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Men prove with child, as pow'rful fancy works, And maids turn'd bottles, call aloud for corks.

Safe past the Gnome thro' this fantastic band, A branch of healing Spleenwort in his hand. Then thus addrefs'd the pow'r --- Hail wayward Queen!

Who rule the fex to fifty from fifteen:
Parent of vapours and of female wit,
Who give th' hyfteric, or poetic fit,

On various tempers act by various ways,
Make some take phyfic, others fcribble plays;
Who cause the proud their vifits to delay,
And fend the godly in a pet to pray.

60

A nymph there is, that all thy pow'r disdains, 65
And thousands more in equal mirth maintains.
But oh; if e'er thy Gnome could spoil a grace,
Or raise a pimple on a beauteous face,
Like Citron-waters matrons cheeks inflame,
Or change complexions at a lofing game;
If e'er with airy horns I planted heads.
Or rumpled petticoats, or tumbled beds,

IMITATIONS.

70

VER. 51. Homer's Tripod walks ;] See Hom. Iliad xviii. of Vulcan's walking Tripods. P.

VER. 52. and there a Goofe-pye talks.] Alludes to a real fact,

Or caus'd fufpicion when no foul was rude,
Or difcompos'd the head-dress of a Prude,
Or e'er to coftive lap-dog gave disease,
Which not the tears of brighteft eyes could cafe:
Hear me, and touch Belinda with chagrin,
That fingle act gives half the world the spleen.

The Goddefs with a difcontented air

75

Seems to reject him, tho' fhe grants his pray'r. 80
A wond'rous Bag with both her hands she binds,
Like that where once Ulyffes held the winds;
There she collects the force of female lungs,
Sighs, fobs, and paffions, and the war of tongues.
A Vial next fhe fills with fainting fears,
Soft forrows, melting griefs, and flowing tears.
The Gnome rejoicing bears her gifts away,
Spreads his black wings, and flowly mounts to day.
Sunk in Thaleftris' arms the nymph he found,

Her eyes dejected and her hair unbound.
Full o'er their heads the fwelling bag he rent,
And all the Furies iffu'd at the vent.

85

90

Belinda burns with more than mortal ire,
And fierce Thaleftris fans the rifing fire.
Owretched maid! she spread her hands, and cry'd,
(While Hampton's echoes,wretched maid! reply'd)

Was it for this you took fuch constant care
The bodkin, comb, and effence to prepare?
For this your locks in paper durance bound,
For this with tort'ring irons wreath'd around? 100
For this with fillets ftrain'd your tender head,
And bravely bore the double loads of lead?
Gods! fhall the ravisher display your hair,

While the Fops envy, and the Ladies stare!
Honour forbid! at whofe unrival'd fhrine 105
Ease, pleasure, virtue, all our fex refign.
Methinks already I your tears furvey,
Already hear the horrid things they say,
Already fee you a degraded toast,

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How fhall I, then, your helplefs fame defend?i
'Twill then be infamy to feem your friend!
And fhall this prize, th' ineftimable prize,
Expos'd thro' cryftal to the gazing eyes,
And heighten'd by the diamond's circling rays,
On that rapacious hand for ever blaze! 116
Sooner fhall grafs in Hyde-park Circus grow,
And wits take lodgings in the found of Bow;
Sooner let earth, air, fea, to Chaos fall,

She faid; then raging to Sir Plume repairs,
And bids her Beau demand the precious hairs:
(Sir Plume of amber fnuff-box juftly vain,
And the nice conduct of a clouded cane)

With earnest eyes, and round unthinking face, 125
He first the snuff-box open'd, then the case,
And thus broke out---" My Lord, why, what the
"devil?

"Z--ds! damn the lock! 'fore Gad, you must be "civil!

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Plague on't! 'tis past a jest--nay prithee, pox! "Give her the hair"--he spoke, and rapp'd his box.

It grieves me much (reply'd the Peer again) 131 Who fpeaks fo well fhould ever speak in vain. But by this Lock, this facred Lock I fwear, (Which never more shall join its parted hair; Which never more its honours fhall renew, 135 Clip'd from the lovely head where late it grew)

NOTES.

VER. 121. Sir Plume repairs,] Sir George Brown. He was the only one of the Party who took the thing seriously. He was angry that the Poet should make him talk nothing but nonsense; and in truth, one could not well blame him.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 133. But by this Lock,] In allufion to Achilles's oath in Homer, II. i. P.

That while my noftrils draw the vital air,
This hand, which won it, fhall for ever wear.
He spoke, and speaking, in proud triumph spread.
The long-contended honours of her head.

140

But Umbriel, hateful Gnome! forbears not fo; He breaks the Vial whence the forrows flow. Then fee! the nymph in beauteous grief appears, Her eyes half-languishing, half-drown'd in tears; On her heav'd bofom hung her drooping head, Which, with a figh, fhe rais'd; and thus fhe faid, For ever curs'd be this detested day,

Which fnatch'd my best, my

my fav'rite curl away!

Happy! ah ten times happy had I been,

If Hampton-Court these eyes had never seen! 150
Yet am not I the first mistaken maid;

By love of Courts to num'rous ills betray'd.
Oh had I rather un-admir'd remain'd

In fome lone ifle, or diftant Northern land;
Where the gilt Chariot never marks the

way, 156 Where none learn Ombre, none e'er taste Bohea!

NOTES.

VER. 141. But Umbriel, hateful Gnome! forbears not fo; He breaks the Vial whence the forrows flow.] Thefe two lines are additional; and affign the cause of the different operation on the Paffions of the two Ladies. The poem went on before without that distinction, as without any Machinery to the end

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