This topic, never touch'd before,
Difplay'd her eloquence the more:
Her knowledge, with fuch pains acquir'd,
By this new paffion grew infpir'd:
Through this fhe made all objects pafs,
Which gave a tincture o'er the mass;
As rivers, though they bend and twine,]
Still to the fea their courfe incline;
Or, as philofophers, who find
Some fav'rite fyftem to their mind,
In ev'ry point to make it fit,
Will force all nature to fubmit.

Cadenus, who could ne'er fufpect
His leffons would have fuch effect,
Or be fo artfully apply'd,
Infenfibly 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.

The nymph in fober words intreats

A truce with all fublime conceits:

For why fuch raptures, flights and fancies,
To her who durft not read romances?

In lofty style to make replies,
Which he had taught her to despise ?
But when her tutor will affect
Devotion, duty, and refpect,

He fairly abdicates his throne;
The government is now her own:

But, though her arguments were ftrong,
At least could hardly with them wrong.
Howe'er it came, he could not tell,
But fure fhe never talk'd fo well.
His pride began to interpofe;
Preferr'd before a crowd of beaux!
So bright a nymph to come unfought!
Such wonder by his merit wrought!
"Tis merit must with her prevail :
He never knew her judgment fail.
She noted all she ever read,
And had a most difcerning head.

'Tis an old maxim in the fchools,
That vanity's the food of fools:
Yet now and then your men of wit
Will condefcend to take a bit.

So, when Cadenus could not hide,
He chofe to juftify, his pride;
When mifs delights in her spinnet,
A fiddler may a fortune get;

A blockhead, with melodious voice,
In boarding-schools can have his choice:
And oft' the dancing-master's art
Climbs from the toe to touch the heart.
In learning let a nymph delight,
The pedant gets a miftrefs by't.
Cadenus, to his grief and fhame,
Could fcarce oppofe Vaneffa's flame;

Where

Where hot and cold, where fharp 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 conftant, rational delight,

On virtue's bafis fix'd to laft,

When love's allurements long are past,.
Which gently warms, but cannot burn,
He gladly offers in return;
His want of paffion will redeem
With gratitude, refpect, efteem;
With that devotion we bestow,
When Goddeffes appear below.
While thus Cadenus entertains
Vaneffa in exalted strains,

Conftr'ing the paffion fhe had fhown,
Much to her praife, more to his own.
Nature in him had merit plac'd,
In her a moft judicious taste.
Love, hitherto a tranfient gueft,
Ne'er held poffeflion in his breast;
So long attending at the gate,
Difdain'd to enter in fo late.

Love why do we one paffion call,

When 'tis a compound of them all? -
He has a forfeiture incurr'd;

She vows to take him at his word,

And hopes he will not think it ftrange,
If both fhould now their flations change.
The nymph will have her turn to be
The tutor; and the pupil, he;
Though he already can difcern,
Her fcholar is not apt to learn ;
Or wants capacity to reach
The science fhe defigns to teach;
Wherein his genius was below
The skill of ev'ry common beau;
Who, though he cannot spell, is wife
Enough to read a lady's eyes,
And will each accidental glance
Interpret for a kind advance.
But what fuccess Vanessa met,
Is to the world a secret yet.
Whether the nymph, to please her fwaing
Talks in a high romantic ftrain ;-
Or whether he at laft defcends

To like with lefs feraphic ends;

Or, to compound the bus'nefs, whether
They temper love and books together;
Muft never to mankind be told,

Nor fhall the conscious muse unfold.

Mean time the mournful queen of love

Led but a weary life above.

She ventures now to leave the skies,
Grown by Vaneffa's conduct wife:
For, though by one perverfe event
Pallas had crofs'd her firft intent,
3

Though

Though her defign was not obtain❜d,
Yet had the much experience gain'd,
And by the project vainly try'd
Could better now the caufe decide.
She gave due notice, that both parties
Coram regina prox' die Martis
Should at their peril without fail
Come and appear, and fave their bail.
All met; and, filence thrice proclaim'd,
One lawyer to each fide was nam'd.
The judge difcover'd in her face
Refentments for her late difgrace;
And, full of anger, fhame, and grief,
Directed them to mind their brief;

Nor spend their time to fhew their reading;
She'd have a fummary proceeding.

She gather'd under ev'ry head

The fum of what each lawyer faid,
Gave her own reafons laft, and then
Decreed the cause against the men.
But, in a weighty cafe like this:
To show she did not judge amifs,
Which evil tongues might elfe report,
She made a speech in open court;
Wherein the grievously complains,
"How fhe was cheated by the fwains ;"
On whofe petition (humbly fhewing
That women were not worth the wooing,....
And that, unless the fex would mend,

The race of lovers foon muft end)
K 6

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