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Each as he loves,.his diff'ring Praise bestows,
This Youth to fnowy Amaryllis bows,

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While that to brown Lycoris pays his Vows:
Daphnis in Flavia's yellow Ringlets bound,
Admires the Nymphs with golden Treffes crown'd;
While Thyrfis doating on the Jetty Black,

Starts at the burning Gold, and flies with Horror back.
Some Eyes all Hearts with lively Grey fubdue,
Some with the Languifh of the lovely Blue;
Some the fond Rage with fparkling Black infpire,
Quick fhoot the Flames, and kindle up the Fire.
Some Swains the flender-wafted Virgin prize,
And loath the bulky Fat's unwieldy Size :
While fome the thin, the fhadowy Form deteft,.
And chufe to prefs the plump luxuriant Breast,
On full Delights their Wishes to employ,

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Grafp the fubftantial Fair, and fate themfelves with Joy.
Such are the various Springs our Paffions move,
And fuch the many Herefies of Love.

Thus is the Mind by blind Defire betray'd,
Thus by fantaftick Fancy are we fway'd,
We like, we love, then deify the Maid.

NOR only Man to yarious Thoughts inclin'd,
Finds differing Beauties in the fofter Kind,
But ev❜n his own majestick Form furveys,
As partial Nations differ in their Praife.

Mark how the swarthy Æthiop, fond of Night,
Difdains the Cheeks with blended Rofes bright,
And paints the Fiends and Stygian Furies white."

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How

How did the fervile flattering Eaft commend
The Nose high rifing with an arched Bend;
When firft that femblant Form was fam❜d to grace
The mighty Median Monarch's warlike Face,
Cyrus, whofe Hand did Afia's Scepter fway,
And taught the wealthy Craefus to obey;
Wide o'er the Lydian Realm he stretch'd his Reign,
And bound the Royal Miser in his Chain.
Here might my Verse the fairest Gaul recount,
Here paint his flowing Curls and spacious Front.
Or here the tawny Spaniard might I trace,
His Looks obfcure describe, his gloomy Grace,
And rufty Blood diffus'd upon his dusky Face.
Full of himself the Pigmy Form appears,
Swells to the Clouds, and menaces the Stars;
Ev'n he, tho by unhappy Lot he lies
Beneath unkindly Suns, and weftern Skies,
Difdains the German, manly made and strong,
And calls the Fashion of his Arms too long;'
Prunes his hard Visage up, and with a Smile
Scorns the foft Bloom of Britain's happy Ifle.

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BUT fay, my Mufe, whence things that feem fo clear, So doubtful to difcording Man appear;

From happier Times of old deduce thy Verfe,
And how it first befel, in Order just rehearse.

WHEN firft this Infant World its Form puton,
When Time and beauteous Order firft begun,
And rich with native Grace the new Creation fhone;

No

No wicked Iron Age as yet control'd
The Luftre of the pure primæval Gold;
Around Heaven's azure Arch ferenely bright,
Unfullied fhone the fparkling Gems of Light;
No Fogs did then, no lazy Vapors rife,

Nor with their dull Pollution ftain the Skies :
Thro Heaven's wide Plains the glorious God of Day,
Prince of the Stars, unclouded held his way;
While in her turn the Silver Queen of Night,
Succeffive roll'd her limpid Orb of Light.

The Mother Earth, adorn'd by what she bred,
With Rocks, Hills, Trees, with Fruits and Flowers was
fpread,

And every living Thing on her green Bofom fed.
The well digefted Mass, untainted yet,

Did no rank Steams nor pois'nous Damps emit ;
But healthy Spirits breathing from the Ground,
Diffus'd their wholefom Fragrancies around.
'Twas then, in thofe good Times for ever bleft,
That happy Man his Innocence poffess'd :

When yet he had not learn'd, in Reason's spight,
Perverse to turn, and wander from the Right,
Forfaking Heaven's reveal'd, and Nature's inborn Light.
Then Holy Arts and Prieftcraft were not known,
Religion then was fimple, plain and one:
Luft had not kindled then her guilty Flame,
Ambition had not cheated Fools with Fame,
Nor yex'd the World with Honour's angry Name.
Nor was the Form of Man beneath his Soul,
But equal, proper Beauties grac'd the whole,

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Then

Then Temperance, juft Goddefs, did prevail,
And rightly held creating Nature's Scale,
Difpos'd the feveral Parts with prudent Care,
And form'd with niceft Symmetry the Fair.
Then was the Reign of Beauty in Mankind,
Then univerfal Empress, well fhe join'd
The faultlefs Body and the blameless Mind.

SOON as great Fove, from high Olympus' Brow, Beheld the facred Harmony below,

Add we one Master-piece of Art he said,

Earth, Heaven, and all ye Gods afford your Aid,
Your each Perfection join, and form one lovely Maid.
He spoke, and ftrait obedient to his Word,
Each willing Species to the Work concurr'd;
The Chrystal Orbs of Ether firft prepare
The Limbs and Subftance for the future Fair,

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While the Sun curl'd his Beams and hung 'em for her

Hair.

Her Front like Marble fmooth, like Lilies white,
Fair Cynthia lufter'd o'er with Silver Light;
Upon her Cheeks Aurora Rofes fpread,

And dy'd 'em in the Morning's brightest Red;
Venus the sweetly charming Smile impress'd,
And her foft Lips with balmy Pleafures blefs'd:
While Love, the God himself, o'er all the Mafs,
Dancing delightful fhew'd his heavenly Face,
Led on the laughing Joys, and every Sister Grace.
Thus form'd, thus finifh'd out the beauteous Whole,
Creating fove infus'd the living Soul; izvrstan

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And

And fince from every God the Graces came,
He bad Pandora be the Fair One's Name.

Then bending kindly down his gracious Look,

Thus to the new-made Nymph th' Almighty Father spoke.

DAUGHTER of Gods defcend, thou Work Divine,.
Vouchfafe on Earth, Celestial Fair, to fhine,
Diffuse the Bleffings of thy radiant Face,
And chear the Labours of the mortal Race:
For thus the Gods, thus Jove's high Will ordains,
While Man his native Innocence retains ;

Be thou his Blifs, his great Reward be thou,
Thy full Perfection, Heaven's fair Pattern show,
And teach him by thy felf thy native Skies to know.
But Oh! if Pity touch thy tender Breast,,

If for Mankind thy Care wou'd be exprefs'd,
Keep close this fatal Casket I bestow,

Nor feek the Secrets lodg'd within to know.
If thy frail Hand too curious, fhould incline
To pry, and disobey the Will divine,
Strait forth ten thoufand winged Plagues fhall fly,
And scatter swift Contagion thro the Sky.
Thee too, thou faireft, fhall the Ruin feize,
Pain shalt thou feel, and languish with Disease;
Deformity thy lovely Looks fhall blast,
And foul Pollution lay thy Beauties waste.

HE faid: And downward swift she bent her Flight, To fpread around on Earth the Beams of Beauty's Light.

Nor

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