jealous husband pain. (Vain is the talk to petticoats affign'd, If wanton language fhews a naked mind.) And now and then, to grace her eloquence, An oath fupplies the vacancies of lente. Harki the Thrill notes tranfpierce the yielding air, And teach the neighbouring echoes how to iwear. By Jove, is faint, and for the simple swain; She, on the Chriftian Syftem, is prophase. But though the volley rattles in your ear, Believe her dress, he's not a grenadier. If thunder's awful, how much more our dread, When Jove depures a lady in his stead? 466 A lády? pardon my mistaken pen, A hameiefs woman is the worlt of men. 2 M

Few

10

"Detected worth, like beauty difarray'd, "To covert flies of praife itself afraid: "Should be refufe to patronize your lays, "In vengeance write a volume in her praife. "Nor think it hard fo great a length to run;. When fuch the theme, 'twill calily be done." Ye fair! to draw your excellence at length, Exceeds the narrow bounds of human (rength; You, bere, in miniature, your picture fee, Nor hope from Zinck more juftice than from me. My portraits grace your mind, as his your fide; His portraits will inflme, mine quench, your pride: He's dear, you frugal ;-choose my cheaper lay ; And be your reformation all my pay.

15

20

25

Lavinia is polite, but no: prophane;
To church as conftant as to Drury-lane.
She decently, in form, pays heaven its due;
And makes a civil vifit to her pew.
Her lifted fan, to give a folemn air,
Conceals her face, which paffes for a prayer:
Curt'fies to curt'fies, then, with grace, fucceed;
Not one the fair omits, but at the creed.
Or if the joins the Service, 'tis to speak;
Through dreadful filence the pent heart might
break;
30

Untaught to bear it, women talk arvay
To God himself, and fondly think they pray.
But/weet their accent, and their air refin'd,
For they're before their Maker-and mankind;
When ladies once are proud of praying well,
Satan himself will toll the parifh bell.

35

Flavia is conftant to her old gallant,

| And generously fupports him in his want, But marriage is a fetter, is a fnare, A hell, no lady fo polite can bear.

She's faithful, fhe's obfervant, and with pains
Her angel-brood of baftards the maintains.
Nor lealt advantage has the fair to plead,
But that of guilt, above the marriage-bed.

Amalia hates a prude, and scorns restraint;
Whate'er the is, fhe'll not appear a faint.
Her fou fuperior flies formality;

So gay her air, her conduct is so free,
Some might fufpect the nymph not over-good-
Nor would they be mistaken, if they should.

Unmarried Abra puts on formal airs ;

65

70

Her cushion's thread-bare with her conftant pray

bred,

Drufa receives her vifitants in bed;

40

But, chafte as ice, this Vefta, to defy
The very blackest tongue of calumny,
When from the fheets her lovely form the lifts,
She begs you just would turn you, while the fifts.
Those charms are greatest which decline the
fight,

45

That makes the banquet poignant and polite.
There is no woman, where there's no referve;
And 'tis on plenty your poor lovers farve.
But with a modern fair, meridian merit
Is a fierce thing they call a nymph of fpirit.
Mark well the rollings of her flaming eye;
And tread on tiptoe, if you dare draw nigh. 50
Or if you take a lion by the beard *,
"Or dare defy the fell Hyrcanian pard,
"Or arm'd rhinoceros, or rough Ruflian bear,"
First make your will, and then converfe with her.
This lady glories in profufe expence ;
And thinks diffraction is magnificence.

To beggar her gallant, is fome delight:
To be more fatal ftill, is exquifite;
Had ever nymph fuch reason to be glad?
In duel fell two lovers; one run mad.
Her foes their honeft execrations pour ;
Her lovers only fhould deteft her more.
* Shakespeare.

55

60

She from herfelf, if fo compell'd by need,
Of thin content can draw the fubtle thread;
But (no detraction to her facred fkill)
If the can work in gold, 'tis better ftilk

90

95

If Tullia had been bleft with balf her fenfe,
None could too much admire her excellence : 100
But fince the can make terror fhine fo bright,
She thinks it vulgar to defend the right.
With understanding she is quite o'er-run ;
And by too great accomplishments undone:
With kill the vibrates her eternal tongue,
For ever most divinely in the wrong.

Naked in nothing fhould a woman be;
But veil her very wit with modefty :
Let man difcover, let not her difplay,
But yield her charms of mind with iweet delay.

"How charming this "-The pleasure lasted long;

Now every day the fits come thick and strong;
At last he found the charmer only feign'd;
And was diverted when he should be pain'd.
What greater vergeance have the gods in ftore?
How tedious life, now the can plague no more!
She tries a thousand arts; but none fucceed;
She's forc'd a fever to procure indeed:
Thus ftrictly prov'd this virtuous loving wife,
Her husband's pain was dearer than her life. 130

Anxious Melanja rifes to my view,
Who never thinks her lover pays his due:
Vifit, prefent, treat, flatter, and adore;
Her majefty, to-morrow, calls for more.
His wounded ears complaints eternal fill,
As anoil'd hinges. querulously fhrill.

1135

140

You went last night with Celia to the ball " You prove it falfe. Not go! that's worst of all." Nothing can please her, nothing not inflame; And arrant contradictions are the fame. Her lover must be fad, to please her spleen; His mirth is an inexpiable fin: For of all rivals that can pain her breast, There's one, that wounds far deeper than the reft; To wreck her quiet, the most dreadful shelf 145 1s if her lover dares enjoy himfelf.

151

And this, because fhe's exquifitely fair: Should I difpute her beauty, how she'd stare? How would Melania be furprised to hear She's quite deform'd? And yet the cafe is clear: What's female beauty, but an air divine, Through which the mind's all-gentle graces fhine? They, like the fun, irradiate all between; The body charms because the foul is feen. Hence, men are often captives of a face, They know not why, of no peculiar grace: Some forms, though bright, no mortal man can bear;

Some, none refift though not exceeding fair.

155

Julia's a manager; fhe's born for rule; And knows her seifer husband is a fool ; Affemblies holds and ipins the fubtle thread That guides the lover to his fair-one's bec: For difficult amours can smooth the way, And tender letters dictate, or convey, But, if depriv'd of fuch important cares, Her wildom condefcends to lefs affairs For her own breakfast he'll project a jebeme, Nor take her tea without a fratagem; Prefides o'er trifles with a ferious tace; Important, by the virtue of grimace. Ladies fupreme among amusement reign; By nature born to footh, and entertain. Their prudence in a fhare of folly lies: Why will they be fo weak, as to be wife? Syrena is for ever in extremes,

180

183

190

And with a vengeance the cornmends, or blames. Confcious of her cifcernent, which is good, She ftrains too much to make it understood. Her judgment just, her fentence is too strong ; Because the's right, fhe's ever in the wrong,

Brunetta's wife in actions, great, and rare: Thus every hour Brunetta is to blame, But fcorns on trifles to bestow her care.

195

200

Because th' occafion is beneath her aim.
Think nought a trifle, though it fmall appear;
Small fands the mountain, moments make the

Arpafia's highly born, and nicely bred, Of taste refin'd, in life and manners read; Yet reaps no fruit from her fuperior sense, But to be traz'd by her own excellence. "Folks are fo aukward! Things fo unpolite!" She's elegantly pain'd from morn till night. Her delicacy's fhock'd where-e'er the goes; Each creature's imperfections are her wees. Heaven by its favour has the fair diftreft, And pour'd fuch bleffings-that the cart be bleft.

165

Ah! why fo vain, though blooming in thy fpring?

Thou fbining, frail, ador'd, and wretched thing;
Old-age will come; difcafe may come before; 171
Fifteen is full as mortal as threefcore.

Thy fortune, and thy charms, may foon decay:
But grant thefe fugitives prolong their ftay,
Their bafis totters, their foundation thakes; 175
Life, that fupports them, in a moment breaks;
Then wrought into the foul let virtues fhine;
The ground eternal, as the work divine.

220

Lovers, beware! to wound how can the fail
With fcarlet finger and long jetty nail?
For Harvey, the firft wit the cannot be,
Nor cruel Richmond, the first toast for thee.
Since full each other station of renozon,
Who would not be the greateit trapes in town?
Women were made to give our eyes delight; 235
A female floven is an odious fight.

Fair Ifabella is fu fond of fame,
That her dear felf, is her eternal theme;
Through hopes of contradiction, oft fhe'll fay,
"Methinks I look fo wretchedly to-day :"
230
When moft the world applauds you, most beware;
Diftruft mankind; with your own heart confer:
'fis often lefs a bieffing than a fare
And dread even there to find a flatterer.
The breath of others raifes our renown;
Our own as furely blows the pageant down.
Take up no more than you by worth can claim,.
Lek foon you prove a bankrupt in your fame.

235

240

But own I muft, in this perverted age,
Who molt diferve, can't always moft engage.
So far is worth from making glory fure,
It often hinders what it fould procure.
Whom praise we moft? The virtuçus, brave, and
wife?

No: wretches, whom, in fecret, we defpife.
And who fo blind, as not to fee the caule ? 245
No fivals rais'd by fuch difcreet applause;
And yet, of credit it lays in a flore,

Are but poor arts to mark them from the throng, See how they beg an alms of flattery!

But Clio thus: "What railing without end? Mean task! how much more generous to commend! "

Yes, to commend as you are wont to do, My kind inftructor, and example too. "Daphnis," fays Clio," has a charming eye: "What pity 'tis her shoulder is awry! "Afpafia's fape indeed-But then her air"The man has parts who finds deftruction there. "Almeria's wit has fomething that's divine;

260

And wit's enough-how few in all things fhine! "Selina ferves her friends, relieves the poor"Who was it faid Selina's near threefore? 266 "At Lucia's match 1 from my foul rejoice; "The world congratulates fo wife a choice; "His lordship's rent-roll is exceeding great"But mortgages will fap the belt eftate. "In Shirley's form might cherubims appear; "But then-fhe has a freckle on her ear." Without a but Hortenfia fhe commends, The first of women, and the best of friends; Owns her in perfon, wit, fanie, virtue, bright: But how comes this to pafs?-She died last night,

27

Thus nymphs commend, who yet at fatire rail: Indeed that's needless, if fuch praise prevail. And whence fuch praise? Our virulence is thrown On others' fame, through fondness for our own. Of rank and riches proud, Cleora frowns; 280 For are not coronets a-kin to crowns? Her greedy eye, and her fublime addrefs, The height of avarice and pride confefs. You feek perfections worthy of her rank; Go, feek for her perfections at the Bank.

By wealth unquench'd, by reafon uncontroul'd,
For ever burns her facred thirst of gold.
As fond of five-pence, as the veriest çit;
And quite as much detested as a zvit.

285

290

Can gold calm paffion, or make reason fhine? Can we dig peace, or avifam, from the mine? Wifdom to gold prefer; for 'tis much less To make our fortune, than our happiness. That happiness which great-ones often fee, With rage and wonder, in a low degree; Themselves unbleft. The poor are only poor; But what are they who droop amid their fore?

A decent competence; we fully tafte;

It frikes our fenfe, and gives a constant feast: 310
More, we perceive by dint of thought alone;
The rich muft labour to poffe's their own.
To feel their great abundance; and requeft
Their humble friends to help them to be bleft;
To fee their treasures, bear their glory told, 315
And aid the wretched impotence of gold.

But fome, great fouls! and touch'd

warmth divine,

Give gold a price, and teach its beams to feine, All hoarded creafures they repute a load;

with

Nor think their wealth their ozon, till well beftow'd.

320

Grand refervoirs of pubše happiness,
Through fecret streams diffufively they blefs;
And, while their bounties glide, conceal'd from

view,

325

Relieve our wants, and spare our blushes too.
But Satire is my task; and these deftroy
Her gloomy province, and malignant joy.
Help me, ye mifers! help me to complain,
And blaft our common enemy, Germain ;
But our invectives must despair fuccefs;
For, next to praife, fhe values nothing lefs. 330
What picture's yonder, loofen'd from its
frame?

Or is 't Afturia, that affected dame ?
The brighteft forms, through affectation, fade
To firange acro things, which nature never made.
Frown not, ye fair! fo much your fex we prize,
We hate thofe arts that take you from our eyes.
In Albucinda's native grace is feen

What you, who labour at perfection, mean.
Short is the rule, and to be learnt with case,
Retain your gentle felves, and you met pleafe. 340
Here might I fing of Memmia's mincing mien,
And all the movements of the foft machine:
How two red lips affected Zephyrs blow,
To cool the Bohea, and inflame the Beau:
While one white finger and a thumb confpire 345
To lift the cup, and make the world admire.