The
POWER
of
BEAUTY
.
O
GODDESS
of
eternal
Smiles
,
Bright
Cythera
the
fair
,
Who
taught
Sabina's
pleasing
Wiles
,
By
which
she
won
Bellair
.
Bellair
,
the
witty
and
the
vain
,
Who
laugh'd
at
Beauty's
Pow'r
;
But
now
the
conquer'd
humble
Swain
Adores
a
painted
Flow'r
.
With
Delia's
Art
my
Song
inspire
,
Whose
Lips
of
rosy
Hue
Can
ne'er
the
partial
Audience
tire
,
Tho'
wiser
Claudia's
do
.
Tho'
Claudia's
Wit
and
Sense
refin'd
,
Flows
easy
from
her
Tongue
;
Her
Soul
but
coarsly
is
enshrin'd
,
So
Claudia's
in
the
wrong
.
Hark
,
Delia
speaks
—
that
blooming
Fair
,
See
Crowds
are
gathering
round
With
open
Mouths
:
and
wildly
stare
To
catch
the
empty
Sound
.
See
Lelia
with
a
Judgment
clear
,
With
manly
Wisdom
blest
;
Wit
,
Learning
,
Prudence
,
all
appear
In
that
unruffled
Breast
.
But
yet
no
Beau
for
Lelia
dies
,
No
Sonnets
pave
her
way
;
Say
,
Muse
,
from
whence
these
Evils
rise
,
Why
Lelia's
Teeth
decay
.
Then
,
why
do
rev'rend
Sages
rail
At
Woman's
wanton
Pride
?
If
Wisdom
,
Wit
,
and
Prudence
fail
,
Let
meaner
Arts
be
try'd
.
Those
Arts
to
please
are
only
meant
;
But
with
an
angry
Frown
,
The
Queen
of
Wisdom
lately
sent
This
Proclamation
down
:
Minerva
,
with
the
azure
Eyes
,
And
thus
the
Statute
runs
,
If
you
wou'd
have
your
Daughters
wise
,
Take
care
to
mend
your
Sons
.