But what fuccefs Vanessa met,
Is to the world * a fecret yet.
Whether the nymph, to please her swain,
Talks in a high romantick ftrain;
Or whether he at last descends
To like with less feraphick ends;
Or, to compound the bus'nefs, whether
They temper love and books together;
Must never to mankind be told,
Nor fhall the confcious mufe unfold.
Mean time the mournful queen of love
Led but a weary life above.
She ventures now to leave the fkies,
Grown by Vanessa's conduct wife :
For, though by one perverse 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
Shou'd at their peril without fail
Come and appear, and fave their bail.
*The event of Vanessa's fuit is judiciously omitted, as
foreign to the plan and design of the poem.
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 ev'ry head
The fum of what each lawyer faid,
Gave her own reafons laft, and then
Decreed the cause against the men.
But, in a weighty cafe like this
To fhew fhe did not judge amifs,
Which evil tongues might elfe report,
She made a speech in open court;
Wherein the grievously complains,
"How she was cheated by the fwains ;"
On whofe petition (humbly fhewing
That women were not worth the wooing,
And that, unless the sex would mend,
The race of lovers foon must 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 muft tell them to their face, "They were a fenfelefs, ftupid race; "And, were the to begin agen, "She'd study to reform the men; "Or add fome grains of folly more "To women, than they had before, "To put them on an equal foot; "And this, or nothing else, wou'd do't. "This might their mutual fancy ftrike; "Since ev'ry being loves its like.
"But now, repenting what was done, "She left all bus nefs to her fon; "She puts the world in his poffeffion, "And let him use it at difcretion." The cry'r was order'd to dismiss The court, fo made his laft O yes! The Goddess wou'd no longer wait; But, rifing from her chair of ftate, Left all below at fix and fev'n, Harness'd her doves, and flew to heav'n.
* As the women in their manners and drefs imitate what the men approve, their faults and follies are little more than
the confequences of the falle tafte of their admirers, who cannot furely be urged by a ftronger motive to correct it.
N ancient times, as ftory tells,
The faints wou'd often leave their cells,
And ftrole about, but hide their quality,
To try good people's hofpitality.
It happen'd on a winter night,
As authors of the legend write,
Two brother hermits, faints by trade,
Taking their tour in masquerade,
Difguis'd in tatter'd habits, went
To a small village down in Kent;
Where, in the ftroller's canting ftrain,
They begg'd from door to door in vain,
Try'd ev'ry tone might pity win;
But not a foul would let them in.
Our wand'ring faints in woful ftate,
Treated at this ungodly rate,
Having through all the village pafs'd,
To a small cottage came at laft;
Where dwelt a good old honeft ye'man,
Call'd in the neighbourhood Philemon
Who kindly did these faints invite
In his poor hut to pass the night;
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