FAIR ladies! and particularly you,
My gentle countrywomen! I entreat
You will not deem the portraits given to view
Of CONSTANCE and ESTELLE a pleasant cheat,
Or think their virtues, which I sketch'd, not drew,
But yet shall draw, are such as never meet
Together in one woman, miss or madam,
But savor of the good old days of Adam.
I do assure you, as I fain would see
You all aspire to be like them, nor less;
Making resistless charms which specially
Ye, Beauties of this hemisphere, possess ;
As I do love you all, to that degree
Which, though a poet, I can ne'er express;
Both liv'd, though bearing in unfinish'd youth
To stars more bless'd their innocence and truth.
Both liv'd (I would I might say, live!) and were
As pure, high-soul'd, and amiable as I
Have painted, and shall paint them, or I err.
And you, my rougher readers, be not by
Your own experience blinded to aver
Such graces and such virtues ne'er ally
Their lovely forces; for this gentle pair
Were not in goodness more than beauty rare.
As for ESTELLE, I would you could have seen her!
So beauteous, so accomplish'd, and so true!
High-soul'd, yet humble, and of mild demeanour,
With gentle courage, given but to the few. . . .
But ah, my heedless spirit! I must wean her
From this way-loitering while the fault is new.
Forget we then thy charms, ESTELLE! till over
The strait 'twixt CALAIS and the cliffs of Dover.
There is a sympathy that quickly wakes
For those who unresisting suffer wrong,
When in our hearts no selfish interest takes
The part of the oppressor and the strong;
Whether it be that ready fancy makes
The woes which properly to them belong
Our own, and in their sufferings we see
Types of what ours may one day come to be;
Or that the jealousy and envy given,
By Nature, to restrain the growth of Pow'r,
Which otherwise, unless o'erthrown by HEAVEN,
Would pierce the clouds, a second Babel's tow'r,
Makes us to hate its very semblance even,
(As men behold some beast that may devour,
Though cag'd and barr'd, with shrinking and distrust,)
And view its exercise with strong disgust;
Or that we feel, at sight of human wo,
Superior to the sufferers, and, thus made
Contented with ourselves, at once we grow
Indulgent, and dispos'd to soothe and aid
The authors of that pleasantness we know ;
Whether this be the principle obey'd,
Or that (hypothesis perhaps the best)
There really dwells in man's corrupted breast
A natural goodness, which, when there opposes
No selfish bias against the fine emotion,
To sudden sympathy the heart uncloses,
And tow'rd the injur'd wakes a brief devotion:
Be it as 't may, or as the reader chooses,
Our passengers were mov'd with strong commotion,
Shock'd by the scene we 've given and sequent quarrel,
And look'd with no kind eyes on ARTHUR CARRYL.
Especially the women; for the men,
Indifferent more by nature, were restrain'd,
Haply, besides by common prudence. Then
You might perceive the difference which obtain'd
Among the three whose beauties grace my pen :
Not but that all their placidness regain'd
Full soon, and for the two we've lately nam'd,
Even CARRYL their brief umbrage had not blam'd.
Considering him ill-bred, unfeeling, proud,
BIANCA glanc'd a lively indignation,
That seem'd as 't would emit itself aloud
Upon the unweeting youth. No irritation.
In CONSTANCE' lovely features was avow'd,
But a sweet sorrow and commiseration,
As if she griev'd for nature brought so low,
To triumph o'er a bruis'd and prostrate foe.
With a grave dignity and fix'd regard,
Where mingled some surprise and some severity,
The high-soul'd daughter of the SAVOYARD
Ey'd the offender. But its slight austerity
Would not have seem'd to CARRYL passing hard,
Had he her notice heeded; for, in verity,
He would have been content at more vexation
To win so fair a creature's observation.
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