[OTHING fo true as what you once let fall, N "Moft Women have no Characters at all." Matter too foft a lasting mark to bear, And beft diftinguish'd by black, brown, or fair. Of the Characters of Women.] There is nothing in Mr. Pope's works more highly finished than this Epiftle: Yet its fuccefs was in no proportion to the pains he took in compofing it. Something he chanced to drop in a fhort advertisement prefixed to it, on its first publication, may perhaps account for the small attention given to it. He faid, that no one character in it was drawn from the life. The public believed him on his word, and expreffed little curiofity about a Satire, in which there was nothing perfonal. VER. 1. Nothing fo true, etc.] The reader perhaps may be difappointed to find that this Epiftle, which propofes the fame fubject with the preceding, is conducted on very different rules of method: for, instead of being difpofed in the fame logical connection, and filled with the like philofophical remarks, it is wholly taken up in drawing a great variety of capital characters: But if he would reflect, that the two Sexes make but one Species, and confequently, that the Characters of both must be studied and explained on the fame principles, he would fee that when the poet had done this in the preceding Epiftle, his business here was, not to repeat what he had already delivered, but only to verify and illuftrate his doctrine, by every view of that perplexity of Nature, which bis philofophy only can explain. If the reader therefore will but be at the pains to ftudy thefe Characters with any degree How many pictures of one Nymph we view, All how unlike each other, all how true! of attention, as they are here mafterly drawn, one important particular (for which the poet has artfully prepared him by the introduction) will very forcibly ftrike his obfervation; and that is, that all the great strokes in the feveral' Characters of Women are not only infinitely perplexed and difcordant, like those in Men, but abfolutely inconfiftent, and in a much higher degree contradictory. As ftrange as this may appear, yet he will fee that the poet has all the while strictly followed Nature, whofe ways, we find by the former Epiftle, are not a little myfterious; and a mystery, this might have remained, had not our author explained it at ver. 207, where he fhuts up his Characters with this philofophical reflection; In Men, we various ruling Paffions find; In Women, two almoft divide the kind: Thofe, only fix'd, they firft or last obey, The love of Pleasure, and the love of Sway. If this account be true, we see the perpetual neceffity (which is not the cafe in Men) that Women lie under of difguifing their ruling Paffion. Now the variety of arts employed to this purpofe, must needs draw them into infinite contradictions in thofe Actions from whence their general and obvious Character is denominated: to verify this obfervation, let the reader examine all the Characters here drawn, and try whether with this key he cannot difcover that all their Contradictions arife from a defire to hide the ruling Paffion. But this is not the worst. The poet afterwards (from ver. 218, to 249) takes notice of another mischief arifing from this neceffity of hiding their ruling Paffions; which is, that generally the end of each is defeated, even there where they are moft violently pur fued: For the neceffity of hiding them inducing an habitual diffipation of mind, Reafon, whofe office it is to regulate the ruling Paffion, lofes all its force and direction; and these unhappy victims to their principles, tho' with their attention ftill fixed upon them, are ever profecuting the means destructive of their end, and thus become ridiculous in youth, and miferable in old age. Let me not omit to obferve the great beauty of the conclufion: It is an Encomium on an imaginary Lady, to whom the Epiftle is addreffed, and artfully turns upon the fact which makes the fubject of the Epiftle, the contradiction of a Woman's Character, in which contradiction he fhews that all the luftre even of the best Character confifts: And yet, believe me, good as well as ill, Woman's at best a Contradiction still, etc. VER. 5. How many pictures] The poet's purpofe here is to thew, that the Characters of Women are generally inconfiftent with Arcadia's Countess, here, in ermin'd pride, If Folly grow romantic, I muft paint it. 15 Come then, the colours and the ground prepare! 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. 20 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 greasy task, With Sappho fragrant at an ev'ning Mask: So morning Infects that in muck begun, Shine, buzz, and fly-blow in the fetting fun. 25 themselves; and this he illuftrates by fo happy a Similitude, that we fee the folly, defcribed in it, arifes from that very principle which gives birth to this inconfiftency of Character. VER. 7, 8, 10, etc. Arcadia's Countefs-Paftora by a fountain Lela with a fwan-Magdalene-Cecilia-] Attitudes in which feveral ladies affected to be drawn, and fometimes one lady in them all. The poet's politenefs and complaifance to the fex is obfervable in this inftance, 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 fhe change, the Cynthia of this minute.] Al. luding to the precept of Fresnoy,' formæ veneres captando fugaces. VER. 21. Inftances of contrarieties, given even from fuch Characters as are moft ftrongly marked, and feemingly therefore most confiftent: As, I. In the Affected, ver. 21, etc. How foft is Silia! fearful to offend; The frail one's advocate, the weak one's friend. 30 Papillia, wedded to her am'rous spark, Sighs for the fhades--" How charming is a Park !” A Park is purchas'd, but the Fair he fees 35 All bath'd in tears-" Oh odious, odious Trees !? 40 Ladies, like variegated Tulips, fhow, 'Tis to their Changes half their charms we owe; Their happy Spots the nice admirer take. As when the touch'd the brink of all we hate. 45 50 To make a wash, would hardly ftew a child; 55 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 charms confifted in the fingular turn of her vivacity; confequently the stronger she exerted this vivacity, the more forcible must be her attraction. But the point, where it came to excefs, would destroy all the delicacy, and expofe all the coarseness of fenfuality. VER. 53. IV. In the Whimsical. Gave alms at Eafter, in a Christian trim, 60 Now drinking Citron with his Grace and Chartres: Now Confcience chills her, and now Paffion burns; 65, And Atheism and Religion take their turns; A very Heathen in the carnal part, Yet still a fad, good Christian at her heart. A teeming miftrefs, but a barren Bride. 70 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 75 She fins with Poets thro' pure love of Wit. The nofe of Haut-gout, and the Tip of Taste, On the foft Paffion, and the Tafte refin'd, 80 VER. 57.-in a Chriftian trim,] This is finely expreffed, imply ing that her very charity was as much an exterior of religion, as the ceremonies of the feafon. It was not even in a Christian humour, it was only in a Chriftian trim. VER. 69. V. In the Lewd and Vicious. VARIATION S. VER. 77. What has not fir'd, etc.] In the MS. In whose mad brain the mixt ideas roll, |