To the Honourable Mrs. FINCH,

Afterwards Countess of Winchelsea,

PHO

Under her name of Ardelia.

HOEBUS, now short'ning ev'ry shade, Up to the northern tropick came, And thence beheld a lovely maid, Attending on a royal dame.

The God laid down his feeble rays,
Then lighted from his glitt'ring coach;
But fenc'd his head with his own bays,
Before he durft the nymph approach.
Under thofe facred leaves, fecure
From common light'ning of the skies,
He fondly thought he might endure
The flashes of Ardelia's eyes.

The nymph, who oft had read in books
Of that bright God whom bards invoke,
Soon knew Apollo by his looks,

And guess'd his bus’ness e're he spoke.

He in the old celeftial cant

Confefs'd his flame and fwore by Styx Whate'er she would defire to grantBut wife Ardelia knew his tricks.

Ovid

Ovid had warn'd her to beware

Of ftroling Gods, whofe ufual trade is, Under pretence of taking air,

To pick up fublunary ladies.

Howe'er, she gave no flat denial,
As having malice in her heart;
And was refolv'd upon a trial

To cheat the God in his own art.

Hear my requeft, the virgin faid;
Let which I please of all the nine
Attend, whene'er I want their aid,
Obey my call, and only mine.

By vow oblig'd, by paffion led,

The God could not refufe her pray'r : He wav'd his wreath thrice o'er her head, Thrice mutter'd fomething to the air.

And now he thought to seize his due:
But the the charm already try'd:
Thalia heard the call, and flew
To wait at bright Ardelia's fide.

On fight of this celestial prude,
Apollo thought it vain to ftay,
Nor in her presence durft be rude,
But made his leg, and went away.
K 2

He

He hop'd to find some lucky hour, When on their queen the mufes wait: But Pallas owns Ardelia's pow'r;

For vows divine are kept by fate.

Then, full of rage, Apollo fpoke:
Deceitful nymph, I see thy art;
And, though I can't my gift revoke,
I'll disappoint its nobler part.

Let stubborn pride poffefs thee long,
And be thou negligent of fame;
With ev'ry muse to grace thy fong,
May'st thou despise a poet's name.

Of modeft poets be thou firft;
To filent fhades repeat thy verfe,
Till Fame and Echo almoft burst,
Yet hardly dare one line rehearse.

And laft, my vengeance to compleat,
Máy you defcend to take renown,
Prevail'd on by the thing you hate,
A whig, and one that wears a gown.

* IMPROMPTU.

To Lady WINCHELSEA.

Occafion'd by four Satirical Verfes on Women Wits in The Rape of the Lock.

IN vain

you boaft poetic names of yore, And cite thofe Sapphos we admire no

more:

Fate doom'd the fall of ev'ry female wit;
But doom'd it then, when firft Ardelia writ.
Of all examples by the world confeft,
I knew Ardelia could not quote the best;
Who, like her mistress on Britannia's throne,
Fights and fubdues in quarrels not her own.
To write their praise you but in vain essay;
Ev'n while you write, you take that praise

away:

Light to the ftars the fun does thus reftore, But fhines himself till they are feen no more.

* EPIGRAM.

A Bifhop by his neighbours hated

Has caufe to wifh himself tranflated: But why fhou'd Hough defire tranflation, Lov'd and efteem'd by all the nation? Yet, if it be the old man's cafe,

I'll lay my life, I know the place:

'Tis where God fent fome that ádore him, And whither Enoch went before him.

K 3

STELLA'S

TELLA this day is thirty-four, (We fha'n't dispute a year or more :) However, Stella, be not troubled; Although thy fize and years are doubled, Since firft I faw thee at fixteen, The brightest virgin on the green, So little is thy form declin'd; Made up fo largely in thy mind.

Oh, wou'd it please the Gods to split Thy beauty, fize, and years, and wit! No age could furnish out a pair Of nymphs fo graceful, wife, and fair; With half the luftre of your eyes, With half your wit, your years, and size, And then before it grew too late, How fhou'd I beg of gentle fate

(That either nymph might have her fwain) To fplit my worship too in twain.

STELLA'S Birth-Day. 1720.

LL travellers at firft incline

AL

Where-e'er they see the faireft fign; And, if they find their chambers neat, And like the liquor and the meat, Will call again, and recommend The Angel-inn to ev'ry friend.