685

690

695

As he approves, as he dislikes,
Love or contempt her fancy strikes.
Self-love, in nature rooted fast,
Attends us first, and leaves us last :
Why she likes him, admire not at her ;
She loves herself, and that 's the matter.
How was her tutor wont to praise
The geniuses of ancient days!
(Those authors he so oft' had nam’d,
For learning, wit, and wisdom, famid)
Was struck with love, esteem, and awe,
For persons whom he never faw.
Suppose Cadenus flourish'd then,
He must adore such God-like men.
If one short volume could comprise
All that was witty, learn’d, and wife,
How would it be esteem’d and read,
Although the writer long were dead !
If such an author were alive,
How all would for his friendship strive,
And come in crouds to fee his face !
And this she takes to be her case.
Cadenus anfwers every end,
The book, the author, and the friend;
The utmost her desires will reach,
Is but to learn what he can teach :
His converfe is a fystem fit
Alone to fill up all her wit ;
While every passion of her mind
In him is center'd and confin'd.

715

720

725

Love can with speech inspire a mute,
And taught Vanessa to dispute.
This topick, never touch'd before,
Display'd her eloquence the more :
Her knowledge, with such pains acquir'd,
By this new paflion grew inspird ;
Through this the made all objects pass
Which gave a tincture o'er the mass ;
As rivers, though they bend and twine,
Still to the sea their course incline ;
Or, as philosophers, who find
Some favourite system to their mind,
In every point to make it fit,
Will force all nature to submit.

Cadenus, who could ne'er suspect
His lessons would have such effect
Or be so artfully apply'd,
Insensibly came on her fide.
It was an unforeseen event;
Things took a turn he never meant.
Whoe’er excels in what we prize,
Appears a hero in our eyes :
Each girl, when pleas'd with what is taught,
Will have the teacher in her thought.
When Miss delights in her spinnet,
A fiddler may a fortune get;
A blockhead, with melodious voice,
In boarding-schools may have his choice ;
And of the dancing-master's art
Climbs from the toe to touch the heart.

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735

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In learning let a nymph delight,
The pedant gets a mistress by 't.
Cadenus, to his grief and shame,
Could scarce oppose Vanessa's flame;
And, though her arguments were strong,
At least could hardly with them wrong.
Howe'er it came, he could not tell,
But sure she never talk'd so well.
His pride began to interpose;
Preferr'd before a croud of beaux !
So bright a nymph to come unsought !
Such wonder by his merit wrought!
'Tis merit must with her prevail !
He never knew her judgement fail !
She noted all she ever read!
And had a most discerning head !

'Tis an old maxim in the schools,
That flattery 's the food of fools;
Yet now and then your men of wit
Will condescend to take a bit.

So, when Cadenus could not hide,
He chose to justify, his pride ;
Construing the passion fhe had down,
Much to her praise, more to his own.
Nature in him had merit plac'd,
In her a most judicious taste.
Love, hitherto a tranfient guest,
Ne'er held possession of his breaft;
So long attending at the gate,
Disdain'd to enter in so late.

760

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770 775

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Love why do we one passion call,
When 'tis a compound of them all ?
Where hor and cold, where sharp and sweet,
In all their equipages meet ;
Where pleasures mix'd with pains appear,
Sorrow with joy, and hope with fear ;
Wherein his dignity and age
Forbid Cadenus to engage.
But friendship, in its greatest height,
A constant, rational delight,
On virtue's basis fix'd to last,
When love allurements long are past,
Which gently warms, but cannot burn,
He gladly offers in return;
His want of passion will redeem
With gratitude, respect, esteem ;
With that devotion we bestow,
When goddesses appear below.

White thus Cadenus entertains
Vanessa in exalted strains,
The nymph in sober words intreats
A truce with all sublime conceits :
For why such raptures, flights, and fancies,
To her who durit not read romances ?
In lofty style to make replies,
Which he had taught her to defpise?
But when her tutor will affect
Devotion, duty, and respect,
He fairly abdicates the throne ;
The government is now her own;

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800 805

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He has a forfeiture incurrid;
She vows to take him at his word,
And hopes he will not think it strange,
If both hould now their stations change.
The nymph will have her turn to be
The tutor ; and the pupil, he :
Though she already can discern
Her scholar is not apt to learn;
Or wants capacity to reach
The science she designs to teach :
Wherein his genius was below
The skill of every common beau,
Who, though he cannot spell, is wise
Enough to read a lady's eyes,
And will each accidental glance
Interpret for a kind advance.

But what success Vanessa met,
Is to the world a secret yet.
Whether the nymph, to please her swain,
Talks in a high romantic strain ;
Or whether he at last descends
To act with less seraphic ends;
Or, to compound the business, whether
They temper love and books together;
Must never to mankind be told,
Nor shall the conscious Muse unfold.

Meantime the mournful Queen of Love
Led but a weary life above.
She ventures now to leave the skies,
Grown by Vanessa's conduct wise :

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