_Spencer_ was very well acquainted with this Art. In his Fairy Queen, you find hardly any thing but what is sublime and full of Imagery: but in his detached Pieces, such as the Hymn in Honour of Beauty, The Fate of the Butterfly, _Britain_'s Ida, &c. he gave a Loose to his Wit and Delicacy. The following Verses are Part of the Description of _Venus_ asleep, in the last mention'd Poem:
_Her full large Eyes, in jetty-black array'd, Proud Beauty not confin'd to red and white, But oft herself in black more rich display'd; Both Contraries did yet themselves unite, To make one Beauty in different Delight:_ _A thousand Loves, sate playing in each Eye, And smiling Mirth kissing fair Courtesy, By sweet Persuasion won a bloodless Victory._
_Her Lips most happy each in other's Kisses, From their so wish'd Imbracements seldom parted, Yet seem'd to blush at such their wanton Blisses; But when sweet Words their joining Sweets disparted, To the Ear a dainty Musick they imparted; Upon them fitly sate delightful Smiling, A thousand Souls with pleasing Stealth beguiling: Ah that such shews of Joys shou'd be all Joys exiling!_
_Lower two Breasts stand all their Beauties bearing, Two Breasts as smooth and soft;--but oh alas! Their smoothest Softness far exceeds comparing: More smooth and soft--but naught that ever was, Where they are first, deserves the second Place: Yet each as soft, and each as smooth as other; But when thou first try'st one, and then the other, Each softer seems than each, and each than each seems smoother._
These Lines (pretty as they are) would be unsufferable in a large and serious Work, nay, there are some People who tax them with being too extravagant even for the Poem where they stand; and in truth, their warmest Admirer can say no more than this:
So far am I from reproaching _Waller_ with putting too much Wit in his Poems; that on the contrary, I have found too little, though he continually aims at it. They say that Dancing Masters never make a handsome Bow, because they take too much Pains. I think _Waller_ is often in this Case; his best Verses are studied; one finds he quite tires himself to find that which presents itself so naturally to _Rochester_, _Congreve_, and to so many more, who with all the Ease in the World, write these Bagatelles better than _Waller_ did with Labour.