But oh! if e'er thy Gnome could spoil a grace,
On 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 when no foul was rude,
Or difcompos'd the head-drefs of a Prude,
Or e'er to coftive lap-dog gave disease

75

Which not the tears of brightest eyes could ease:
Hear me, and touch Belinda with chagrin,
That single act gives half the world the spleen.

The Goddefs with a discontented air

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 she fills with fainting fears,

85

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 issu'd at the vent.
Belinda burns with more than mortal ire,
And fierce Thalestris fans the rising fire.

9.

O wretched maid! fhe spread her hands, and cry'd,
(While Hampton's echoes, wretched maid! reply'd)
Was it for this you took such constant care
The bodkin, comb, and effence to prepare ?

For

100

105

110

For this your locks in paper durance bound,
For this with tort'ring irons wreath'd around?
For this with fillets ftrain'd your tender head,
And bravely bore the double loads of lead?
Gods! fhall the ravisher difplay your hair,
While the Fops envy, and the Ladies stare!
Honour forbid! at whofe unrival'd shrine
Ease, pleasure, virtue, all our sex refign.
Methinks already I your tears survey,
Already hear the horrid things they fay,
Already fee you a degraded toast,
And all your honour in a whisper loft!
How shall I, then, your helpless fame defend?
'Twill then be infamy to feem your friend!
And shall this prize, th' ineftimable prize,
Expos'd thro' 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!
She faid; then raging to Sir Plume repairs,
And bids her Beau-demand the precious hairs:
(Sir Plume of amber fnuff-box justly vain,
And the nice conduct of a clouded cane)

116.

120

With

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 should make him talk nothing but nonfenfe; and, in truth, one could not well blame him.

3

With earneft eyes, and round unthinking face, 125 He firft the fnuff-box open'd, then the cafe,

And thus broke out-" My Lord, why, what the "devil?

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

"Plague on't! 'tis paft a jeft-nay prithee, pox! "Give her the hair" he fpoke, and rapp'd his box.

135

It grieves me much (reply'd the Peer again) 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 spoke, and fpeaking, in proud triumph fpread The long-contended honours of her head.

140

But Umbriel, hateful Gnome! forbears not so ; 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, Which, with a figh, fhe rais'd; and thus fhe faid:

For

VER. 141. But Umbriel, hateful Gnome! forbears not fo He breaks the Vial whence the forrows flow.] Thefe two lines are additional; and aflign 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.

P.

VER. 133. But by this Lock,] In allufion to Achilles'

math in Homer, Il. i. P.

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 thefe eyes had never feen!
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

150

In fome lone ifle, or diftant Northern land;
Where the gilt Chariot never marks the way, 156
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 stay'd, and faid my prayʼrs at home! i6o
'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,
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 spares ;
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 hadft thou, cruel! been content to seize
Hairs lefs in fight, or any hairs but these !

170

175

THE

THE

RAPE of the LOCK.

CANTO V.

HE faid the pitying audience melt in tears. But Fate and Jove had ftopp'd the Baron's ears. In vain Thaleftris with reproach affails, For who can move when fair Belinda fails? Not half fo fix'd the Trojan could remain, While Anna begg'd and Dido rag'd in vain. Then grave Clariffa graceful wav'd her fan; Silence enfu'd, and thus the nymph began.

5

Say why are Beauties prais'd and honour'd moft, The wife man's paffion, and the vain man's toast? Why

VARIATIONS.

VER. 7. Then grave Clariffa, etc.] A new Character introduced in the fubfequent Editions, to open more clearly the MORAL of the Poem, in a parody of the fpeech of Sarpedon to Glaucus in Homer.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 9. Sey why are Beauties, etc.]

P.

Why boat we, Glaucus! our extended reign,
Where Xanthus ftreams enrich the Lycian plain;
Our num'rous herds that range the fruitful field,
And bills where vines their purple harvest yield;
Our foaming bowls with purer nectar cron'd,
Our feafts enhanc'd with music's sprightly found ;

Why