PART II.
Reading edition
RECITATIVE accompanied. Enough the parents praise—see of Deceit The fairer progeny ascends! Evasion, nymph of agile feet, With half-veil'd face; Profession, whispering accents sweet And many a kindred Fraud attends; Mutely dealing courtly wiles, Fav'ring nods, and hope-fraught smiles, A fond, amusive, tutelary race, That guard the home-pledg'd faith of Kings— Or flitting, light, on paper wings; Speed Eastern guile across this earthly ball, And waft it back from Windsor to Bengal. But chiefly thee I woo, of changeful eye, In courts y'clept Duplicity! Thy fond looks on mine imprinting, Vulgar mortals call it squinting— Baby, of Art and Int'rest bred, } Whom, stealing to the back-stairs head } in fondling arms—with cautious tread, } [8]Wrinkle-twinkle Jenky bore, To the baize-lin'd closet door.
AIR. Sweet nymph, that liv'st unseen Within that lov'd recess— Save when the Closet Councils press, And junto's speak the thing they mean; Tell me, ever-busy power, Where shall I trace thee in that vacant hour? Art thou content, in the sequester'd grove, To play with hearts and vows of love! Or emulous of prouder sway, Dost thou to list'ning Senates take thy way? Thy presence let me still enjoy, With Rose, and the lie-loving boy.
AIR. [9]No rogue that goes Is like that Rose, Or scatters such deceit: Come to my breast— There ever rest Associate counterfeit!