SARAH, DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH,

From a Picture by Sir Godfrey Kneller. in the Marquis of Buckingham's Collection at Stowe.

Published by Cadell & Davies. Strand, and the other Proprietors. May 1.1807.

Last night, her Lord was all that's good and great;
A Knave this morning, and his Will a Cheat.
Strange! by the Means defeated of the Ends,

By Spirit robb'd of Pow'r, by Warmth of Friends,
By Wealth of Follow'rs! without one distress
Sick of herself through very selfishness!

Atoffa, curs'd with ev'ry granted pray'r,
Childlefs with all her Children, wants an Heir.

145

VARIATIONS.

Το

After Ver. 148. in the MS.

This Death decides, nor lets the bleffing fall
On any one fhe hates, but on them all.

Curs'd chance! this only could afflict her more,
If any part fhould wander to the poor.

NOTES.

has ftill curious anecdotes, and a few of those fallies of wit which fourscore years of arrogance could not fail to produce in so fantastic an understanding: And yet, by altering her memoirs as often as her will, fhe disappointed the public as much as her own family. However, the chief objects remain; and one fees exactly how Europe and the back-stairs took their places in her imagination and in her narrative. The Revolution left no impreffion on her mind, but of Queen Mary turning up bed-clothes; and the Proteftant Hero, but of a selfish glutton who devoured a dish of peas from his fifter-in-law. Little circumftances indeed convey the most characteristical ideas; but the choice of them may as often paint the genius of the writer as of the perion reprefented. Mrs. Abigail Hill is not the only perfon tranfmitted to pofterity with marks of the Duchefs's refentment. Lord Oxford, "honeft Jack Hill, the ragged boy, the Quebec General," and others, make the fame figure in her history that they did in her mind :-Sallies of paffion not to be wondered at in one who has facrificed even the private letters of her miftrefs and benefactrefs. The Queen gave her a picture in enamel, fet with diamonds. The Duchefs took off the diamonds, and gave the picture to a Mrs. Higgins to be fold.

WARTON.

VOL. III.

S

To Heirs unknown, defcends th' unguarded ftore,
Or wanders, Heav'n-directed, to the Poor.
Pictures like thefe, dear Madam, to defign,
Afks no firm hand, and no unerring line;
Some wand'ring touches, fome reflected light,
Some flying ftroke alone can hit 'em right:
For how could equal Colours do the knack?
Cameleons who can paint in white and black?
"Yet Cloe fure was form'd without a spot."-
Nature in her then err'd not, but forgot.

"With ev'ry pleafing, ev'ry prudent part,

66

150

155

159

Say, what can Cloe want?"-She wants a Heart. She speaks, behaves, and acts juft as fhe ought; But never, never, reach'd one gen'rous Thought. Virtue fhe finds too painful an endeavour,

Content to dwell in Decencies for ever.

So very reasonable, fo unmov'd,

165

As never yet to love, or to be lov'd.

She, while her Lover pants upon her breast,
Can mark the figures on an Indian chest :
And when fhe fees her Friend in deep despair,

Obferves how much a Chintz exceeds Mohair.

170

Forbid it, Heav'n, a Favour or a Debt

She e'er fhould cancel !--but fhe may forget.

Safe is your Secret still in Cloe's ear;

But none of Cloe's fhall

you ever hear.

NOTES.

Of

VER. 155. "Do the knack," is a wretched vulgarifm, and anworthy a place in fo polifhed a compofition.

I'

175

180

Of all her Dears fhe never flander'd one,
But cares not if a thousand are undone.
Would Cloe know if you're alive or dead?
She bids her Footman put it in her head.
Cloe is prudent-Would you too be wise?
Then never break your heart when Cloe dies.
One certain Portrait may (I grant) be seen,
Which Heav'n has varnish'd out, and made a Queen:
THE SAME FOR EVER! and defcrib'd by all
With Truth and Goodness, as with Crown and Ball.
Poets heap Virtues, Painters Gems at will,
185

And fhew their zeal, and hide their want of skill.

'Tis well-but, Artifts! who can paint or write, To draw the Naked is your true delight.

That Robe of Quality so struts and fwells,

None fee what Parts of Nature it conceals:

190

Th' exactest traits of Body or of Mind,

We owe to models of an humble kind.

NOTES.

If

VER. 180. when Cloe dies.] This highly-finished portrait was intended for Lady Suffolk, with whom, at the time he wrote it, he lived in a state of intimacy. At ver. 178, he alludes to a particular circumstance: Pope, being at dinner with her, heard her order her footman to put her in mind to fend to know how Mrs. Blount, who was ill, had paffed the night. WARTON.

VER. 182. Which Heav'n has varnish'd out, and made a Queen.]
"This age, 'tis true, has one great instance seen,
And Heav'n in juftice made that one a Queen."
Prologue to Fair Penitent.
STEEVENS.

Pope is ironical, as he generally is when he mentions the virtues

of Kings or Queens.