An EPISTLE to Mr. ECKARDT the PAINTER,
Efponding artift, talk no more
Of Beauties of the days of yore,
Of Goddeffes renown'd in Greece,
And ZEUXIS' compofition-piece,
Where every nymph that could at most
Some fingle grace or feature boast,
Contributed her favourite charm
To perfect the ideal form.
'Twas CYNTHIA's brow, 'twas LESBIA's eye,
'Twas CLOE's cheeks' vermilion dye;
ROXANA lent the noble air,
Dishevell❜d flow'd ASPASIA's hair,
And CUPID much too fondly prefs'd
His mimick mother THAIS' breaft.
Antiquity, how poor thy ufe!
A fingle Venus to produce!
Friend Eckardt, ancient story quit,
Nor mind whatever Pliny writ;
Felibien and Fresnoy declaim,
Who talk of Raphael's matchless fame,
Of Titian's tints, Corregio's grace,
And Carlo's each Madonna face,
As if no Beauties now were made,
But Nature had forgot her trade.
'Twas Beauty guided Raphael's line
From heavenly Women, ftyl'd divine;
They warm'd old Titian's fancy too,
And what he could not táfte he drew:
Think you Devotion warm'd his breast
When Carlo with fuch looks exprefs'd
His virgins, that her vot❜ries feel
Emotions---not, I'm sure, of zeal ?
In Britian's isle observe the Fair,
And curious chufe your models there;
Such patterns as shall raise your name
To rival sweet Corregio's fame:
Each fingle piece shall be a test,
And Zeuxis' patchwork be a jeft;
Who ranfack'd Greece, and cull'd the age
To bring one Goddess on the stage:
On your each convass we'll admire
The charms of the whole heav'nly choir.
Majestick Juno shall be seen
In HARVEY's glorious aweful mien.
Where FITZROY moves, refplendent Fair;
So warm her bloom, fublime her air;
Mifs Harvey, now Mrs. Phipps.
Lady Caroline Fitzroy,
Her ebon treffes, form'd 'to grace,
And heighten while they fhade her face:
Such troops of martial youth around,
Who court the hand that gives the wound;
"Tis Pallas, Pallas ftands confefs'd,
Tho' STANHOPE's more than Paris blefs'd.
So CLEVELAND fhown in warlike pride,
By Lilly's pencil defy'd :
So GRAFTON, matchlefs dame, commands
The fairest work of Kneller's hands:
The blood that warm'd each amorous court,
In veins as rich still loves to sport:
And George's age beholds restor❜d,
What William boafted, Charles ador'd.
For Venuses the Trojan ne'er
Was half fo puzzled to declare :
Ten Queens of Beauty, fure I fee!
Yet fure the true is f EMILY:
Such majefty of youth and air,
Yet modeft as the village fair:
Attracting all, indulging none,
Her beauty like the glorious Sun
• The Duchefs of Cleveland like Pallas, among the beauties at Windfor.
• The Duchefs of Grafton, among the beauties of Hampton Court.
Lady Emily Lenox, nor Countess of Kildare
Thron'd eminently bright above,
Impartial warms the world to love.
In fmiling CAPEL's beauteous look
Rich Autumn's Goddess is mistook,
With poppies and with spiky corn,
Eckardt, her nut-brown curls adorn ;
And by her fide, in decent line,
Place charming BERKLEY, Proferpine.
Mild as a fummer fea, serene,
In dimpled beauty next be feen,
AYLESBURY like hoary Neptune's Queen.
With her the light-dispensing Fair,
Whose beauty gilds the morning air,
And bright as her attendant fun,
The new Aurora, & LYTTLETON.
Such Guido's pencil beauty-tip'd,
And in ethereal colours dip'd.
İn measur'd dance to tuneful fong
Drew the sweet Goddefs, as along
Heaven's azure 'neath their light feet spread,
The buxom Hours fhe faireft led.
The crefcent on her brow difplay'd, .:
In curls of lovelieft brown inlaid,
With every charm to rule the night,
Like Dian, m STRAFFORD WOOs the fight;
1 Guido's Aurora in the Refpigliori Palace at Rome.
The eafy fhape, the piercing eye,
The fnowy bofom's purity,
The unaffected gentle phrase
Of native wit in all the fays;
Eckardt, for these thy art's too faint:
You may admire, but cannot paint.
How Hebe smil'd, what bloom divine
On the young Goddess lov'd to shine,
From "CARPENTER we guefs, or fee
All-beauteous MANNERS beam for thee.
How pretty Flora, wanton maid,
By Zephyr woo'd in noon-tide shade,
With rofy hand coquetly throwing
Panfies, beneath her sweet touch blowing;
How blithe fhe look'd let P FANNY tell;
Let Zephyr own if half fo well.
Another Goddess of the year,
Fair Queen of Summer, fee, appear;
Her auburn locks with fruitage crown'd,
Her panting bofom loosely bound,
Ethereal beauty in her face,
Rather the beauties of her race,
Whence ev'ry Goddess, envy fmit,
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