But grant, in Public Men fometimes are shown, A Woman's feen in Private life alone: Our bolder Talents in full light display'd; Your Virtues open fairest in the fhade. Bred to difguife, in Public 'tis you hide; 200 There, none diftinguifh 'twixt your Shame or Pride, Weakness or Delicacy; all so nice, That each may feem a Virtue, or a Vice. In Men, we various Ruling Paffions find; In Women, two almoft divide the kind; 205 VER. 199. But grant, in Public, etc.] In the former Editions, between this and the foregoing lines, a want of Connexion might be perceived, occafioned by the omiffion of certain Examples and Illuftrations to the Maxims laid down; and though fome of thefe have fince been found, viz. the Characters of Philomede, Atoffa, Chloe, and fome verfes following, others are ftill wanting, nor can we answer that these are exactly inferted. VER. 207. The former part having fhewn, that the particular Characters of Women are more various than those of Men, it is nevertheless obferved, that the general Characteristic of the fex, as to the ruling Paffion, is more uniform VARIATIONS. And, for a noble pride, I blush no less, VER. 207. In the first Edition, In fev'ral Men we fev'ral paffions find; Thofe, only fix'd, they firft or laft obey, Men, fome to Bus'nefs, fome to Pleasure take; But ev'ry Woman is at heart a Rake: 216 Men, fome to Quiet, fome to public Strife; But ev'ry Lady would be Queen for life. Yet mark the fate of a whole Sex of Queens! Pow'r all their end, but Beauty all the means: 220 In Youth they conquer, with fo wild a rage, As leaves them fcarce a fubject in their Age: For foreign glory, foreign joy, they roam; No thought of peace or happiness at home. But Wisdom's triumph is well-tim'd Retreat, As hard a fcience to the Fair as Great! 225 VER. 211. This is occafioned partly by their Nature, partly their Education, and in fome degree by Neceffity. VER. 216. But ev'ry Woman is at heart a Rake :] "Some "men (says the Poet) take to business, fome to pleasure, but "every woman would willingly make pleasure her business:" which being the peculiar characteristic of a Rake, we must needs think that he includes (in his use of the word here) no more of the Rake's ill qualities than are implied in this definition, of one who makes pleasure bis business. VER. 219. What are the Aims and the Fate of this Sex? -I. As to Power. Beauties, like Tyrants, old and friendless grown, Worn out in public, weary ev'ry eye, Nor leave one figh behind them when they die. 230 Still out of reach, yet never out of view; At last, to follies Youth could scarce defend, 235 See how the World its Veterans rewards! 245 Ah! Friend! to dazzle let the Vain design; To raise the thought, and touch the Heart be thine! VER. 231.-II. As to Pleasure. VER. 249. Advice for their true Interest, That Charm fhall grow, while what fatigues the Flaunts and goes down, an unregarded thing: And unobferv'd the glaring Orb declines. 255 Oh! bleft with Temper, whose unclouded ray Can make to-morrow chearful as to-day: She, who can love a Sifter's charms, or hear Sighs for a Daughter with unwounded ear; 260 VER. 253. So when the Sun's broad beam, etc.] One of the great beauties obfervable in the poet's management of his Similitudes, is the ceremonious preparation he makes for them, in gradually raising the imagery of the fimilitude in the lines preceding, by the use of metaphors taken from the subject of it: while what fatigues the ring, Flaunts and goes down, an unregarded thing. And the civil difmiffion he gives them by the continuance of the fame metaphor, in the lines following, whereby the traces of the imagery gradually decay, and give place to others, and the reader is never offended with the fudden or abrupt disappearance of it, Oh! bleft with Temper, whofe unclouded ray, etc. Another instance of the fame kind we have in this epiftle, in the following lines, Chufe a firm cloud before it fall, and in it Catch, ere fhe change, the Cynthia of this minute. She who ne'er anfwers 'till a Hufband cools, And yet, believe me, good as well as ill, 270 275 280 286 VER. 285, etc. Afcendant Phoebus watch'd that bour with care, Averted half your Parents' fimple Pray'r ; And gave you |