I loved him; as I told you, I 'Damon, 'tis time we should retire, The man you talk with is Mat Prior.' 81 Patron thro' life, and from thy birth my friend, Dorset! to thee this fable let me send: With Damon's lightness weigh thy solid worth; The foil is known to set the diamond forth: Let the feigned tale this real moral give, How many Damons, how few Dorsets, live! THE FEMALE PHAETON. 1 THUS Kitty,' beautiful and young, Bespoke the fair from whence she sprung, 2 Inflamed with rage at sad restraint, 3 Shall I thumb holy books, confined 4 Must Lady Jenny frisk about, At balls must she make all the rout, 90 5 What has she better, pray, than I, What hidden charms to boast, That all mankind for her should die; Whilst I am scarce a toast! 6 Dearest mamma! for once let me, Unchained, my fortune try; I'll have my earl as well as she,' 7 I'll soon with Jenny's pride quit score, They'll grieve I was not loosed before; 8 Fondness prevailed, mamma gave way; And set the world on fire. THE JUDGMENT OF VENUS. 2 Just so! (and pointing with her hand) 3 When in the glass, and river too, My face I lately viewed, 1 The Earl of Essex married Lady Jane Hyde.-2 Lady Ranelagh. Such was I, if the glass be true, 4 In colours of this glorious kind1 My hair thus flowing with the wind, 5 Like this,2 disordered, wild, forlorn, 6 But, viewing Myra placed apart, I fear, says she, I fear, Apelles, that Sir Godfrey's art Has far surpassed thine here. 7 Or I, a goddess of the skies, And must resign to her the prize, 8 But, soon as she had Myra seen, The sparkling eye, the look serene, 9 With fiery emulation filled, The wondering goddess cried, 1 Lady Salisbury.-2 Lady Jane, sister to the Duke of Douglas; afterwards married to Sir John Stewart. DAPHNE AND APOLLO: IMITATED, FROM THE FIRST BOOK OF OVID'S METAMORPHOSES. 'Nympha, precor, Penei, mane.' APOLLO. ABATE, fair fugitive, abate thy speed, Dismiss thy fears, and turn thy beauteous head; Less swiftly fly, less swiftly I'll pursue: Pathless, alas! and rugged is the ground, Some stone may hurt thee, or some thorn may wound. This care is for himself, as sure as death! APOLLO. You fly, alas! not knowing whom you fly; DAPHNE. Thank you; I would not leave my native land. APOLLO. What is to come, by certain arts I know. DAPHNE. Pish! Partridge' has as fair pretence as you. 10 10 1 An almanack maker and astrologer at the beginning of the present (eighteenth) century. See Swift's Miscellanies. APOLLO. Behold the beauties of my locks DAPHNE. A fig! That may be counterfeit, a Spanish wig. I sing APOLLO. DAPHNE. That never shall be Daphne's choice: Syphacio had an admirable voice. APOLLO. Of every herb I tell the mystic power; 17 DAPHNE. -Ours is a wholesome air; You'd better go to town, and practise there; APOLLO. For learning famed, fine verses I compose. DAPHNE. So do your brother quacks and brother beaux. APOLLO. From the bent yew I send the pointed reed, 30 |