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Up to her godly garret after fev'n,"

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There ftarve and pray, for that's the way to heav'n.
Some Squire, perhaps, you take delight to rack
Whose game is Whisk, whose treat a toast in fack;
Who vifits with a Gun, prefents you birds,
Then gives a fmacking bufs, and cries,-No words!
Or with his hound comes hallowing from the ftable,
Makes love with nods, and knees beneath a table;
Whofe laughs are hearty, tho' his jefts are coarse,
And loves you beft of all things-but his horse. 30
In fome fair ev'ning, on your elbow laid,

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You dream of Triumphs in the rural fhade;
In penfive thought recall the fancy'd scene,
See Coronations rife on ev'ry green;

Before you pass th' imaginary fights

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Of Lords, and Earls, and Dukes, and garter'd Knights,

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While the fpread fan o'erfhades your clofing eyes;
Then give one flirt and all the vifion flies.to
Thus vanish fceptres, coronets, and balls,

And leave you in lone woods, or empty walls !40%
So when your Slave, at føme dear idle time,
(Not plagu'd with head-achs, or the want of rhyme)
Stands in the streets, abstracted from the crew,

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And while he seems to ftudy, thinks of you;
Juft when his fancy points your fprightly eyes, 45
Or fees the blufh of foft Parthenia rife,

Gay pats my shoulder, and you vanish quite,

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Streets, Chairs, and Coxcombs rush upon my fight; Vex'd to be still in town, I knit my brow,

Look four, and hum a Tune, as you may now. 50

THE

THE

BASSET-TABLE

ΑΝ

ECLOGUE.

CARDELIA. SMILINDA

TH

CARDELIÄ.

HE Baffet-Table Spread, the Tallier come; Why stays SMIL NDA in the Dreffing-Room? Rife, penfive Nymph, the Tallier waits for you:

SMILINDA.

Ah, Madam, fince my SHARPER is untrue,
I joyless make my once ador'd Alpeu.
I faw him ftand behind UMBRELIA'S Chair,
And whisper with that foft deluding air,

And those feign'd fighs which cheat the lift'ning
Fair.

CARDELIA.

Is this the cause of your Romantick strains? A mightier grief my heavy heart fuftains.

NOTES.

10

The Baffet Table. Only this of all the Town Eclogues was Mr. Pope's; and is here printed from a copy corrected by his own hand. The humour of it confifts in this, that the one is in love with the Game, and the other with the Sharper.

As

As You by Love, fo I by Fortune crofs't;
One, one bad Deal, Three Septleva's have lost.

SMILIND A.

Is that the grief, which you compare with mine? With ease, the smiles of Fortune I refign:

Would all my gold in one bad Deal were gone; 15 Were lovely SHARPER mine, and mine alone.

CARDELIA.

A Lover loft, is but a common care ;

And prudent Nymphs against that change prepare: The KNAVE OF CLUBS thrice loft: Oh! who could

guefs

This fatal ftroke, this unforeseen Diftrefs!

SMILIND A.,

See BETTY LOVET! very à propos,
She all the cares of Love and Play does know:
Dear BETTY fhall th' important point decide;
BETTY, who oft the pain of each has try'd,
Impartial, the shall fay who fuffers most,
By Cards' Ill Ufage, or by Lovers loft.

LOVET.

Tell, tell your griefs; attentive will T ftay, Tho' time is precious, and I want fome Tea.

CARDELIA.

20

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Behold this Equipage, by Mathers wrought, With Fifty Guineas (a great Pen'worth) bought. 31 See on the Tooth-pick, Mars and Cupid strive; And both the struggling figures feem alive.

Upon

Upon the bottom fhines the Queen's bright Face;
A Myrtle Foliage round the Thimble-Cafe.
Jove, Jove himfelf, does on the Scizars fhine; 35
The Metal, and the Workmanship, divine!

:S MILIND A

This Snuff-Box,-- once the pledge of SHARPER'S love,

When rival beauties for the Prefent ftrove;

At Corticelli's he the Raffle won;

Then firft his Paffion was in public shown:

HAZARDIA blufh'd, and turn'd her Head afide,
A Rival's envy' (all in vain) to hide..

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This Snuff-Box,- on the Hinge fee Brilliants fhine: This Snuff-Box will I ftake; the Prize is mine.

CARDELIA.

Alas! far leffer loffes than I bear,

Have made a Soldier figh, a Lover fwear.
And Oh! what makes the disappointment hard,
'Twas my own Lord that drew the fatal Card.·
In complaifance, I took the Queen he gave;
Tho' my own fecret wish was for the Knave.
The Knave won Sonica, which I had chofe;
And the next Pull, my Septleva Ilofe.

SMILINDA.

But ah! what aggravates the killing fmart, The cruel thought, that ftabs me to the heart; This curs'd OMBRELIA, this undoing Fair, By whofe vile arts this heavy grief I bear; She, at whofe name I fhed thefe fpiteful tears,

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She owes to me the very charms the wears.

An

An aukward Thing, when firft the came to Town;
Her Shape unfashion'd, and her Face unknown: 60
She was my friend; I taught her first to spread
Upon her fallow cheeks enliv'ning red:

I introduc'd her to the Park and Plays;
And by my int'reft, Cozens made her Stays.
Ungrateful wretch, with mimick airs grown pert,
She dares to steal my Fav'rite Lover's heart.

CARDELIA.

Wretch that I was, how often have I fwore, When WINNALL tally'd, I would punt no more? I know the Bite, yet to my Ruin run;

And fee the Folly, which I cannot fhun.

SMILIND A.

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70

How many Maids have SHARPER'S vows deceiv'd?

How many curs'd the moment they believ'd?
Yet his known Falfhoods could no Warning prove:
Ah! what is warning to a Maid in Love?

CARDELIA.

But of what marble muft that breaft be form'd, 75 To gaze on Baffet, and remain unwarm'd ?

When Kings, Queens, Knaves, are fet in decent rank;

Expos'd in glorious heaps the tempting Bank,
Guineas, Half-Guineas, all the fhining train;
The Winner's pleasure, and the Lofer's pain: 80
In bright confufion open Rouleaus lye,

They ftrike the Soul, and glitter in the Eye.

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