ON RECEIVING FROM

THE RIGHT HON. THE LADY

FRANCES SHIRLEY

A STANDISH AND TWO PENS,

YES, I beheld th' Athenian Queen

Defcend in all her fober charms ;

"And take (fhe faid, and fmil'd ferene)
"Take at this hand celeftial arms;

"Secure the radiant weapons wield;
"This golden lance fhall guard Desert,
"And if a Vice dares keep the field,

"This steel shall stab it to the heart."

NOTES.

Aw'd,

The Lady Frances Shirley] A Lady whose great Merit Mr. Pope took a real pleafure in celebrating.

Yes, I bebeld, &c.] To enter into the spirit of this Address, it is neceffary to premife, that the Poet was threatened with a prosecution in the Houfe of Lords, for the two foregoing poems, the Epilogue to the Satires. On which, with great refentment against his enemies, for not being willing to diftinguish between

Grave Epiftles bringing Vice to light,

and licentious Libels, he began a third Dialogue, more fevere and fublime than the firft and fecond; which being no fecret, matters were foòn compromifed. His enemies agreed

to

Aw'd, on my bended knees I fell,
Receiv'd the weapons of the fky;
And dipt them in the fable Well,
The Fount of Fame or Infamy.

"What Well? what Weapon? (Flavia cries)
"A ftandish, steel and golden pen!

"It came from Bertrand's, not the skies; Lgave it you to write again.

"But, Friend, take heed whom you attack; "You'll bring a House (I mean of Peers) "Red, Blue, and Green, nay white and black, “Land all about and all about your ears!

"You'd write as smooth again on glass, "And run, on ivory, fo glib,

"As not to stick at fool or ass

"Nor ftop at Flattery or Fib.

"Athenian

NOTES.

to drop the profecution, and he promised to leave the third Dialogue unfinished and fuppreffed. This affair occafioned this little beautiful poem, to which it alludes throughout, but more especially in the four last stanzas.

A famous toy-shop at Bath.

b The Dunciad.

The Epifle to Dr. Arbuthnot.

"Athenian Queen! and fober charms!
"I tell ye, fool, there's nothing in't:
""Tis Venus, Venus gives these arms";
"In Dryden's Virgil fee the print®.

"Come, if you'll be a quiet foul,

"That dares tell neither Truth nor Lies",

"I'll lift you in the harmless roll

"Of those that fing of these poor eyes." “Of

NOTES.

Such toys being the ufual prefents from lovers to their miftreffes.

• When the delivers Aeneas a fuit of heavenly armour. fi. e. If you have neither the courage to write Satire, nor the application to attempt an Epic Poem.-He was then meditating on fuch a work.

END OF THE FOURTH VOLUME,