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As now your own, our beings were of old, And once inclof'd a woman's beauteous mould; Thence, by a foft transition, we repair

From earthly vehicles to thefe of air.

Think not, when woman's transient breath is fled,
That all her vanities at once are dead;
Succeeding vanities she still regards,

And tho' she plays no more, o'erlooks the cards.
Her joy in gilded chariots, when alive,
And love of Ombre, after death furvive;
For when the fair in all their pride expire,
To their firft elements their fouls retire:
The fprites of fiery Termagants in flame
Mount up, and take a falamander's name.
Soft yielding minds to water glide away,
And fip, with nymphs, their elemental tea.
The graver prude finks downward to a gnome,
In fearch of mifchief ftill on earth to roam.
The light coquettes in fylphs aloft repair,
And sport and flutter in the fields of air.

Know further yet; whoever fair and chaste
Rejects mankind, is by fome fylph embrac'd:
For spirits, freed from mortal laws, with ease
Affume what fexes and what age they please.
What guards the purity of melting maids
In courtly balls and midnight masquerades,

Safe from the treach'rous friend, the daring fpark,
The glance by day, the whifper in the dark,
When kind occafion prompts their warm defires,
When music foftens, and when dancing fires?
'Tis but their fylph, the wife Celeftials know,
Tho' honour is the word with men below.

Some nymphs there are, too confcious of their face, For life predeftin'd to the gnomes embrace.

These fwell their profpects and exalt their pride,

When offers ere disdain'd, and love deny'd.

Then gay ideas crowd the vacant brain,

While peers, and dukes, and all their fweeping train,

And garters, stars, and coronets appear,

And in foft founds, your grace falutes their ear.
'Tis these 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 ftray,
The fylphs thro' myftic mazes guide their way
Thro' all the giddy circle they pursue,
And old impertinence expel by new.
What tender maid but muft a victim fall

To one man's treat, but for another's ball?
When Florio fpeaks, what virgin could withstand;
If gentle Damon did not fqueeze her hand?

With

With varying vanities, from ev'ry part,

They shift the moving toy-shop of their heart;

Where wigs with wigs, with fword-knots fword-knots ftrive,

Beaux banish beaux, and coaches coaches drive,

This erring mortals levity may call;

Oh blind to truth! the Sylphs contrive it all.
Of these am I, who thy protection claim,
A watchful fprite, and Ariel is my name.
Late, as I rang'd the cryftal wilds of air,
In the clear mirror of thy ruling star

I faw alas! fome dread event impend,

Ere to the main this morning fun defcend:

But heav'n 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 moft beware of man!

He faid; when Shock who thought she flept too

long,

Leap'd up, and wak'd his mistress with his tongue.

'Twas then, Belinda, if report fay true,

Thy eyes first open'd on a billet-doux ;

Wounds, charms, and ardours, were no fooner re ad

But all the vifion vanish'd from thy head.

And now unveil'd the toilet ftands display'd;

Each filver vase in mystic order laid.

Q

First rob'd in white, the nymph intent adores, With head uncover'd, the cosmetic pow'rs: A heav'nly image in the glass appears, To that she bends, to that her eyes she rears; Th' inferior priestess, at her altar's side, Trembling, begins the facred rites of pride. Unnumber'd treasures ope at once, and here The various off'rings of the world appear; From each she nicely culls with curious toil, And decks the goddess with the glitt'ring spoil, This casket 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 shining 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 ev'ry 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.

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NOT with more glories, in th' etherial plain, The fun firft rifes o'er the purpled main,

Than, iffuing forth, the rival of his beams

Launch'd on the bofom of the filver Thames.

Fair Nymphs, and well-dreff'd Youths, around her

shone;

But ev'ry eye was fix'd on her alone.

On her white breast a sparkling crofs she wore,
Which Jews might kifs, and Infidels adore.
Her lively looks a fprightly mind disclose,
Quick as her eyes, and as unfix'd as thofe :
Favours to none, to all she fmiles extends;
Oft she rejects, but never once offends.
Bright as the fun, her eyes the gazers ftrike,
'And, like the fun, they shine 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 in her face, and you'll forget 'em all.

This Nymph, to the destruction of mankind, Nourish'd two Locks, which graceful hung behind In equal curls, and well confpir'd to deck With shining ringlets the smooth iv'ry neck. Love in these labyrinths his flaves detains, And mighty hearts are held in flender chains.

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