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 when no foul was rude,
Or difcompos'd the head-drefs of a Prude,
Or e'er to coftive lap-dog gave disease,
Which not the tears of brighteft eyes could ease:
Hear me, and touch Belinda with chagrin,
That fingle act gives half the world the spleen.

The Goddess with a difcontented air

70

75

Seems to reject him, tho' fhe grants his pray'r. 80
A wond'rous Bag with both her hands fhe 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 fhe fills with fainting fears,
Soft forrows, melting griefs, and flowing tears.
The Gnome 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 iffu'd at the vent.
Belinda burns with more than mortal ire,
And fierce Thaleftris fans the rifing fire.

90

O wretched maid! fhe fpread her hands, and cry'd,
(While Hampton's echoes, Wretched maid! reply'd)
Was it for this you took fuch constant care
The bodkin, comb, and effence to prepare?
For this your locks in paper durance bound,
For this with tort'ring irons wreath'd around? 100
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 ftare!
Honour forbid! at whofe unrival'd fhrine
Eafe, pleasure, virtue, all our fex refign.
Methinks already I your tears furvey,
Already hear the horrid things they say,
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' ineftimable prize,
Expos'd thro' cryftal to the gazing eyes,

105

110

And heighten'd by the diamond's circling rays, 115
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, perifh all!
She faid; then raging to Sir Plume repairs,
And bids her Beau demand the precious hairs:

NOTES.

120

VER. 121. Sir Plume repairs,) Sir George Brown. He was the only one of the Party who took the thing feriously. He was angry that the Poet fhould make him talk nothing but non fense; and in truth, one could not well blame him.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 121. And now, unveil'd: etc.) The tranflation of thefe verfes, containing the defcription of the toilette, by our Author's Friend, Dr. Parnell, deferve, for their humour, to be here inferted.

Et nunc dilectum fpeculum, pro more retectum,
Emicat in menfa, quæ fplendet pyxide denfa:

(Sir Plume of amber fnuff-box juftly vain,
And the nice conduct of a clouded cane)
With earneft eyes, and round unthinking face, 125
He first the fnuff-box open'd, then the case;

"Z-ds! damn the lock! 'fore Gad, you must be civil!

"Plague on't! 'tis past a jeft

nay prithee, pox!

"Give her the hair,, - he spoke, and rapp'd his box.

IMITATIONS.

Tum primum lympha fe purgat candida nympha,

Jamque fine menda, cœleftis imago videnda,

Nuda caput, bellos retinet, regit, implet ocellos..
Hæc fuper explorans, ceu cultus numen adorans.
Inferior claram Pytoniffa apparet ad aram
Fertque tibi caure, dicatque Superbia laute,
Dona venufta; oris, quæ cunétis, plena laboris,
Excerpta explorat, dominamque deamque decorat.
Pyxide devota, fe pandit India tota,

Et tota ex ifta tranfpirat Arabia cifta;
Teftudo hic fletit, dum fe mea Lefbia pectit;
Arque Elephas lente, te petit Lefbia.dente;
Hunc maculis noris, nivei jacet ille coloris.
Hinc jacet & munde, mundus muliebris abunde;
Spinula refplendens æris longo ordine pendens,
Pulvis fuavis odore, & epiftola fuavis amore.
Induit arma ergo Veneris pulcherrima virgo;
Pulchrior in præfens tempus de tempore crefcens ;
Jam reparat rifus, jam furgit gratia vifus,
Jam promit cultu, mirac'la latentia vultu;
Pigmina iam mifcet, quo plus fua Purpura glifcet,
Et geminans bellis fplendet mage fulgor ocellis.
Stant Lemures muti, Nymphæ intentique faluti,
Hic figit Zonam, capiti locat ille coronam,
Hæc manicis formam, plicis dat & altera normam;
Et tibi ve Betty, vei nitidiffima Lerty!

Gloria factorum temere conceditur horum.

135

It grieves me much (reply'd the Peer again) 131 Who speaks fo well fhould ever speak in vain. But by this Lock, this facred Lock I fwear, (Which never more fhall join its parted hair; Which never more its honours fhall renew, Clip'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 fpoke, and fpeaking, in proud triumph fpread 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-languifhing, half-drown'd in tears;
On her heav'd bofom hung her drooping head, 145
Which, with a figh, fhe rais'd; and thus fhe said.
For ever curs'd be this detefted day,

Which fnatch'd my beft, my fav'rite curl away!
Happy! ah ten times happy had I been,

If Hampton - Court these eyes had never seen! 150

Yet am not I the first mistaken maid;

By love of Courts to num'rous ills betray'd.

Oh had I rather un-admir'd remain'd

In fome lone ifle, or diftant Northern land;

NOTES.

VER. 141. But Umbriel, hateful Gnome! forbeers not fo; He breaks the vial whence the forrows flow.) Thefe two lines are additional; and affign the cause of the different operation on the Paffions of the two Ladies. The poem went on before without that diftinction, as without any Machinery to the end of the Canto.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 133. But by this Lock,) In allufion to Achilles's oath. in Homer, II, i.

155

Where the gilt Chariot never marks the way,
Where none learn Ombre, none e'er tafte Bohea!
There kept my charms conceal'd from mortal eye,
Like rofes, that in deferts bloom and die.
What mov'd my mind with youthful Lords to roam?
O had I ftay'd, and faid my pray's at home! 160
'Twas this, the morning omens feem'd to tell,
Thrice from my trembling hand the patch-box fell;
The tott'ring China fhook without a wind,
Nay Poll fat mute, and Shock was moft unkind!
A Sylph too warn'd me of the threats of fate, 165
In myftic vifions, now believ'd too late!
See the poor remnants of these flighted hairs!
My hands fhall rend what ev'n thy rapine fpares:
These in two fable ringlets taught to break,
Once gave new beauties to the fnowy neck;
The fifter-lock now fits uncouth, alone,
And in its fellow's fate forefees its own;
Uncurl'd it hangs, the fatal fheers demands,
And tempts, once more, thy facrilegious hands.
Oh hadit thou, cruel! been content to feize
Hairs lefs in fight, or any hairs but thefe!

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