With like confufion diff'rent nations fly,

Of various habit, and of various dye,

The pierc'd battalions difunited fall,

85

90

95

In heaps on heaps; one fate o'erwhelms them all. The Knave of Diamonds tries his wily arts, And wins (oh fhameful chance !) the Queen of Hearts. At this, the blood the virgin's cheek forfook, A livid paleness spreads o'er all her look; She fees, and trembles at th' approaching ill, Juft in the jaws of ruin, and Codille. And now, (as oft in fome diftemper'd state) On one nice trick depends the genʼral fate, An Ace of Hearts fteps forth: the King unfeen Lurk'd in her hand, and mourn'd his captive Queen: He springs to vengeance with an eager pace, And falls like thunder on the proftrate Ace. The Nymph exulting fills with fhouts the sky; The walls, the woods, and long canals reply. O thoughtless mortals! ever blind to fate, Too foon dejected, and too foon elate. Sudden, these honours fhall be fnatch'd away, And curs'd for ever this victorious day.

100

For lo! the board with cups and spoons is crown'd, The berries crackle, and the mill turns round:

On fhining Altars of Japan they raise

The filver lamp; the fiery spirits blaze :

VARIATIONS.

106

VER. 105. Sudden the board, etc.] From hence the first edition continues to ver. 134.

Nefcia mens hominum fati fortifque futuræ,
Et fervare modum, rebus fublata fecundis !
Turno tempus erit, magno cum optaverit emptum
Intactum Pallanta; et cum fpolia ista diemque
Oderit,

Virg.

From filver spouts the grateful liquors glide,
While China's earth receives the fmoaking tide: 110
At once they gratify their scent and taste,
And frequent cups prolong the rich repast.
Strait hover round the Fair her airy band;
Some, as the fipp'd, the fuming liquor fann'd,
Some o'er her lap their careful plumes display'd, 815
Trembling, and conscious of the rich brocade.
Coffee (which makes the politician wife,
And fee thro' all things with his half-fhut eyes)
Sent up in vapours to the Baron's brain
New ftratagems, the radiant Lock to gain.
Ah cease, rash youth! defift ere 'tis too late,
Fear the juft Gods, and think of Scylla's fate!
Chang'd to a bird, and sent to flit in air,

She dearly pays for Nifus' injur'd hair!

120

But when to mischief mortals bend their will, 125 How foon they find fit inftruments of ill? Juft then, Clariffa drew with tempting grace A two-edg❜d weapon from her fhining cafe: So ladies, in Romance, affift their knight, Prefent the spear, and arm him for the fight. He takes the gift with rev'rence, and extends The little engine on his fingers ends; This just behind Belinda's neck he spread, As o'er the fragrant steams she bends her head.

130

VER. 122. and think of Scylla's fate !] Vide Ovid. Metam, viii,

VARIATIONS.

VER. 134. In the first edition it was thus:

As o'er the fragrant ftream he bends her head,
First he expands the glitt'ring forfex wide
T' inclofe the Lock; then joins it to divide :
The meeting points the facred hair diffever,
From the fair head, for ever and for ever,
All that is between was added afterwards.

Ver, 154.

Swift to the Lock a thoufand Sprites repair,

135

A thousand wings, by turns, blow back the hair; And thrice they twitch'd the diamond in her ear; Thrice she look'd back, and thrice the foe drew near. Juft in that inftant, anxious Ariel fought The close receffes of the Virgin's thought; As on the nofegay in her breast reclin'd, 2 He watch'd th' ideas rifing in her mind, Sudden he view'd, in spite of all her art, An earthly lover lurking at her heart.

140

Amaz'd, confus'd, he found his pow'r expir'd, 145
Refign'd to fate, and with a figh retir'd.

The Peer now fpreads the glitt'ring forfex wide,
T' inclose the Lock; now joins it, to divide.
Ev'n then, before the fatal engine clos'd,
A wretched Sylph too fondly interpos'd;

Fate urg'd the sheers, and cut the Sylph in twain,
(But airy fubftance foon unites again)

The meeting points the facred hair diffever
From the fair head, for ever, and for ever!

150

Then flash'd the living lightning from her eyes, 155 And screams of horror rend th' affrighted fkies. Not louder fhrieks to pitying heav'n are caft, When husbands, or when lap-dogs breathe their last ş Or when rich China veffels fall'n from high,

In glitt'ring duft, and painted fragments lie!

Let wreaths of triumph now my temples twine,

(The Victor cry'd) the glorious Prize is mine!

160

VER. 152. But airy fubftance] See Milton, lib. iv. of Satan cut afunder by the angel Michael.

VER. 163. 176.

IMITATIONS.

Dum juga montis aper, fluvios dum pifcis amabit,
Semper honos, nomenque tuum, laudefque manebunt.

Virg.

While fish in ftreams, or birds delight in air,
Or in a coach and fix the British Fair,
As long as Atalantis fhall be read,
Or the small pillow grace a Lady's bed,

While vifits shall be paid on folemn days,

When num'rous wax-lights in bright order blaze,
While nymphs take treats, or affignations give,

165

So long my honour, name, and praife fhall live! 170
What Time would fpare, from Steel receives its date,
And monuments, like men, fubmit to fate!
Steel could the labour of the Gods destroy,
And ftrike to duft th' imperial tow'rs of Troy;
Steel could the works of mortal pride confound, 175
And hew triumphal arches to the ground.

What wonder then, fair Nymph! thy hairs fhould feel
The conqu'ring force of unrefifted steel?

VER. 165. Atalantis] A famous book written about that time by a woman full of Court and Party-fcandal; and in a cofe effeminacy of style and fentiment, which well fuited the debauched afte of the better Vulgar.

VER. 177.

IMITATIONS,

Ille quoque everfus mons eft, etc.

Quid faciant crines, cum ferro talia cedant ?

Catull, de com. Berenices,

THE

RAPE of the LOCK.

B

CANTO IV.

UT anxious cares the penfive Nymph opprefs'd,
And fecret paffions labour'd in her breast.
Not youthful kings in battle feiz'd alive,
Not fcornful virgins who their charms furvive,
Not ardent lovers robb'd of all their blifs,
Not ancient ladies when refus'd a kifs,
Not tyrants fierce that unrepenting die,

Not Cynthia when her manteau's pinn'd awry,
E'er felt fuch rage, refentment, and despair,

As thou, fad Virgin! for thy ravish'd Hair.

10

For, that fad moment, when the Sylphs withdrew,
And Ariel weeping from Belinda flew,
Umbriel, a dusky, melancholy fprite,
As ever fully'd the fair face of light,

Down to the central earth, his proper scene,
Repair'd to fearch the gloomy Cave of Spleen.
Swift on his footy pinions flits the Gnome,
And in a vapour reach'd the dismal dome.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 1. At regina gravi, etc.

VARIATION S.

Virg. Æn. iv.

15

VER. II. For, that fad moment, etc.] All the lines from hence to the 94th verfe, that describe the house of Spleen, are not in the first edition; instead of them followed only these :

While her rack'd Soul repofe and peace requires,

The fierce Thaleftris fans the rifing fires.

and continued at the 94th verfe of this Canto.