Safe from the treacherous friend, the daring fpårk,
The glance by day, the whifper in the dark,
When kind occafion prompts their warm defires,
When mufic foftens, and when dancing fires?
'Tis but their Sylph, the wife Celestials know,
Though Honour is the word with Men below.
Some nymphs there are, too confcious of their face,
For life predeftin'd to the Gnomes embrace.
Thefe fwell their profpects and exalt their pride,
When offers are difdain'd, and love deny'd :
Then gay ideas croud the vacant brain,
While Peers, and Dukes, and all their sweeping train, And Garters, Stars, and Coronets appear,
And in foft founds, Your Grace falutes their ear. 'Tis thefe that early taint the female foul,
Inftruct the eyes of young Coquettes to roll,
Teach infant cheeks a bidden blush to know,
And little hearts to flutter at a Beau.
Oft, when the world imagine women stray,
The Sylphs through myftic mazes guide their way,
Through all the giddy circle they pursue,
And old impertinence expel by new.
What tender maid but must a victim fall
To one man's treat, but for another's ball?
When Florio speaks, what virgin could withstand,
If gentle Damon did not fqueeze her hand?
With varying vanities, from every part,
They fhift the moving Toy-shop of their heart;
Where wigs with wigs, with fword-knots fword-knots
Beaux banish beaux, and coaches coaches drive.
This erring mortals Levity may call,
Oh blind to truth! the Sylphs contrive it all.
Of thefe am I, who thy protection claim,
A watchful fprite, and Ariel is my name.
Late, as I rang'd the crystal wilds of air,
In the clear Mirror of thy ruling Star
I saw, alas! fome dread event impend,
Ere to the main this morning fun descend;
But heaven reveals not what, or how, or where:
Warn'd by the Sylph, oh pious maid, beware!
This to disclose is all thy guardian can:
Beware of all, but most beware of Man!
He faid; when Shock, who thought she slept too long, Leap'd up, and wak'd his mistress with his tongue. 'Twas then, Belinda, if report fay true,
Thy eyes firft open'd on a Billet-doux;
Wounds, Charms, and Ardors, were no fooner read,
But all the Vifion vanish'd from thy head.
And now, unveil'd, the Toilet stands display'd,
Each filver vafe in mystic order laid.
First, rob'd in white, the Nymph intent adores,
With head uncover'd, the Cofmetic powers.
A heavenly Image in the glafs appears,
To that the bends, to that her eyes the rears;
Th' inferior Priestess, at her altar's fide,
Trembling, begins the facred rites of Pride.
Unnumber'd treasures ope at once, and here
The various offerings of the world appear;
From each fhe nicely culls with curious toil,
And decks the Goddess with the glittering spoil.
This cafket India's glowing gems unlocks,
And all Arabia breathes from yonder box.
The Tortoife here and Elephant unite,
Transform'd to combs, the fpeckled and the white.
Here files of pins extend their fhining rows,
Puffs, Powders, Patches, Bibles, Billet-doux.
Now awful beauty puts on all its arms;
The fair each moment rifes in her charms,
Repairs her fmiles, awakens every grace,
And calls forth all the wonders of her face:
Sees by degrees a purer blush arise,
And keener lightnings quicken in her eyes.
The bufy Sylphs furround their darling care,
These fet the head, and thofe divide the hair,
Some fold the fleeve, whilft others plait the gown;
And Betty's prais'd for labours not her own.
NOT with more glories in th' etherial plain,
The Sun first rises o'er the purpled main,
Than, iffuing forth, the rival of his beams i
Launch'd on the bofom of the filver'd Thames.
Fair Nymphs and well-drefs'd Youths around her shone,
But every eye was fix'd on her alone.
On her white breast a sparkling Crofs fhe wore,
Which Jews might kifs, and Infidels adore.
Ver. 4. Launch'd on the bofom] From hence the continues, in the first edition, to ver. 46.
The reft the winds difpers'd in empty air;
all after, to the end of this Canto, being additional.
Her lively looks a sprightly mind disclose,
Quick as her eyes, and as unfix'd as those :
Favours to none, to all she smiles extends
Oft the rejects, but never once offends.
Bright as the fun, her eyes the gazers ftrike,
And, like the fun, they fhine on all alike.
Yet graceful ease, and sweetness void of pride,
Might hide her faults, if Belles had faults to hide :
If to her share 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 behind 20
In equal curls, and well conspir'd to deck
With fhining ringlets the fmooth ivory neck.
Love in these labyrinths his flaves detains,
And mighty hearts are held in flender chains.
With hairy springes we the birds betray,
Slight lines of hair furprize the finny prey,
Fair treffes man's imperial race insnare,
And Beauty draws us with a fingle hair.
Th' adventurous Baron, the bright locks admir'd;
He faw, he wish'd, and to the prize aspir'd.
Refolv'd to win, he meditates the way,
By force to ravish, 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
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 raise 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 prayer,
The reft, 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 steals 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,
Th' impending woe fat heavy on his breast.
He fummons ftrait his Denizens of air;
The lucid fquadrons round the fails repair :
Soft o'er the shrouds aerial whispers 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;
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,
Dip'd in the richest tincture 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.
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