Mufe! at that Name thy facred forrows fhed, 50 56 60 65 Oh lasting as thofe Colours may they shine, Free as thy ftroke, yet faultless as thy line; New graces yearly like thy works display, Soft without weakness, without glaring gay; Led by fome rule, that guides, but not constrains; And finish'd more through happiness than pains. The NOTES. VER. 60. Worley's eyes;] This was Frances Lady Worley, Wife of Sir Robert Worfley, Bart. of Appuldercombe, in the Isle of Wight; Mother of Lady Carteret, Wife of John Lord Carteret, afterwards Earl Granville. There is an excellent letter of this Lady to Dr. Swift in his Letters, p. 77. The kindred Arts fhall in their praise conspire, 70 75 NOTES. VER. 70. One dip the pencil,] The great Michael Angelo Buanoriti did both. See his Poems, printed at Florence, in 4to. 1623; fome of which are very elegant, and nearly equal to Petrarch. VER. 78. A name.] Pope ufed to fay that Jervas translated Don Quixote without understanding Spanish. Warburton added a fupplement to the preface of this tranflation, concerning the origin and nature of romances of chivalry; which supplement Pope extols in his letters; but the opinions in it are thoroughly and entirely confuted by Mr. Tyrrwhit, in vol. ii. of Supplemental Obfervations in Shakespeare, p. 373. EPISTLE ΤΟ MRS. BLOUNT, WITH THE WORKS OF VOITURE. IN N thefe gay thoughts the Loves and Graces fhine, And all the Writer lives in ev'ry line; His eafy Art may happy Nature seem, Trifles themselves are elegant in him. Sure to charm all was his peculiar fate, 5 10 15 And the gay mourn'd who never mourn'd before; The NOTES. VER. 1. In thefe gay] The works of Voiture, after having been idolized in France, are now juftly funk into neglect and oblivion. The trueft hearts for Voiture heav'd with fighs, The Smiles and Loves had dy'd in Voiture's death, Let the ftrict life of graver mortals be In ev'ry scene some Moral let it teach, And, if it can, at once both please and preach. Farce appear, And more diverting ftill than regular, 20 25 Have Humour, Wit, a native Eafe and Grace, NOTES. Custom, VER. 19. The fmiles] Alluding to an elegant epitaph on Voiture: "Etrufcæ Veneres, Camænæ Iberæ, Many curious particulars of his life may be found in the enter taining Mifcellanies of Vigneul Marville, vol. ii. p. 409. Corneille was invited to read his Polycucte at the Hotel de Rambouillet, where the wits of that time assembled, and where Voiture prefided. It was coldly received; and Voiture was fent to tell Corneille in gentle terms, that it was the opinion of his friends that Polyeucte would not fucceed. Such judges were the most fashionable wits of France! Cuftom, grown blind with Age, must be your guide; Your pleasure is a vice, but not your pride; By Nature yielding, ftubborn but for fame: 35 Made Slaves by honour, and made Fools by fhame. Well might you wish for change by thofe accurft, 40 45 For the dull glory of a virtuous Wife ; Nor let falfe Shews, nor empty Titles please: 51 The Gods, to curfe Pamela with her pray'rs, Gave the gilt Coach, and dappled Flanders Mares, The fhining robes, rich jewels, beds of ftate, And, to complete her bliss, a Fool for Mate. She glares in Balls, front Boxes, and the Ring, A vain, unquiet, glitt'ring, wretched Thing! Pride, Pomp, and State but reach her outward part; She fighs, and is no Duchefs at her heart. you 56 But, Madam, if the fates withstand, and Are deftin'd Hymen's willing Victim too; Trust not too much your now refistless charms, Thofe, Age or Sickness, foon or late, difarms: 60 Good |