He fummons ftrait his Denizens of air;
The lucid fquadrons round the fails repair:
Soft o'er the shrouds aërial whispers breathe,
That seem'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, 61
Their fluid bodies half diffolv'd in light.
Loose to the wind their airy garments flew,
Thin glitt'ring textures of the filmy dew,
Dipt in the richest tincture of the skies,

65

Where light difports in ever-mingling dyes,
While ev'ry beam new tranfient colours flings,
Colours that change whene'er they wave their wings.
Amid the circle, on the gilded mast,

Superior by the head, was Ariel plac'd;
His purple pinions op'ning to the fun,

He rais'd his azure wand, and thus begun.

70

Ye Sylphs and Sylphids, to your chief give ear, Fays, Fairies, Genii, Elves, and Dæmons hear! Ye know the spheres, and various tasks affign'd 75 By laws eternal to th' aërial kind.

Some in the fields of pureft Æther play,

Some guide the course of wand'ring orbs on high,
Or roll the planets thro' the boundless sky. 80
Some lefs refin'd, beneath the moon's pale light
Pursue the ftars that shoot athwart the night,
Or fuck the mifts in groffer air below,

Or dip their pinions in the painted bow,

Or brew fierce tempefts on the wintry main, 85 Or o'er the glebe distil the kindly rain.

Others on earth o'er human race prefide,

Watch all their ways, and all their actions guide:
Of these the chief the care of Nations own,
And guard with Arms divine the British Throne.
Our humbler province is to tend the Fair, 91
Not a lefs pleafing, tho' lefs glorious care;
To fave the powder from too rude a gale,
Nor let th' imprifon'd effences exhale;

To draw fresh colours from the vernal flow'rs; 95
To fteal from rainbows e'er they drop in fhow'rs

NOTES.

VER. 90. And guard with Arms] The Poet was too judicious to defire this fhould be understood as a compliment. He intended it for a mere piece of raillery; fuch as he more openly purfues on another occafion.

Where's now the Star which lighted Charles to rife?
With that which follow'd Julius to the fkies.

Angels, that watch'd the Royal Oak so well,

How chanc'd you flept when lucklefs Sorrel fell?

A brighter wash; to curl their waving hairs,
Affift their blushes, and infpire their airs;
Nay oft, in dreams, invention we bestow,
To change a Flounce, or add a Furbelow. 100
This day, black Omens threat the brightest Fair
That e'er deferv'd a watchful fpirit's care;
Some dire disaster, or by force, or flight;
But what, or where, the fates have wrapt in night.
Whether the nymph shall break Diana's law, 105
Or fome frail China jar receive a flaw;

Or ftain her honour, or her new brocade;
Forget her pray'rs, or mifs a masquerade;
Or lofe her heart, or necklace, at a ball;

Or whether Heav'n has doom'd that Shock must

fall.

ΙΙΟ

Haste then, ye fpirits! to your charge repair:
The flutt'ring fan be Zephyretta's care;
The drops to thee, Brillante, we confign;
And, Momentilla, let the watch be thine;
Do thou, Crifpiffa, tend her fav'rite Lock; 115
Ariel himself shall be the guard of Shock.

NOTES.

VER. 105. Whether the nymph, etc.] The difafter, which makes the fubject of this poem, being a trifle, taken seriously; it naturally led the Poet into this fine fatire on the female efti

121

To fifty chofen Sylphs, of special note, We trust th' important charge, the Petticoat: Oft have we known that seven-fold fence to fail, Tho' ftiff with hoops, and arm'd with ribs of whale; Form a strong line about the filver bound, And guard the wide circumference around. Whatever fpirit, carclefs of his charge, His poft neglects, or leaves the fair at large, Shall feel sharp vengeance foon o'ertake his fins, Be ftop'd in vials, or transfix'd with pins; Or plung'd in lakes of bitter washes lie, Or wedg'd whole ages in a bodkin's eye: Gums and Pomatums fhall his flight restrain, While clog'd he beats his filken wings in vain; Or Alum ftyptics with contracting pow'r Shrink his thin effence like a rivel'd flow'r: Or, as Ixion fix'd, the wretch fhall feel

The giddy motion of the whirling Mill,

IMITATIONS.

126

131

VER. 121. about the filver bound] In allufion to the fhield of Achilles,

Thus the broad fhield complete the Artift crown'd,
With his laft hand, and pour'd the Ocean round:
In living Silver feem'd the waves to roll,

And beat the Buckler's verge, and bound the whole.
VIR. 119.
clypei dominus feptemplicis Ajax.

Ovid,

In fumes of burning Chocolate fhall glow, 135 And tremble at the fea that froths below!

He spoke; the spirits from the fails defcend; Some, orb in orb, around the nymph extend; Some thrid the mazy ringlets of her hair; Some hang upon the pendants of her ear; 140 With beating hearts the dire event they wait, Anxious, and trembling for the birth of Fate.