Offending Daughters oft would hear
Vanessa's Praise rung in their Ear :
Mifs Betty, when the does a Fault,
Lets fall her Knife, or fpills the Salt,
Will thus be by her Mother chid,
"Tis what Fanefja never did."
Thus by the Nymphs and Swains ador'd,
My Pow'r fhall be again reftor'd,
And happy Lovers bless my Reign.
So Venus hop'd, but hop'd in vain.
For when in Time the Martial Maid
Found out the Trick, that Venus play'd,
She shakes her Helin, fhe knits her Brows,
And fir'd with Indignation vows,
To-morrow, e'er the Setting-Sun,
She'd all undo, that she had done.
But in the Poets we may find,
A wholesome Law, time out of mind,
Had been confirm'd by Fate's Decree ;
That Gods of whatfoe'er Degree
Refume not, what themselves have giv'n,
Or any Brother-God in Heav'n;
Which keeps the Peace among the Gods,
Or they must always be at Odds.
And Pallas, if the broke the Laws,
Muft yield her Foe the ftronger Caufe;
A Shame to one so much ador'd
For Wildom at Jove's Council-Board.
Befides, the fear'd the Queen of Love
Would meet with better Friends above.
And tho' fhe muft with Grief reflect,
To fee a mortal Virgin deck'd
With Graces, hitherto unknown
To Female Breasts, except her own ;
Yet fhe would act as best became
A Goddess of unspotted Fame :
She knew by Augury Divine,
Venus wou'd fail in her Defign :
She study'd well the Point, and found
Her Foes Conclufions were not found,
From Premisses erroneous brought,
And therefore the Deduction's nought,
And must have contrary Effects
To what her treach'rous Foe expects,
In proper Seafon Pallas meets
The Queen of Love, whom thus the greets,
(For Gods, we are by Homer told,
Can in Celestial Language fcold)
Perfidious Goddefs! but in vain
You form'd this Project in your Brain,
A Project for thy Talents fit,
With much Deceit, and little Wit;
Thou haft, as thou shalt quickly see,
Deceiv'd thyself, inftead of me;
For how can Heav'nly Wisdom prove
An Inftrument to Earthly Love?
Know'st thou not yet, that Men commence
Thy Votaries for Want of Senfe?
Nor fhall Vanessa be the Theme
To manage thy abortive Scheme;
She'll prove the greatest of thy Foes,
And yet I fcorn to interpofe,
But ufing neither Skill, nor Force,
Leave all Things to their nat'ral Course.
The Goddess thus pronounc'd her Doom.
When, lol Vanessa in her Bloom,
Advanc'd like Atalarta's Star,
But rarely feen, and feen from far:
In a new World with Caution stept,
Watch'd all the Company fhe kept,
Well knowing from the Books fhe read
What dang'rous Paths young Virgins tread §
Wou'd seldom at the Park appear,
Nor faw the Play-house twice a Year;
Yet not incurious, was inclin'd
To know the Converse of Mankind.
First issued from Perfumers Shops
A Croud of fashionable Fops;
They afk'd her, how the lik'd the Play?
Then told the Tattle of the Day;
A Duel fought last Night at Two,
Mention'd a new Italian, come
Either from Muscovy or Rome;
Gave Hints of who and who's together;
Then fell to talking of the Weather:
Laft Night was fo extremely fine,
The Ladies walk'd till after Nine.
Then in foft Voice, and Speech absurd,
With Nonsense ev'ry fecond Word,
With Fustian from exploded Plays,
They celebrate her Beauty's Praile,
Run o'er their Cant of ftupid Lyes,
And tell the Murders of her Eyes.
With filent Scorn Vanessa fat,
Scarce lift'ning to their idle Chat ;
Further than fometimes by a Frown,
When they grew pert, to pull them down.
At laft the fpitefully was bent
To try their Wifdom's full Extent;
And faid, the valu'd nothing lefs
Than Titles, Figure, Shape, and Dress;
That Merit fhould be chiefly plac'd
In Judgment, Knowledge, Wit, and Tafte;
And thefe, the offer'd to difpute,
Alone distinguish'd Man from Brute :
That, prefent Times have no Pretence
To Virtue, in the Noble Senfe,
By Greeks and Romans understood,
To perish for our Country's Good.
She nam'd the ancient Heroes round,
Explain'd for what they were renown'd
Then spoke with Centure, or Applaute,
Of foreign Customs, Rites, and Laws;
Thro' Nature and thro' Art she rang`d,
And gracefully her Subject chang'd:
In vain; her Hearers had no Share
In all the spoke, except to ftare.
Their Judgment was upon the Whole,
That Lady is the dulleft Soul
Then tipt their Forehead in a Jeer,
As who fhould fay fhe wants it here;
She may be handfome, young and rich,
But none will burn her for a Witch.
A Party next of glitt'ring Dames,
From round the Purlieus of St. James,
Came early, out of pure Good-will,
To fee the Girl in Deshabille.
Their Clamour 'lighting from their Chairs
Giew louder, all the Way up Stairs;
At Entrance loudest, where they found
The Room with Volumes litter'd round;
Vane Ja held Montaigne, and read,
Whilt Mrs. Sujan comb'd her Head:
They call'd for Tea and Chocolate,
And fell into their usual Chat,
Difcourfing with important Face
On Ribbons, Fans, and Gloves and Lace:
Shew'd Patterns juft from India brought,
And gravely ask'd her what she thought,
Whether the Red or Green were best,
And what they coft? Vanessa guefs'd,
As came into her Fancy firit;
Nam'd half the Rates, and lik'd the worst.
To Scandal next----What aukward Thing
Was that, laft Sunday, in the Ring?
I'm forry Mopfa breaks fo faft;
I faid her Face wou'd never last.
Corinna, with that youthful Air,
Is Thirty, and a Bit to fpare.
Her Fondness for a certain Earl
Began, when I was but a Girl.
Phillis, who but a Month ago
Was marry'd to the Tunbridge Beau,
I faw coquetting t'other Night
In publick with that odious Knight.
They rally'd next Vanessa's Dress;
That Gown was made for old Queen Be's:
Dear Madam, Let me fet your Head;
Don't you intend to put on Red ?
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