"That long behind he trails his pompous "robe, "And, of all monarchs, only grafps the globe!" But, fpeaking of the Knave of Diamonds, our Poet ftill rifes in excellence, and, to the utmost elegance of defcription, adds the niceft touches of oblique Raillery. "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 for"Look, "A livid paleness spreads o'er all her look; "She fees, and trembles at th' approaching ill, Juft in the jaws of ruin, and Codille. 66 "And now (as oft in fome diftemper'd State) "On one nice Trick depends the gen'ral fate: "An Ace of Hearts steps forth: The King "unfeen "Lurk'd in her hand, and mourn'd his сар"tive Queen: He fprings to vengeance with an eager pace, "And falls like thunder on the proftrate Ace. "The nymph exulting fills with fhouts the 66 fky; "The walls, the woods, and long canals reply." There is great addrefs in making the Knave of Diamonds win the Queen of Hearts, which conveys a delicate fatire on the interested attach-' ments ments of the fair, who prefer glittering Knaves to the plain Man of Worth. The political illuftration likewife of the crifis in a diftempered ftate, is well conceived, and happily adapted, The author of the effay, I have fo often had occafion to mention, very candidly owns, that this description of the game of ombre, is equal, if not fuperior to the Scacchia of Vida; for as chefs is a play of a far higher order than ombre, Mr. Pope had a more difficult task than Vida, to raise this his inferior fubject, into equal dignity and gracefulness. There is great merit likewife in painting the scene of the tea-table, which immediately follows, though the fame dignity and elegance is not preferved as in the foregoing. The introductory line is particularly faulty: "For lo! the Board with Cups and Spoons is "crown'd." The appellations of Cups and Spoons in this place, are too low and common; and they ought to have been mentioned with a periphrafis, to have preserved the mock dignity of the piece. Mr. POPE was here unmindful of Horace's remark “Difficile eft propriè communia dicere.” The machinery, however, is here very happily introduced, watching over Belinda while I 3 fhe is fipping her coffee; and the anxiety with which the aerial fpirits fuperintend her motions, is elegantly reprefented. Straight hover round the Fair her airy band O "Some, as the fipp'd, the fuming liquor fann'd, "Some o'er her lap their careful plumes dif"play'd, "Trembling, and confcious of the rich "brocade." The fylphs fpreading their plumes to preserve the brocade from ftains, is prettily imagined; but our Poet ftill rifes in delicacy of imagination, when he defcribes their folicitous zeal as the danger draws near. "Swift to the Lock a thoufand Sprites repair, "A thousand wings, by turns, blow back the "hair; "And thrice they twitch'd the Diamond in "her ear, "Thrice fhe look'd back, and thrice the Foe "drew near." The triumph of the Baron on obtaining the Lock is defcribed in an admirable parody of Virgil, in which the Poet has skilfully contrived to interfperfe fome exquifite ftrokes of fatire and ridicule, on the little vanities and foibles of the fair fex. * " Dum juga montis aper, fluvios dum pifcis amabit, &c.” "While fish in ftreams, or birds delight in ❝ air, "Or in a coach and fix the British Fair, "As long as Atalantis fhall be read, "Or the fmall pillow grace a Lady's bed, "While vifits fhall be paid on folemn days, "When num'rous wax-lights in bright order "blaze, "While nymphs take treats, or affignations “give, "So long my honour, name, and praise fhall "live!" In the fourth canto, which opens with the rage and defpair of Belinda, for the lofs of her Lock, there is a fine oppofition of real and imaginary diftreffes, which form an affemblage at once ftriking and agreeable. "Not youthful kings in battle feiz'd alive, "Not ardent lovers robb'd of all their blifs, The Poet's clofing the climax with the flightest disaster of all, gives additional poignance to the ridicule in this parody. There is fomething very picturesque in the defcription of the cave of SPLEEN, who is admirably characterized. "She fighs for ever on her penfive bed, "Pain at her fide, and Megrim at her head." Her attendants likewife, ILL-NATURE and AFFECTATION, are well appropriated. It must be owned, however, that there is nothing very chara Aeristic in the picture of ILL-NATURE; but AFFECTATION is drawn with a masterly pencil. "There Affectation with a fickly mien, "Shows in her cheek the roses of eighteen, “Practis'd to lifp, and hang the head aside, "Faints into airs, and languishes with pride." The phantoms raised by the vapour which flies over the place, are happily conceived, and expreffed in the boldeft imagery. "Now glaring fiends, and fnakes on rolling fpires, . "Pale fpectres, gaping tombs, and purple "fires: "Now lakes of liquid gold, Elyfian scenes, "And crystal domes, and Angels in machines." The invocation of Umbriel, the Gnome, to the Goddess of Spleen, is replete with agreeable. raillery; particularly where he conjures her by the |