Her gay descent the man perceived afar, Wondering he ran to catch the falling star; But so surprised, as none but he can tell, Who loved so quickly, and who loved so well. O'er all his veins the wandering passion burns, He calls her nymph, and every nymph by turns. 160 Her form to lovely Venus he prefers, Or swears that Venus must be such as hers. She, proud to rule, yet strangely framed to tease, Neglects his offers while her airs she plays, Shoots scornful glances from the bended frown, In brisk disorder trips it up and down, Then hums a careless tune to lay the storm, And sits and blushes, smiles, and yields in form.
'Now take what Jove design'd, (she softly cried,) This box thy portion, and myself thy bride:' 170 Fired with the prospect of the double charms, He snatch'd the box, and bride, with eager arms.
Unhappy man! to whom so bright she shone, The fatal gift, her tempting self, unknown! The winds were silent, all the waves asleep, And heaven was traced upon the flattering deep; But whilst he looks, unmindful of a storm, And thinks the water wears a stable form, What dreadful din around his ears shall rise! What frowns confuse his picture of the skies! 180
At first the creature Man was framed alone, Lord of himself, and all the world his own. For him the Nymphs in green forsook the woods, For him the Nymphs in blue forsook the floods; In vain the Satyrs rage, the Tritons rave; They bore him heroes in the secret cave. No care destroy'd, no sick disorder prey'd, No bending age his sprightly form decay'd, No wars were known, no females heard to rage, And poets tell us, 'twas a golden age. 190
When woman came, those ills the box confined Burst furious out, and poison'd all the wind,
From point to point, from pole to pole they flew, Spread as they went, and in the progress grew: The Nymphs, regretting, left the mortal race, And, altering Nature, wore a sickly face: New terms of folly rose, new states of care; New plagues to suffer, and to please, the fair! The days of whining, and of wild intrigues, Commenced, or finish'd, with the breach of leagues; 200 The mean designs of well-dissembled love; The sordid matches never join'd above; Abroad, the labour, and at home the noise, (Man's double sufferings for domestic joys) The curse of jealousy; expense, and strife; Divorce, the public brand of shameful life; The rival's sword; the qualm that takes the fair; Disdain for passion, passion in despair-- These, and a thousand yet unnamed, we find; Ah, fear the thousand yet unnamed behind! 210