Why then declare good-nature is her scorn, 66 70 75 See sin in state, majestically drunk; Proud as a peeress, prouder as a punk; Chaste to her husband, frank to all beside; A teeming mistress, but a barren bride. What then? let blood and body bear the fault; Her head's untouch'd, that noble seat of thought: Such this day's doctrine: in another fit She sins with poets through pure love of wit. What has not fired her bosom or her brain? Cæsar and Tall-boy, Charles and Charlemagne. As Helluo, late dictator of the feast, The nose of haut goût, and the tip of taste, Critiqued your wine, and analysed your meat, Yet on plain pudding deign'd at home to eat ;So Philomedé, lecturing all mankind On the soft passion, and the taste refined, The address, the delicacy,-stoops at once, And makes her hearty meal upon a dunce. Flavia's a wit; has too much sense to pray: To toast our wants and wishes, is her way; 80 85 3 So Philomedé. Probably meant for Henrietta, daughter of the celebrated duchess of Marlborough. Nor asks of God, but of her stars, to give The mighty blessing, 'While we live, to live.' 90 96 100 Turn then from wits, and look on Simo's mate; No ass so meek, no ass so obstinate: Or her, that owns her faults, but never mends, Because she's honest, and the best of friends: Or her, whose life the church and scandal share, For ever in a passion or a prayer: 106 Or her, who laughs at hell, but, like her grace, Cries, Ah! how charming if there's no such place!' Or who in sweet vicissitude appears, Of mirth and opium, ratafia and tears, The daily anodyne, and nightly draught, 110 To kill those foes to fair ones, time and thought. 108 Cries, Ah, how charming. The duchess of Montague. 115 Great Atossa. Atossa was the daughter of Cyrus, sister of Cambyses, and wife of Cyrus. Whether it were for those high relationships, or her violence of temper, that Pope chose 120 125 Who, with herself, or others, from her birth 130 the Persian princess as the representative of the most celebrated woman of his day, the wife of the great duke of Marlborough, must now be left to conjecture. Walpole, in his pleasantry, remarks of her Memoirs, that, though they are rather the annals of a wardrobe than of a reign, they retain those sallies of wit which fourscore years of arrogance could not fail to produce in so fantastic an understanding one sees exactly how Europe and the back-stairs took their places in her imagination. The revolution left no impression on her mind, but of queen Mary turning up bed-clothes; and the protestant hero, but of a selfish glutton, who devoured a dish of peas from his sister-in-law! The queen gave her a picture in enamel set with diamonds: the duchess took off the diamonds, and gave the picture to a Mrs. Higgins to be sold.' 140 But die, and she 'll adore you: then the bust 150 155 Pictures like these, dear madam, to design, Asks no firm hand and no unerring line; Some wandering touches, some reflected light, Some flying stroke alone can hit them right: For how could equal colors do the knack? Cameleons who can paint in white and black? 'Yet Chloe sure was form'd without a spot.'Nature in her then err'd not, but forgot. With every pleasing, every prudent part, Say, what can Chloe want?'-She wants a heart. She speaks, behaves, and acts just as she ought; But never, never, reach'd one generous thought: Virtue she finds too painful an endeavor, Content to dwell in decencies for ever. So very reasonable, so unmoved, As never yet to love or to be loved. 159 165 She, while her lover pants upon her breast, 175 Forbid it, Heaven, a favor or a debt The same for ever! and described by all With truth and goodness, as with crown and ball. Poets heap virtues, painters gems at will; 185 And show their zeal, and hide their want of skill. 'Tis well but, artists! who can paint or write, : To draw the naked is your true delight. 190 If Queensbury to strip there's no compelling, 195 179 Chloe is prudent. Lady Suffolk. Pope dining at her table heard her tell one of the footmen to remind her, to send to know how Mrs. Blount, who was ill, had passed the night. |