THE BASSET-TABLE.

AN ECLOGUE.

CARDELIA. SMILINDA.

TH

CARDELIA.

HE Baffet-Table spread, the Tallier come; Why stays SMILINDA 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.

5

I faw him ftand behind OмBRELIA'S Chair,
And whisper with that foft, deluding air,
And those feign'd fighs which cheat the lift'ning Fair.

NOTES.

CAR

VER. 1. The Baffet-Table Spread,] There were fix Town Eclogues; two written by Mr. Pope, and the reft by Lady Wortley Montague, whose fine genius and abilities are well-known; and from whose hand I am glad to present the reader with the following Sonnet, preferved by Algarotti, in the feventh volume of his works: "Thou Silver Deity of fecret night,

Direct my footsteps through the Woodland fhade;
Thou confcious witness of unknown delight,

The Lover's Guardian, and the Muse's aid.

By

CARDELIA.

Is this the cause of your Romantic strains?
A mightier grief my heavy heart sustains.
As You by Love, so I by Fortune cross't;
One, one bad Deal, Three Septlevas have loft.

SMILINDA,

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

I

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 Stroke, this unforeseen Distress?

20

SMI

NOTES.

By thy pale beams I folitary rove,

To thee my tender grief confide;

Serenely fweet you gild the filent grove,

My friend, my goddess, and my guide.
Ev'n thee, fair Queen, from thy amazing height
The charms of young Endimion drew,
Veil'd in the mantle of concealing night,

With all thy greatnefs, and thy coldness too!"

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, she shall fay who fuffers most,
By Cards' Ill Ufage, or by Lovers loft.

25

LOVET.

Tell, tell your griefs; attentive will I stay, Tho' Time is precious, and I want fome Tea.

CARDELIA.

Behold this Equipage, by Mathers wrought, With Fifty Guineas (a great Pen'worth) bought. 30 See on the Tooth-pick, Mars and Cupid strive; And both the struggling figures feem alive. Upon the bottom fhines the Queen's bright Face; A Myrtle Foliage round the Thimble-Cafe.

Jove, Jove himself, does on the Sciffars fhine ; 35 The Metal, and the Workmanship, divine!

SMILIND A.

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

love,

When rival beauties for the Present ftrove;

At

At Corticelli's he the Ruffle won;

Then first his Paffion was in public fhown:
HAZARDIA blush'd, and turn'd her head afide,
A Rival's envy (all in vain) to hide.

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

40

CARDELIA.

Alas! far leffer loffes than I bear,

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

45

50

SMILINDA.

55

But ah! what aggravates the killing fmart, The cruel thought, that stabs me to the heart; This curs'd OMBRELIA, this undoing Fair, By whofe vile arts this heavy grief I bear ; She, at whose name I fhed these spiteful tears, She owes to me the very charms fhe wears. An aukward Thing, when firft fhe 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 in

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, 65 She dares to steal my Fav'rite Lover's heart.

CARDELIA.

Wretch that I was, how often have I swore, 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.

7༠

SMILINDA.

How many Maids have SHARPER's vows deceiv'd? How many curs'd the moment they believ'd? Yet his known falfehoods could no warning prove: Ah! what is warning to a Maid in Love?

CARDELIA.

But of what marble must that breast be form'd, To gaze on Baffet, and remain unwarm'd ?

76

80

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 Loser's pain:
In bright confufion open Rouleaus lie,
They strike the Soul, and glitter in the eye.
Fir'd by the fight, all Reason I difdain;

My Paffions rife, and will not bear the rein.

Look