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In various talk th' inftructive hours they past,
Who gave the ball, or paid the vifit laft;
One speaks the glory of the British Queen,
And one defcribes a charming Indian fcreen;
A third interprets motions, looks, and eyes;
At every word a reputation dies.

Snuff, or the fan, fupply each pause of chat,
With finging, laughing, ogling, and all that.
Meanwhile, declining from the noon of day,
The fun obliquely fhoots his burning ray;
The hungry Judges foon the fentence fign,
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 adventurous Knights,

At Ombre fingly to decide their docm;

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And fwells her breaft with conquefts yet to come.
Strait the three bands prepare in arms to join,
Each band the number of the facred nine.
Soon as she spreads her hand, th' aërial guard
Defcend, and fit on each important card:

VARIATIONS.

Ver. 11, 12. Originally in the first edition,

In various talk the chearful hours they past, ..Of, who was bit, or who capotted laft.

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Firft

Ver. 24. And the long labours of the toilet ceafe.] All that follows of the game at Ombre, was added fince the first edition, till ver. 105. which connected thus: Sudden the board with cups and fpoons is crown'd.

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 majefty rever'd,
With hoary whiskers and a forky beard;

And four fair Queens, whofe hands sustain a flower,
Th' expreffive emblem of their fofter power;
Four Knaves in garbs fuccinct, a trusty band;
Caps on their heads, and halberts in their hand;
And party-colour'd troops, a fhining train,
Drawn forth to combat on the velvet plain.

The skilful Nymph reviews her force with care:

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Let Spades be trumps! fhe faid, and trumps they were. Now move to war her fable Matadores,

Spadillio firft, unconquerable Lord!

In fhow like leaders of the fwarthy Moors.

Led off two captive trumps, and fwept the board.

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As many more Manillio forc'd to yield,

And march'd a victor from the verdant field.
Him Bafto follow'd, but his fate more hard
Gain'd but one trump, and one Plebeian card.
With his broad fabre next, a chief in years,
The hoary Majefty of Spades appears,
Puts forth one manly leg, to fight reveal'd,
The reft, his many-colour'd robe conceal'd.

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The rebel Knave, who dares his prince engage,

Proves the juft victim of his royal rage.

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Ev'n mighty Pam, that Kings and Queens o'erthrew,

And mow'd down armies in the fights of Lu,

Sad

Sad chance of war! now deftitute of aid,
Falls undiftinguish'd by the victor Spade!

Thus far both armies to Belinda yield;
Now to the Baron fate inclines the field.
His warlike Amazon her host invades,
Th' imperial confort of the crown of Spades.
The Club's black tyrant first her victim dy'd,
Spite of his haughty mien, and barbarous pride:
What boots the regal circle on his head,
His giant limbs in ftate unwieldy spread;
That long behind he trails his pompous robe,
And, of all monarchs, only grafps the globe?
The Baron now his Diamonds pours apace;
Th' embroider'd King who fhews but half his face,
And his refulgent Queen, with powers combin'd,
Of broken troops an eafy conqueft find.
Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, in wild disorder seen,
With throngs promifcuous ftrow the level green.
Thus when difpers'd a routed army runs,
Of Afia's troops, and Afric's fable fons,
With like confufion different nations fly,
Of various habit, and of various dye,
The pierc'd battalions difunited fall,

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

A livid paleness spreads o'er all her look;
She fees, and trembles at th' approaching ill,
Juft in the jaws of ruin, and Codille,

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And

And now (as oft in some distemper'd state),
On one nice trick depends the general fate,

An Ace of Hearts fteps forth: the King unfeen
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 proftrate Ace.
The Nymph exulting fills with fhouts the sky;
The walls, the woods, and long canals reply.
O thoughtless mortals! ever blind to fate,
Too foon dejected, and too foon elate.
Sudden, these honours fhall be snatch'd away,
And curs'd for ever this victorious day.

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For lo! the board with cups and spoons is crown'd, The berries crackle, and the mill turns round: On fhining Altars of Japan they raise

The filver lamp; the fiery spirits blaze:

From filver spouts the grateful liquors glide,

While China's earth receives the fmoaking tide: 110
At once they gratify their scent and taste,
And frequent cups prolong the rich repast.
Strait hover round the Fair her airy band;
Some, as the fipp'd, the fuming liquor fann'd,
Some o'er her lap their careful plumes display'd,
Trembling, and conscious of the rich brocade.
Coffee (which makes the politician wise,
And fee through all things with his half-fhut eyes)

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VARIATION.

Sent

Ver. 105. Sudden the board, &c.] From hence the

first edition continues to ver. 134.

Sent up in vapours to the Baron's brain
New ftratagems, the radiant Lock to gain.
Ah ceafe, rafh youth! defift ere 'tis too late,
Fear the juft Gods, and think of Scylla's fate!
Chang'd to a bird, and fent to flit in air,
She dearly pays for Nifus' injur'd hair!

But when to mifchief mortals bend their will,
How foon they find fit inftruments of ill?
Juft then, Clariffa drew with tempting grace
A two-edg'd weapon from her shining case :
So ladies, in Romance, affift their knight,
Present the spear, and arm him for the fight.
He takes the gift with reverence, and extends
The little engine on his fingers ends;
This juft behind Belinda's neck he spread,
As o'er the fragrant fteams fhe bends her head.
Swift to the Lock a thousand Sprites repair,

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A thousand wings, by turns, blow back the hair;
And thrice they twitch'd the diamond in her ear;

Thrice fhe look'd back, and thrice the foe drew near.

Juft in that inftant, anxious Ariel fought

The clofe receffes of the Virgin's thought;

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As

VARIATIONS.

Ver. 134. In the first edition it was thus:

As o'er the fragrant stream she bends her head, Firft he expands the glittering forfex wide T'inclofe the Lock; then joins it to divide: The meeting points the facred hair diffever, From the fair head, for ever and for ever, Ver. 154. All that is between was added afterwards.

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