Plate X.
What joy at the ball, what delight have I found, By all the bright circle encompassed around! Each moment with transport my bosom felt warm, For what, my dear mother, like beauty can charm! E'en the Goddess of Love, and the Graces, and all Must yield to the beauties I've seen at the ball; For Jove never felt such a joy at his heart, Such a heat as these charming sweet creatures impart. In short, there is something in very fine women, When they meet all together, that's quite overcoming.
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But hark! now they strike the melodious string, The vaulted roof echoes, the mansions all ring; At the sound of the hautboy, the bass, and the fiddle, Sir Boreas Blubber steps forth in the middle. Now why should I mention a hundred or more, Who went the same circle as others before, To a tune that they play'd us a hundred times o'er? And who at the ball on that night did appear, Who danc'd in the van and who limp'd in the rear, What dukes and what drapers, what barbers and peers, What marquises, earls, and what knights of the shears, What cook and what countess, what nymphs of the brooms, What mop-sceptred queens came that night to the Rooms. But at what time they heard the horn's echoing bellow, The hautboy's shrill twang, the brisk fiddle, the mellow Bassoon, and the sweet grumbling violoncello. At what time they heard the men puff and belabour With mouth, stick, and fist the gay pipe and the tabour, At once they did scuttle, did flutter and run, And take wing like wild-geese alarm'd with a gun, In a moment came bustling and rustling between one; Some coupled like rabbits, a fat and a lean one, Some pranc'd up before, some did backward rebound, While some more in earnest, with looks more profound, And sweat-bedew'd foretops, did lard the lean ground; But others more neat on the pastern arose, Like the figure of Pan, whom you've seen, I suppose, Just saluting the turf with the tips of his toes; And as nothing, I think, can more please and engage Than a contrast of stature, complexion, and age, Miss Curd with a partner as black as Omiah, Kitty Tit shook her heels with old Doctor Goliah, And little John Crop, like a pony just nick't, With long Dolly Loaderhead scamper'd and kick't. As for Madge, tho' young Squirt had been promised the honour, Billy Dasher stept forth and at once seized upon her; While with flames that keen jealousy's rage did improve, Poor Squirt felt the heart rending passion of love.
COMFORTS OF BATH. XI.
Plate XI.
For persons of taste and true spirit, I find, Are fond of attracting the eyes of mankind: What numbers one sees, who, for that very reason, Come to make such a figure at Bath ev'ry season! 'Tis this that provokes Mrs. Shenkin Ap-Leek To dine at the ord'nary twice in a week, Though at home she might eat a good dinner in comfort, Nor pay such a cursed extravagant sum for't; But then her acquaintance would never have known Mrs. Shenkin Ap-Leek had acquired the bon ton; Ne'er show how in taste the Ap-Leeks can excel The Duchess of Truffles and Lady Morell; Had ne'er been ador'd by Sir Pye Macaroni, And Count Vermicelli, his intimate crony; Both men of such taste, their opinions are taken From an ortolan down to a rasher of bacon.