Or Sappho at her toilet's greasy task,
With Sappho fragrant at an ev'ning Mask :
So morning Infects that in muck begun,

Shine, buzz, and fly-blow in the setting fun.

25

How foft is Silia! fearful to offend;
The frail one's advocate, the weak one's friend.
To her, Calista prov'd her conduct nice;
And good Simplicius afks of her advice.
Sudden, she storms! fhe raves! You tip the wink,
But spare your cenfure; Silia does not drink.
All eyes may fee from what the change arose,
All eyes may fee-a Pimple on her nose.

30

35

Papillia, wedded to her am'rous spark, Sighs for the shades!" How charming is a Park!" A Park is purchas'd, but the Fair he sees

All bath'd in tears-" Oh odious, odious Trees!"

Ladies, like variegated Tulips, fhow;

"Tis to their Changes half their charms we owe;

39

See Note upon

I confider them as decifive, whatever doubts there might have been before about the real perfon alluded to. Pope's letter to Lord Hervey, in this volume.

The Author attributes his use of fictitious names to motives of delicacy and politenefs to the fex; yet fuch terms occur, as would not, in the prefent times, be tolerated among men even of decent education.

VER. 29 and 37. II. Contrarieties in the Soft-natured.
VER. 45. III. Contrarieties in the Cunning and Artful.

POPE.

POPE.

Her Tongue bewitch'd as oddly as her Eyes;
Lefs Wit than Mimic, more a Wit than wife.
Strange graces still, and stranger flights she had,
Was juft not ugly, and was just not mad;
Yet ne'er so fure our paffion to create,

As when the touch'd the brink of all we hate.
Narciffa's nature, tolerably mild,

50

To make a wash, would hardly stew a child;
Has ev'n been prov'd to grant a Lover's pray'r,
And paid a Tradesman once to make him ftare;
Gave alms at Eafter, in a Christian trim,
And made a Widow happy, for a whim.

55

Why

NOTES.

VER. 52. As when she touch'd the brink of all we hate.] Her charms confifted in the fingular turn of her vivacity; consequently the stronger the exerted this vivacity, the more forcible was her attraction. But when her vivacity arose to that height in which it was most attractive, it was upon the brink of Excefs; the point where the delicacy of fenfuality disappears, and all the coarfenefs of it ftands expofed. WARBURTON.

VER. 53. IV. In the Whimsical.

POPE.

VER. 54. would hardly flew a child;] This hyperbolical ridicule is carried to a great height, but in an image too disgusting. Juvenal, in his fixth fatire, speaking of a great female talker, uses a pleasant hyperbole :

WARTON.

"Una laboranti poterit fuccurrere lunæ.” VER. 57. in a Chriftian trim,] This is finely expreffed; implying that, her very charity was as much an exterior of Religion, as the ceremonies of the feafon. It was not even in a Chriftian humour, it was only in a Chriflian trim: not so much as habit, only fashion. WARBURTON.

VER. 58. And made a Widow happy,] There are fome female characters sketched with exquifite delicacy and deep knowledge of nature, in a book where one would not expect to find them, Law's Chriftian Perfection. WARTON.

Why then declare Good-nature is her scorn,
When 'tis by that alone the can be born?
Why pique all mortals, yet affect a name?
A fool to Pleasure, yet a slave to Fame:
Now deep in Taylor and the Book of Martyrs,
Now drinking Citron with his Grace and Chartres:
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 Christian at her heart.
See Sin in State, majestically drunk;
Proud as a Peerefs, prouder as a Punk;

60

66

70

Chafte

NOTES.

VER. 65. Now Confcience chills her,] Madame de Montespan, during her criminal intercourse with Louis XIV. kept her Lents fo ftrictly, that she used to have her bread weighed out to her. WARTON.

VER. 68. Yet fill a fad,] I have been informed on good authority, that this character was defigned for the then Duchefs of Hamilton.

VER. 69. V. In the Lewd and Vicious.

WARTON.

POPE.

VER. 70. Proud as a Peerefs,] Defigned for the Duchess of Marlborough, who fo much admired Congreve; and after his death caused a figure in wax-work to be made of him, and placed frequently at her table. This connection is particularly hinted at in ver. 76.

She fins with Poets

Our Author's declaration, therefore, that no particular character was aimed it, is not true. WARTON,

For the want of delicacy, the coarfenefs, and the vulgarity of thefe lines, no wit can atone. Even Ruffhead here seems alarmed at the want of politenefs of his favourite Bard, though he expreffes himself in terms more offenfive upon the fubject, than the Poet!

Chafte to her Husband, frank to all befide,

A teeming Mistress, but a barren Bride.

What then? let Blood and Body bear the fault, Her Head's untouch'd, that noble feat of Thought: Such this day's doctrine—in another fit

75

She fins with Poets through pure Love of Wit.
What has not fir'd her bofom or her brain?
Cæfar and Tall-boy, Charles and Charlema'ne.
As Helluo, late Dictator of the Feast,

The Nofe of Hautgout and the Tip of Tafte,

· Critiqu'd your wine, and analyz'd your meat,
Yet on plain Pudding deign'd at home to eat :
So Philomedé, lect'ring all mankind,
On the foft Paffion, and the Taste refin'd,
Th' Addrefs, the Delicacy-ftoops at once,
And makes her hearty meal upon a Dunce.
Flavia's a Wit, has too much sense to pray;
To toaft our wants and wishes, is her way;
Nor afks of God, but of her Stars, to give
The mighty bleffing, "While we live, to live."
Then all for Death, that Opiate of the foul!
Lucretia's dagger, Rofamonda's bowl.
Say, what can cause such impotence of mind?
A Spark too fickle, or a Spoufe too kind.

80

85

90

Wife

VARIATIONS.

VER. 77. What has not fir'd, &c.] In the MS.
In whofe mad brain the mixt ideas roll
Of Tall-boy's breeches, and of Cæfar's foul.

NOTES.

VER. 87. VI. Contrarieties in the Witty and Refined.

POPE.

Wife Wretch with pleasures too refin❜d to please;

With too much Spirit to be e'er at ease:

With too much Quickness ever to be taught;

96

With too much Thinking to have common Thought:
You purchase Pain with all that Joy can give,
And die of nothing but a Rage to live.

100

Turn then from Wits; and look on Simo's Mate,
No Afs fo meek, no Afs so obstinate.
Or her, that owns her Faults, but never mends,
Because she's honest, and the best of Friends.
Or her, whofe life the Church and Scandal fhare,
For ever in a Paffion, or a Pray'r.

106

Or her, who laughs at Hell, but (like her Grace)
Cries, "Ah! how charming if there's no fuch place!"
Or who in fweet viciffitude appears,

Of Mirth and Opium, Ratafie and Tears,
The daily Anodine, and nightly Draught,
To kill thofe foes to fair ones, Time and Thought.
Woman and Fool are two hard things to hit;

For true No-meaning puzzles more than Wit.

110

NOTES.

But

VER. 107. Or her, who laughs at Hell,]

"Shall pleasures of a fhort duration chain

A Lady's foul in everlasting pain?

Will the Great, Author us poor worms destroy
For now and then a fip of tranfient joy?
No; He's for ever in a smiling mood;

He's like themselves; or how could he be good?

From Young, Sat. 5. The perfon Pope intended to ridicule was the Duchefs of Montague.

WARTON.

VER. 113. Woman and Fool, &c.] Here the Poet's honeft panegyrifer is again alarmed at his want of politenefs for the Ladies.

"The