The sister-lock now sits uncouth, alone,
And in its fellow's fate foresees its own;
Uncurl'd it hangs, the fatal sheers demands,
And tempts, once more, thy sacrilegious hands.
Oh hadst thou, cruel! been content to seize 175
Hairs less in sight, or any hairs but these!

THE RAPE OF THE LOCK.

CANTO V.

SHE said: the pitying audience melt in tears,
But Fate and Jove had stopp'd the Baron's ears.
In vain Thalestris with reproach assails,
For who can move when fair Belinda fails?

Not half so fix'd the Trojan could remain,
While Anna begg'd and Dido rag'd in vain.
Then grave Clarissa graceful wav'd her fan ;
Silence ensu'd, and thus the Nymph began.

5

Say, why are Beauties prais'd and honour'd most, The wise man's passion, and the vain man's toast?

VARIATIONS.

Ver. 7. Then grave Clarissa, &c.] A new Character introduced in the subsequent Editions, to open more clearly the Moral of the Poem, in a parody of the speech of Sarpedon to Glaucus in Homer.

IMITATIONS.

Ver. 9. Say why are Beauties, &c.]

Homer.

"Why boast we, Glaucus ! our extended reign,
Where Xanthus' streams enrich the Lycian plain;
Our num'rous herds that range the fruitful field,
And hills where vines their purple harvest yield;
Our foaming bowls with purer nectar crown'd,
Our feasts enhanc'd with music's sprightly sound ;
Why on those shores are we with joy survey'd,
Admir'd as heroes, and as Gods obey'd ;
Unless great acts superior merit prove,
And vindicate the bounteous pow'rs above?

P.

Why deck'd with all that land and sea afford,
Why Angels call'd, and Angel-like ador'd?

Why round our coaches croud the white-glov'd

Beaus,

Why bows the side-box from its inmost rows? How vain are all these glories, all our pains, Unless good sense preserve what beauty gains : That men may say, when we the front-box grace,

15

Behold the first in virtue as in face!

Oh! if to dance all night, and dress all day,

Charm'd the small-pox, or chas'd old-age away; 20 Who would not scorn what housewife's cares pro

duce,

Or who would learn one earthly thing of use?
To patch, nay ogle, might become a Saint,

Nor could it sure be such a sin to paint.

'Tis ours, the dignity they give, to grace;
The first in valour, as the first in place :
That when with wond'ring eyes our martial bands
Behold our deeds transcending our commands,
Such, they may cry, deserve the sov'reign state,
Whom those that envy, dare not imitate.
Could all our care elude the gloomy grave,
Which claims no less the fearful than the brave,
For lust of fame I should not vainly dare
In fighting fields, nor urge thy soul to war.
But since, alas! ignoble age must come,
Disease, and death's inexorable doom;
The life which others pay, let us bestow,
And give to fame what we to nature owe;

Brave tho' we fall, and honour'd if we live,

Or let us glory gain, or glory give."

Warburton.

This passage was the first specimen our author gave of his trans

lation of Homer; and it appeared first in the sixth volume of Dryden's Miscellanies.

Warton.

But since, alas! frail beauty must decay,
Curl'd or uncurl'd, since Locks will turn to grey;
Since painted, or not painted, all shall fade,

25

And she who scorns a man, must die a maid;

What then remains but well our pow'r to use,
And keep good-humour still, whate'er we lose? 30
And trust me, dear! good-humour can prevail,
When airs, and flights, and screams, and scolding
fail.

Beauties in vain their pretty eyes may roll;
Charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul.
So spoke the Dame, but no applause ensu'd; 35
Belinda frown'd, Thalestris call'd her Prude.
To arms, to arms! the fierce Virago cries,
And swift as lightning to the combat flies.
All side in parties, and begin th' attack;
Fans clap, silks rustle, and tough whalebones crack;
Heroes' and Heroines' shouts confus'dly rise,
And base and treble voices strike the skies.
No common weapons in their hands are found,
Like Gods they fight, nor dread a mortal wound.

NOTES.

Ver. 26. Curl'd or uncurld,] Fontenelle writes a gallant and pleasant letter to a beautiful young lady on discovering one grey hair on her head. Warton.

VARIATIONS.

Ver. 37. To arms, to arms!] From hence the first edition goes on to the conclusion, except a very few short insertions added, to keep the Machinery in view to the end of the poem.

IMITATIONS.

P.

Ver. 35. So spoke the Dame,] It is a verse frequently repeated in Homer after any speech,

66

- So spoke-and all the Heroes applauded." P.

So when bold Homer makes the Gods engage, 45 And heav'nly breasts with human passions rage; 'Gainst Pallas, Mars; Latona, Hermes arms; And all Olympus rings with loud alarms : Jove's thunder roars, heav'n trembles all around, Blue Neptune storms, the bellowing deeps resound: ' Earth shakes her nodding tow'rs, the ground gives

way,

And the pale ghosts start at the flash of day!

NOTES.

P.

Ver. 45. So when bold Homer] Homer, Il. xx. The ridicule is most artfully heightened by introducing one of the most sublime passages in Homer :

“ ̓Αμφι δ' εσαλπιγξεν μέγας έρανος, ελυμπος τε
Εδδεισεν δ ̓ υπενερθεν αναξ ενερων Αιδωνευς,
Δείσας δ ̓ εκ θρονε αλτο και ιαχε, μη οι επειτα
Γαιαν αναρρηξεις Ποσειδάων ενοσίχθων
Οικια δε θνητοίσι και αθανατοισι φανείη,

Σμερδαλέ ̓, ευρωενία, τα τε συγεκσι θεοι περ.”

Well might Longinus exclaim, "Do you see, O my friend, how the earth bursts asunder to its centre, Tartarus itself is laid open and naked, all things mortal and immortal combat together, and share the danger of this tremendous conflict?"

In none of his many imitations has Virgil shewn his inferiority to Homer so much as in this passage:

" Non secus ac si qua penitus vi terra dehiscens
Infernas reseret sedes, et regna recludat
Pallida, Dîs invisa; superque immane barathrum
Cernatur, trepidentque immisso lumine Manes."

Æneid, viii. v. 243.

For not to mention that what is part of the Action in Homer, is only a simile in Virgil, how tame is superque immane barathrum (even though a magnificent image) to

Δεισας δ ̓ εκ θρονε αλτο και ιαχε

How or where has terror ever been so strongly painted as by this circumstance of Pluto himself, suddenly leaping from his throne and shrieking aloud? Warton.