Tale XIII.
l. 2: Whom, would a man describe he calls her Blue. (D.) Whom when a Man describes, he calls her Blue. l. 4: The Men grew shy, and Women grew afraid. (D.) l. 6: And the same Love for learned Lore profess. (D.) And all her Love for learned Lore profess.
after l. 13:
Men toil for Learning half their younger Days,
Yet fail to give it in their Ladies Praise. (D.)
instead of ll. 24–5:
Miranda loves about her Chair to see
As many Men as can collected be. (D.)
l. 24. Diana.
l. 27: And passes thus her Mornings and her Nights. (D.)
after l. 33:
For its own Life with other Creeds to shift. (D.)
For its own Life with other Creeds to shift.
after l. 41:
In all political Concerns at Home
She tells us what they did in Greece and Rome;
Of their Intrigues and Actions takes a View,
And knows as well what we ourselves should do. (D.)
l. 69. for Joanna read her. l. 70. Diana.
instead of l. 77:
He should be thought or difficult or dry.
He should be thought or difficult or dry. (D.)
after l. 85:
As Critic she each Author’s Merit weighs
And doles them out the due return of Praise;
With equal Weight her many Censures fall,
She knows the Merit and the Faults of all.
Long are the Letters she receives, and fond
She seems of Authors who will correspond.
These to her humbler friends she proudly shows,
And tells what literary Debts she owes;
How many send her Works that give her Pain;
She will be just! and they, alas! are vain,
The foolish Creatures will her Judgment ask,
And then they blame her Sentence—such her Task!
Though she herself a ready Mistress makes
Of every Science that she undertakes,
Yet four or five are all she knows at most
All she has mustered and can truly boast. (D.)
l. 105. for the envious mass read capricious man.
l. 107. for the world read proud man.
after l. 109:
“But where the learned Lady?” “Who, Sir, who?” }
“She, my good Friend, who every Science knew; }
The Triflers of her sex and ours pronounced her Blue. (D.)}
l. 120. Diana Tompson.
after l. 129:
And those who once around her Table drew
Are now diminished to an humble Few.
after l. 131:
Not that such Guests were by the palate led,
Or would have aught except the Spirit fed;
Yet, while the food of minds the men pursue,
They judge it well to feed the Body too.
The Frame’s supporters without that supply, }
The Nerves, become unstrung; the Spirits fly, }
And e’en the Tongue itself grows weary, faint, and dry; }
And, like a noble but neglected Steed,
Drops in the Race and falters in his speed.
Diana’s Care displeased the selfish Crew,
And all forsook her but a generous few.
With these was Michael Sprat—let none deride
A learned Sadler, or a Sadler’s pride!
Him the wise Lady to her Friendship took, }
And chose a Man as she would choose a Book— }
For the intrinsic Worth, and not the outward Look. }
Beside the Lady Michael took his chair,
And people talked about the learned Pair;
And vulgar Tongues, alas! a numerous Kind,
Who cannot feel how Mind is mixed with Mind,
Began the subject in such way to treat
As if such Lady could be indiscreet;
And, that the venom of such tongues might cease,
They chose to marry and to live in peace.
Now mark their Malice: when the learned Maid
Had such a price for Reputation paid,
The Guest at once the wedded friends forsook
And left the Lady to her Spouse and Book.
Still worse, the man ungratefully denied
T’ assist the studies of his Friend and Bride;
Retracted all that he had said before,
And would be saddled with such Tasks no more!
And, how they liv’d and lov’d from year to year,
Or how they studied, does not yet appear.
At length the Sadler died; but yet not now
Would Men the Honour of the Past allow. (D.)
after l. 149:
Now had this Lady with a common View
Married, and done as other Ladies do;
Attended only to the poor Concerns
Which any Woman without Genius learns;
Govern’d her Household in a decent Way,
And taught her Nurslings how to read and pray.
Had she, the Mistress of a mighty Mind,
Her Pride to this and to her House confined,
Known Pig from Veal, consulted with her Cook,
And only read, not criticised, a Book—
Such is the World, it had the Life approv’d,
And ten to one the Husband’s self had lov’d. (D.)