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She paus'd; and fix'd her eyes upon her fan;
He took a pinch of snuff, and thus began;
Madam, if love-but he could fay no more,
For Mademoiselle came rapping at the door.
The dangerous moments no adieus afford;
-Begone, fhe cries, I'm fure I hear my lord.
The lover ftarts from his unfinish'd loves,

To snatch his hat, and seek his scatter'd gloves
The fighing dame to meet her dear prepares,
While Strephon curfing flips down the back-ftairs.

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TH

THURSDAY.

The BASSETTE-TABLE.

SMILINDA and CARDELIA.

CARDELIA.

HE baffette-table spread, the tallier come,
Why stays SMILINDA in the dreffing-room?

Rife,

Rife, penfive nymph! the tallier stays for you.
SMILINDA.

Ah! Madam, fince my SHARPER is untrue,
I joyless make my once ador'd alpieu.

I faw him stand behind OMBRELIA's chair,
And whisper with that foft, deluding air,
And those feign'd fighs, that cheat the lift'ning fair.
CARDELIA.

Is this the cause of your romantic strains?
A mightier grief my heavy heart fuftains.
As you by Love, so I by Fortune cross'd,
In one bad deal three feptlevas I loft.
SMILINDA.

Is that a grief which you compare with mine?
With ease the smiles of Fortune I refign.

Would all my gold in one bad deal were gone,
Were lovely SHARPER mine, and mine alone.
CARDELIA.

A lover loft is but a common care,

And prudent nymphs against the change prepare. The queen of clubs thrice loft! oh! who could guess This fatal stroke! this unforeseen distress!

SMILINDA.

SMILINDA.

See! BETTY LOVEIT very à propos !
She all the pains of love and play does know,
Deeply experienc'd many years ago.

Dear BETTY fhall th' important point decide,
BETTY, who oft the pains of each has try'd:
Impartial, fhe fhall fay who fuffers most,

By cards' ill-ufage, or by lovers loft.

LOVEIT.

Tell, tell your griefs: attentive will I stay,
Though time is precious, and I want some tea.
CARDELIA.

Behold this equipage by MATHERS wrought,
With fifty guineas (a great pen'orth!) bought :
See on the tooth-pick MARS and CUPID strive,
And both the struggling figures feem to live.
Upon the bottom fee the queen's bright face;
A myrtle foliage round the thimble case;
JOVE, JOVE himself does on the fciffars fhine,
The metal and the workmanship divine.

SMILINDA.

This fnuff-box, once the pledge of SHARPER'S love, When rival beauties for the present strove

I

(At

(At CORTICELLI's he the raffle won,

There first his paffion was in public shown;

HAZARDIA blush'd, and turn'd her head aside,
Her rival's envy all in vain to hide)

This fnuff-box-on the hinge fee diamonds fhine-
This fnuff-box will I ftake, the prize is mine.
CARDELIA.

Alas! far fmaller loffes than I bear,

Have made a foldier figh, a lover swear :
But oh! what makes the disappointment hard,
'Twas my own lord who drew the fatal card!-
In complaifance I took the queen he gave,
Though my own secret wish was for the knave:
The knave won fon ecart that I had chofe,
And the next pull my feptleva I lose.

SMILINDA.

But ah! what aggravates the killing fmart,
The cruel thought that stabs me to the heart,
This curs'd OMBRELIA, this undoing fair,
By whose vile arts this heavy grief I bear,
She at whofe name I fhed these spiteful tears,
She owes to me the very charms she wears:
An aukward thing when first she came to town,
Her shape unfashion'd, and her face unknown.

She

"

She was my friend, I taught her first to spread
Upon her fallow cheeks enlivening red;

I introduc'd her to the park and plays,
And by my int'reft COSINS made her stays.
Ungrateful wretch! with mimic airs grown pert,
She dares to steal my favourite lover's heart.

CARDELIA.

Wretch that I was! how often have I fwore,

When WINNALL tallied, I would punt no more!
I know the bite, yet to my ruin run,

And see the folly which I cannot shun.

SMILINDA.

How many maids have SHARPER'S vows deceiv'd! curs'd the moment they believ'd!

How many

Yet his known falfhood could no warning prove :

Ah! what are warnings to a maid in love!

CARDELIA.

But of what marble must that breast be form'd,

To gaze on Baffette, and remain unwarm'd?

When kings, queens, knaves are set in decent rank,
Expos'd in glorious heaps the tempting bank,
Guineas, half-guineas, all the shining train,
The winner's pleasure, and the lofer's pain,

VOL. I.

H

In

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