Some to the sun their insect-wings unfold, Waft on the breeze, or sink in clouds of gold; 60 Transparent forms, too fine for mortal sight, Their fluid bodies half dissolv"d in light, Loose to the wind their airy garments flew, Thin glitt"ring textures of the filmy dew, Dipt in the richest tincture of the skies, 65 Where light disports in ever-mingling dyes, While ev"ry beam new transient colours flings, Colours that change whene"er they wave their wings.
Amid the circle, on the gilded mast, Superior by the head, was Ariel plac"d; 70 His purple pinions op"ning to the sun, He rais"d his azure wand, and thus begun.
Ye Sylphs and Sylphids, to your chief give ear!
Fays, Fairies, Genii, Elves, and Daemons, hear!
Ye know the spheres and various tasks a.s.sign"d 75 By laws eternal to th" aerial kind.
Some in the fields of purest aether play, And bask and whiten in the blaze of day.
Some guide the course of wand"ring orbs on high, Or roll the planets thro" the boundless sky. 80 Some less refin"d, beneath the moon"s pale light Pursue the stars that shoot athwart the night, Or suck the mists in grosser air below, Or dip their pinions in the painted bow, Or brew fierce tempests on the wintry main, 85 Or o"er the glebe distil the kindly rain.
Others on earth o"er human race preside, Watch all their ways, and all their actions guide: Of these the chief the care of Nations own, And guard with Arms divine the British Throne. 90
Our humbler province is to tend the Fair, Not a less pleasing, tho" less glorious care; To save the powder from too rude a gale, Nor let th" imprison"d-essences exhale; To draw fresh colours from the vernal flow"rs; 95 To steal from rainbows e"er they drop in show"rs A brighter wash; to curl their waving hairs, a.s.sist their blushes, and inspire their airs; Nay oft, in dreams, invention we bestow, To change a Flounce, or add a Furbelow. 100
This day, black Omens threat the brightest Fair, That e"er deserv"d a watchful spirit"s care; Some dire disaster, or by force, or slight; But what, or where, the fates have wrapt in night.
Whether the nymph shall break Diana"s law, 105 Or some frail China jar receive a flaw; Or stain her honour or her new brocade; Forget her pray"rs, or miss a masquerade; Or lose her heart, or necklace, at a ball; Or whether Heav"n has doom"d that Shock must fall. 110 Haste, then, ye spirits! to your charge repair: The flutt"ring fan be Zephyretta"s care; The drops to thee, Brillante, we consign; And, Momentilla, let the watch be thine; Do thou, Crisp.i.s.sa, tend her fav"rite Lock; 115 Ariel himself shall be the guard of Shock.
To fifty chosen Sylphs, of special note, We trust th" important charge, the Petticoat: Oft have we known that seven-fold fence to fail, Tho" stiff with hoops, and arm"d with ribs of whale; 120 Form a strong line about the silver bound, And guard the wide circ.u.mference around.
Whatever spirit, careless of his charge, His post neglects, or leaves the fair at large, Shall feel sharp vengeance soon o"ertake his sins, 125 Be stopp"d in vials, or transfix"d with pins; Or plung"d in lakes of bitter washes lie, Or wedg"d whole ages in a bodkin"s eye: Gums and Pomatums shall his flight restrain, While clogg"d he beats his silken wings in vain; 130 Or Alum styptics with contracting pow"r Shrink his thin essence like a rivel"d flow"r: Or, as Ixion fix"d, the wretch shall feel The giddy motion of the whirling Mill, In fumes of burning Chocolate shall glow, 135 And tremble at the sea that froths below!
He spoke; the spirits from the sails descend; Some, orb in orb, around the nymph extend; Some thrid the mazy ringlets of her hair; Some hang upon the pendants of her ear: 140 With beating hearts the dire event they wait, Anxious, and trembling for the birth of Fate.
CANTO III
Close by those meads, for ever crown"d with flow"rs, Where Thames with pride surveys his rising tow"rs, There stands a structure of majestic frame, Which from the neighb"ring Hampton takes its name.
Here Britain"s statesmen oft the fall foredoom 5 Of foreign Tyrants and of Nymphs at home; Here thou, great ANNA! whom three realms obey.
Dost sometimes counsel take--and sometimes Tea.
Hither the heroes and the nymphs resort, To taste awhile the pleasures of a Court; 10 In various talk th" instructive hours they past, Who gave the ball, or paid the visit last; One speaks the glory of the British Queen, And one describes a charming Indian screen; A third interprets motions, looks, and eyes; 15 At ev"ry word a reputation dies.
Snuff, or the fan, supply each pause of chat, With singing, laughing, ogling, and _all that_.
Mean while, declining from the noon of day, The sun obliquely shoots his burning ray; 20 The hungry Judges soon the sentence sign, And wretches hang that jury-men may dine; The merchant from th" Exchange returns in peace, And the long labours of the Toilet cease.
Belinda now, whom thirst of fame invites, 25 Burns to encounter two advent"rous Knights, At Ombre singly to decide their doom; And swells her breast with conquests yet to come.
Straight the three bands prepare in arms to join, Each band the number of the sacred nine. 30
Soon as she spreads her hand, th" aerial guard Descend, and sit on each important card: First Ariel perch"d upon a Matadore, Then each, according to the rank they bore; For Sylphs, yet mindful of their ancient race, 35 Are, as when women, wondrous fond of place.
Behold, four Kings in majesty rever"d, With h.o.a.ry whiskers and a forky beard; And four fair Queens whose hands sustain a flow"r, Th" expressive emblem of their softer pow"r; 40 Four Knaves in garbs succinct, a trusty band, Caps on their heads, and halberts in their hand; And particolour"d troops, a shining train, Draw forth to combat on the velvet plain.
The skilful Nymph reviews her force with care: 45 Let Spades be trumps! she said, and trumps they were.
Now move to war her sable Matadores, In show like leaders of the swarthy Moors.
Spadillio first, unconquerable Lord!
Led off two captive trumps, and swept the board. 50 As many more Manillio forc"d to yield, And march"d a victor from the verdant field.
Him Basto follow"d, but his fate more hard Gain"d but one trump and one Plebeian card.
With his broad sabre next, a chief in years, 55 The h.o.a.ry Majesty of Spades appears, Puts forth one manly leg, to sight reveal"d, The rest, his many-colour"d robe conceal"d.
The rebel Knave, who dares his prince engage, Proves the just victim of his royal rage. 60 Ev"n mighty Pam, that Kings and Queens o"erthrew And mow"d down armies in the fights of Lu, Sad chance of war! now dest.i.tute of aid, Falls undistinguish"d by the victor spade!
Thus far both armies to Belinda yield; 65 Now to the Baron fate inclines the field.
His warlike Amazon her host invades, Th" imperial consort of the crown of Spades.
The Club"s black Tyrant first her victim dy"d, Spite of his haughty mien, and barb"rous pride: 70 What boots the regal circle on his head, His giant limbs, in state unwieldy spread; That long behind he trails his pompous robe, And, of all monarchs, only grasps the globe?
The Baron now his Diamonds pours apace; 75 Th" embroider"d King who shows but half his face, And his refulgent Queen, with pow"rs combin"d Of broken troops an easy conquest find.
Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, in wild disorder seen, With throngs promiscuous strow the level green. 80 Thus when dispers"d a routed army runs, Of Asia"s troops, and Afric"s sable sons, With like confusion different nations fly, Of various habit, and of various dye, The pierc"d battalions dis-united fall, 85 In heaps on heaps; one fate o"erwhelms them all.
The Knave of Diamonds tries his wily arts, And wins (oh shameful chance!) the Queen of Hearts.
At this, the blood the virgin"s cheek forsook, A livid paleness spreads o"er all her look; 90 She sees, and trembles at th" approaching ill, Just in the jaws of ruin, and Codille.
And now (as oft in some distemper"d State) On one nice Trick depends the gen"ral fate.
An Ace of Hearts steps forth: The King unseen 95 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 prostrate Ace.
The nymph exulting fills with shouts the sky; The walls, the woods, and long ca.n.a.ls reply. 100
Oh thoughtless mortals! ever blind to fate, Too soon dejected, and too soon elate.
Sudden, these honours shall be s.n.a.t.c.h"d away, And curs"d for ever this victorious day.
For lo! the board with cups and spoons is crown"d, 105 The berries crackle, and the mill turns round; On shining Altars of j.a.pan they raise The silver lamp; the fiery spirits blaze: From silver spouts the grateful liquors glide, While China"s earth receives the smoking tide: 110 At once they gratify their scent and taste, And frequent cups prolong the rich repast.
Straight hover round the Fair her airy band; Some, as she sipp"d, the fuming liquor fann"d, Some o"er her lap their careful plumes display"d, 115 Trembling, and conscious of the rich brocade.
Coffee, (which makes the politician wise, And see thro" all things with his half-shut eyes) Sent up in vapours to the Baron"s brain New Stratagems, the radiant Lock to gain. 120 Ah cease, rash youth! desist ere"t is too late, Fear the just G.o.ds, and think of Scylla"s Fate!
Chang"d to a bird, and sent to flit in air, She dearly pays for Nisus" injur"d hair!
But when to mischief mortals bend their will, 125 How soon they find fit instruments of ill!
Just then, Clarissa drew with tempting grace A two-edg"d weapon from her shining case: So Ladies in Romance a.s.sist their Knight, Present the spear, and arm him for the fight. 130 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.
Swift to the Lock a thousand 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.
Just in that instant, anxious Ariel sought The close recesses of the Virgin"s thought; 140 As on the nosegay in her breast reclin"d, He watch"d th" Ideas rising in her mind, Sudden he view"d, in spite of all her art, An earthly Lover lurking at her heart.
Amaz"d, confus"d, he found his pow"r expir"d, 145 Resign"d to fate, and with a sigh retir"d.
The Peer now spreads 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; 150 Fate urg"d the shears, and cut the Sylph in twain, (But airy substance soon unites again) The meeting points the sacred hair dissever From the fair head, for ever, and for ever!
Then flash"d the living lightning from her eyes, 155 And screams of horror rend th" affrighted skies.
Not louder shrieks to pitying heav"n are cast, When husbands, or when lapdogs breathe their last; Or when rich China vessels fall"n from high, In glitt"ring dust and painted fragments lie! 160
Let wreaths of triumph now my temples twine (The victor cry"d) the glorious Prize is mine!
While fish in streams, or birds delight in air, Or in a coach and six the British Fair, As long as Atalantis shall be read, 165 Or the small pillow grace a Lady"s bed, While visits shall be paid on solemn days, When num"rous wax-lights in bright order blaze, While nymphs take treats, or a.s.signations give, So long my honour, name, and praise shall live! 170 What Time would spare, from Steel receives its date, And monuments, like men, submit to fate!
Steel could the labour of the G.o.ds destroy, And strike to dust 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 should feel, The conqu"ring force of unresisted steel?
CANTO IV
But anxious cares the pensive nymph oppress"d, And secret pa.s.sions labour"d in her breast.
Not youthful kings in battle seiz"d alive, Not scornful virgins who their charms survive, Not ardent lovers robb"d of all their bliss, 5 Not ancient ladies when refus"d a kiss, Not tyrants fierce that unrepenting die, Not Cynthia when her manteau"s pinn"d awry, E"er felt such rage, resentment, and despair, As thou, sad Virgin! for thy ravish"d Hair. 10
For, that sad moment, when the Sylphs withdrew And Ariel weeping from Belinda flew, Umbriel, a dusky, melancholy sprite, As ever sully"d the fair face of light, Down to the central earth, his proper scene, 15 Repair"d to search the gloomy Cave of Spleen.