YES, I beheld th’ Athenian Queen | |
| Descend in all her sober charms; | |
| ‘And take’ (she said, and smiled serene), | |
| ‘Take at this hand celestial arms: | |
| |
| ‘Secure the radiant weapons wield; | 5 |
| This golden lance shall guard Desert, | |
| And if a Vice dares keep the field, | |
| This steel shall stab it to the heart.’ | |
| |
| Awed, on my bended knees I fell, | |
| Received the weapons of the sky; | 10 |
| And dipt them in the sable well, | |
| The fount of Fame or Infamy. | |
| |
| ‘What well? what weapons?’ (Flavia cries,) | |
| ‘A standish, steel and golden pen! | |
| It came from Bertrand’s, not the skies; | 15 |
| I gave it you to write again. | |
| |
| ‘But, Friend, take heed whom you attack; | |
| You ’ll bring a House (I mean of Peers) | |
| Red, blue, and green, nay white and black, | |
| L[ambeth] and all about your ears. | 20 |
| |
| ‘You ’d write as smooth again on glass, | |
| And run, on ivory, so glib, | |
| As not to stick at Fool or Ass, | |
| Nor stop at Flattery or Fib. | |
| |
| ‘Athenian Queen! and sober charms! | 25 |
| I tell ye, fool, there ’s nothing in ’t: | |
| ’T is Venus, Venus gives these arms; | |
| In Dryden’s Virgil see the print. | |
| |
| ‘Come, if you ’ll be a quiet soul, | |
| That dares tell neither Truth nor Lies, | 30 |
| I ’ll lift you in the harmless roll | |
| Of those that sing of these poor eyes.’ | |
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