Opening the text

Poetry of the Anti-Jacobin: Comprising the Celebrated Political and Satirical Poems, of the Rt. Hons. G. Canning, John Hookham Frere, W. Pitt, the Marquis Wellesley, G. Ellis, W. Gifford, the Earl of Carlisle, and Others.

History

Poetry of the Anti-Jacobin: Comprising the Celebrated Political and Satirical Poems, of the Rt. Hons. G. Canning, John Hookham Frere, W. Pitt, the Marquis Wellesley, G. Ellis, W. Gifford, the Earl of Carlisle, and Others.

English poetry; France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Poetry; Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1789-1820

So she, sad victim of domestic spite,
 Fair Cinderella, pass’d the wintry night,
 In the lone chimney’s darksome nook immured,
 Her form disfigured, and her charms obscured.
 Sudden her godmother appears in sight,                                65
 Lifts the charmed rod, and chants the mystic rite.
 The chanted rite the maid attentive hears,
 And feels new ear-rings deck her listening ears;[216]
 While ’midst her towering tresses, aptly set,
 Shines bright, with quivering glance, the smart aigrette;             70
 Brocaded silks the splendid dress complete,
 And the Glass Slipper grasps her fairy feet.
 Six cock-tailed mice[217] transport her to the ball,
 And liveried lizards wait upon her call.
 Alas! that partial Science should approve
 The sly RECTANGLE’S too licentious love!
 For _three_ bright nymphs, &c., &c.

                          (_To be continued._)

[Illustration]




                               No. XXIV.


                                                         April 23, 1798.


                      THE LOVES OF THE TRIANGLES.
                 A Mathematical and Philosophical Poem.

                             (_Continued._)

                       CANTO I.

 ALAS! that partial Science should approve                    75
 The sly RECTANGLE’S[218] too licentious love!
 For _three_ bright nymphs the wily wizard burns;—
 _Three_ bright-eyed nymphs requite his flame by turns.
 Strange force of magic skill! combined of yore
 With Plato’s science and Menecmus’ lore.[219]                         80
 In _Afric’s_ school, amid those sultry sands
 High on its base where Pompey’s pillar stands,
 This learnt the Seer; and learnt, alas! too well,
 Each scribbled talisman, and smoky spell:
 What muttered charms, what soul-subduing arts,                        85
 Fell Zatanai[220] to his sons imparts.

   GINS[221]—black and huge! who in Dom-Daniel’s[222] cave
 Writhe your scorched limbs on sulphur’s[223] azure wave;
 Or, shivering, yell amidst eternal snows,
 Where cloud-capp’d Caf[224] protrudes his granite toes;               90
 (Bound by his will, _Judæa’s_ fabled king,[225]
 Lord of _Aladdin’s_ lamp and mystic ring.)
 Gins! ye remember!—for your toil conveyed
 Whate’er of drugs the powerful charm could aid;
 Air, earth, and sea ye searched, and where below                      95
 Flame embryo lavas, young volcanoes[226] glow,—
 Gins! ye beheld appall’d th’ enchanter’s hand
 Wave in dark air th’ _Hypothenusal_ wand;
 Saw him the mystic _Circle_ trace, and wheel
 With head erect, and far-extended heel;[227]                         100
 Saw him, with speed that mocked the dazzled eye,
 Self-whirled, in quick gyrations eddying fly:
 Till done the potent spell—behold him grown
 Fair _Venus’_ emblem—the _Phœnician_ CONE.[228]

   Triumphs the Seer, and now secure observes                         105
 The kindling passions of the _rival_ CURVES.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

History

Poetry of the Anti-Jacobin: Comprising the Celebrated Political and Satirical Poems, of the Rt. Hons. G. Canning, John Hookham Frere, W. Pitt, the Marquis Wellesley, G. Ellis, W. Gifford, the Earl of Carlisle, and Others.

English poetry; France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Poetry; Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1789-1820

So she, sad victim of domestic spite,
 Fair Cinderella, pass’d the wintry night,
 In the lone chimney’s darksome nook immured,
 Her form disfigured, and her charms obscured.
 Sudden her godmother appears in sight,                                65
 Lifts the charmed rod, and chants the mystic rite.
 The chanted rite the maid attentive hears,
 And feels new ear-rings deck her listening ears;[216]
 While ’midst her towering tresses, aptly set,
 Shines bright, with quivering glance, the smart aigrette;             70
 Brocaded silks the splendid dress complete,
 And the Glass Slipper grasps her fairy feet.
 Six cock-tailed mice[217] transport her to the ball,
 And liveried lizards wait upon her call.
 Alas! that partial Science should approve
 The sly RECTANGLE’S too licentious love!
 For _three_ bright nymphs, &c., &c.

                          (_To be continued._)

[Illustration]




                               No. XXIV.


                                                         April 23, 1798.


                      THE LOVES OF THE TRIANGLES.
                 A Mathematical and Philosophical Poem.

                             (_Continued._)

                       CANTO I.

 ALAS! that partial Science should approve                    75
 The sly RECTANGLE’S[218] too licentious love!
 For _three_ bright nymphs the wily wizard burns;—
 _Three_ bright-eyed nymphs requite his flame by turns.
 Strange force of magic skill! combined of yore
 With Plato’s science and Menecmus’ lore.[219]                         80
 In _Afric’s_ school, amid those sultry sands
 High on its base where Pompey’s pillar stands,
 This learnt the Seer; and learnt, alas! too well,
 Each scribbled talisman, and smoky spell:
 What muttered charms, what soul-subduing arts,                        85
 Fell Zatanai[220] to his sons imparts.

   GINS[221]—black and huge! who in Dom-Daniel’s[222] cave
 Writhe your scorched limbs on sulphur’s[223] azure wave;
 Or, shivering, yell amidst eternal snows,
 Where cloud-capp’d Caf[224] protrudes his granite toes;               90
 (Bound by his will, _Judæa’s_ fabled king,[225]
 Lord of _Aladdin’s_ lamp and mystic ring.)
 Gins! ye remember!—for your toil conveyed
 Whate’er of drugs the powerful charm could aid;
 Air, earth, and sea ye searched, and where below                      95
 Flame embryo lavas, young volcanoes[226] glow,—
 Gins! ye beheld appall’d th’ enchanter’s hand
 Wave in dark air th’ _Hypothenusal_ wand;
 Saw him the mystic _Circle_ trace, and wheel
 With head erect, and far-extended heel;[227]                         100
 Saw him, with speed that mocked the dazzled eye,
 Self-whirled, in quick gyrations eddying fly:
 Till done the potent spell—behold him grown
 Fair _Venus’_ emblem—the _Phœnician_ CONE.[228]

   Triumphs the Seer, and now secure observes                         105
 The kindling passions of the _rival_ CURVES.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Poetry of the Anti-Jacobin: Comprising the Celebrated Political and Satirical Poems, of the Rt. Hons. G. Canning, John Hookham Frere, W. Pitt, the Marquis Wellesley, G. Ellis, W. Gifford, the Earl of Carlisle, and Others.

Poetry of the Anti-Jacobin: Comprising the Celebrated Political and Satirical Poems, of the Rt. Hons. G. Canning, John Hookham Frere, W. Pitt, the Marquis Wellesley, G. Ellis, W. Gifford, the Earl of Carlisle, and Others.

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