a

Thence, by a soft transition, we repair
From earthly Vehicles to these of air.

50
Think not, when Woman's transient breath is filed,
That all her vanities at once are dead;
Succeeding vanities the still regards,
And tho' she plays no more, o'erlooks the cards.
Her joy in gilded Chariots, when alive, 55
And love of Ombre, after death survive.
For when the Fair in all their pride expire,
To their first Elements their Souls retire :
The Sprites of fiery Termagants in Flame
Mount

up,

and take a Salamander's name. 60 Soft yielding minds to Water glide away, And fip, with Nymphs, their elemental Tea. The graver Prude finks downward to a Gnome, In search of mischief still on Earth to roam. The light Coquettes in Sylphs aloft repair, And sport and Autter in the fields of Air.

Know farther yet; whoever fair and chafte Rejects mankind, is by fome Sylph embrac'd : For Spirits, freed from mortal laws, with ease Allume what sexes and what shapes they please. What guards the purity of melting Maids, In courtly balls, and midnight masquerades, Safe from the treach'rous friend, the daring spark, - The glance by day, the whisper in the dark, When kind occasion prompts their warm desires, When music softens, and when dancing fires ? 76

'Tis
IMITATIONS.
VER. 54, 55.

Quæ gratia currúm -
Armorumque fuit vivis, quæ cura nitentes
Pafcere equos, eadem fequitur tellure repofios.

Virg. n. vi. P.

65

'Tis but their Sylph, the wise Celestials know, Tho' Honour is the word with Men below. Some nymphs there are, too conscious of their

face, For life predestin'd to the Gnomes embrace.

80 These swell their prospects and exalt their pride, When offers are disdain'd, and love deny'd : Then gay Ideas croud the vacant brain, While Peers, and Dukes, and all their sweeping train, And Garters, Stars, and Coronets appear, 85 And in soft sounds, Your Grace falutes their ear. 'Tis these that early taiat the female soul, Instruct the eyes of young Coquettes to roll, Teach Infant-cheeks a bidden blush to know, And little hearts to flutter at a Beau:

go, Oft, when the World imagine women ftray, The Sylphs thro' mystic mazes guide their way, Thro' all the giddy circle they pursue, And old impertinence expel by new. What tender maid but must a victim fall

95 To one man's treat, but for another's ball ? When Florio speaks what virgin could withstand, If gentle Damon did not squeeze her hand ? With varying vanities, from ev'ry part, They shift the moving Toyshop of their heart;

Ķ 4

Where

a

VER. 78. Tho' Honour is the word with Men below.) Parody of Homer.

Ver. 79. tro conscious of their face,] 1. e. too sensible

of their beauty,

101

Where wigs with wigs, with sword-knots fword.

knots strive,
Beaux banish beaux, and coaches coaches drive.
This erring mortals Levity may call,
Oh blind to truth! the Sylphs contrive it all.

Of these am I, who thy protection claim, 105 A watchful sprite, and Ariel is my name.

. Late, as I rang’d the crystal wilds of air, In the clear Mirror of thy ruling Star I saw, alas ! fome dread event impend, Ere to the main this morning sun descend, But heav'n reveals not what, or how, or where : Warn’d by the Sylph, oh pious maid, beware! This to disclose is all thy guardian can: Beware of all, but most beware of Man ! He said; when Shock, who thought she slept too long,

I15 Leap'd up, and wak'd his mistress with his tongue. 'Twas then Belinda, if report say true, Thy eyes first open'd on a Billet-doux ; Wounds, Charms, and Ardors, were no sooner read, But all the Vision vanish'd from thy head.

And

VER: 108. In the clear Mirror] The Language of the Platonists, the writers of the intelligible world of Spirits, etc. P.

IMITATIONS.

VER. IOI.

Jam clypeus clypeis, umbone repellitur umbo,
Ense minax enfis, pede pes et cuspide cuspis, etc. Stat,

And now, unveild, the Toilet stands display'd,
Each filver Vase in mystic order laid.
First, rob’d in white, the Nymph intent adores,
With head uncoverd, the Cosmetic pow'rs.
A heav'nly Image in the glass appears,

125 To that she bends, to that her eyes she rears;

TH

Ver. 121. And now, unveil'd, etc.] The translation of these verses, containing the description of the toilette, by our Author's friend Dr. Parnelle, deserve for their humour, to be here inserted. P.

Et nunc dilectum speculum, pro more retectum,
Emicat in mensa, quæ splendet pyxide denfa :
Tum primum lympha, fe purgat candida Nympha,
Jamque fine menda, cæleftis imago videnda,
Nuda caput, bellos retinet, regit, implet ocellos.
Hæc stupet explorans, ceu cultûs numen adorans.
Inferior claram Pythonissa apparet ad aram,
Fertque tibi caute, dicatque Superbia ! Jaute,
Dona venusta ; oris, quæ cunctis, plena laboris,
Excerpta explorat, dominamque deamque decorat.
Pyxide devota, se pandit hic India tota,
Et tota ex ifta transpirat Arabia cista;
Testudo hic flectit, dum fe mea Lesbia pectit;
Atque elephas lente, te petit Lesbia dente ;
Hunc maculis noris, nivei jacet ille coloris,
Hic jacet et munde, mundus muliebris abunde;
Spinula resplendens æris longo ordine pendens,
Pulvis suavis odore, et epiftola suavis amore.
Induit arma ergo Veneris pulcherrima virgo ;
Pulchrior in præfens tempus de tempore crescens ;
Jam reparat risus, jam surgit gratia visus,
Jam promit cultu, mirac'la latentia vultu ;
Pigmina jam miscet, quo plus fua Purpura glifcet,
Et geminans bellis splendet mage fulgor ocellis.
Stant Lemures muti, Nymphæ intentique salati,
Hic figit Zonam, capiti locat ille Coronam,
Hæc manicis formam, plicis dat et altera normam ;
Et tibi vel Betty, tibi vel nitidiffima Letty!
Gloria factorum temere conceditur horum.

Th' inferior Priestess, at her altar's side,
Trembling, begins the sacred rites of Pride.
Unnumber'd treasures ope at once, and here
The various off'rings of the world appear ; 130
From each she nicely culls with curious toil,
And decks the Goddess with the glitt'ring spoil.
This casket India's glowing gems unlocks,
And all Arabia breathes from yonder box.
The Tortoise here and Elephant unite, 135
Transform'd to combs, the speckled, and the white.
Here files of pins extend their shining rows,
Puffs, Powders, Patches, Bibles, Billet-doux.
Now awful Beauty puts on all its arms ;
The fair each moment rises in her charms, 140
Repairs her smiles, awakens ev'ry grace,
And calls forth all the wonders of her face;
Sees by degrees a purer blush arise,
And keener lightnings quicken in her eyes.
The busy Sylphs surround their darling care, 145
These set the head, and those divide the hair,
Some fold the sleeve, whilst others plait the gown
And Betty's prais'd for labours not her own.

VER. 145. The busy Syipbs, etc.] Antient Traditions of the Rabbi's relate, that several of the fallen Angels became amorous of Women, and particularly some;

among the rest Afael, who lay with Naamah, the wife of Noah, or of Ham ; and who continuing impenitent, still prefides over the Women's Toilets. Bereshi Rabbi in Genei. vi. 2. P.

THE