But from the Subject let us soon escape,
Nor give this Feature all its ugly Shape;
Some to their Crimes, Escape from Satire owe;
Who shall describe what Blaney dares to show?
While thus the Man, to Vice and Passion slave,
Was, with his Follies, moving to the Grave,
The ancient Ruler of this Mansion died,
And Blaney boldly for the Seat applied:
Sir Denys Brand, then Guardian, join'd his Suit;
'Tis true,' said he,' the Fellow's quite a Brute-
A very Beast; but yet, with all his Sin,
'He has a manner-let the Devil in.'
They half complied, they gave the wish'd Retreat, But rais'd a worthier to the vacant Seat.
Thus forc'd on ways unlike each former way,
Thus led to Prayer without a Heart to pray,
He quits the Gay and Rich, the Young and Free,
Among the Badge-Men with a Badge to be:
He sees an humble Tradesman rais'd to rule
The grey-beard Pupils of this moral School;
Where he himself, an old licentious Boy,
Will nothing learn, and nothing can enjoy ;
In temp'rate Measures he must eat and drink,
And, Pain of Pains! must live alone and think.
In vain, by Fortune's Smiles, thrice affluent made, Still has he Debts of ancient date unpaid;
Thrice into Penury by Error thrown,
Not one right Maxim has he made his own;
The Old-Men shun him,-some his Vices hate,
And all abhor his Principles and Prate;
Nor Love nor Care for him will Mortal show,
Save a frail Sister in the Female-Row.
INHABITANTS OF THE ALMS-HOUSE.
She early found herself mistress of herself.
right all she said was admired. Early, very early, did she dismiss blushes from her cheek: she could not blush, because she could not doubt; and silence, whatever was the subject, was as much a stranger to her as diffidence.
Quò fugit Venus? heu! Quóve color? decens
Quò motus? Quid habes illius, illius,
Quæ spirabat amores,
Quæ me surpuerat mihi ?
Horatius, lib. iv. od. 13.
Her lively and pleasant Manners.-Her Reading and Decision.-Her Intercourse with different Classes of Society. Her kind of Character. The favoured Lover. Her Management of him: his of her.-After one Period, Clelia with an Attorney: her Manner and Situation there.-Another such Period, when her Fortune still declines.- Mistress of an Inn.-A Widow.Another such Interval: she becomes poor and infirm, but still vain and frivolous. The fallen Vanity.— Admitten into the House: meets Blaney.
WE had a sprightly Nymph-in every Town,
Are some such Sprights, who wander up and down;
She had her useful Arts, and could contrive,
In Time's despite, to stay at Twenty-five ;—
"Here will I rest; move on, thou lying Year,
"This is mine Age, and I will rest me here.”
Arch was her Look, and she had pleasant ways
Your good Opinion of her Heart to raise;
Her Speech was lively, and with ease express'd,
And well she judg'd the Tempers she address'd:
If some soft Stripling had her Keenness felt,
She knew the way to make his Anger melt;
Wit was allow'd her, though but few could bring
Direct example of a witty thing;
"Twas that gay, pleasant, smart, engaging Speech,
Her Beaux admir'd, and just within their reach;
Not indiscreet perhaps, but yet more free
Than prudish Nymphs allow their Wit to be.
Novels and Plays, with Poems, old and new,
Were all the Books our Nymph attended to;
Yet from the Press no Treatise issued forth,
But she would speak precisely of its worth.
She with the London Stage familiar grew,
And every Actor's Name and Merit knew ;
She told how this or that their Part mistook,
And of the rival Romeos gave the look;
Of either House 'twas hers the Strength to see,
Then judge with candour- Drury-Lane for me.'
What made this knowledge, what this skill complete ?
A Fortnight's Visit in Whitechapel-Street.
Her Place in Life was Rich and Poor between, With those a Favourite, and with these a Queen; She could her Parts assume, and condescend To Friends more humble while an humble Friend; And thus a welcome, lively Guest could pass, Threading her pleasant way from Class to Class.
'Her Reputation?'-That was like her Wit,
And seem'd her Manner and her State to fit;
Something there was, what, none presum❜d to say,
Clouds lightly passing on a smiling Day,-
Whispers and Hints which went from ear to ear,
And mix'd Reports no Judge on Earth could clear.
But of each Sex a friendly number press'd
To joyous Banquets this alluring Guest :
There, if indulging Mirth, and freed from Awe,
If pleasing all, and pleas'd with all she saw,
Her Speech were free, and such as freely dwelt
On the same Feelings all around her felt;
Or if some fond presuming Favourite tried
To come so near as once to be denied ;
Yet not with Brow so stern or Speech so nice,
But that he ventur'd on denial twice :-
If these have been, and so has Scandal taught,
Yet Malice never found the proof she sought.
But then came one, the Lovelace of his Day,
Rich, proud, and crafty, handsome, brave, and gay;
Yet lov'd he not those labour'd Plans and Arts,
But left the Business to the Ladies' Hearts,
And when he found them in a proper train,
He thought all else superfluous and vain :
But in that training he was deeply taught,
And rarely fail'd of gaining all he sought;
He knew how far directly on to go,
How to recede and dally to and fro';
How to make all the Passions his Allies,
And, when he saw them in Contention rise,
To watch the wrought-up heart, and conquer by sur
Our Heroine fear'd him not; it was her Part, To make sure Conquest of such gentle HeartOf one so mild and humble; for she saw
In Henry's eye a Love chastis'd by Awe.
Her thoughts of Virtue were not all sublime,
Nor virtuous all her Thoughts; 'twas now her time
To bait each Hook, in every way to please,
And the rich Prize with dextrous Hand to seize,
She had no Virgin-Terrors; she could stray
In all Love's maze, nor fear to lose her way';
Nay, could go near the Precipice, nor dread
A failing Caution or a giddy Head;
She'd fix her eyes upon the roaring Flood,
And dance upon the Brink where Danger stood.
"Twas Nature all, she judg'd, in one so young, To drop the Eye and falter in the Tongue;
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