He has a forfeiture incurr'd;
She vows to take him at his word,
And hopes he will not think it strange,
If both fhould now their ftations change.
The nymph will have her turn to be
The tutor; and the pupil, he:
Though the already can difcern
Her fcholar is not apt to learn;
Or wants capacity to reach
The science she defigns to teach:
Wherein his genius was below
The skill of every common beau,
Who, though he cannot fpell, is wife
Enough to read a lady's eyes,
And will each accidental glance
Interpret for a kind advance.
But what fuccefs Vaneffa met,
For, though by one perverfe event
Pallas had crofs'd her firft intent;
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 save 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 every head
The fum of what each lawyer faid,
Gave her own reasons laft, and then
Decreed the cause against the men.
But, in a weighty cafe like this,
To fhew she did not judge amifs,
Which evil tongues might elfe
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,
VOL. I.
And that, unless the sex would mend,
The race of lovers foon muft end) -
"She was at Lord knows what expence
"To form a nymph of wit and sense,
"A model for her fex defign'd,
"Who never could one lover find.
"She faw her favour was mifplac'd ; "The fellows had a wretched tafte;
"She needs must tell them to their face,
They were a ftupid, fenfelefs race;
"And, were the to begin again,
"She'd ftudy to reform the men ;
"Or add fome grains of folly morę
"To women, than they had before,
"To put them on an equal foot;
"And this, or nothing elfe, would do 't.
"This might their mutual fancy strike ;
"Since every being loves its like.
"But now, repenting what was done,
"She left all bufinefs to her fon;
"She puts the world in his poffeffion,
"And let him ufe it at difcretion."
The cryer was order'd to difmifs
The court, fo made his last O yes!
The goddess would no longer wait ;
But, rifing from her chair of ftate,
Left all below at fix and feven,
Harnefs'd her doves, and flew to heaven.
TO LOVE*,
IN all I wish, how happy should I be,
Thou grand Deluder, were it not for thee!
So weak thou art, that fools thy power defpife,
And yet fo ftrong, thou triumph'ft o'er the wife.
Thy traps are laid with fuch peculiar art,
They catch the cautious; let the rash depart.
Moft nets are fill'd by want of thought and care:
But too much thinking brings us to thy fnare;
Where, held by thee, in flavery we stay,
And throw the pleasing part of life away.
But, what does most my indignation move,
Difcretion! thou wert ne'er a friend to love:
Thy chief delight is to defeat those arts,
By which he kindles mutual flames in hearts;
While the blind loitering God is at his play,
Thou fteal'f his golden-pointed darts away;
Thofe darts which never fail; and in their ftead
Convey'ft malignant arrows tipt with lead:
The heedlefs God, fufpecting no deceits,
Shoots on, and thinks he has done wondrous feats;
But the poor nymph, who feels her vitals burn,
And from her fhepherd can find no return,
Laments, and rages at the power divine,
When, curft Difcretion! all the fault was thine;
Found in Mifs Vanhomrigh's desk, after her death,
in the hand-writing of Dr. Swift.,
Cupid and Hymen thou haft fet at odds,
And bred fuch feuds between those kindred gods,
That Venus cannot reconcile her fons
When one appears, away the other runs.
The former fcales, wherein he us'd to poise
Love against love, and equal joys with joys,
Are now fill'd up with avarice and pride,
Where titles, power, and riches, ftill fubfide.
Then, gentle Venus, to thy father run,
And tell him, how thy children are undone ;
Prepare his bolts to give one fatal blow,
And ftrike Difcretion to the fhades below.
BY A LADY*.
AIL, blufhing goddefs, beauteous Spring,
Who, in thy jocund train, doft bring
Loves and Graces, fmiling Hours,
Balmy breezes, fragrant flowers;
Come, with tints of rofeate hue,
Nature's faded charms renew.
Yet why fhould I thy presence hail ?
To me no more the breathing gale
Comes fraught with fweets; no more the rofe
With fuch tranfcendent beauty blows,
As when Cadenus bleft the fcene,
And fhar'd with me thofe joys ferene;
When, unperceiv'd, the lambent fire
Of friendship kindled new defire :
* This and the next ode have been afcribed to Vanessa.
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