Because she's honest, and the best of Friends. Or her, whose life the Church and Scandal share, Cries, "Ah! how charming, if there's no such place!" Or her, who laughs at Hell, but (like her Grace)1 Of Mirth and Opium, Ratafie and Tears, 105 ΓΙΟ To kill those foes to Fair ones, Time and Thought. But what are these to great Atossa's mind 3? 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.] 3 [The Duchess of Marlborough. See note on p. 236. Her maiden name was Sarah Jennings; and Colonel Churchill was her third husband. As Lady Churchill she acquired an irresistible influence over the Princess Anne, to whom she was appointed First Lady of the Bedchamber, and with whom for twenty years she carried on a correspondence under the loving pseudonym of Mrs Freeman. It was through her that Churchill rose to power and place and became Earl of Marlborough. 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 135 fully undermined hy Harley and his instrument 4 After v. 122, in the MS. But die, and she'll adore you-Then the Bust 140 Last night, her Lord was all that's good and great; By Spirit robb'd of Pow'r, by Warmth of Friends, Pictures like these, dear Madam, to design, 145 150 155 "Yet Chloe sure was form'd without a spot "– Say, what can Chloe want?" She wants a Heart. 160 She speaks, behaves, and acts just as she ought; 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; 165 170 175 180 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.] 5 [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. To draw the Naked is your true delight. 185 190 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 Our bolder Talents in full light display'd; Your virtues open fairest in the shade. Bred to disguise, in Public 'tis you hide; There, none distinguish 'twixt your Shame or Pride, Weakness or Delicacy; all so nice, 205 That each may seem a Virtue, or a Vice 5. In Men, we various Ruling Passions find 6; In Women, two almost divide the kind; Those, only fix'd, they first or last obey, 210 That, Nature gives; and where the lesson taught? Is but to please, can Pleasure 'seem a fault? [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.] 2 Mah' met, 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. 4 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 Queens 1! 220 225 Nor leave one sigh behind them when they die2. 230 235 At last, to follies Youth could scarce defend, As Hags hold Sabbaths, less for joy than spite, Still round and round the Ghosts of Beauty glide, 240 245 Ah! Friend! to dazzle let the Vain design"; To raise the Thought, and touch the Heart be thine! 250 That Charm shall grow, while what fatigues the Ring 7, Flaunts and goes down, an unregarded thing: So when the Sun's broad beam has tir'd the sight, All mild ascends the Moon's more sober light, Oh! blest with Temper, whose unclouded ray 255 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 And yet, believe me, good as well as ill, Be this a Woman's Fame: with this unblest, When those blue eyes first open'd on the sphere; 260 265 270 275 280 285 And gave you Beauty, but deny'd the Pelf 92.1 The gen'rous God, who Wit and Gold refines, 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.] |