Anne, Countess of Winchilsea (1660-1720). The Wit and the Beau. J. C. Squire, ed. 1921. A Book of Women's Verse

J. C. Squire, ed. A Book of Women’s Verse. 1921.

The Wit and the Beau

By Anne, Countess of Winchilsea (1660–1720)


STREPHON, whose person ev’ry grace
Was careful to adorn;
Thought, by the beauties of his face,
In Silvia’s love to find a place,
And wonder’d at her scorn.	5

With bows, and smiles he did his part;
But Oh! ’twas all in vain:
A youth less fine, a youth of Art,
Had talk’d himself into her heart
And wou’d not out again.	10

Strephon with change of habits press’d,
And urg’d her to admire;
His love alone the other dress’d,
As verse or prose became it best,
And mov’d her soft desire.	15

This found, his courtship Strephon ends,
Or makes it to his glass;
There in himself now seeks amends,
Convinc’d, that where a Wit pretends,
A Beau is but an ass.	20