1 Close by those meads, for ever crown'd with flow'rs,
2 Where Thames with pride surveys his rising tow'rs,
3 There stands a structure of majestic frame,
4 Which from the neighb'ring Hampton takes its name.
5 Here Britain's statesmen oft the fall foredoom
6 Of foreign tyrants and of nymphs at home;
7 Here thou, great Anna! whom three realms obey,
8 Dost sometimes counsel take--and sometimes tea.
9 Hither the heroes and the nymphs resort,
10 To taste awhile the pleasures of a court;
11 In various talk th' instructive hours they pass'd,
12 Who gave the ball, or paid the visit last;
13 One speaks the glory of the British queen,
14 And one describes a charming Indian screen;
15 A third interprets motions, looks, and eyes;
16 At ev'ry word a reputation dies.
17 Snuff, or the fan, supply each pause of chat,
18 With singing, laughing, ogling, and all that.
19 Meanwhile, declining from the noon of day,
20 The sun obliquely shoots his burning ray;
21 The hungry judges soon the sentence sign,
22 And wretches hang that jury-men may dine;
23 The merchant from th' Exchange returns in peace,
24 And the long labours of the toilet cease.
25 Belinda now, whom thirst of fame invites,
26 Burns to encounter two adventrous knights,
27 At ombre singly to decide their doom;
28 And swells her breast with conquests yet to come.
29 Straight the three bands prepare in arms to join,
30 Each band the number of the sacred nine.
31 Soon as she spreads her hand, th' aerial guard
32 Descend, and sit on each important card:
33 First Ariel perch'd upon a Matadore,
34 Then each, according to the rank they bore;
35 For Sylphs, yet mindful of their ancient race,
36 Are, as when women, wondrous fond of place.
37 Behold, four Kings in majesty rever'd,
38 With hoary whiskers and a forky beard;
39 And four fair Queens whose hands sustain a flow'r,
40 Th' expressive emblem of their softer pow'r;
41 Four Knaves in garbs succinct, a trusty band,
42 Caps on their heads, and halberds in their hand;
43 And parti-colour'd troops, a shining train,
44 Draw forth to combat on the velvet plain.
45 The skilful nymph reviews her force with care:
46 "Let Spades be trumps!" she said, and trumps they were.
47 Now move to war her sable Matadores,
48 In show like leaders of the swarthy Moors.
49 Spadillio first, unconquerable lord!
50 Led off two captive trumps, and swept the board.
51 As many more Manillio forc'd to yield,
52 And march'd a victor from the verdant field.
53 Him Basto follow'd, but his fate more hard
54 Gain'd but one trump and one plebeian card.
55 With his broad sabre next, a chief in years,
56 The hoary Majesty of Spades appears;
57 Puts forth one manly leg, to sight reveal'd;
58 The rest, his many-colour'd robe conceal'd.
59 The rebel Knave, who dares his prince engage,
60 Proves the just victim of his royal rage.
61 Ev'n mighty Pam, that kings and queens o'erthrew
62 And mow'd down armies in the fights of loo,
63 Sad chance of war! now destitute of aid,
64 Falls undistinguish'd by the victor Spade!
65 Thus far both armies to Belinda yield;
66 Now to the baron fate inclines the field.
67 His warlike Amazon her host invades,
68 Th' imperial consort of the crown of Spades.
69 The Club's black tyrant first her victim died,
70 Spite of his haughty mien, and barb'rous pride:
71 What boots the regal circle on his head,
72 His giant limbs, in state unwieldy spread;
73 That long behind he trails his pompous robe,
74 And of all monarchs, only grasps the globe?
75 The baron now his diamonds pours apace;
76 Th' embroider'd King who shows but half his face,
77 And his refulgent Queen, with pow'rs combin'd
78 Of broken troops an easy conquest find.
79 Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, in wild disorder seen,
80 With throngs promiscuous strow the level green.
81 Thus when dispers'd a routed army runs,
82 Of Asia's troops, and Afric's sable sons,
83 With like confusion diff'rent nations fly,
84 Of various habit, and of various dye,
85 The pierc'd battalions disunited fall.
86 In heaps on heaps; one fate o'erwhelms them all.
87 The Knave of Diamonds tries his wily arts,
88 And wins (oh shameful chance!) the Queen of Hearts.
89 At this, the blood the virgin's cheek forsook,
90 A livid paleness spreads o'er all her look;
91 She sees, and trembles at th' approaching ill,
92 Just in the jaws of ruin, and codille.
93 And now (as oft in some distemper'd state)
94 On one nice trick depends the gen'ral fate.
95 An Ace of Hearts steps forth: The King unseen
96 Lurk'd in her hand, and mourn'd his captive Queen:
97 He springs to vengeance with an eager pace,
98 And falls like thunder on the prostrate Ace.
99 The nymph exulting fills with shouts the sky;
100 The walls, the woods, and long canals reply.
101 Oh thoughtless mortals! ever blind to fate,
102 Too soon dejected, and too soon elate!
103 Sudden, these honours shall be snatch'd away,
104 And curs'd for ever this victorious day.
105 For lo! the board with cups and spoons is crown'd,
106 The berries crackle, and the mill turns round.
107 On shining altars of Japan they raise
108 The silver lamp; the fiery spirits blaze.
109 From silver spouts the grateful liquors glide,
110 While China's earth receives the smoking tide.
111 At once they gratify their scent and taste,
112 And frequent cups prolong the rich repast.
113 Straight hover round the fair her airy band;
114 Some, as she sipp'd, the fuming liquor fann'd,
115 Some o'er her lap their careful plumes display'd,
116 Trembling, and conscious of the rich brocade.
117 Coffee, (which makes the politician wise,
118 And see through all things with his half-shut eyes)
119 Sent up in vapours to the baron's brain
120 New stratagems, the radiant lock to gain.
121 Ah cease, rash youth! desist ere 'tis too late,
122 Fear the just gods, and think of Scylla's fate!
123 Chang'd to a bird, and sent to flit in air,
124 She dearly pays for Nisus' injur'd hair!
125 But when to mischief mortals bend their will,
126 How soon they find fit instruments of ill!
127 Just then, Clarissa drew with tempting grace
128 A two-edg'd weapon from her shining case;
129 So ladies in romance assist their knight
130 Present the spear, and arm him for the fight.
131 He takes the gift with rev'rence, and extends
132 The little engine on his fingers' ends;
133 This just behind Belinda's neck he spread,
134 As o'er the fragrant steams she bends her head.
135 Swift to the lock a thousand sprites repair,
136 A thousand wings, by turns, blow back the hair,
137 And thrice they twitch'd the diamond in her ear,
138 Thrice she look'd back, and thrice the foe drew near.
139 Just in that instant, anxious Ariel sought
140 The close recesses of the virgin's thought;
141 As on the nosegay in her breast reclin'd,
142 He watch'd th' ideas rising in her mind,
143 Sudden he view'd, in spite of all her art,
144 An earthly lover lurking at her heart.
145 Amaz'd, confus'd, he found his pow'r expir'd,
146 Resign'd to fate, and with a sigh retir'd.
147 The peer now spreads the glitt'ring forfex wide,
148 T' inclose the lock; now joins it, to divide.
149 Ev'n then, before the fatal engine clos'd,
150 A wretched Sylph too fondly interpos'd;
151 Fate urg'd the shears, and cut the Sylph in twain,
152 (But airy substance soon unites again).
153 The meeting points the sacred hair dissever
154 From the fair head, for ever, and for ever!
155 Then flash'd the living lightning from her eyes,
156 And screams of horror rend th' affrighted skies.
157 Not louder shrieks to pitying Heav'n are cast,
158 When husbands or when lap-dogs breathe their last,
159 Or when rich China vessels, fall'n from high,
160 In glitt'ring dust and painted fragments lie!
161 "Let wreaths of triumph now my temples twine,"
162 The victor cried, "the glorious prize is mine!
163 While fish in streams, or birds delight in air,
164 Or in a coach and six the British fair,
165 As long at Atalantis shall be read,
166 Or the small pillow grace a lady's bed,
167 While visits shall be paid on solemn days,
168 When num'rous wax-lights in bright order blaze,
169 While nymphs take treats, or assignations give,
170 So long my honour, name, and praise shall live!
171 What time would spare, from steel receives its date,
172 And monuments, like men, submit to fate!
173 Steel could the labour of the gods destroy,
174 And strike to dust th' imperial tow'rs of Troy;
175 Steel could the works of mortal pride confound,
176 And hew triumphal arches to the ground.
177 What wonder then, fair nymph! thy hairs should feel
178 The conqu'ring force of unresisted steel?"