Where Thames with pride surveys his rising tow'rs,
There stands a structure of majestic frame,
Which from the neighb'ring Hampton takes its

names
Here Britain's statesmen oft the fall foredoom

5 Of foreign Tyrants, and of Nymphs at home; Here thou, great ANNA! whom three realms obey, Doft sometimes counsel take--and fometimes Tea.

· Hither the heroes and the nymphs resort, To taste awhile the pleasures of a Court; IO In various talk th' instructive hours they past, Who gave the ball, or paid the visit last; One speaks the glory of the British Queen, And one describes a charming Indian fcreen; A third interprets motions, looks, and eyes ; 15 At ev'ry word a reputation dies.

VARIATIONS. Ver. 1. Close by those meuds,] The first Edition continues from this line to v. 24. of this Canto. P. Ver. 11, 12. Originally in the first Edition,

In various talk the chearful hours they past,

Of, who was bit, or who capotted last. P.
VOL. I.

L

Snuff,

оск

20

146 THE RAPE OF THE LOCK. Snuff, or the fan, supply each pause of chat, With singing, laughing, ogling, and all that.

Mean while, declining from the noon of day, The fun obliquely shoots his burning ray ; The hungry Judges soon the sentence fign, And wretches hang that jury-men may dine; The merchant from th' Exchange returns in peace, And the long labours of the Toilet cease. Belinda now, whom thirst of fame invites, 25 Burns to encounter two advent'rous Knights, At Ombre fingly to decide their doom; And swells her breast with conquests yet to come. Strait the three bands prepare in arms to join, Each band the number of the sacred nine,

30 Soon as she spreads her hand, th' aërial guard Descend, and fit on each important card : First Ariel perch'd upon a Matadore, Then each, according to the rank they bore ; For Sylphs, yet mindful of their ancient race, 35 Are, as when women, wondrous fond of place,

Behold, four Kings in majesty rever'd, With hoary whiskers and a forky beard; And four fair Queens whose hands sustain a flow'r, Th'expressive emblem of their softer pow'r; 40 Four Knaves in garbs succinct, a trusty band, Caps on their heads, and halberts in their hand; And particolour'd troops, a shining train, Draw forth to combat on the velvet plain.

The VARIATION S. Ver. 24. And the long labours of the Toilet cease.] All that follows of the game at Ombre, was added since the first Edition, till v. 105, which connected thus,

Sudden the board with cups and spoons is crown'd. P. The skilful Nymph reviews her force with care: Let Spades be trumps ! she said, and trumps they

were.

46

Now move to war her sable Matadores,
In show like leaders of the swarthy Moors.
Spadillio first, unconquerable Lord !
Led off two captive trumps, and swept the board.
As many more Manillio forc'd to yield,

51
And march'd a victor from the verdant field.
Him Bafto follow'd, but his fate more hard
Gain'd but one trump and one Plebeian card.
With his broad sabre next, a chief in years, 55
The hoary Majesty of Spades appears,
Puts forth one manly leg, to fight reveal’d,
The rest, his many-colour'd robe conceal'd.
The rebel Knave, who dares his prince engage,
Proves the just victim of his royal rage.

60
Ev’n mighty Pam, that Kings and Queens o'erthrew
And mow'd down armies in the fights of Lu,
Sad chance of war! now deftitute of aid,
Falls undistinguish’d by the victor Spade !

Thus far both armies to Belinda yield;
Now to the Baron fate inclines the field.
His warlike Amazon her host invades,
Th' imperial confort of the crown of Spades.
The Club's black Tyrant first her victim dy'd,
Spite of his haughty mien, and barb'rous pride :

What

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VER. 47. Now move to war, etc.] The whole idea of this description of a game at Ombre, is taken from Vi. da's description of a game at Chess, in his poem intit. Scacchia Ludus.

85

What boots the regal circle on his head, 71
His giant limbs, in state unwieldy spread;
That long behind he trails his pompous robe,
And, of all monarchs, only grasps the globe ?
The Baron now his Diamonds pours apace ; 75
Th' embroider'd King who fhows but half his face,
And his refulgent Queen, with pow'rs combin'd
Of broken troops an easy conquest find.
Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, in wild disorder feen,
With throngs promiscuous strow the level green.
Thus when dispers'd a routed army runs, 81
Of Afia's troops, and Afric's fable fons,
With like confufion different nations fly,
Of various habit, and of various dye,
The pierc'd battalions dif-united fall,
In heaps on heaps; one fate o'erwhelms them all.

The Knave of Diamonds tries his wily arts,
And wins (oh shameful chance!) the Queen of

Hearts. At this, the blood the virgin's cheek forfook, A livid paleness spreads o'er all her look ; १० She fees, and trembles at th' approaching ill, Just in the jaws of ruin, and Codille. And now, (as oft in some distemper’d State) On one nice Trick depends the gen'ral fate. An Ace of Hearts steps forth: The King unseen Lurk’d in her hand, and mourn'd his captive Queen: He springs to vengeance with an eager pace, And falls like thunder on the proftrate Ace. The nymph exulting fills with shouts the sky; The walls, the woods, and long canals reply. 100

O thought

III

O thoughtless mortals ! ever blind to fate,
Too foon dejected, and too foon elate.
Sudden, these honours shall be fnatch'd away,
And curs’d for ever this victorious day.

For lo! the board with cups and spoons is crown'd,
The berries crackle, and the mill turns round; 106
On shining Altars of Japan they raise
The silver lamp; the fiery spirits blaze:
From filver spouts the grateful liquors glidé,
While China's earth receives the smoaking tide :
At once they gratify their scent and taste,
And frequent cups prolong the rich repafte.
Strait hover round the Fair her airy band;
Some, as she fipp'd, the fuming liquor fann'd,
Some o'er her lap their careful plumes display'd,
Trembling, and conscious of the rich brocade. 116
Coffee, (which makes the politician wife,
And see thro' all things with his half-lhut eyes)
Sent up in vapours to the Baron's brain
New stratagems, the radiant Lock to gain. 120
Ah cease, rafh youth ! defist ere 'tis too late,
Fear the just Gods, and think of Scylla's Fate !

Chang'd
Ver. 122. and think of Scylla's Faté !) Vide Ovid:
Metam. viii. P.

VAR LA TIONS.
VER. 105. Sudden the board, etc.] From hence, the
first Edition continues to v. 134.

IMITATIONS.
VER. 101.

Nescia mens hominum fati fortisque future,
Et servare modum, rebus fublata fecundis !
Turno tempus erit, magno cum optaverit emptum
Intactum Pallanta ; ei cum spolia ista diemque
Oderit

Virg.

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