Because she's honest, and the best of Friends. Or her, whose life the Church and Scandal share, Or her, who laughs at Hell, but (like her Grace)1 2 Of Mirth and Opium, Ratafie and Tears, To kill those foes to Fair ones, Time and Thought. Woman and Fool are two hard things to hit; But what are these to great Atossa's mind 3? Full sixty years the World has been her Trade, 115 120 The wisest Fool much Time has ever made. 125 So much the Fury still out-ran the Wit, The Pleasure miss'd her, and the Scandal hit. Who breaks with her, provokes Revenge from Hell, But he's a bolder man who dares be well. 130 Her ev'ry turn with Violence pursu'd, Nor more a storm her Hate than Gratitude: Love, if it makes her yield, must make her hate: 1 The Duchess of Montagu. Warton. [She was an intimate friend of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's, who speaks of her 'tender esteem' for the Duchess.] 2 [A kind of liqueur.] 135 fully undermined hy Harley and his instrument Abigail Hill, a relative of the Duchess and bedchamber-woman to the Queen; and in 1712, Marlborough was dismissed from all his employments. The Duchess survived his death (in 1722) 3 [The Duchess of Marlborough. See note on for 22 years; and in her Vindications of his conp. 236. Her maiden name was Sarah Jennings; duct and her own has left materials for modifying and Colonel Churchill was her third husband. some at least among the extravagant charges As Lady Churchill she acquired an irresistible in- brought against both. With Pope's caustic referfluence over the Princess Anne, to whom she was ences to every doubtful point in her career and appointed First Lady of the Bedchamber, and character should be compared the equally unwith whom for twenty years she carried on a cor- merciful prose attacks of Swift in the Exarespondence under the loving pseudonym of Mrs miner, Nos. 16, 19, 49, &c. It may be added Freeman. It was through her that Churchill rose that the name of Atossa, the ambitious daughter to power and place and became Earl of Marl- of Cyrus and mother of Xerxes, is admirably borough. After Queen Anne's accession the influence of Marlborough (created Duke in 1702) became for a time absolute; and was imperiously maintained at home by his Duchess while he was gaining laurels abroad. It was at last success chosen.] 4 After v. 122, in the MS. Oppress'd with wealth and wit, abundance sad! One makes her poor, the other makes her mad.' Warburton. But die, and she'll adore you-Then the Bust 140 145 150 155 Say, what can Chloe want?"-She wants a Heart. 160 165 As never yet to love, or to be lov'd. She, while her Lover pants upon her breast, 1 This alludes to a temple she erected with a bust of Queen Anne in it, which mouldered away in a few years. Wilkes, 2 After v. 148, in the MS. 'This Death decides, nor lets the blessing fall Warburton. 3 [Pitt (the elder) was then one of the poor; 170 175 180 and to him Heaven directed a portion of the wealth of the haughty Dowager. Macaulay.] 4 Lady Suffolk. Warton. [This great lady, whose friendship was courted by Swift, Pope, Arbuthnot and Gay, is described by Lord Stanhope as 'placid, good-natured, and kind-hearted, but very deaf, and not remarkable for wit.' She was the mistress of George II.] [Mohair, a stuff made of camel's or other uncommon hair.] One certain Portrait may (I grant) be seen, Which Heav'n has varnish'd out, and made a Queen: THE SAME FOR EVER! and describ'd by all With Truth and Goodness, as with Crown and Ball. Poets heap Virtues, Painters Gems at will, And shew their zeal, and hide their want of skill. 'Tis well-but, Artists! who can paint or write, 185 To draw the Naked is your true delight. 190 If QUEENSBURY1 to strip there's no compelling, 'Tis from a Handmaid we must take a Helen, From Peer or Bishop 'tis no easy thing 195 To draw the man who loves his God, or King: Alas! I copy (or my draught would fail) But grant, in Public Men sometimes are shown*, A Woman's seen in Private life alone: 200 There, none distinguish 'twixt your Shame or Pride, That each may seem a Virtue, or a Vice 5. In Women, two almost divide the kind; Those, only fix'd, they first or last obey, 205 210 That, Nature gives; and where the lesson taught? Is but to please, can Pleasure seem a fault? Experience, this; by Man's oppression curst, They seek the second not to loose the first. Men, some to Bus'ness, some to Pleasure take; [The Duchess of Queensbury, the correspondent of Swift and the untiring patroness of Gay. Her commanding position as a leader of fashion is illustrated by an amusing anecdote of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's, who speaks of the Duchess at the head of a tribe of dames insisting upon admission to the House of Lords on an occasion when for want of room ladies had been excluded from the Chamber.] Mahmet, servant to the late King [George 1.], said to be the son of a Turkish Bassa, whom he took at the Siege of Buda, and constantly kept about his person. P. 3 Dr Stephen Hale, not more estimable for his useful discoveries as a natural philosopher, than for his exemplary Life and Pastoral Charity as a Parish Priest. P. But grant, in Public, &c.] In the former Editions, between this and the foregoing lines, a want of Connexion might be perceived, oc 215 casioned by the omission of certain Examples and Illustrations to the Maxims laid down; and tho' some of these have since been found, viz. the Characters of Philomedé, Atossa, Chloe, and some verses following, others are still wanting, nor can we answer that these are exactly inserted. 5 That each may seem a Virtue, or a Vice.] For Women are taught Virtue so artificially, and Vice so naturally, that, in the nice exercise of them, they may be easily mistaken for one another. Scriblerus. 6 The former part having shewn, that the particular Characters of Women are more various than those of Men, it is nevertheless observed, that the general Characteristic of the sex, as to the ruling Passion, is more uniform. P. 7 This is occasioned partly by their Nature, partly their Education, and in some degree by Necessity. P. But every Woman is at heart a Rake: Yet mark the fate of a whole Sex of Queens1! Nor leave one sigh behind them when they die. Still round and round the Ghosts of Beauty glide, 220 225 230 235 240 245 Ah! Friend! to dazzle let the Vain design ® ; To raise the Thought, and touch the Heart be thine! 250 255 Oh! blest with Temper, whose unclouded ray What are the Aims and the Fate of this Sex?-I. As to Power. P. 2 Copied from Young, Satire V. Warton. 3 II. As to Pleasure. P. [The Hags' or Witches' Sabbath is properly the Walpurgis-night, preceding May-day.] 5 [For the history of these lines see note to lines To Martha Blount on her birthday in the Miscellaneous Poems.] 6 Advice for their true Interest. P. 7 [The fashionable promenade in the Park, made in the reign of Charles I. and partially destroyed at the time of the formation of the Serpentine by order of Queen Caroline.] 8 [These four lines were originally addressed to Miss Judith Cowper, preceded by this triplet; "Though sprightly Sappho force our love and praise, A softer wonder my pleas'd soul surveys: The mild Erinna blushing in her bays.'] See Carruthers' Life. She, who can love a Sister's charms, or hear 260 265 And yet, believe me, good as well as ill, 270 275 Your Taste of Follies, with our Scorn of Fools: 280 Be this a Woman's Fame: with this unblest, When those blue eyes first open'd on the sphere; 285 And gave you Beauty, but deny'd the Pelf The gen'rous God, who Wit and Gold refines, 92.] Kept Dross for Duchesses, the world shall know it 4, 1[Codille; cf. Rape of the Lock, Canto III. v. 2 Addison has touched this subject with his usual exquisite humour in the Lover, No 10, quoting Epictetus, to comfort a Lady that labours under this heavy calamity. Warton, 3 [Warton compares Swift's: 290 'Jove mix'd up all, and his best clay employ'd, Then call'd the happy composition-Floyd.'] 4 [Yet it was for Martha Blount, to whom these compliments are addressed, that Pope seems to have taken the dross of the Duchess of Marlborough. V. ante.] |