An useful Gift; but what profufe Expence, What World of Fashions, took their Rife from hence!

Young Hermes next, a close-contriving God, Her Brows encircled with his Serpent Rod: Then Plots and fair Excufes, fill'd her Brain, The Views of breaking am'rous Vows for Gain,. The Price of Favours; the defigning Arts That aim at Riches in Contempt of Hearts; And for a Comfort in the Marriage Life, The little, pilf'ring Temper of a Wife.

Full on the Fair his Beams Apollo Aung, And fond Perfuafion tip'd her eafy Tongue; He gave her Words, where oily Flatt'ry lays. The pleafing Colours of the Art of Praise ; And Wit, to Scandal exquifitely prone, Which frets another's Spleen to cure its own,

Thofe facred Virgins whom the Bards revere, Tun'd all her Voice,and fhed a Sweetness there, To make herSenfe with doubleCharms abound, Or make her lively Nonfenfe please by Sound.

To drefs theMaid, the decent Graces brought A Robe in all the Dies of Beauty wrought, And plac'd their Boxes o'er a rich Brocade Where pictur'd Loves on ev'ry Cover play'd; Then spread those Implements that Vulcan's Art. Had fram'd to merit Cytherea's Heart; The Wire to curl, the clofe-indented Comb To call the Locks that lightly wander, home;

And

And chief, the Mirrour, where the ravifh'd Maid Beholds and loves her own reflected Shade.

Fair Flora lent her Stores, the purpled Hours Confin'd her Treffes with a Wreath of Flow'rs; Within the Wreath arose a radiant Crown; A Veil pellucid hung depending down;

Back roll'd her azure Veil with Serpent fold,
The purfled Border deck'd theFloor with Gold.
Her Robe (which closely by the Girdle brac't
Reveal'd the Beauties of a flender Wate)
Flow'd to the Feet; to copy Venus' Air,
When Venus' Statues have a Robe to wear.
The new-fprung Creature finish'd thus for
Harms,

Adjusts her Habit, practises her Charms,
With Blushes glows, or fhines with lively Smiles,
Confirms her Will, or recollects her Wiles:
Then conscious of her Worth, with easy Pace
Glides by the Glass, and turning views her Face.

A finer Flax than what they wrought before, Thro' Time's deep Cave the Sifter Fates explore,

Then fix the Loom, theirFingers nimbly weave, And thus the Toil prophetic Songs deceive.

Flow from the Rock, my Flax! and swiftly flow,

Purfue thy Thread; the Spindle runs below. A Creature fond and changing, fair and vain, The Creature Woman, rifes now to reign.

New Beauty blooms, a Beauty form'd to fly, New Love begins, a Love produc'd to die; New Parts diftrefs the troubled Scenes of Life, The fondling Mistress, and the ruling Wife.

Men, born to Labour, all with Pains provide ; Women have Time, to facrifice to Pride : They want the Care of Man, their Want they know,

And drefs to please with heart-alluring Show,
The Show prevailing, for the Sway contend,
And make a Servant where they meet a Friend.
Thus in a thousand wax-erected Forts
A loitering Race the painful Bee supports,
From Sun to Sun, from Bank to Bank he flies,
With Honey loads hisBag,withWax his Thighs,
Fly where he will, at Home the Race remain,
Prune the Silk Dress, and murm'ring eat the
Gain.

Yet here and there we grant a gentle Bride, Whofe Temper betters by the Father's Side; Unlike the reft that double Human Care, Fond to relieve, or refolute to share:

Happy the Man whom thus his Stars advance! The Curfe is gen'ral, but the Bleffing Chance. Thus fung the Sifters, while the Gods admire Their beauteous Creature made for Man in Ire; The young Pandora fhe, whom all contend To make too perfect not to gain her End: Then bid the Winds that fly to breathe theSpring, Return to bear her on a gentle Wing;

With wafting Airs the Winds obfequious blow,
And land the shining Vengeance fafe below,
A golden Coffer in her Hand she bore,

(The Present treach'rous, but the Bearer more) 'Twas fraught with Pangs; for Jove ordain'd above,

ThatGold should aid, andPangs attend onLove. Her gay Defcent the Man perceiv'd afar, Wond'ring he run to catch the falling Star; But fo furpriz'd, as none but he can tell, Who lov'd fo quickly, and who lov'd so well. O'er all his Veins the wand'ring Paffion burns, He calls her Nymph, and ev'ry Nymph by turns. Her Form to lovely Venus he prefers,

Or fwears that Venus must be fuch as hers. She, proud to rule, yet ftrangely fram'd to teize, Neglects his Offers while her Airs she plays, Shoots fcornfulGlances from the bended Frown, In brisk Disorder trips it up and down,

Then hums a careless Tune to lay the Storm, And fits, and blushes, fmiles, and yields, in Form. "Now take what Jove defign'd (she softly

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cry'd) "This Box thy Portion, andMyself thy Bride:" Fir'd with the Profpect of the double Charms, He fnatch'd theBox, and Bride, with eager Arms.

UnhappyMan! to whom fo bright she fhone: The fatal Gift, her tempting Self, unknown! The Winds were filent, all the Waves afleep, And Heav'n was trac'd upon the flatt'ring Deep; H 5

But

But whilft he looks unmindful of a Storm,
And thinks the Water wears a ftable Form,
What dreadful Din around his Ears fhall rife!
What Frowns confuse his Picture of the Skies!

At first the Creature Man was fram'd alone,
Lord of himself, and all the World his own.
For him the Nymphs in Green forfook the
Woods,

For him the Nymphs in Blue forfook the Floods;
In vain the Satyrs rage, the Tritons rave,
They bore him Heroes in the fecret Cave.
No Care destroy'd, no fick Disorder prey'd,
No bending Age his sprightly Form decay'd,
NoWars were known, noFemales heard to rage,
And Poets tell us, 'twas a golden Age.

When Woman came, thofe Ills the Box con

fin'd

Burst furious out, and poison'd all the Wind,
From Point to Point, fromPole to Pole they flew,
Spread as they went, and in the Progress grew:
The Nymphs regretting left the mortal Race,
And alt'ring Nature wore a fickly Face;

New Terms of Folly rofe, new States of Care;
New Plagues, to fuffer, and to please, the Fair!
The Days of Whining, and of wild Intrigues,
Commenc'd, or finifh'd, with the Breach of
Leagues;

The mean Defigns of well-diffembled Love;
The fordid Matches never join'd above ;

Abroad

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