XCIII.

With this encouragement, he led the way
Into a room still nobler than the last;
A rich confusion form'd a disarray

In such sort, that the eye along it cast
Could hardly carry any thing away,

Object on object flash'd so bright and fast; A dazzling mass of gems, and gold, and glitter, Magnificently mingled in a litter.

XCIV.

Wealth had done wonders-taste not much; such Occur in Orient palaces, and even

[things

In the more chasten'd domes of Western kings (Of which I have also seen some six or seven) Where I can't say or gold or diamond flings

Great lustre, there is much to be forgiven; Groups of bad statues, tables, chairs, and pictures, On which I cannot pause to make my strictures.

XCV.

In this imperial hall, at distance lay
Under a canopy, and there reclined
Quite in a confidential queenly way, (1)

A lady; Baba stopp'd, and kneeling sign'd

They were seized, fastened up in sacks, and drowned in the lake the same night. One of the guards who was present informed me, that not one of the victims uttered a cry, or showed a symptom of terror at so sudden a "wrench from all we know, from all we love." [See antè, Vol. IX. pp. 145. 200.]

(1) ["On a sofa, raised three steps, and covered with fine Persian carpets, sat the kiyàya's lady, leaning on cushions of white satin, embroidered," &c. LADY M. W. MONTAGU.]

To Juan, who though not much used to pray,

Knelt down by instinct, wondering in his mind What all this meant: while Baba bow'd and bended His head, until the ceremony ended.

XCVI.

The lady rising up with such an air

As Venus rose with from the wave, on them Bent like an antelope a Paphian pair (1)

Of eyes, which put out each surrounding gem; And raising up an arm as moonlight fair,

She sign'd to Baba, who first kiss'd the hem Of her deep purple robe, and speaking low, Pointed to Juan, who remain'd below.

XCVII.

Her presence was as lofty as her state;
Her beauty of that overpowering kind,
Whose force description only would abate:
I'd rather leave it much to your own mind,
Than lessen it by what I could relate

Of forms and features; it would strike you blind Could I do justice to the full detail;

So, luckily for both, my phrases fail.

XCVIII.

Thus much however I may add,- her years
Were ripe, they might make six-and-twenty springs,
But there are forms which Time to touch forbears,
And turns aside his scythe to vulgar things, (2)

(1) [MS.

(2) [MS..

"As Venus rose from ocean-bent on them
With a far-reaching glance, a Paphian pair."]
-"But there are forms which Time adorns, not wears,
And to which beauty obstinately clings."]

Such as was Mary's Queen of Scots ;(1) true-tears And love destroy; and sapping sorrow wrings Charms from the charmer, yet some never grow Ugly; for instance-Ninon de l'Enclos. (2)

XCIX.

She spake some words to her attendants, who
Composed a choir of girls, ten or a dozen,
And were all clad alike; (3) like Juan, too,
Who wore their uniform, by Baba chosen :

(1) [With regard to the queen's person, all contemporary authors agree in ascribing to Mary the utmost beauty of countenance, and elegance of shape, of which the human form is capable. Her hair was black, though, according to the fashion of that age, she frequently wore borrowed locks, and of different colours. Her eyes were a dark grey; her complexion was exquisitely fine; and her hands and arms remarkably delicate, both as to shape and colour. Her stature was of a height that rose to the majestic. She danced, walked, and rode with equal grace. Her taste for music was just, and she both sang and played upon the lute with uncommon skill. No man, says Brantome, ever beheld her person without admiration and love, or will read her history without sorrow. ROBERTSON.]

(2) [Mademoiselle de l'Enclos, celebrated for her beauty, her wit, her gallantry, and, above all, for the extraordinary length of time during which she preserved her attractions. She intrigued with the young gentlemen of three generations, and is said to have had a grandson of her own among her lovers. See the works of Madame de Sévigné, Voltaire, &c. &c. for copious particulars of her life. The Biographie Universelle says —" In her old age, her house was the rendezvous of the most distinguished persons. Scarron consulted her on his romances, St. Evremond on his poems, Molière on his comedies, Fontenelle on his dialogues, and La Rochefoucault on his maxims. Coligny, Sevigné, &c. were her lovers and friends. At her death, in 1705, and in her ninetieth year, she bequeathed to Voltaire a considerable sum, to expend in books." — E.]

(3) ["Her fair maids were ranged below the sofa, and, to the number of twenty, were all dressed in fine light damasks, brocaded with silver. They put me in mind of the pictures of the ancient nymphs. I did not think all nature could have furnished such a scene of beauty," &c. LADY M. W. MONTAGU.]

They form'd a very nymph-like looking crew,

Which might have call'd Diana's chorus "cousin," As far as outward show may correspond;

I won't be bail for any thing beyond.

C.

They bow'd obeisance and withdrew, retiring,
But not by the same door through which came in
Baba and Juan, which last stood admiring,

At some small distance, all he saw within
This strange saloon, much fitted for inspiring
Marvel and praise; for both or none things win;
And I must say, I ne'er could see the very
Great happiness of the "Nil Admirari." (1)

CI.

"Not to admire is all the art I know

[speech)

(Plain truth, dear Murray, (2) needs few flowers of To make men happy, or to keep them so;" (So take it in the very words of Creech). Thus Horace wrote we all know long ago;

And thus Pope (3) quotes the precept to re-teach From his translation; but had none admired, Would Pope have sung, or Horace been inspired? (4)

(1) [“ Nil admirari, prope res est una, Numici,
Solaque quæ possit facere et servare beatum."—

HOR. lib. i. epist. vi.]

(2) [The "Murray" of Pope was the great Earl Mansfield.]

(3) ["Not to admire, is all the art I know

To make men happy, and to keep them so,

(Plain truth, dear Murray, needs no flowers of speech,

So take it in the very words of Creech.")]

(4) ["I maintained that Horace was wrong in placing happiness in nil admirari, for that I thought admiration one of the most agreeable of all

CII.

Baba, when all the damsels were withdrawn,
Motion'd to Juan to approach, and then
A second time desired him to kneel down,
And kiss the lady's foot; which maxim when
He heard repeated, Juan with a frown

Drew himself up to his full height again,
And said, "It grieved him, but he could not stoop
To any shoe, unless it shod the Pope."

CIII.

Baba, indignant at this ill-timed pride,

Made fierce remonstrances, and then a threat
He mutter'd (but the last was given aside)
About a bow-string-quite in vain; not yet
Would Juan bend, though 't were to Mahomet's bride:
There's nothing in the world like etiquette

In kingly chambers or imperial halls,
As also at the race and county balls. (1)

our feelings; and I regretted that I had lost much of my disposition to admire, which people generally do as they advance in life. "Sir," said Johnson, “as a man advances in life, he gets what is better than admiration -judgment, to estimate things at their true value." I still insisted that admiration was more pleasing than judgment, as love is more pleasing than friendship. The feeling of friendship is like that of being comfortably filled with roast be ef; love, like being enlivened with champagne. JOHNSON, "No, Sir; admiration and love are like being intoxicated with champagne; judgment and friendship like being enlivened. Waller has hit upon the same thought with you; but I don't believe you have borrowed from Waller."- CROKER's Boswell, vol. iii. p. 236.]

(1) [MS." I've also seen it at provincial balls."]