A
two-edg'd weapon from her shining case;
So ladies
in romance assist their knight
Present
the spear, and arm him for the fight.
He takes
the gift with rev'rence, and extends
The
little engine on his fingers' ends;
This just
behind Belinda's neck he spread,
As o'er
the fragrant steams she bends her head.
Swift to
the lock a thousand sprites repair,
A
thousand wings, by turns, blow back the hair,
And
thrice they twitch'd the diamond in her ear,
Thrice
she look'd back, and thrice the foe drew near.
Just in
that instant, anxious Ariel sought
The close
recesses of the virgin's thought;
As on the
nosegay in her breast reclin'd,
He
watch'd th' ideas rising in her mind,
Sudden he
view'd, in spite of all her art,
An
earthly lover lurking at her heart.
Amaz'd,
confus'd, he found his pow'r expir'd,
Resign'd
to fate, and with a sigh retir'd.
The peer now spreads the glitt'ring forfex wide,
T'
inclose the lock; now joins it, to divide.
Ev'n
then, before the fatal engine clos'd,
A
wretched Sylph too fondly interpos'd;
Fate
urg'd the shears, and cut the Sylph in twain,
(But airy
substance soon unites again).
The
meeting points the sacred hair dissever
From the
fair head, for ever, and for ever!
Then flash'd the living lightning from her eyes,
And
screams of horror rend th' affrighted skies.
Not
louder shrieks to pitying Heav'n are cast,
When
husbands or when lap-dogs breathe their last,
Or when
rich China vessels, fall'n from high,
In
glitt'ring dust and painted fragments lie!
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