Hear and believe! thy own importance know, 35 As now your own, our beings were of old, From earthly Vehicles to these of air. 40 50 Think not, when Woman's tranfient breath is fled, That all her vanities at once are dead; NOTES. VER. 47. As now your own, etc.] He here forfakes the Rofi+ crufian fyftem; which, in this part, is too extravagant even for Poetry; and gives a beautiful fiction of his own, on the Platonic Theology of the continuance of the paffions in another ftate, when the mind, before its leaving this, has not been purged and purified by philofophy; which furnishes an occafion for Succeeding vanities she still regards, And tho' fhe plays no more, o'erlooks the cards. Her joy in gilded chariots, when alive, 55 And love of Ombre, after death furvive. 60 For when the Fair in all their pride expire, Know farther yet; whoever fair and chaste Rejects mankind, is by fome Sylph embrac'd : For Spirits, freed from mortal laws, with ease Affume what sexes and what shapes they please. NOTES. 65 VIR. 68. is by fome Sylph embrac'd] Here again the Author refumes a tenet peculiar to the Roficrufian fyftem. But the principle, on which it is founded, was by no means fit, to be employed in fuch a fort of poem. V ́ER. 54, 55. IMITATIONS. Quæ gratia currûm Armorumque fuit vivis, quæ cura nitentes -Virg. En. vi. P What guards the purity of melting Maids, Some nymphs there are, too conscious of their For life predestin'd to the Gnomes embrace. 80 NOTES. 85 90 VER. 78. Tho' honour is the word with Men below.] Parody of Homer. VER. 79. too confcious of their face,] i. e. too fenfible of their beauty. way, Oft, when the world imagine women stray, 95 To one man's treat, but for another's ball? ΙΟΙ Peaux 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, 105 A watchful fprite, and Ariel is my name. NOTES. VER. 108. In the clear Mirror] The Language of the Platonifts, the writers of the intelligible world of Spirits, etc. P. VER. IOI. IMITATIONS. Jam clypeus clypeis, umbone repellitur umbo, Ente minax enfis, pede pes, et cufpide cufpis, etc. Stat. I faw, alas! fome dread event impend, Ere to the main this morning fun descend, ΙΙΟ 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 slept too long, 115 Leap'd up, and wak'd his mistress with his tongue. 120 And now, unveil'd, the Toilet stands display'd, Each filver Vase in myftic order laid. NOTES. VER. 113. This to difclofe, etc.] There is much pleafantry in the conduct of this fcene. The Roficrufian Doctrine was delivered only to Adepts, with the utmoft caution, and under the most folemn feal of fecrecy. It is here communicated to a Woman, and in that way of conveyance a Woman most delights to make the fubject of her converfation, that is to fay, her Dreams. VER. 121. And now, unveil'd, etc.] The tranflation of these verfes, containing the defcription of the toilette, by our Author's friend Dr. Parnell, deferve, for their humour, to be here inferted. P. |