What he had planted, now was grown;
His virtues fhe might call her own;
As he approves, as he dislikes,
Love or contempt her fancy ftrikes.
Self-love, in nature rooted fast,
Attends us first, and leaves us laft:
Why the likes him, admire not at her ;
She loves herself, and that's the matter.
How was her tutor wont to praise
The genius's of ancient days!
(Those authors he fo oft had nam'd,
For learning, wit, and wisdom fam'd)
Was ftruck with love, efteem, and awe,
For persons whom he never faw.
Suppofe Cadenus flourish'd then,
He muft adore fuch god-like men.
If one short volume cou'd comprize
All that was witty, learn'd, and wife,
How wou'd it be efteem'd, and read,
Although the writer long were dead!
If fuch an author were alive,
How all wou'd for his friendship strive,
And come in crouds to fee his face!
And this fhe takes to be her cafe.
Cadenus anfwers ev'ry end,
The book, the author, and the friend :
The utmost her defires will reach,
Is but to learn what he can teach :
His converfe is a system fit
Alone to fill up all her wit;
While ev'ry paffion of her mind
In him is center'd and confin'd.
Love can with speech inspire a mute,
And taught Vaneffa to difpute.
This topick, never touch'd before,
Display'd her eloquence the more:
Her knowledge, with fuch pains acquir'd,
By this new paffion grew infpir'd:
Through this she made all objects pass,
Which gave a tincture o'er the mafs:
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 cou'd ne'er fufpect
His leffons wou'd 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 ftyle to make replies,
Which he had taught her to defpife?
But when her tutor will affect
Devotion, duty, and respect,
He fairly abdicates his throne;
The government is now her own:
But, though her arguments were strong,
At least cou'd hardly wish them wrong.
Howe'er it came, he cou'd 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 muft with her prevail:
He never knew her judgment fail.
She noted all she ever read,
And had a moft difcerning head.
'Tis an old maxim in the schools,
That vanity's the food of fools:
Yet now and then your men of wit
Will condefcend to take a bit.
So, when Cadenus cou'd not hide,
He chofe to juftify, his pride;
When mifs delights in her fpinnet,
A fiddler may a fortune get;
A blockhead, with melodious voice,
In boarding-schools can have his choice:
And oft' the dancing-mafter's art
Climbs from the toe to touch the heart.
In learning let a nymph delight,
The pedant gets a mistress by't.
Cadenus, to his grief and fhame, i
Cou'd scarce oppofe Vanessa's flame;
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 greateft height,
A conftant, rational delight,
On virtue's bafis fix'd to laft,
When love's allurements long are paft,
Which gently warms, but cannot burn,
He gladly offers in return;
His want of paffion will redeem
With gratitude, refpect, esteem;
With that devotion we beftow,
When Goddeffes appear below.
While thus Cadenus entertains
Vanessa in exalted strains,
Conftr'ing the paffion fhe had shown,
Much to her praife, more to his own.
Nature in him had merit plac'd,
In her a moft judicious tafte.
Love, hitherto a tranfient guest,
Ne'er held poffeffion in his breaft;
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 strange,
If both fhou'd now their stations change.
The nymph will have her turn to be
The tutor; and the pupil, he:
Though the already can difcern,
Her scholar is not apt to learn;
Or wants capacity to reach
The science she defigns to teach;
Wherein his genius was below
The skill of ev'ry 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.
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