Yet, in his Works admir'd alone, Still SILVIO'S Person was unknown:

His Native Soil, of that poffefs'd,

Was thought by all fupremely blefs'd;

55

Now ev'ry Poft to MIRA brings

What Love infpires, and SILVIO fings;

Ver. 59. Her verdant Meads, &c.] Defcriptive Poetry animates almost every Thing in Nature.

Ver. 63. The Prefs.] The Printing-Prefs, at the Time of publishing any of his Pieces.

14

The rival Youths, who fhar'd before
Alternate Joy, now hope no more:
Nor could the Nymph forbear to tell
How much the Charms of Wit excel.

80

Th' enamour'd Bard fhe once had feen,

85

Nor then diflik'd his manly Mien:

His Genius now the Image feeds,

And in her Soul the Youth proceeds;

The dear Idea hourly fwells

'Till SILVIO all Mankind excels;

90

Ver. 81. The rival Youths.] Her other Suitors.

Ver. 89. The dear Idea bourly fwells-Till, &c.] Daily Obfervation may inform us,if we have not learn'd it from Experience,that Perfons heartily in Love not only magnify all the real Excellencies

'Till in him centers- all that she

Can wish in Man, or Man can be.

Now, join'd in Soul, the Bard and Maid Each other's ardent Vows repaid;

While mighty LOVE, with equal Sway,

Had fix'd the Confummation-Day.

The Female Tafte we fo revere,

On which we build our Hope and Fear,
That no Success our Pride can move

More strongly than Succefs in Love.

SILVIO ('till now no Woman's Prize,)

Looks on himself with MIRA's Eyes;

Vainly receives the Nymph's Applause;
But all along mistakes the Cause.

95

100

No Woman's Heart was ever won

105

(He falfely thought) by Senfe alone;

His Perfon, merely, MIRA priz'd
From meaner Motives, thus difguis'd.

of the adorable Object, but give it as many new ones as may ferve to fill up their Idea of Perfection. Nor is it the Lover alone that has this Knack of deceiving himself: Almoft all of us do the fame, in regard to our favourite Systems of every Kind

This dull Mistake of vulgar Souls,

"That Fancy all the Fair controuls,”

Too much prevails in gen❜rous Minds,
While Prejudice or Custom blinds :
But who the Sex have study'd well,
Have often found their Tafte excel;
That Women, with fublimest Views,

110

115

In Love and Life know how to chufe.

Well-read in Books, unread in Men,

You had all SILVIO from his Pen.

His fprightly Thoughts from Nature flow'd,

And in the Page forever glow'd:

But from his Lips they coldly fell,

Nor with enliv'ning Accents fwell;

While modest Blushes paint his Cheeks,
And moft, when to the Fair he speaks.

120

Ver. 109. This dull Miftake, &c.] The Author defires that this Paragraph, and fome others of the fame Kind that shall be pointed out, may be remembred by all his fair Readers, in order to their being fet in the Scale against such other Paffages of his Writings, as may feem to bear a little hard on the Foibles of the Sex. If this be done, he does not queftion but his Refpect for the foft Part of the Creation will be found vastly to preponderate.

So bafhful fimple Nature proves,

125

'Ere Vice informs, or Int'reft moves.

But now the Error, rooted deep,

Fills all his Soul, and haunts his Sleep!

No more he courts the Mufes' Aid,

To bend an unrelenting Maid:

130

The Mufes' Flights are idle Dreams,

And Verfe a vain Amusement feems:
That Charm the Conqueft muft improve,
Which MIRA's Paffion first could move :

Convince'd that Charm was only Show,

135

Sudden the Scholar fhines a Beau;
Sudden appears at MIRA's Feet,
In his Dishonour drefs'd compleat,
A Genius, like a River, flows
Serenely smooth, if naught oppofe :

140

Ver. 139. A Genius, like a River, &c.] The Inftances of what is here affirmed are so very numerous, that the Maxim will hardly admit of any Exception. Every one that is acquainted either with Hiftory or the World, muft have remark'd many Extravagancies in Men of the greatest Talents, that Perfons of fober common Sense would never have been guilty of. A philofophical Reason for this may poffibly be drawn from the Acti vity and Impetuofity of their Imaginations.