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ARTEMISIA.

HO' Artemifia talks, by fits,

Of councils, claffics, fathers, wits ;
Reads Malbranche, Boyle, and Locke :-
Yet in fome things, methinks, fhe fails;
'Twere well, if she would pare her nails,.
And wear a cleaner fmock.

Haughty and huge as High-Dutch bride,.
Such naftiness, and so much pride

Are oddly join'd by fate :

On her large iquab you find her fpread,
Like a fat corpfe upon a bed,

That lies and stinks in ftate.

She wears no colours (fign of grace)
On any part, except her face;

All white and black befide:

Dauntless her look, her gefture proud,
Her voice theatrically loud,

And mafculine her ftride.

So have I seen, in black and white,
A prating thing, a magpye hight,
Majestically stalk;

A stately, worthless animal,

That plies the tongue, and wags the tail,
All flutter, pride, and talk.

PHRYN E.

PHRYNE had talents for mankind; Open fhe was, and unconfin'd, port of trade:

Like fome free

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Merchants unloaded here their freight,

And agents from each foreign fiate.
Here first their entry made.

Her learning and good breeding fuch,
Whether th' Italian or the Dutch,

Spaniard or French came to her;
To all obliging fhe'd appear;
'Twas Si Signior, 'twas Yaw Mynheer,
"Twas S'il vous plait, Monfieur.

Obscure by birth, renown'd by crimes,
Still changing names, religions, climes,
At length the turns a bride :

In di monds, pear's, and rich brocades,
She shines the firft of batter'd jades,
And flutters in her pride.

So have I known thofe infects fair,
Which curious Germans hold fo rare,

Still vary fhapes and dyes;

Still gain new titles with new forms;
First grubs obfcene, then wriggling worms,
Then painted butterflies.

On Mrs. BIDDY FLOYD

OR,

The Receipt to form a BEAUTY.

Written in the year 1707.

WHEN Cupid did his grandfire Jove intreat
To form fome beauty by a new receipt,

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*This poem is allowed by all perfons of tafte and judgment, to be fuch a mafter-piece in its kind, that it must abide the test of all future ages. Swift.

Jove fent, and found far in a country-scene
Truth, innocence, good-nature, look ferene :
From which ingredients first the dextrous boy
Tick'd the demure, the awkward, and the coy.
The Graces from the court did next provide
Breeding, and wit, and air, and decent pride:
Thefe Venus cleans from ev'ry fpurious grain
Of nice, coquet, affected, pert, and vain.
Jove mix'd up all, and his best clay employ'd;
Then call'd the happy compofition Floyd.

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APOLLO OUTWITTED.

To the Honourable Mrs FINCH, afterwards Countefs of WINCHELSEA, under her name of ARDELIA..

PHOEBUS,

Written in the year 1707%

now fhort'ning ev'ry shade,
Up to the northern tropic 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 lightning 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 ere he fpoke,

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He in the old celeftial cant

Confefs'd his flame, and swore by Styx Whate'er fhe would defire to grant

But wife Ardelia knew his tricks.

Ovid had warn'd her to beware
Of ftrolling 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.

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Hear my request, 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 refuse 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 feize his due :

But the the charm already tried:

Thalia heard the call, and flew
To wait at bright Ardelia's fide.

On fight of this celeftial prude,

Apollo thought it vain to ftay; Nor in her prefence durft be rude; But made his leg, and went away.

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He hop'd to find fome lucky hour,

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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 spoke :
Deceitful nymph, I fee thy art;
And, tho' I can't my gift revoke,
I'll disappoint its nobler part.

Let ftubborn pride poffefs thee long,
And be thou negligent of fame;
With ev'ry mufe to grace thy song,
Mayft thou despise a poet's name.

Of modeft poets be thou first;

To filent fhades repeat thy verfe, Till Fame and Echo almoft burft,

Yet hardly dare one line rehearse.

And laft, my vengeance to complete,

May you descend to take renown, -Prevail'd on by the thing you hate,

A Whig*, and one that wears a gown.

*IMPROMPTU.

To Lady WINCHELSEA.

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Occafioned by four fatirical verfes on women-wits in The rape of the lock.

N vain you boast poetic names of yore,

IN

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;

• To understand what the Doctor meaneth by a Whig in this paffage, confult vol. iii. p. 231. 1. 27. &c.

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