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NOT with more glories, in th ethereal plain, | |
The sun first rises oer the purpled main, | |
Than, issuing forth, the rival of his beams | |
Launchd on the bosom of the silver Thames. | |
Fair nymphs, and well-dressd youths around her shone, | 5 |
But every eye was fixd on her alone. | |
On her white breast a sparkling cross she wore, | |
Which Jews might kiss, and infidels adore. | |
Her lively looks a sprightly mind disclose, | |
Quick as her eyes, and as unfixd as those: | 10 |
Favours to none, to all she smiles extends; | |
Oft she rejects, but never once offends. | |
Bright as the sun, her eyes the gazers strike, | |
And, like the sun, they shine on all alike. | |
Yet graceful ease, and sweetness void of pride, | 15 |
Might hide her faults, if belles had faults to hide; | |
If to her share some female errors fall, | |
Look on her face, and you ll forget em all. | |
This nymph, to the destruction of mankind, | |
Nourishd two locks, which graceful hung behind | 20 |
In equal curls, and well conspired to deck | |
With shining ringlets the smooth ivry neck. | |
Love in these labyrinths his slaves detains, | |
And mighty hearts are held in slender chains. | |
With hairy springes we the birds betray, | 25 |
Slight lines of hair surprise the finny prey, | |
Fair tresses mans imperial race ensnare, | |
And beauty draws us with a single hair. | |
Th adventurous Baron the bright locks admired; | |
He saw, he wishd, and to the prize aspired. | 30 |
Resolvd to win, he meditates the way, | |
By force to ravish, or by fraud betray; | |
For when success a lovers toil attends, | |
Few ask if fraud or force attaind his ends. | |
For this, ere Phbus rose, he had implord | 35 |
Propitious Heavn, and every Power adord, | |
But chiefly Loveto Love an altar built | |
Of twelve vast French romances, neatly gilt. | |
There lay three garters, half a pair of gloves, | |
And all the trophies of his former loves; | 40 |
With tender billet-doux he lights the pyre, | |
And breathes three amrous sighs to raise the fire. | |
Then prostrate falls, and bags with ardent eyes | |
Soon to obtain, and long possess the prize: | |
The Powers gave ear, and granted half his prayer, | 45 |
The rest the winds dispersd in empty air. | |
But now secure the painted vessel glides, | |
The sunbeams trembling on the floating tides; | |
While melting music steals upon the sky, | |
And softend sounds along the waters die: | 50 |
Smooth flow the waves, the zephyrs gently play, | |
Belinda smild, and all the world was gay. | |
All but the Sylphwith careful thoughts opprest | |
Th impending woe sat heavy on his breast. | |
He summons straight his denizens of air; | 55 |
The lucid squadrons round the sails repair: | |
Soft oer the shrouds aërial whispers breathe | |
That seemd but zephyrs to the train beneath. | |
Some to the sun their insect-wings unfold, | |
Waft on the breeze, or sink in clouds of gold; | 60 |
Transparent forms too fine for mortal sight, | |
Their fluid bodies half dissolvd in light, | |
Loose to the wind their airy garments flew, | |
Thin glittring textures of the filmy dew, | |
Dipt in the richest tincture of the skies, | 65 |
Where light disports in ever-mingling dyes, | |
While evry beam new transient colours flings, | |
Colours that change wheneer they wave their wings. | |
Amid the circle, on the gilded mast, | |
Superior by the head was Ariel placed; | 70 |
His purple pinions opening to the sun, | |
He raised his azure wand, and thus begun: | |
Ye Sylphs and Sylphids, to your chief give ear. | |
Fays, Fairies, Genii, Elves, and Dæmons, hear! | |
Ye know the spheres and various tasks assignd | 75 |
By laws eternal to th aërial kind. | |
Some in the fields of purest ether play, | |
And bask and whiten in the blaze of day: | |
Some guide the course of wandring orbs on high, | |
Or roll the planets thro the boundless sky: | 80 |
Some, less refind, beneath the moons pale light | |
Pursue the stars that shoot athwart the night, | |
Or suck the mists in grosser air below, | |
Or dip their pinions in the painted bow, | |
Or brew fierce tempests on the wintry main, | 85 |
Or oer the glebe distil the kindly rain. | |
Others, on earth, oer human race preside, | |
Watch all their ways, and all their actions guide: | |
Of these the chief the care of nations own, | |
And guard with arms divine the British Throne. | 90 |
Our humbler province is to tend the Fair, | |
Not a less pleasing, tho less glorious care; | |
To save the Powder from too rude a gale; | |
Nor let th imprisond Essences exhale; | |
To draw fresh colours from the vernal flowers; | 95 |
To steal from rainbows ere they drop in showers | |
A brighter Wash; to curl their waving hairs, | |
Assist their blushes and inspire their airs; | |
Nay oft, in dreams invention we bestow, | |
To change a Flounce, or add a Furbelow. | 100 |
This day black omens threat the brightest Fair, | |
That eer deservd a watchful spirits care; | |
Some dire disaster, or by force or slight; | |
But what, or where, the Fates have wrapt in night. | |
Whether the nymph shall break Dianas law, | 105 |
Or some frail China jar receive a flaw; | |
Or stain her honour, or her new brocade, | |
Forget her prayers, or miss a masquerade, | |
Or lose her heart, or necklace, at a ball; | |
Or whether Heavn has doomd that Shock must fall. | 110 |
Haste, then, ye Spirits! to your charge repair: | |
The fluttring fan be Zephyrettas care; | |
The drops to thee, Brillante, we consign; | |
And, Momentilla, let the watch be thine; | |
Do thou, Crispissa, tend her favrite Lock; | 115 |
Ariel himself shall be the guard of Shock. | |
To fifty chosen sylphs, of special note, | |
We trust th important charge, the petticoat; | |
Oft have we known that sevn-fold fence to fail, | |
Tho stiff with hoops, and armd with ribs of whale: | 120 |
Form a strong line about the silver bound, | |
And guard the wide circumference around. | |
Whatever spirit, careless of his charge, | |
His post neglects, or leaves the Fair at large, | |
Shall feel sharp vengeance soon oertake his sins: | 125 |
Be stoppd in vials, or transfixd with pins, | |
Or plunged in lakes of bitter washes lie, | |
Or wedgd whole ages in a bodkins eye; | |
Gums and pomatums shall his flight restrain, | |
While cloggd he beats his silken wings in vain, | 130 |
Or alum styptics with contracting power | |
Shrink his thin essence like a rivelld flower: | |
Or, as Ixion fixd, the wretch shall feel | |
The giddy motion of the whirling mill, | |
In fumes of burning chocolate shall glow, | 135 |
And tremble at the sea that froths below! | |
He spoke; the spirits from the sails descend; | |
Some, orb in orb, around the nymph extend; | |
Some thread the mazy ringlets of her hair; | |
Some hang upon the pendants of her ear; | 140 |
With beating hearts the dire event they wait, | |
Anxious, and trembling for the birth of Fate. | |
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