And yet, believe me, good as well as ill, Woman's at beft a Contradiction ftill.

270

275

Heav'n, when it strives to polish all it can
Its last best work, but forms a fofter Man;
Picks from each fex, to make the Fav'rite bleft,
Your love of Pleasure, our defire of Reft:
Blends, in exception to all general rules,
Your taste of Follies, with our Scorn of Fools:
Reserve with Frankness, Art with Truth ally'd,
Courage with Softnefs, Modefty with Pride;
Fix'd Principles, with Fancy ever new;
Shakes all together, and produces-You.
Be this a Woman's Fame: with this unbleft,
Toafts live a scorn, and Queens may die a jeft.
This Phoebus promis'd (I forget the year)
When those blue eyes firft open'd on the sphere;
Afcendant Phoebus watch'd that hour with care, 285
Averted half your Parent's fimple Pray'r;

NOTES.

280

VER. 269. The picture of an eftimable woman, with the best kind of contrarieties, created out of the Poet's imagination who therefore feigned those circumstances of a husband, a daughter, and love for a fifter, to prevent her being mistaken for any of his acquaintance. And having thus made his Woman, he did, as the ancient Poets were wont, when they had made their Muse, invoke, and address his poem to, her. VER. 285, &c. Afcendant Phoebus watch'd that hour with care, Averted half your Parent's fimple Pray'r; And gave you Beauty, but deny'd the Pelf] The Poet concludes his epiftle with a fine Moral, which

And gave you Beauty, but deny'd the Pelf
That buys your fex a Tyrant o'er itself.
The gen'rous God, who Wit and Gold refines,
And ripens Spirits as he ripens Mines,

Kept Drofs for Ducheffes, the world fhall know it,
To you gave Senfe, Good-humour, and a Poet.

NOTES.

deferves the ferious attention of the public: It is this, that all the extravagancies of these vicious characters here defcribed, are much inflamed by a wrong education, himed at in ver. 203; and that even the left are rather fecured. by a good naturel, than by the prudence and providence of parents; which obfervation is conveyed under the fablime daffical machinery of thebus in the afcendent, watching the natal hour of his favourite, and averting the ill effects of her parents miftaken fondnels For Phos, as the God of wit, confers genius; and, as one of tho nhọnomical influences, defeats the adventitions Fi

cation.

u

In conclufion, the great Moral from both the epifies together is, that the two rareft things in all nature the a DISINTERESTED MAN, and a REASONABLE WOMAN.

1

What brought S. Visto's ill-got wealth to waste. Some Damon whisperd, Visto! have a Taste.

Epift.on Tafte.

MORAL ESSAYS.

EPISTLE III.

To ALLEN Lord BATHURST.

ARGUMENT.

Of the Ufe of RICHES.

THAT it is known to few, most falling into one of the extremes, Avarice or Profufion, 1, &c. The Point difcufs'd, whether the invention of Money has been' more commodious, or pernicious to Mankind, y 21 to 77. That Riches, either to the Avaricious or the Prodigal, cannot afford Happiness, fcarcely Neceffaries, 89 to 160. That Avarice is an abfolute Frenzy, without an End or Purpofe, 113, &c. 152. Conjectures about the Motives of Avaricious men, 121 to 153. That the conduct of men, with respect to Riches, can only be accounted for by the ORDER OF PROVIDENCE, which works the general Good out of