On her white breaft a sparkling Crofs fhe wore,
Which jews might kifs, and Infidels adore,
Her lively looks a sprightly mind difclofe,
Quick as her eyes, and as unfix'd as those :
Favours to none, to all the fmiles extends;
Oft the rejects, but never once offends.
Bright as the fun, her eyes the gazers strike,
And, like the fun, they fhine on all alike.
Yet graceful eafe, and sweetness void of pride, 15
Might hide her faults, if Belles had faults to hide :
If to her fhare fome female errors fall,
Look on her face, and you'll forget them all.

This Nymph, to the deftruction of mankind, Nourish'd two Locks, which graceful hung be20

hind

In equal curls, and well confpir'd to deck
With fhining ringlets the Tooth ivory neck.
Love in thefe labyrinths his flaves detains,
And mighty hearts are held in flender chains.
With hairy fpringes we the birds betray;
Slight lines of hair furprize the finny prey;
Fair treffes man's imperial race infiare,
And Beauty draws us with a fingle hair.
Th' adventurous Baron the bright locks
mir'd;

25

ad

30

He faw, he wish'd, and to the prize afpir'd.
Refolv'd to win, he meditates the way,
By force to ravif, or by fraud betray;
For when fuccefs a Lover's toil attends,
Few afk, if fraud or force attain'd his ends.
For this, ere Phoebus rofe, he had implor'd 35
Propitious heaven, and every power ador'd;
But chiefly Love to Love an altar built,
Of twelve vaft French Romances, neatly gilt.
There lay three garters, half a pair of gloves,
And all the trophies of his former loves.
With tender billet-doux he lights the pyre,
And breathes three amorous fighs to raife the fire.
Then proftrate falls, and begs with ardent eyes
Soon to obtain, and long poffefs the prize :
The powers gave ear,
and granted half his

40

45

55

prayer; The rest, the winds difpers'd in empty air. But now fecure the painted veffel glides, The fun-beams trembling on the floating tides: While melting mufic fteals upon the sky, And foften'd founds along the waters die; Smooth flow the waves, the Zephyrs gently play, Belinda fmil'd, and all the world was gay, All but the Sylph-with careful thoughts oppreft, The impending woe fat heavy on his breaft. He fummons ftrait his Denizens of air; The lucid fquadrons round the fails repair: Soft o'er the fhrouds aërial whifpers breathe, That feem'd but Zephyrs to the train beneath Some to the fun their infect wings unfold, Waft on the breeze, or fink in clouds of gold; 60 Transparent forms, too fine for mortal fight, Their fluid bodies half diffolv'd in light. Loofe to the wind their airy garments flew, Thin glittering textures of the filmy dew, Dipp'd in the richest tinctures of the fkies, Where light difports in ever-mingling dyes, While every beam new tranfient colours flings, Colours that change whene'er they wave their wings,

65

Amid the circle on the gilded maft,
Superior by the head, was Ariel plac'd;
His purple pinions opening to the fun,
He rais'd bis azure wand, and thus begun :
Ye Sylphs and Sylphids, to your chie, give car ;
Fays, Fairies, Genii, Elves, and Demons, hear!
Ye know the spheres, and various tasks affign'd
By laws eternal to th' aërial kind.

Some in the fields of pureft æther play,
And bask and whiten in the blaze of day;
Some guide the courfe of wondering orbs on
..high,

Or roll the planets through the boundless sky; 80
Some, lefs refin'd, beneath the moon's pale light
Purfue the ftars that shoot athwart the night,
Or fuck the mifts in groffer air below,
Or dip their pinions in the painted bow,

Or brew fierce tempefts on the wintery main, 85
Or o'er the globe diftil the kindly rain.
Others on earth o'er human race prefide,
Watch all their ways, and all their actions guide:
Of thefe the chief the care of Nations own,
And guard with arms divine the British Throne.
Our humbler province is to tend the Fair,
Not a lefs pleafing, though lefs glorious care ;
To fave the powder from too rude a gale,
Not let th' imprifon'd effences exhale;

To draw fresh colours from the vernal flowers; 95
To fteal from rainbows, ere they drop in showers,
A brighter wash; to curl their waving hairs,
Affift their blufhes, and infpire their airs;
Nay oft, in dreams, invention we bestow,
To change a Flounce, or add a Furbelow.

103

This day, black Omens threat the brightest Fair
That e'er deferv'd a watchful spirit's are;
Some dire difafter, or by force, or flight;
But what, or where, the fates have wrapp'd ia
night.

Whether the nymph fhall break Diana's law, 105
Or fome frail China-jar receive a flaw;
Or ftain her honour, or her new brocade;
Forget her prayers, or mifs a masquerade;
Or lofe her heart, or necklace at a ball;

Or whether Heaven has doom'd that Shock muf fall.

Hafte then, ye fpirits! to your charge repair :
The fluttering fan be Zephyretta's care;
The drops to thee, Brillante, we confign;
And, Momentilla, let the watch be thine;
Do thou, Crifpiffa, tezd her favorite Luck; 115
Ariel himself fhall be the guard of Shock.

To fifty chofen Sylphs, of fpecial note,
We trust th' important charge, the Petticoat:
Oft have we known that feven-fold fence to fail,
Though ftiff with hoops, and arm'd with ribs of
whale.

Form a ftrong line about the filver bound,
And guard the wide circumference around.

Whatever fpirit, carelefs of his charge,
His poft neglects, or leaves the fair at large,
Shall feel fharp vengeance foon o'ertake his fins,
Be stopp'd in vials, or transfix'd with pias ;
Or plung'd in lakes of bitter washes lie,
Or wedg'd whole ages in a bodkin's eye:
Gums and Pomatums fhall his flight reftrain,
While clogg'd he beats his filken wings in vain:

5

Here Britain's statesmen oft the fall foredoom
Of foreign Tyrants, and of Nymphs at home;
Here thou, great Anna! whom three realms obey,
Doft fometimes counfel take-and fometimes tea.
Hither the heroes and the nymphs refort,
To taste awhile the pleasures of a Court;
In various talk th' instructive hours they paft,
Who gave the ball, or paid the vifit laft;
One fpeaks the glory of the British Queen,
And one defcribes a charming Indian fcreen;
A third interprets motions, looks, and eyes;
At every word a reputation dies.
Snuff, or the fan, fupply each pause of chat,
With finging, laughing, ogling, and all that.
Meanwhile, declining from the noon of day,
The fun obliquely fhoots his burning ray;
The hungry Judges foon the fentence fign,
And wretches hang, that Jurymen inay dine;
The merchant from th' Exchange returns in
peace,

15

20

25

And the long labours of the toilet cease.
Belinda now, whom thirft of fame invites,
Burns to encounter two adventurous Knights,
At Ombre fingly to decide their doom;
And fwells her breaft with conquests yet to come,
Strait the three bands prepare in arms to join,
Each band the number of the facred nine.
Soon as the spreads her haud, th' aerial guard
Defcend, 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 majefty rever'd,
With hoary whifters and a forky beard;
And four fair Queens, whofe hands fuftain a
flower,

Th' expreffive emblem of their fofter power; 40
Four Knaves in garbs fuccinct, a trufty band;
Caps on their heads, and halberts in their hand;
And party-coloured troops, a fhining train,
Drawn forth to combat on the velvet plain.

The kilful nymph reviews her force with care: Let Spades be trumps! fhe faid, and trumps they

were.

Now move to war her fable Matadores, In flow like leaders of the fwarthy Moors. Spadillo first, unconquerable Lord!

51

Led off two captive trumpe, and swept the board,
As many more Manillio forc'd to yield,
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 fabre next, a chief in years, 55
The hoary Majefty of Spades appears,
Puts forth one manly leg, to fight reveal'd,
The reft, 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'er
threw,

And mow'd down armies in the fights of Lu,
Sad chance of war; now deftitute of aid,
Falls undiftinguish'd by the victor Spade!

65

Thus far both armies to Belinda yield; Now to the Baron fate inclines the field. His warlike Amazon her hoft invades, Th' imperial confort of the crown of Spades. The Club's black tyrant first her victim dy'd, Spite of his haughty mein, and harbarous pride: What boots the regal circle on his head, His giant limbs in ftate unweildy fpread? That long behind he trails his pompous robe, And, of all monarchs only grasps the globe?

71

The Baron now bis Diamonds pours apace; The' embroider'd King who shows but half his face,

And his refulgent Queen, with powers com

bin'd,

81

Of broken troops an eafy conqueft find,
Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, in wild diforder feen,
With throngs promifcuous ftrow the level green:
Thus when difpers'd a routed army runs,
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 difunited fall,
In heaps on heaps; one fate o'erwhelms them all.
The Knave of Diamonds tries his wily arts,
And wins (oh fhameful chance!) the Queen of
Hearts.

85

At this, the blood the virgin's cheek forfook,
A livid palenefs fpreads o'er all her look;
She fees, and trembles at th' approaching ill,
Just in the jaws of ruin, and Codille,
And now (as oft in fome diftemper'd state),
On one nice trick depends the general fate,
An Ace of Hearts fteps forth: the King unfeen 95
Lurk'd in her hand, and mourn'd his captive

On fhining Altars of Japan they raife The filver lamp; the fiery fpirits blaze: From filver spouts the grateful liquors glide, While China's earth receives the fmoaking tide: At once they gratify their scent and taste, And frequent cups prolong the rich repast. Strait hover round the Fair her airy band; Some, as the fipp'd, the fuming liquor fann'd; Some o'er her lap their careful plumes display'd, Trembling, and confcious of the rich brocade. 116 Coffee, (which makes the politician wife, And fee through all things with his half-fhut eyes) Sent up in vapours to the Baron's brain New ftratagems, the radiant Lock to gain. Ah ceafe, rafh youth! defift ere 'tis too late, Fear the juit Gods, and think of Scylla's fate! Chang'd to a bird, and sent to flit in air, She dearly pays for Nifus' injur'd hair!

120

126

But when to mifchief mortals bend their will, How foon they find fit inftruments of ill! Just then, Clariffa drew with tempting grace A two-edg'd weapon from her thining cafe: So ladies, in Romance, affift their knight, Prefent the fpear, and arm hiin for the fight. 130 He takes the gift with reverence, and extends The little engine on his fingers ends; This juft behind Belinda's neck he fpread, As o'er the fragrant fteams the bends her head. Swift to the Lock a thoufand Sprites repair, A thoufand wings, by turns, blow back the hair; And thrice they twitch'd the diamond in her ear; Thrice the loo'd back, and thrice the foe drew

near.

135

BUT opprefs'd,

And fecret paffions labour'd in her breaft.
Not youthful kings in battle feiz'd alive,
Not fcornful virgins who their charms furvive,
Not ardent lovers robb'd of all their blifs,
Not ancient ladies when refus'd a kifs,
Not tyrants fierce that unrepenting die,
Not Cynthia when her manteau's pinn'd awry,
E'er felt such rage, refentment, and despair,
As thou, fad Virgin! for thy ravish'd Hair.
For, that fad moment, when the Sylph
withdrew,

And Ariel weeping from Belinda flew,
Umbriel, a dufky, melancholy fprite,
As ever fully'd the fair face of light,
Down to the central earth, his proper fcene,
Repair'd to fearch the gloomy Cave of Spleen,

5

Juft in that inftant, anxious Ariel fought
The clofe recefies of the Virgin's thought;
As on the nofegay in her breast reclin❜d,
He watch'd th' ideas rifing in her mind,
Sudden he view'd, in fpite of all her art,
An earthly lover lurking at her heart.
Amaz'd, confus'd, he found his power expir'd,
Reign'd to fate, and with a figh retir'd,

146

The Peer now fpreads the glittering forfex wide,

T'inclofe the Lock; now joins it, to divide.
Ev'n then, before the fatal engine clos'd,
A wretched Sylph too fondly interpos'd;
Fate urg'd the fheers, and cut the Sylph in twain
(But airy fubftance foon unites again),
The meeting points the facred hair diffever
From the fair head, for ever, and for ever!

Then flash'd the living lightning from her eyes, And icreams of horror rend th' affrighted skies. Not louder frieks to pitying heaven are caft, When husbands, or when lap-dogs, breathe their laft!

Or when rich China veffels, fall'n from high,
In glittering duft and painted fragments lie! 160
Let wreaths of triumph now my temples twine
(The Victor cry d), the glorious Prize is mine!
While fifh 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 numerous wax-lights in bright order blaze,

165

Her hand is flld; her bofom with lampoons. 30
There Affectation, with a fickly mien,
Shows in her cheek the roses of eighteen,
Practied to lifp, and hang the head afide,
Faints into airs, and languishes with pride,
On the rich quilt finks with becoming woe, 35
Wrapt in a gown, for fcknefs, and for fhow.
The fair-ones feel fuch maladies as thefe,
When each new night-drefs gives a new disease.
A conftant Vapour o'er the palace flies;
Strange phantoms rifmg as the mists arise :
Dreadful, as hermits dreams in haunted shades,
Or bright, as visions of expiring maids.
Now glaring fiends, and fnakes on rolling pires,
Pale fpectres, gapig tombs, and purple res :
Now lakes of liquid gold, Elyfian fcenes,
And crystal domes, and Angels in machines.
-Unnumber'd throngs on every fide are feen,
Of bodies chang'd to various forms by Spleen.

40

Here living Tea-pots ftand, one arm held out,
Che bent; the handle this, and that the fpout:
A Pipkin there, like Homer's Tripod, walks; 51
Here fighs a jar, and there a goofe-pye talks
Men prove with child, as powerful rancy works,
And maids, turn'd beetles, call aloud for corks.
Safe pait the Gnome through this fantastic band,
A branch of healing Spleen-wort in his hand,
Then thus addrefs'd the Power Hail, wayward
Queen!

Who rule the fex to fifty from fifteen :
Parent of vapours, and of female wit,
Who give th' hyfteric, or poetic it,
On various tempers act by various ways,
Make fome take phyfic, others fcribble plays;
Who caufe the proud their vifits to delay,
And fepd the godly in a pet to pray.

60

40

A Nymph there is, that all thy power difflains, 65
And thousands more in equal mirth maintains.
But oh! if e'er thy Gnome could fpoil a grace,
Or raise a pimple on a beauteous face,
Like Citron-waters matrons cheeks inflame,
Or change complexions at a lofing game;
If e'er with airy horns I planted heads,
Or rumpled petticoats, or tumbled beds,
Or caus'd fufpicion where no foul was rude,
Or difcompos'd the head-drefs of a Prude,
Or e'er to coftive lap-dog gave difease,
Which not the tears of brightest eyes could eafe:
Hear me and touch Belinda with chagrin;
That fingle aft gives half the world the spleen.
The Goddefs with a difcontented air
Seems to reject bim, though the grants his prayer.
A wonderous bag with both her hands the binds,
Like that where once Ulyffes held the winds;
There fhe collects the force of female lungs,
Sighs, fobs, and paffions, and the war of tongues.
A vial next the fills with fainting fears,
Soft forrows, melting griefs, and flowing tears.
The Gaome rejoicing bears her gifts away,
Spreads his black wings, and flowly mounts to day.
Sunk in Thaleftris arms the Nymph he found,
Her eyes dejected, and her hair unbound.
Full o'er their heads the fwelling bag he rent,
And all the Furies iffued at the vent.
Belinda burns with more than mortal ire,
And fierce Thale ftris fans the rifing fire.

✪ wretched 'maid! the fpread her hands, and cry'd,

95

(While Hampton's cchoes, wretched maid! rcply'd)

Was it for this you took fuch conftant care
The bodkin, comb, and effence, to prepare?
For this your locks in paper durance bound,
For this with torturing irons wreath'd around?
For this with fillets ftrain'd your tender head,
And bravely bore the double loads of lead!
Gods! fhall the ravifher difplay your hair,
While the Fops envy, and the Ladies ttare!
Honour forbid! at whofe unrival'd shrine
Fafe, pleasure, virtue, all our fex reign.
Methinks already I your tears furvey,
Already hear the horrid things they fay,
Already fee you a degraded toast,
And all your honour in a whisper loft!

How fhall I, then, your helpless fame defend?
'Twill then be infamy to feem your friend!
And fhall this prize, th' inestimable prize,
Expos'd through cryftal to the gazing eyes,
And heighten'd by the diamond's circling rays,
On that rapacious hand for ever blaze!
Sooner fhall grafs in Hyde-park Circus grow,
And wits take lodgings in the found of Bow!
Sooner let earth, air, fea, to Chaos fall,
Men, monkeys, lap-dogs, parrots, perish all!

116

She faid; then raging to Sir Plume repairs, And bids her Beau demand the precious hairs: (Sir Plume of amber fnuff-box juftly vain, And the nice conduct of a clouded cane) With earnest eyes, and round unthinking face, He first the fnuff-box open'd, then the cafe, 126 And thus broke out--" My Lord, why, what the devil?

"Zls! damn the Lock! 'fore Gad, you must be civil!

"Plague on 't! tis paft a jeft-nay pr'ythee, pos! "Give her the hair"-he spoke, and rapp'd his

box.

It grieves me much (reply'd the Peer again) Who fpeaks fo well fhould ever speak in vain; But by this Lock, this facred Lock, I swear. (Which never more shall join its parted hair; Which never more its honours fhall renew, 135 Clipp'd from the lovely head where late it grew) That while my noftrils draw the vital air, This hand which won it, fhall for ever wear. He spoke, and, fpeaking, in proud triumph spread The long-contended honours of her head.

140

But Umbriel, hateful Gnome! forbears not fo; He breaks the Vial whence the forrows flow. Then fee the Nymph in beauteous grief appears, Her eyes half-lauguishing half-drown'd in tears; On her heav'd bofom hung her drooping head, 145 Which, with a figh, the rais'd: and thus she said: For ever curs'd be this detefted day, Which fnatch'd my beft, my favorite curl away! Happy! ah ten times happy had I been, If Hampton-Court thefe eyes had never seen! Yet am not I the first mistaken mâid By love of courts to numerous ills betray'd. Ob had I rather unadmir'd remain'd In fome lone ifle, or diftant northern land; Where the gilt Chariot never marks the way, 155 Where none learn Ombre, none e'er taste Bohea! There kept my charms conceal'd from mortal eye, Like roses, that in deferts bloom and die. What mov'd my mind with youthful Lords to roam?

151

105