The fkilful Nymph reviews her force with care: Let Spades be trumps! she said, and trumps they
Now move to war her fable Matadores, In fhow like leaders of the fwarthy Moors. Spadillio first, unconquerable Lord!
Led off two captive trumps, and fwept the board.
As many more Manillio forc'd to yield,
And march'd a victor from the verdant field.
Him Bafto follow'd, but his fate more hard
Gain'd but one trump and one Plebeian card.
With his broad fabre next, a chief in
The hoary Majesty of Spades appears,
Puts forth one manly leg, to fight reveal'd,
The reft, his many-colour'd robe conceal'd.
The rebel Knave, who dares his prince engage,
Proves the just victim of his royal rage.
Ev'n mighty Pam, that Kings and Queens o'erthrew
And mow'd down armies in the fights of Lu,
Sad chance of war! now deftitute of aid,
Falls undistinguish'd by the victor Spade!
Thus far both armies to Belinda yield;
Now to the Baron fate inclines the field.
His warlike Amazon her hoft invades,
Th' imperial confort of the crown of Spades.
The Club's black Tyrant firft her victim dy'd,
Spite of his haughty mien, and barb'rous pride:
VER. 47. Now move to war, etc.] The whole idea of this defcription of a game at Ombre, is taken from Vida's defcription of a game at Chefs, in his poem intit. Scacchia Ludus.
What boots the regal circle on his head,
His giant limbs, in state unwieldy spread;
That long behind he trails his pompous robe,
And, of all monarchs, only grafps the globe?
The Baron now his Diamonds pours apace;
Th' embroider'd King who fhows but half his face,
And his refulgent Queen, with pow'rs combin'd
Of broken troops an easy conquest find.
Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, in wild diforder feen,
With throngs promifcuous ftrow the level green.
Thus when difpers'd a routed army runs,
Of Afia's troops, and Afric's fable fons,
With like confufion different nations fly,
Of various habit, and of various dye,
The pierc'd battalions dif-united fall,
In heaps on heaps; one fate o'erwhelms them all.
The Knave of Diamonds tries his wily arts,
And wins (oh fhameful chance!) the Queen of
Hearts.
At this, the blood the virgin's cheek forfook,
A livid paleness spreads o'er all her look ;
She fees, and trembles at th' approaching ill,
Juft in the jaws of ruin, and Codille.
And now, (as oft in fome diftemper'd State)
On one nice Trick depends the genʼral fate.
An Ace of Hearts fteps forth: The King unfeen
Lurk'd in her hand, and mourn'd his captive Queen:
He fprings to vengeance with an eager pace,
And falls like thunder on the proftrate Ace.
The nymph exulting fills with shouts the sky;
The walls, the woods, and long canals reply.
O thoughtless mortals! ever blind to fate, Too foon dejected, and too foon elate. Sudden, these honours fhall be fratch'd away, And curs'd for ever this victorious day.
For lo! the board with cups and spoons is crown'd, The berries crackle, and the mill turns round; 106 On fhining Altars of Japan they raise
The filver lamp; the fiery spirits blaze:
From filver spouts the grateful liquors glide,
While China's earth receives the fmoaking tide:
At once they gratify their scent and taste,
And frequent cups prolong the rich repafte.
Strait hover round the Fair her airy band;
Some, as the fipp'd, the fuming liquor fann'd,
Some o'er her lap their careful plumes display'd,
Trembling, and conscious of the rich brocade. 116
Coffee, (which makes the politician wife,
And fee thro' all things with his half-fhut eyes)
Sent up in vapours to the Baron's brain
New ftratagems, the radiant Lock to gain.
Ah cease, rafh youth! desist ere 'tis too late,
Fear the juft Gods, and think of Scylla's Fate!
VER. 122. and think of Scylla's Fate !] Vide Ovid Metam. viii.
VER. 105. Sudden the board, etc.] From hence, the firft Edition continues to v. 134.
Nefcia mens hominum fati fortifque futuræ,
Et fervare modum, rebus fublata fecundis !
Turno tempus erit, magno cum optaverit emptum
Inta&tum Pallanta; et cum fpolia ifta diemque
Oderit
Chang'd to a bird, and fent to flit in air,
She dearly pays for Nifus' injur'd hair!
But when to mischief mortals bend their will, How foon they find fit inftruments of ill? Juft then, Clariffa drew with tempting grace A two-edg❜d weapon from her fhining case: So Ladies in Romance affift their Knight, Present the fpear, and arm him for the fight. 136 He takes the gift with rev'rence, and extends The little engine on his finger's ends; This juft behind Belinda's neck he spread, As o'er the fragrant fteams fhe bends her head. Swift to the Lock a thousand Sprites repair, A thousand wings, by turns, blow back the hair; And thrice they twitch'd the diamond in her ear; Thrice fhe look'd back, and thrice the foe drew
Juft in that inftant, anxious Ariel fought
The close receffes of the Virgin's thought;
As on the nosegay in her breast reclin'd,
He watch'd th' Ideas rifing in her mind,
Sudden he view'd, in spite of all her art,
An earthly Lover lurking at her heart.
Amaz'd, confus'd, he found his pow'r expir'd,
Refign'd to fate, and with a figh retir'd.
VER. 134. In the first Edition it was thus,
As o'er the fragrant fteam fhe bends her head.
First he expands the glitt'ring forfex wide
T' inclofe the Lock; then joins it to divide :
The meeting points the facred hair diffever,
From the fair head, for ever and for ever.
All that is between was added afterwards.
The Peer now spreads the glitt'ring Forfex wide, 'T' inclose the Lock; now joins it, to divide. Ev'n then, before the fatal engine clos'd, A wretched Sylph too fondly interpos'd;
Fate urg'd the sheers, and cut the Sylph in twain, (But airy substance, soon unites again)
The meeting points the facred hair diffever
From the fair head, for ever, and for ever!
Then flash'd the living lightning from her eyes,
And screams of horror rend th' affrighted skies.
Not louder fhrieks to pitying heav'n are cast,
When husbands, or when lapdogs breathe their last;
Or when rich China veffels fall'n from high,
In glitt'ring duft, and painted fragments lie!
Let wreaths of triumph now my temples twine,
(The Victor cry'd) the glorious Prize is mine!
While fish in ftreams, or birds delight in air,
Or in a coach and fix the British Fair,
As long as Atalantis fhall be read,
Or the small pillow grace a Lady's bed,
While visits shall be paid on folemn days,
When num'rous wax-lights in bright order blaze, While nymphs take treats, or affignations give, 169 So long my honour, name, and praise fhall live!
VER. 152. But airy fubftance] See Milton, lib. vi. of Satan cut afunder by the Angel Michael.
VER. 165. Atalantis] A famous book written about that time by a woman: full of Court, and Party-scandal; and in a loose effeminacy of style and fentiment, which well fuited the debauched taste of the better Vulgar.
Dum juga montis aper, fluvios dum piscis amabit,
Semper honos, nomenque tuum laudefque manebunt.
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