Meanwhile, declining from the noon of day, The sun obliquely shoots his burning ray; The hungry Judges soon the sentence sign, And wretches hang that Jurymen may dine; The merchant from th' Exchange returns in peace, And the long labours of the Toilet cease. Belinda now, whom thirst of fame invites, Burns to encounter two advent'rous Knights, At Ombre singly to decide their doom;

And swells her breast with conquests yet to come. Straight the three bands prepare in arms to join, Each band the number of the sacred Nine.

20

25

30

35

Soon as she spreads her hand, the aërial guard
Descend, and sit on each important card:
First Ariel perch'd upon a Matadore,
Then each according to the rank they bore;
For Sylphs, yet mindful of their ancient race,
Are, as when women, wondrous fond of place.
Behold, four Kings, in majesty rever'd,
With hoary whiskers and a forky beard;
And four fair Queens, whose hands sustain a flow'r,
Th' expressive emblem of their softer pow'r ;
Four Knaves in garbs succinct, a trusty band;
Caps on their heads, and halberts in their hand;

40

VARIATIONS.

Ver. 24. And the long labours of the Toilet cease.] All that follows of the game at Ombre, was added since the first edition, till ver. 105, which connected thus,

Sudden the board with cups and spoons is crown'd. P.

NOTES.

Ver. 22. And wretches hang] From Congreve.

And party-colour'd troops a shining train,
Draw forth to combat on the velvet plain.

The skilful Nymph reviews her force with care: Let Spades be trumps! she said, and trumps they

were.

Now move to war her sable Matadores,

In show like leaders of the swarthy Moors.
Spadillio first, unconquerable Lord!

47

Let off two captive trumps, and swept the board. As many more Manillio forc'd to yield,

51

And march'd a victor from the verdant field.
Him Basto follow'd, but his fate more hard

Gain'd but one trump and one Plebeian card.
With his broad sabre next, a chief in years,
The hoary Majesty of Spades appears,
Puts forth one manly leg, to sight reveal'd,
The rest, his many-colour'd robe conceal'd.

55

The rebel Knave, who dares his prince engage,
Proves the just victim of his royal rage.

60

Ev'n mighty Pam, that Kings and Queens o'erthrew,
And mow'd down armies in the fights of Lu,
Sad chance of war! now destitute of aid,
Falls undistinguish'd by the victor Spade!
Thus far both armies to Belinda yield;
Now to the Baron fate inclines the field.

65

NOTES.

Ver. 53. Him Basto follow'd,] The magnificent and majestic style in which this game of cards is described, artfully and finely heightens the ridicule.

Ver. 65. Belinda yield ;] It is finely contrived that she should be victorious; as it occasions a change of fortune in the dreadful loss she was speedily to undergo, and gives occasion to the

His warlike Amazon her host invades,

Th' imperial consort of the crown of Spades.
The Club's black Tyrant first her victim died,
Spite of his haughty mien, and barb'rous pride:
What boots the regal circle on his head,
His giant limbs, in state unwieldy spread;
That long behind he trails his pompous robe,
And, of all monarchs, only grasps the globe!

71

75

The Baron now his Diamonds pours apace; Th' embroider'd King who shews but half his face, And his refulgent Queen, with pow'rs combin'd Of broken Troops an easy conquest find. Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, in wild disorder seen, With throngs promiscuous strew the level green. Thus when dispers'd a routed army runs, Of Asia's troops, and Afric's sable sons, With like confusion different nations fly, Of various habit, and of various die; The pierc'd battalions disunited fall,

In heaps on heaps; one fate o'erwhelms them all.

81

85

NOTES.

poet to introduce a moral reflection from Virgil, which adds to the pleasantry of the story. In one of the passages where Pope has copied Vida, he has lost the propriety of the original, which arises from the different colours of the men, at Chess.

Thus, when dispers'd, a routed army runs, &c.

Non aliter, campis legio se buxea utrinque
Composuit, duplici digestis ordine turmis,
Adversisque ambæ fulsere coloribus alæ ;
Quam Gallorum acies, Alpino frigore lactea
Corpora, si tendant albis in prælia signis,
Auroræ populos contra, et Phaethonte perustos
Insano Æthiopas, et nigri Memnonis alas."

The Knave of Diamonds tries his wily arts,

And wins (oh shameful chance!) the Queen of
Hearts.

At this, the blood the Virgin's cheek forsook,
A livid paleness spreads o'er all her look ;
She sees, and trembles at th' approaching ill,
Just in the jaws of ruin, and Codille,
And now (as oft in some distemper'd State)
On one nice Trick depends the gen'ral fate:

90

An Ace of Hearts steps forth: The King unseen 95 Lurk'd in her hand, and mourn'd his captive

Queen:

He springs to vengeance with an eager pace,
And falls like thunder on the prostrate Ace.
The nymph exulting fills with shouts the sky;
The walls, the woods, and long canals, reply.

Oh thoughtless mortals! ever blind to fate,
Too soon dejected, and too soon elate.
Sudden these honours shall be snatch'd away,
And curs'd for ever this victorious day.

VARIATIONS.

100

Ver. 105. Sudden the board, &c.] From hence, the first edition continues to ver. 134. P.

NOTES.

Ver. 105.] It is doubtless as hard to make a coffee-pot shine in poetry, as a plough; yet our author has succeeded in giving elegance to a familiar object, as well as Virgil.

Ver. 101.

IMITATIONS.

"Nescia mens hominum fati sortisque futuræ ;
Et servare modum, rebus sublata secundis !
Turno tempus erit magno cum optaverit emptum
Intactum Pallanta; et cum spolia ista diemque
Oderit."

Virg.

For lo! the board with cups and spoons is

crown'd,

The berries crackle, and the mill turns round; 106 On shining altars of Japan they raise

111

The silver lamp; the fiery spirits blaze:
From silver spouts the grateful liquors glide,
While China's earth receives the smoking tide:
At once they gratify their sense and taste,
And frequent cups prolong the rich repast.
Straight hover round the Fair her airy band;
Some, as she sipp'd, the fuming liquor fann'd,
Some o'er her lap their careful plumes display'd,
Trembling, and conscious of the rich brocade. 116
Coffee (which makes the politician wise,
And see through all things with his half-shut eyes)
Sent up in vapours to the Baron's brain
New Stratagems, the radiant Lock to gain.
Ah cease, rash youth! desist ere 'tis too late,
Fear the just Gods, and think of Scylla's Fate!
Chang'd to a bird, and sent to flit in air,

She dearly pays for Nisus' injur'd hair!

But when to Mischief mortals bend their will,
How soon they find fit Instruments of ill?
Just then, Clarissa drew with tempting grace
A two-edg'd weapon from her shining case:
So Ladies in Romance assist their Knight,
Present the spear, and arm him for the fight.
He takes the gift with rev'rence, and extends
The little engine on his fingers' ends;

NOTES.

120

126

130

Ver. 122. and think of Scylla's Fate!] Vide Ovid's Metam.

viii. P.