He hafted, and oppos'd the rocky Orb
Of ten-fold Adamant, his ample Shield:
A vaft Circumf'rence! Then both addrefs'd for Fight
Unfpeakable For like to Gods they feem'd,
Stood they, or mov'd; in Stature, Motion, Arms,
Fit to decide the Empire of great Heav'n.
Now wav'd their fiery Swords, and in the Air
Made horrid Circles: Two broad Suns, their Shields
Blaz'd oppofite: While Expectation ftood
From each Hand with Speed retir'd
Th' Angelick Throng, unfafe within the Wind
Of fuch Commotion: But the Sword of Michael met
The Sword of Satan, and in half cut fheer; nor ftay'd,
But with fwift Wheel reverfe, deep entring fhar'd
All his right Side: Then Satan first knew Pain;
And writh'd him to and fro convolv❜d; so fore
The griding Sword with difcontinuous Wound
Pafs'd thro' him.
And now their Mightieft quell'd, the Battel fivery'd,
With many an Inrode gor'd: Deformed Rout
Enter'd, and foul Diforder: All the Ground
With fhiver'd Armour ftrown; and on a Heap
Chariot and Charioteer lay over-turn'd,
And fiery foaming Steeds: What stood, recoil'd
O'er-wearied, or with pale Fear furpriz'd,
Fled ignominious.
Now Night her Courfe began,
And grateful Truce impos'd,
And Silence on the odious Din of War.
Such Beauty was in our first Father's Time,
While yet the youthful World was in its prime,
The mingling Graces of the Sexes met,
And full Perfection made the Form compleat;
While Man, yet free from Avarice and Pride,
The Ways of Wickednefs had never try'd,
Nor warping from the Right, perverfly turn'd aside.
Mark how their Statures due Proportion know,
Nor rife too high, nor fink too meanly low;
No meager bony Jaws deform the Face,
Nor puffy Sides the taper Shape disgrace,
But ev'ry Part alike becomes its Place.
Behold how lovely fmooth the Forehead fhines,
How milky white the foft Defcent inclines,
How fitly to the fparkling Eyes it joins!
While gaily pleafing they, and fweetly bright,
Fill each Beholder's Heart with dear Delight :
See on the blooming Cheeks, fo freshly fpread,
So duly mixt, the native White and Red;
Mark what full Rofes on the Lips appear,
What Sweets they breathe,what balmy Dew they wear!
But loft and endlefs were my Pain, to trace
The vaft Infinity of Beauty's Grace.
Why should the Mufe in lavish Numbers fpeak,
The golden Treffes, or the Iv'ry Neck?
Why should the bathful Nymph attempt to tell,
What foft round Globes on rifing Bofoms fwell?
What fecret Charms fince Modefty denies,
And bars the bold Accefs of wanton Eyes;
Blushing with decent Grace, her Veil the draws,
And fhields the Fair from Shame, by Custom's rev'rend
Laws.
Nor do we lefs our manly Beauty boast,
Prov'd often to the love fick Virgin's Cost.
In either Sex, her Skill Dame Nature shows,
And equally her fairest Gifts bestows.
Mark when the downy Plumes at first begin
To promife early Manhood on his Chin:
How goodly grac'd, the rifing Youth is feen,
His Form how noble, and how great his Mien:
From vital Juices well and kindly mixt,
The Constitution juft and firmly fixt;
No meagre Pale upon his Visage fpread,
Taints with unwholefome Hiue the Native Red :
But healthy Sanguine of the Tyrian Dye,
Laughs in his Looks, while from his Front on high,
In large defcending Locks, his auborn Treffes fly.
Nor boaft his other Parts lefs Grace divine,
Sweet Loveliness with comely Strength combine,
Each Limb on well-compacted Mufcles turns,
And just Proportion the fair Whole adorns.
Or if a Beauty of the modern Age,
Shall your Affection and Delight engage;
To my fair Phillis let your Eyes incline,
For fair She was, or fuch She feem'd to mine.
When her unhappy Love my Heart poffeft,
And fcorch'd with furious Flames my burning Breaft,
O, with what Bloom, what Flow'r of Youth fhe thone!
How her Cheeks bluth'd a Colour all her own,
A genuine Red, like Rofes newly blown!
What Nymph with Phillis could pretend to vie,
A whiter Forehead, or a livelier Eye?
Whofe Frame was like the World; an equal Soul
Spoke in each Part, and sparkl'd thro' the Whole:
Each Limb did wanton Loves and Graces bear ;
There lodg'd their Arms, their Bows and Arrows there.
[Rowe's Callip.
Nought is there under Heav'ns wide Hollowness
That moves more dear Compaffion of Mind,
Than Beauty brought t'unworthy Wretchedness
By Envy's Snares, or Fortune's Freaks unkind :
I, whether lately thro' her Brightness blind,
Or thro' Allegiance and fast Fealty,
Which I do owe unto all Womankind,
Feel my Heart pierc'd with fo great Agony,
When fuch I fee, that all for Pity I could die.
Eftfoons there ftepped forth
A goodly Lady, clad in Hunter's Weed,
That feem'd to be a Woman of great Worth,
And by her ftately Portance, borne of heav'nly Birth.
Her Face fo fair, as Flesh it seemed not,
But heav'nly Portrait of bright Angels Hiew,
Clear as the Sky, withouten Blame or Blot,
Thro' goodly Mixture of Complexions Dew;
And in her Cheeks the vermill' Red did fhew
Like Roses in a Bed of Lillies thed,
The which ambrofial Odours from them threw,
And Gazers Senfe with double Pleafure fed,
Able to heal the Sick, and to revive the Dead.
In her fair Eyes two living Lamps did flame,
Kindled above, at th' Heav'nly Maker's Light,
And darted Fiery Beams out of the fame,
So paffing preaceant, and fo wondrous bright,
That quite bereav'd the rafh Beholders of their Sight:
In them the blinded God his luftful Fire
To kindle oft affay'd, but had no Might;
For, with dread Majefty, and awful Ire, She broke his wanton Darts, and quenched bafe Defire.
Nought under Heav'n fo ftrongly doth allure
The Senfe of Man, and all his Mind poffefs,
As Beauty's lovely Bait, that doth procure
Great Warriors of their Rigor to reprefs,
And mighty Hands forget their Manliness,
Drawn with the Pow'r of an Heart-robbing Eye,
And wrapt in Fetters of a golden Trefs,
That can with melting Pleafance mollify
Their harden'd Hearts, enur'd to Blood and Cruelty.
So whilome learn'd that mighty Jewish Swain,
Each of whofe Locks did match a Man of Might,
To lay his Spoils before his Leman's Train:
So alfo did the great Cetean Knight,
For his Love's Sake, his Lion's Skin undight:
And fo did warlike Anthony neglect
The World's whole Rule, for Cleopatra's Sight.
Such wond'rous Pow're has Womens fair Afpet,
To captive Men, and make them all the World reject.
Beauty, thou wild fantastick Ape,
Who do'ft in ev'ry Country change thy Shape,
Here black, there brown, here tawny, and there white:
Thou Flatt'rer, who comply'ft with ev'ry Sight;
Who haft no certain what, nor where:
But vary'ft ftill, and do'ft thy felf declare
Inconftant as thy She-Profeffors are.
The Caufe of Love can never be affign'd, 'Tis in no Face, but in the Lover's Mind. Dryd. Pal.
[ Are.
Beauty is feldom fortunate when great;
A vaft Eftate, but overcharg'd with Debt. Dryd. Aurens
Beauty, like Ice, our Footing does betray:
Who can tread fure on the fmooth flipp'ry Way?
Pleas'd with the Paffage we flide fwiftly on,
And fee the Dangers which we cannot shun. Dryd. Auren.
Beauty with a bloodless Conqueft finds
A welcome Sov'raignty in the rudeft Minds.
CLEOPATRA in her Gally.
Her Gally down the filver Cydaus row'd,
The Tackling Silk, the Streamers way'd with Gold : The gentle Winds were lodg'd in purple Sails:
Her Nymphs,like Nereids,round her Couch were plac'd,
Where the, another Sea-born Venus, lay.
She lay, and lean'd her Cheek upon her Hand,
And caft a Look fo languishingly sweet,
As if fecure of all Beholders Hearts,
Neglecting the tould take 'em. Boys, like Cupids,
Stood fanning, with their painted Wings, the Winds
That play'd about her Face: But if the fmil'd,
A darting Glory feem'd to blaze Abroad,
|