Ask you why Wharton broke through ev'ry rule?
'Twas all for fear the knaves fhould call him fool.
Nature well known, no prodigies remain ;
Comets are regular, and Wharton plain.

Yet, in this fearch, the wifeft may mistake,
If fecond qualities for firft they take.
When Cataline by rapine swell'd his store
When Cæfar made a noble dame a whore ;
In this the luft, in that the avarice,

210

Were means, not ends; Ambition was the vice. 215
That very Cæfar born in Scipio's days,
Had aim'd, like him, by chastity at praife.
Lucullus, when frugality could charm,
Had roafted turnips in the Sabin farm.
In vain th' obferver eyes the builder's toil,
But quite miftakes the fcaffold for the pile.

In this one paffion man can ftrength enjoy,
As fits give vigour, juft when they deftroy.
Time, that on all things lays his lenient hand,
Yet tames not this; it fticks to our laft fand.
Confiftent in our follies and our fins,
Here honeft Nature ends as fhe begins.

Old politicians chew on wisdom paft,
And totter on in bus'ness to the last;
As weak, as earneft; and as gravely out,
As fober Lanefbrow dancing in the gout.
Behold a rev'rend fire, whom want of
Has made the father of a nameless race,
Shov'd from the wall perhaps, or rudely prefs'd
By his own fon, that paffes by unblefs'd:

grace

220

225

230

235

Still

NOTES.

Ver. 231. Lansb'ror.] An ancient nobleman, who continued this practice long after his legs were difabled by the gout. Upon the death of Price George of Denmark, he demanded an audience of the Queen, to advise her to preferve her health and difpel her grief by dancing.

Still to his wench he crawls on knocking knees,
And envies ev'ry fparrow that he fees.

240

A falmon's belly, Helluo, was thy fate The doctor call'd, declares all help too late : "Mercy!" cries Helluo, " mercy on my foul ! "Is there no hope ?-Alas!-then bring the jowl." The frugal crone, whom praying priefts attend, Still tries to fave the hallow'd taper's end, Collects her breath, as ebbing life retires, For one puff more, and in that puff expires. "Odious! in woollen! twould a faint provoke," (Were the laft words that poor Narciffa fpoke); "No, let a charming chintz, and Bruffels lace, "Wrap my cold limbs, and fhade my lifelefs face: "One would not, fure, be frightful when one's dead"And-Betty-give this cheek a little red."

The courtier fmooth, who forty years had fhin'd

An humble fervant to all human kind,

245

151

Juft brought out this, when scarce his tongue could ftir: "If-where I'm going-I could ferve you, Sir?" "I give and I devife" (old Euclio faid, 256 And figh'd) "my lands and tenements to Ned." Your money, Sir?" My money, Sir, what all? "Why, if I muft-(then wept) I give it Paul." 259 The manor, Sir?" The manor! hold, he cry'd, "Not that, I cannot part with that," and dy'd. And you! brave COBHAM! to the lateft breath Shall feel your ruling paffion strong in death: Such in thofe moments as in all the paft,

“Oh, fave my country, Heav'n !" shall be your last ARGUMENT

U 3

NOTES.

Ver. 242. The frugal crone.] A fact told him of a lady at Paris. Ver. 247. the lajt words that poor Narcilja spoke.] This story, as well as the others, is founded on fact, though the author had the goodness not to mention the names. Several attribute this in particu lar to a very celebrated actress, who, in deteftation of the thought of being buried in woollen, gave these her laft orders with her dying breath.

To A LADY.

Argument.

Of the Characters of WOMEN.

That the particular characters of women are not fo ftrongly marked as thofe of men, feldom fo fixed, and ftill more inconfiftent with themselves, ver. 1, &c. Inftances of contrarieties, given even from fuch characters as are most ftrongly marked, and feemingly therefore moft confiftent: As, I. in the affected, ver. 21, &c. II. In the Soft-natured, ver. 29, and 37. III. In the cunning and artful, ver. 45. IV. In the zuhimfical, ver. 53. V. In the lewd and vitious, ver. 69. VI. In the witty and refined, ver. 87. VII. In the Aupid and fimple, ver. 101. The former part having fhewn, that the particular characters of women are more various than thofe of men, it is nevertheless obferved, that the general characteristic of the fex, as to the Ruling Paffion, is more uniform, ver. 207. This is occafioned, partly by their nature, partly by their education, and in fome degree by neceffity, ver. 211. What are the aims and the fate of this fex:1. As to power, ver. 219. II. As to pleafure, ver. 231. Advice for their true intereft, ver. 249. The picture of an eftimable woman, with the bett kind of contrarieties, ver. 269.

NOTHING fo true as what you once let fall,

"Moft women have no characters at all."

Matter too foft a lafting mark to bear,

And beft diftinguifh'd by black, brown, or fair.
How many pictures of one nymph we view,
All how unlike each other, all how true?
Arcadia's Countess, here, in ermin'd pride,
Is there, Paftora by a fountain-fide:
Here Fannia leering on her own good man,
And there, a naked Leda with a swan.

NOTES.

First published in the year 1735.

10

Let

Ver. 7, 8, 10, etc. Arcadia's Countess-Paftora by a fountain-Leda with a fran-Magdalen-Cecilia-] Attitudes in which feveral ladies affected to be drawn, and fometimes one lady in them all.The poet's politenefs and complaifance to the fex is obfervable in this inftance, amongst others, that, whereas in the characters of men, he has fometimes inade ufe of real names, in the characters of women always fetitions.

Let then the fair-one beautifully cry,

In Magdalen's loose hair and lifted eye,
Or drefs'd in fmiles of fweet Cecilia fhine,

With fimp'ring angels, palms, and harps divine;
Whether the charmer finner it, or faint it,
If Folly grow romantic, I must paint it.

Come then, the colours and the ground prepare
Dip in the rainbow, trick her off in air;
Chufe a firm cloud, before it fall, and in it
Catch, ere the change, the Cynthia of this minute.
Rufa, whofe eye quick-glancing o'er the Park,
Attracts each light gay meteor of a spark,
Agrees as well with Rufa ftudying Locke,
As Sappho's di'monds with her dirty fmock;
Or Sappho at her toilet's greafy tafk,
With Sappho fragrant at an ev'ning mask;
So morning-infects that in muck begun,
Shine, buzz, and fly blow in the fetting fun.
How foft is Silia! fearful to offend;

The frail one's advocate, the weak one's friend.
To her Califta prov'd her conduct nice;
And good Simplicius asks of her advice.

Sudden, fhe ftorms! fhe raves! You tip the wink:
But fpare your cenfure; Silia does not drink.
All eyes may fee from what the change arofe,
All eyes may fee-a pimple on her nofe.

NOTES.

30

53

Papillia,

Ver. 10. Catch, ere she change the Cynthia of this minute.] Alluding to the precept of Fresnoy,

forme veneres captando fugaces.

VARIATIONS.

Ver. 23. Agrees as ill with Rufa ftudying Locke] This thought expreffed with great humour in the following ftanza:

Though Artemilia talks, by fits,

Of councils, claffics, fathers, wits;

Reads Malbranche, Boyle, and Locke: Yet in fome things, methinks, the fails; "Twere well if the would pare her nails,

And wear a cleaner fmock. See Vol. i. p. 292

Papillia, wedded to her am'rous fpark,

Sighs for the fhades-" How charming is a Park!"
A park is purchas'd, but the fair he fees

All bath'd in tears- Oh odious, odious trees !" 40
Ladies, like variegated tulips, fhow,

"Tis to their changes half their charms we owe;
Fine by defect, and delicately weak,
Their happy fpots the nice admirer take.
'Twas thus Calypfo once each heart alarm'd,
Aw'd without virtue, without beauty charm'd
Her tongue bewitch'd as oddly as her eyes,
Lefs wit than mimic, more a wit than wife;
Strange graces ftill, and ftranger flights fhe had,
Was juft not ugly, and was juft not mad ;
Yet ne'er fo fure our paffion to create,
As when the touch'd the brink of all we hate.
Narciffa's nature, tolerably mild,

45

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To make a wash, would hardly ftew a child;
Has ev'n been prov'd to grant a lover's pray'r.
And paid a tradefman once to make him ftare
Gave alms at Eafter in a Chriftian trim,
And made a widow happy for a whim.
Why then declare good-nature is her fcorn,
When 'tis by that alone fhe can be borne ?
Why pique all mortals, yet affect a name?
A fool to Pleasure, yet a flave to Fame:

55

60

Now deep in Taylor and the book of Martyrs,
Now drinking citron with his Grace and Charters:
Now confcience chills her, and now paffion burns:
And Atheism and Religion take their turns;
A very Heathen in the carnal part,
Yet ftill a fad, good Chriftian at her heart,
See Sin in ftate, majeftically drunk;
Proud as a peerefs, prouder as a punk;
Chafte to her husband, frank to all befide,
A teeming miftrefs, but a barren bride.

66

70

What