I first taught woman to subdue mankind,

25

And all her native charms with drefs refin'd:

Celestial Synod! this machine furvey,

That thades the face, or bids cool Zephyrs play;
If conscious blushes on her cheek arise,

With this the veils them from her lover's eyes;
No level'd glance betrays her amorous heart,
From the Fan's ambufh fhe directs the dart.
The royal fceptre fhines in Juno's hand,

30

And twifted thunder fpeaks great Jove's command;
On Pallas' arm the Gorgon fhield appears,

35

And Neptune's mighty grafp the trident bears;
Ceres is with the bending fickle seen,

And the ftrong bow points out the Cynthian Queen ;
Henceforth the waving Fan my hands fhall grace,
The waving Fan fupply the fceptre's place.

Who fhall, ye Powers! the forming pencil hold?
What story fhall the wide machine unfold?
Let Loves and Graces lead the dance around,
With myrtle-wreaths and flowery chaplets crown'd;
Let Cupid's arrow ftrow the fmiling plains

With unrefifting nymphs and amorous fwains:
May glowing pictures o'er the surface shine,
To melt flow virgins with a warm defign!
Diana rofe, with filver crefcent crown'd,
And fix'd her modeft eyes upon the ground;
Then with becoming mien fhe rais'd her head,
And thus with graceful voice the virgin said:
Has woman then forgot all former wiles,
The watchful ogle, and delufive fmiles ?

40

45

50

Does

Does man against her charms too powerful prove?
Or are the fex grown novices in love?

Why then these arms? or why should artful eyes,
From this flight ambush, conquer by furprize?
No guilty thought the spotlefs virgin knows,
And o'er her cheek no conscious crimson glows.
Since blushes then from fhame alone arife,
Why should we veil them from her lover's eyes?
Let Cupid rather give up his command,
And truft his arrows in a female hand.
Have not the Gods already cherish'd pride,
And woman with deftructive arms fupply'd ?
Neptune on her bestows his choicest stores,
For her the chambers of the deep explores;
The gaping fhell its pearly charge refigns,
And round her neck the lucid bracelet twines :
Plutus for her bids earth its wealth unfold,
"Where the warm ore is ripen'd into gold;
Or where the ruby reddens in the foil,

Where the green emerald pays the fearcher's toil.
Does not the diamond sparkle in her ear,
Glow on her hand, and tremble in her hair?
From the gay nymph the glancing luftre flies,
And imitates the lightning of her eyes.
if Venus' wishes must fucceed,
And this fantastic engine be decreed,

But

yet,

May fome chafte ftory from the pencil flow,
To speak the virgin's joy, and Hymen's woe!
Here let the wretched Ariadne ftand,

Seduc'd by Thefeus to fome defart land,

Her

Her locks dishevel'd waving in the wind,
The cryftal tears confefs her tortur'd mind.
The perjur'd youth unfurls his treacherous fails,
And their white bofoms catch the fwelling gales.
Be ftill! ye winds, fhe cries; ftay, Thefeus, ftay!
But faithlefs Thefeus hears no more than they.
All defperate, to fome craggy cliff the flies,
And spreads a well-known signal in the fkies;
His leffening veffel plows the foamy main ;
She fighs, the calls, fhe waves the fign in vain.
Paint Dido there amidst her laft diftrefs,
Pale cheeks and blood-fhot eyes her grief exprefs:
Deep in her breast the reeking sword is drown'd;
And gufhing blood streams purple from the wound
Her fifter Anna hovering o'er her stands,
Accufes Heaven with lifted eyes and hands,
Upbraids the Trojan with repeated cries,
And mixes curfes with her broken fighs.

View this, ye maids; and then each fwain believe;
They're Trojans all, and vow but to deceive.
Here draw Oenone in the lonely grove,
Where Paris first betray'd her into love :
Let wither'd garlands hang on every bough,
Which the falfe youth wove for Oenone's brow;
The garlands lose their sweets, their pride is shed,
And like their odours all his vows are fled.
On her fair arm her pensive head she lays,
And Xanthus' waves with mournful look furveys;
That flood which witnefs'd his inconftant flame,
When thus he swore, and won the yielding dame:

"Thefe

"These ftreams fhall fooner to their fountain move,
"Than I forget my dear Oenone's love."

Roll back, ye ftreams; back to your fountain run!
Paris is falfe; Oenone is undone.

120

Ah, wretched maid! think how the moments flew,
Ere you the pangs of this curs'd paffion knew,
When groves could please, and when you lov'd the plain,
Without the presence of your perjur'd swain.

125

Thus may the nymph, whene'er fhe spreads the Fan, In his true colours view perfidious man ; Pleas'd with her virgin ftate, in forests rove, And never truft the dangerous hopes of Love. The Goddess ended; merry Momus rose, With fmiles and grins he waggish glances throws; Then with a noisy laugh foreftalls his joke,

Mirth flashes from his eyes while thus he spoke:

130

Feign'd fleep has clos'd the bloomy lover's eyes :
See, to his foft embraces how she steals,
And on his lips her warm careffes feals;

No more her hand the glittering javelin holds,
But round his neck her eager arms the folds.
Why are our fecrets by our blushes shown?
Virgins are virgins ftill-while 'tis unknown.
Here let her on fome flowery bank be laid,
Where meeting beeches weave a graceful shade;

140

Her

145

Her naked bofom wanton treffes grace,

-150

And glowing expectation paints her face;
O'er her fair limbs a thin loose veil is fpread
(Stand off! ye shepherds; fear A&tæon's head !) :
Let vigorous Pan th' unguarded minute seize,
And in a fhaggy goat the virgin please.
Why are our fecrets by our blushes shown?
Virgins are virgins ftill-while 'tis unknown.
There with just warmth Aurora's paffion truce,
Let spreading crimson stain her virgin face.
See Cephalus her wanton airs despise,
While the provokes him with defiring eyes;
To raise his paffion, she difplays her charms,
His modeft hand upon her bofom warms :
Nor looks, nor prayers, nor force, his heart perfuade;
But with difdain he quits the rofy maid.

Here let diffolving Leda grace the toy,

Warm cheeks and heaving breafts reveal her joy;
Beneath the preffing fwan the pants for air,

While with his fluttering wings he fans the fair.
There let all-conquering gold exert its power,
And soften Danaë in a glittering shower.

Would you warn Beauty not to cherish pride,
Nor vainly in the treacherous bloom confide,
On the machine the fage Minerva place,
With lineaments of wisdom mark her face.
See, where the lies near fome tranfparent flood,
And with her pipe cheers the refounding wood:
Her image in the floating glafs fhe fpies,

Her bloated cheeks, worn lips, and fhrivel'd eyes;

155

160

165

170

VOL. I.

D

She