50

In complaisance, I took the Queen he gave ;
Tho' my own secret wish was for the Knave.
The Knave won Sonica, which I had chose ;
And the next Pull, my Septleva I lose.

r air,

SMILINDA. But ah! what aggravates the killing smart, The cruel thought, that stabs me to the heart; This curs'd OMBRELIA, this undoing Fair, By whose vile arts this heavy grief I bear; She, at whose name I shed these spiteful tears, She owes to me the very charms she wears. An aukward Thing, when first she came to Town; Her shape unfashioned, and her face unknown : 60 She was my friend ; I taught her first to spread Upon her sallow cheeks enliv’ning red : I introduç'd her to the Park and Plays; And by my int’rest, Cozens made her Stays. Ungrateful wretch, with mimick airs grown pert, 65 She dares to steal my Fay’rite Lover's heart.

CARDELIA,
Wretch that I was, how often have I swore,
When WINNALL tally'd, I would punt no more?
I know the Bite, yet to my Ruin run;
And see the Folly, which I cannot shun.

SMILINDA. How many Maids have SHARPER's vows deceiv'd? How many curs'd the moment they believ'd ? Yet his known falsehoods could no warning prove : Ab! what is warning to a Maid in Love?

CARDELIA. But of what marble must that breast be formid, To gaze on Basset, and remain unwarm'd ? 76 When Kings, Queens, Knaves, are set in decent rank; Expos’d in glorious heaps the tempting Bank, Guineas, Half-Guineas, all the shining train ; The Winner's pleasure, and the Loser's pain: 80 In bright confusion open Rouleaus lie, They strike the Soul, and glitter in the eye. Fir'd by the sight, all Reason I disdain ; My Passions rise, and will not bear the rein. Look upon Basset, you who reason boast ; 85 And see if Reason must not there be lost.

SMILINDA. What more than marble must that heart compose, Can hearken coldly to my SHARPER's Vows? Then, when he trembles ! when his blushes rise ! When awful Love seems melting in his eyes ! 90 With eager beats his Mechlin Cravat moves : He Loves, I whisper to myself, He Loves! Such unfeign’d Passion in his Looks appears, I lose all mem’ry of my former Fears ; My panting heart confesses all his charms, I yield at once, and sink into his arms : Think of that moment, you who Prudence boast; For such a moment, Prudence well were lost.

CARDELIA. At the Groom-Porter's, batter'd Bullies play, Some Dukes at Mary-Bone bowl Time away. 100 But who the Bowl, or rattling Dice compares To Basset's heavenly Joys, and pleasing Cares ?

SMILINDA.
Soft SIMPLICETTA doats upon a Beau ;
PRUDINA likes a Man, and laughs at show.
Their several graces in my SHARPER meet ;
Strong as the Footman, as the Master sweet.

105

LOVET. Cease your contention, which has been too long; I grow impatient, and the Tea's too strong. Attend, and yield to what I now decide ; The Equipage shall grace SMILinda's Side; 110 The Snuff-Box to CARDELIA I decree, Now leave complaining, and begin your Tea.

ILI

DA

GAY wrote a Quaker's Eclogue, and Swift a Footman's Eclogue; and said to Pope, “ I think the Pastoral Ridicule is not exhausted; what think you of a Newgate Pastoral, among the whores and thieves there?” When Lady M. W. Montague would sometimes shew a copy of her verses to Pope, and he would make some little alterations, “ No," said she, “ Pope, no touching! for then, whatever is good for any thing will pass for yours, and the rest for mine."

VERBATIM FROM BOILEAU..

UN JOUR DIT UN AUTEUR, etc.

ISP

ONCE (says an Author, where I need not say) Two Trav'lers found an Oyster in their way; Both fierce, both hungry; the dispute grew strong, While Scale in hand Dame Justice past along. Before her each with clamour pleads the Laws, Explain'd the matter, and would win the cause Dame Justice weighing long the doubtful Right, Takes, opens, swallows it, before their sight. The cause of strife remov'd so rarely well, There take (says Justice) take ye each a Shell. We thrive at Westminster on Fools like you : 'Twas a fat Oyster-Live in peace-Adieu.

It will be no unuseful or unpleasing amusement to compare this translation with the original :

“ Un jour, dit un Auteur, n'importe en quel chapitre,
Deux voyageurs à jeun rencontrerent une huître,
Tous deux la contestoient, lorsque dans leur chemin
La justice passa, la balance à la main.
Devant elle à grand bruit ils expliquent la chose.
Tous deux avec depens veulent gagner leur cause.
La justice pesant ce droit litigieux,
Demande l'huître, l'ouvre, et l'avale à leurs yeux,
Et par ce bel arrest terminant la bataille :
Tenez voilà, dit elle, à chacun une écaille.
Des sottises d'autrui nous vivons au palais ;

Messieurs, l'huitre étoit bonne. Adieu, Vivez en paix." In the fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth, and twelfth, verses, Pope is inferior to the original.

ANSWER TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTION OF

MRS. HOW.

What is PRUDERY?

'Tis a Beldam,
Seen with Wit and beauty seldom.
"Tis a fear that starts at shadows?
"Tis, (no, 'tis'n't) like Miss Meadows.
"Tis a Virgin hard of Feature,
Old, and void of all good-nature ;
Lean and fretful ; would seem wise ;
Yet plays the fool before she dies.
'Tis an ugly envious Shrew,
That rails at dear Lepell and You.

Among these smaller poems of our author, the following couplet used to be printed, on a dog's collar, which he gave to the Prince of Wales :

“I am his Highness' dog at Kew;

Pray tell me, Sir, whose dog are you?", Which was taken from Sir William Temple's Miscellanies, vol. iii. p. 323. said to be the answer of Mr. Grantham's Fool to one who asked him whose fool he was.