There is no woman, where there's no reserve ;
And 'tis on plenty your poor lovers ftarve.
But with a modern fair, meridian merit
Is a fierce thing, they call a nymph of Spirit.
Mark well the rollings of her flaming eye;
And tread on tiptoe, if you dare draw nigh.
"Or if you take a lion by the beard *,
" Or dare defy the fell Hyrcanian pard,
"Or arm'd rhinoceros, or rough Russian bear,"
First make your will, and then converse with her.
This lady glories in profuse expence ;
And thinks diftraction is magnificence.
To beggar her gallant, is fome delight;
To be more fatal ftill, is exquifite;
Had ever nymph such reason to be glad?
In duel fell two lovers; one run mad.
Her foes their honest execrations pour;
Her lovers only should deteft her more.

FLAVIA is conftant to her old gallant,
And generously supports him in his want;
But marriage is a fetter, is a fnare,
A hell, no lady fo polite can bear.

She's faithful, fhe's observant, and with pains
Her angel-brood of baftards the maintains.
Nor least advantage has the fair to plead,
But that of guilt, above the marriage-bed.
AMASIA hates a prude, and scorns restraint;
Whate'er fhe is, fhe'll not appear a saint:
Her foul fuperior flies formality;

So

gay her air, her conduct is fo free, Some might fufpect the nymph not over-good

Nor would they be mistaken, if they fhould,

Unmarried ABRA puts on formal airs;

Her cufhion's thread-bare with her conftant prayers.
Her only grief is, that she cannot be
At once engag'd in prayer and charity.

And this, to do her justice, must be said,

"Who would not think that ABRA was a maid?"
Some ladies are too beauteous to be wed;
For where's the man that's worthy of their bed?
If no disease reduce her pride before,
LAVINIA Will be ravifh'd at threescore.
Then the fubmits to venture in the dark;
And nothing now is wanting-but her spark.
LUCIA thinks happiness confifts in state;
She weds an ideot, but he eats in plate.
The goods of fortune, which her foul possess,.
Are but the ground of unmade happiness ;
The rude material: avifdom add to this,
Wisdom, the fole artificer of blifs ;

She from herself, if fo compell'd by need,
Of thin content can draw the subtle thread;
But (no detraction to her facred skill)
If she can work in gold, 'tis better still.

If TULLIA had been bleft with half her sense,
None could too much admire her excellence :
But fince she can make error shine so bright,
She thinks it vulgar to defend the right.
With understanding the is quite o'er-run;
And by too great accomplishments undone :
With skill she vibrates her eternal tongue,
For ever moft divinely in the
wrong.

Naked in nothing should a woman be;

But veil her very wit with modefty:
Let man discover, let not her display,

But yield her charms of mind with fweet delay.

For

For pleasure form'd, perversely fome believe,
To make themselves important, men must grieve.
LESBIA the fair, to fire her jealous lord,
Pretends, the fop she laughs at, is ador❜d.
In vain she's proud of secret innocence;
The fact the feigns were scarce a worse offence.
MIRA, endow'd with every charm to bless,
Has no defign, but on her husband's peace :
He lov'd her much; and greatly was he mov’d
At fmall inquietudes in her he lov❜d.

"How charming this !"-The pleasure lasted long;
Now
every day the fits come thick and strong:
At laft he found the charmer only feign'd ;
And was diverted when he should be pain'd.
What greater vengeance have the gods in store?
How tedious life, now she can plague no more !
She tries a thousand arts; but none fucceed:
She's forc'd a fever to procure indeed :
Thus ftrictly prov'd this virtuous, loving wife,
Her husband's pain was dearer than her life.
Anxious MELANIA rifes to my view,
Who never thinks her lover pays his due:
Vifit, prefent, treat, flatter, and adore;
Her majesty, to-morrow, calls for more.
His wounded ears complaints eternal fill,
As unoil'd hinges, querulously shrill.

"You went last night with CELIA to the ball." You prove it false. "Not go! that's worst of all." Nothing can please her, nothing not inflame;

And arrant contradictions are the fame.

Her lover must be fad, to please her spleen;
His mirth is an inexpiable fin:

For of all rivals that can pain her breast,

There's one, that wounds far deeper than the reft;

To wreck her quiet, the most dreadful shelf
Is if her lover dares enjoy himself.

And this, because she's exquifitely fair:
Should I dispute her beauty, how she'd stare!
How would MELANIA be furpriz'd to hear
She's quite deform'd! And yet the case is clear;
What's female beauty, but an air divine,
Thro' which the mind's all-gentle graces fhine?
They, like the fun, irradiate all between;
The body charms because the soul is seen.
Hence, men are often captives of a face,
They know not why, of no peculiar grące:
Some forms, tho' bright, no mortal man can bear ;
Some, none refift, tho' not exceeding fair.

ASPASIA'S highly born, and nicely bred,
Of taste refin'd, in life and manners read;
Yet reaps no fruit from her superior sense,
But to be teaz'd by her own excellence.
"Folks are fo aukward! Things fo unpolite!"
She's elegantly pain'd from morn till night.
Her delicacy's fhock'd where-e'er fhe goes;
Each creature's imperfections are her woes.
Heav'n by its favour has the fair diftreft,
And pour'd fuch bleffings-that she can't be bleft.

Ah! why fo vain, though blooming in thy fpring,
Thou shining, frail, ador'd, and wretched thing?
Old-age will come ; disease may come before;
Fifteen is full as mortal as threescore.

Thy fortune, and thy charms, may soon decay:
But grant these fugitives prolong their stay,
Their bafis totters, their foundation shakes;
Life, that fupports them, in a moment breaks;
Then wrought into the foul let virtues shine;
The ground eternal, as the work divine.

JULIA'S

JULIA's a manager; fhe's born for rule;
And knows her wifer husband is a fool;
Affemblies holds, and fpins the fubtle thread
That guides the lover to his fair one's bed:
For difficult amours can smooth the way,
And tender letters dictate, or convey.
But if depriv'd of such important cares,
Her wisdom condescends to lefs affairs.
For her own breakfast she'll project a scheme,
Nor take her tea without a ftratagem;
Prefides o'er trifles with a ferious face;
Important, by the virtue of grimace.

Ladies fupreme among amusements reign;
By nature born to footh, and entertain.
Their prudence in a fhare of folly lies:
Why will they be fo weak, as to be wife?
SYRENA is for ever in extremes,

And with a vengeance the commends, or blames,
Conscious of her difcernment, which is good,
She ftrains too much to make it understood.
Her judgment juft, her fentence is too strong;
Because fhe's right, fhe's ever in the wrong.
BRUNETTA'S wise in actions great, and rare;
But fcorns on trifles to bestow her care.
Thus ev'ry hour BRUNETTA is to blame,
Because th' occafion is beneath her aim.
Think nought a trifle, though it small appear;
Small fands the mountain, moments make the
And trifles life. Your care to trifles give,
Or you may die, before you truly live.

year,

Go breakfast with ALICIA, there you'll fee,
Simplex munditiis, to the laft degree:
Unlac'd her stays, her night-gown is unty'd,
And what she has of head-dress is afide.