Here Fannia, leering on her own good man,
And there, a naked Leda with a Swan.
Let then the fair one beautifully cry,
In Magdalen's loose hair and lifted eye,
Or dreft in smiles of sweet Cecilia fhine,

With fimp'ring Angels, Palms, and Harps divine; Whether the Charmer finner it, or faint it,

10

15

Come then, the colours and the ground prepare!

If Folly grow romantic, I must paint it.

Dip in the Rainbow, trick her off in Air;

Chufe a firm Cloud, before it fall, and in it

Catch, ere fhe change, the Cynthia of this minute.
Rufa, whofe eye quick-glancing o'er the Park,
Attracts each light gay meteor of a Spark,
Agrees as ill with Rufa ftudying Locke,
As Sappho's di'monds with her dirty smock;
Or Sappho at her toilet's greazy task,
With Sappho fragrant at an ev'ning Mask :

19

25

complaisance to the fex is obfervable in this instance, amongst others, that, whereas in the Characters of Men, he has fometimes made ufe of real names, in the Characters of Women always fictitious.

VER. 20. Catch, ere she change, the Cynthia of this minute.] Alluding to the precept of Frefnoy,

formæ veneres captando fugaces.

VER. 21. Inftances of contrarieties, given even from fuch Characters as are most strongly marked, and seemingly therefore moft confiftent: As, I. In the Affected, ver. 21, etc.

So morning Infects that in muck begun,

Shine, buzz, and fly-blow in the fetting fun.

How foft is Silia! fearful to offend ;

The frail one's advocate, the Weak one's friend. 30 To her, Califta prov'd her conduct nice

;

And good Simplicius asks of her advice.
Sudden, she storms! fhe raves! You tip the wink,
But fpare your cenfure; Silia does not drink.
All eyes may fee from what the change arose,
All eyes may fee a Pimple on her nose.
Papillia, wedded to her am'rous fpark,
Sighs for the fhades
A Park is purchas'd, but the Fair he fees

All bath'd in tears

35

"How charming is a Park!"

"Oh odious, odious Trees!"

41

Ladies, like variegated Tulips, fhow;

"Tis to their Changes half their charms we owe;

Fine by defect, and delicately weak,

Their happy Spots the nice admirer take.

"Twas thus Calypfo once each heart alarm'd,
Aw'd without Virtue, without Beauty charm'd;
Her Tongue bewitch'd as odly as her Eyes,
Lefs Wit than Mimic, more a Wit than wife;
Strange graces ftill, and stranger flights fhe had,
Was juft not ugly, and was just not mad;
Yet ne'er fo fure our paffion to create,
As when she touch'd the brink of all we hate.

45

50

VER. 29, and 37. II. Contrarieties in the Soft-natured.
VER. 45.
III. Contrarieties in the Cunning and Artful.
VER. 52. As when she touch'd the brink of all we hate.] Her

4

Narcifia's nature, tolerably mild,

To make a wash, would hardly ftew a child;

Has ev'n been prov'd to grant a Lover's pray'r, 55 And paid a Tradesman once to make him stare; Gave alms at Eafter, in a Christian trim,

60

And made a Widow happy, for a whim.
Why then declare Good-nature is her scorn,
When 'tis by that alone fhe can be born?
Why pique all mortals, yet affect a name ?
A fool to Pleafure, yet a flave to Fame :
Now deep in Taylor and the Bock of Martyrs,
Now drinking Citron with his Grace and Chartres:
Now Confcience chills her, and now Paffion burns;
And Atheism and Religion take their turns ;
very Heathen in the carnal part,

A

Yet ftill a fad, good Chriftian at her heart.

See Sin in State, majeftically drunk ; Proud as a Peereis, prouder as a Punk; Chafte to her Husband, frank to all befide, A teeming mistress, but a barren Bride.

66

70

charms confifted in the fingular turn of her vivacity; confequently the ftronger the exerted this vivacity, the more forcible must be her attraction. But the point, where it came to excefs, would destroy all the delicacy, and expose all the coarfenefs of fenfuality.

VER. 53. IV. in the W'bimfical.

VER. 57.

in a Chriftian trim,] This is finely expreffed, implying that her very charity was as much an exterior of Religion, as the ceremonies of the feafon. It was not even in a Chriftian bumour, it was only in a Christian trim. VER. 69. V. In the Lewd and Vicious.

What then let Blood and Body bear the fault,

Her Head's untouch'd, that noble Seat of Thought:
Such this day's doctrine - in another fit

She fins with Poets thro' pure Love of Wit.
What has not fir'd her bofom or her brain?
Cæfar and Tall-boy, Charles and Charlemaʼne.
As Helluo, late Dictator of the Feast,
The Nofe of Hautgaut, and the Tip of Tafte,
Critiqu'd your wine, and analyz'd your meat,
Yet on plain pudding deign'd at home to eat :
So Philomedé, learing all mankind
On the foft Paffion, and the Tafte refin'd,
Th' Addrefs, the Delicacy- ftoops at once,
And makes her hearty meal upon a Dunce.
Flavia's a Wit, has too much fenfe to pray;
To toast our wants and wishes, is her way;
Nor asks of God, but of her Stars, to give
The mighty bleffing, "while we live, to live."
Then all for Death, that Opiate of the foul !
Lucretia's dagger, Rofamonda's bowl.

VER. 87. Contrarieties in the Witty and Refined.
VER. 89. Nor afks of God, but of her Stars.

75.

80

85

90

Death, that Opiate of the foul! See Note on ver. 90. of Ep. to Lord Cobham.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 77. What has not fir'd, etc.] In the MS.

In whose mad brain the mixt ideas roll

Of Tall-boy's breeches, and of Cæfar's foul.

7

Say, what can cause such impotence of mind?
A Spark too fickle, or a Spouse too kind.

Wife Wretch with pleasures too refin❜d to please ; With too much Spirit to be e'er at ease;

With too much Quickness ever to be taught;

96

With too much Thinking to have common Thought;

You purchase pain with all that Joy can give,
And die of nothing but a Rage to live.

100

Turn then from Wits; and look on Simo's Mate,

No Afs fo meek, no Ass so obstinate.

Or her that owns her Faults, but never mends,
Because she's honeft, and the best of Friends.
Or her, whofe life the Church and Scandal share,
For ever in a Paffion, or a Pray'r.

106 Or her, who laughs at Hell, but (like her Grace) Cries, "Ah! how charming, if there's no fuch place!" Or who in sweet viciffitude appears

110

Of Mirth and Opium, Ratafie and Tears,
The daily Anodyne, and nightly Draught,
To kill those foes to Fair ones, Time and Thought.
Woman and Fool are two hard things to hit ;
For true No-meaning puzzles more than Wit.

But what are these to great Atoffa's mind ? 115 Scarce once herself, by turns all Womankind!

VER. 107. Or ber, who laughs at Hell, but (like her Grace) Cries, "Ab! bow charming, if there's no fuch place! ] i. e. Her who affects to laugh out of fashion, and ftrives to difbelieve out of fear.