The mighty Stagyrite firft left the shore,

Spread all his fails, and durft the deeps explore;
He steer'd fecurely, and discover'd far,

Led by the light of the Mæonian star.
Poets, a race long unconfin'd and free,
Still fond and proud of savage liberty,

Receiv'd his laws, and stood convinc'd 'twas fit,
Who conquer'd Nature should prefide o'er Wit.
IBID. P, 97•

LONGINU S.

THEE, bold Longinus! all the Nine inspire,
And bless their Critic with a Poet's fire;
An ardent judge, who, zealous in his truft,
With warmth gives fentence, yet is always juft;
Whose own example ftrengthens all his laws,
And is himself that great Sublime he draws.

IBID. p. 100.

PROGRESS OF POETRY.

BUT foon, by impious arms from Latium chac'd,
Their ancient bounds the banish'd Muses pafs'd;
Thence Arts o'er all the Northern world advance,
But Critic-Learning flourish'd moft in France:
The rules, a nation, born to ferve obeys;
And Boileau ftill in right of Horace fways:
But we, brave Britons, foreign laws defpis'd,
And kept unconquer'd, and unciviliz'd;

Fierce for the liberties of wit, and bold,
We ftill defy'd the Romans, as of old:
Yet fome there were among the founder few,
Of those who lefs prefum'd and better knew,
Who durft affert the jufter ancient caufe,
And here reftor'd Wit's fundamental laws.
Such was the Mufe, whofe rules and practice tell,
"Nature's chief master-piece is writing well."
Such was Rofcommon, not more learn'd than good,
With manners gen'rous as his noble blood;
To him the Wit of Greece and Rome was known,
And ev'ry author's merit but his own.

Such late was Walsh-the Muse's judge and friend,
Who justly knew to blame, or to commend;
To failings mild, but zealous for defert;
The clearest head, and the fincereft heart.
This humble praise, lamented shade! receive,
This praife at least a grateful Muse may give :
The Muse whofe early voice you taught to fing,
Prefcrib'd her heights, and prun'd her tender wing,
(Her guide now loft) no more attempts to rise,
But in low numbers fhort excurfions tries;
Content, if hence th’unlearn'd their wants may
view,

The learn'd reflect on what before they knew:
Careless of cenfure, nor too fond of fame;
Still pleas'd to praife, yet not afraid to blame;
Averfe alike to flatter or offend;

Not free from faults, nor yet too vain to mend.
IBID. p. 101.

THE

THE SYLPH'S ADDRESS.

SOL through white curtains fhot a timʼrous ray, And ope'd those eyes that must eclipse the day: Now lap-dogs gave themselves the roufing shake, And fleepless lovers, juft at twelve, awake:

Thrice rung the bell, the flipper knock'd the ground,

And the prefs'd watch return'd a filver found.
Belinda ftill her downy pillow preft,

Her guardian Sylph prolong'd the balmy reft:
"Twas he had fummon'd to her filent bed

The morning dream that hover'd o'er her head.
A Youth more glitt'ring than a birth-night Beau,
(That e'en in flumber caus'd her cheek to glow)
Seem'd to her ear his winning lips to lay,
And thus in whifpers faid, or feem'd to say:

Fairest of mortals! thou diftinguish'd care
Of thousand bright inhabitants of air!
If e'er one vifion touch thy infant thought,
Of all the Nurfe and all the Prieft have taught;
Of airy Elves by moon-light fhadows feen,
The filver token, and the circled green,

Or virgins vifited by Angel-pow'rs,

With golden crowns and wreaths of heav'nly flow'rs!

Hear and believe! thy own importance know,
Nor bound thy narrow views to things below.

Some

Some fecret truths, from learned pride conceal'd,
To Maids alone and Children are reveal'd:
What though no credit doubting Wits may give;
The Fair and Innocent fhall ftill believe.
Know then, unnumber'd Spirits round thee fly,
The light militia of the lower sky:

Thefe, though unfeen, are ever on the wing,
Hang o'er the Box, and hover round the Ring.
Think what an equipage thou haft in air,
And view with fcorn two pages and a chair.
As now your own, our beings were of old,
And once inclos'd in Woman's beauteous mould;
Thence, by a foft tranfition, we repair
From earthly vehicles to thefe of air.

Think not, when Woman's tranfient breath is fled,
That all her vanities at once are dead;

Succeeding vanities fhe ftill regards,

And though the plays no more, o'erlooks the cards.
Her joy in gilded chariots, when alive,
And love of Ombre, after death furvive.
For when the Fair in all their pride expire,
To their firft elements their Souls retire:
The fprites of fiery Termagants in flame
Mount up, and take a Salamander's name :
Soft yielding Minds to Water glide away,
And fip, with Nymphs, their elemental tea:
The graver Prude finks downward to a Gnome,
In fearch of mifchief ftill on earth to roam :
The light Coquettes in Sylphs aloft repair,
And sport and flutter in the fields of air.

THE RAPE OF THE LOCK, V. 1. p. 110.

THE

AND now, unveil'd, the Toilet ftands difplay'd, Each filver vase in mystic order laid.

First, rob'd in white, the Nymph intent adores,
With head uncover'd, the cofmetic pow'rs.
A heav'nly Image in the glass appears;
To that the bends, to that her eyes the rears:
Th'inferior Priestess, at her altar's fide,
Trembling, begins the facred rites of Pride.
Unnumber'd treasures ope at once, and here
The various off'rings of the world appear:
From each fhe nicely culls with curious toil,
And decks the Goddefs with the glitt'ring fpoil.
This cafket India's glowing gems unlocks,
And all Arabia breathes from yonder box:
The Tortoise here and Elephant unite,
Transform'd to combs, the fpeckled and the white;
Here files of Pins extend their shining rows,
Puffs, Powders, Patches, Bibles, Billet-doux.
Now awful Beauty puts on all its arms;
The Fair each moment rifes in her charms,
Repairs her fmiles, awakens ev'ry grace,
And calls forth all the wonders of her face;
Sees by degrees a purer blush arife,
And keener lightnings quicken in her eyes.
The bufy Sylphs furround their darling care;
These set the head, and those divide the hair;
Some fold the fleeve, whilft others plait the gown;
And Betty's prais'd for labours not her own.

IBID. p. 113.

BE