Phil wish'd, that she had ftrain'd a limb, Bur what adventures more befel 'em, In kindness to maintain her fpoule, Till fwains unwholesome spoil'd the trade; 85 ୨୦ To whom those perquifites are gone, In Christian juftice due to John. When food and raiment now grew scarce, 95 Fate put a period to the farce, And with exact poetic juftice; For John is landlord, Phillis hoftefs: They keep at Staines the old Blue Boar, Are cat and dog, and rogue and whore. 200 The PROGRESS of POETRY. Written in the year 1720. THE farmer's goofe, who in the ftubble Has fed without restraint or trouble, Grown fat with corn, and fitting ftill, And round the barren common strays, 10 Hard exercise, and harder fare Soon make my dame grow lank and fpare: And fcorns the ground, and upward fprings; Hear founds harmonious from the fkies. SUCH is the poet fresh in pay, (The third night's profits of his play); 15 20 Or, stuff'd with phlegm up to the throat, 25 What poet e'er could fing a note? Nor Pegasus could bear the load Along the high celestial road; The steed, opprefs'd, would break his girth 30 BUT view him in another scene, When all his drink is Hippocrene, His money spent, his patrons fail, His credit out for cheese and ale; His two-year's coat so smooth and bare, 35 And up he rifes like a vapour, He finging flies, and flying fings, 45 The PROGRESS of BEAUTY. Written in the year 1720. 7HEN firft Diana leaves her bed, W Vapours and fteams her look difgrace, A frowzy dirty colour'd red Sits on her cloudy wrinkled face : But by degrees, when mounted high, "Twixt earthly females and the moon To fee her from her pillow rife, 5 10 All reeking in a cloudy steam, Crack'd lips, foul teeth, and gummy eyes, 15 Poor Strephon, how would he blafpheme! Three colours, black, and red, and white, They form a frightful hideous face: 20 Remove them to a diff'rent site, For instance, when the lily skips So Celia went entire to bed, All her complexion safe and sound ; 125 But when the rofe, white, black, and red, The black, which would not be confin'd, A more inferior station feeks, Leaving the fiery red behind, And mingles in her muddy cheeks. But Celia can with eafe reduce, By help of pencil, paint, and brush, Each colour to its place and ufe, And teach her cheeks again to blush. She knows her early felf no more; But fill'd with admiration stands, As other painters oft adore The workmanship of their own hands. Thus, after four important hours, Celia's the wonder of her fex: Say, which among the heav'nly pow'rs 30 35 40. Venus, indulgent to her kind, 45 Gave women all their hearts could wish, When firft she taught them where to find White lead and Lufitanian * dish. Love with white lead cements his wings: 50 Two brighteft, brittleft earthly things, She ventures now to lift the fash; The window is her proper fphere : Ah lovely nymph! be not too rafh, 55 • Portugal, Take pattern by your fifter ftar; Delude at once, and bless our fight; When you are feen, be feen from far, And chiefly chufe. to fhine by night. But art no longer can prevail, When the materials all are gone; Matter, as wife logicians fay, And this is fair Diana's cafe ; For all astrologers maintain, * While Partridge wifely fhews the caufe That Cancer with his pois'nous claws But Gadbury, in art profound, From her pale cheeks pretends to show, But, let the cause be what it will, In half a month fhe looks fo thin, That Flamstead can, with all his skill, See but her forehead and her chin. 60 65 70 7 75 80 * Partridge and Gadbury wrote each an ephemeris. Hawkef + Endymion, a young thepherd, of whom Diana was feigned to be enamoured. Hawkef. |