With playful speech, and smile that spoke delight, She made them careless both of wrong and right. This gentle damsel gave consent to wed, With school and school-day dinners in her head: She now was promised choice of daintiest food, And costly dress, that made her sovereign good; With walks on hilly heath to banish spleen, And summer-visits when the roads were clean. All these she loved, to these she gave consent, And she was married to her heart's content. Their manner this--the Friends together read, Till books a cause for disputation bred; Debate then follow'd, and the vapour'd child Declared they argued till her head was wild; And strange to her it was that mortal brain Could seek the trial, or endure the pain. Then, as the Friend reposed, the younger pair Sat down to cards, and play'd beside his chair; Till he, awaking, to his books applied, Or heard the music of th' obedient bride: If mild the evening, in the fields they stray'd, And their own flock with partial eye survey'd; But oft the husband, to indulgence prone, Resumed his book, and bade them walk alone. "Do, my kind Edward--I must take mine ease - Name the dear girl the planets and the trees: Tell her what warblers pour their evening song, What insects flutter, as you walk along; Teach her to fix the roving thoughts, to bind The wandering sense, and methodize the mind." This was obey'd; and oft when this was done, They calmly gazed on the declining sun; In silence saw the glowing landscape fade, Or, sitting, sang beneath the arbour's shade: Till rose the moon, and on each youthful face Shed a soft beauty and a dangerous grace. When the young Wife beheld in long debate Tho friends, all careless as she seeming sate, It soon appear'd there was in one combined The nobler person and the richer mind: He wore no wig, no grisly beard was seen, And none beheld him careless or unclean, Or watch'd him sleeping. We indeed have heard Of sleeping beauty, and it has appear'd; 'Tis seen in infants--there indeed we find The features soften'd by the slumbering mind; But other beauties, when disposed to sleep, Should from the eye of keen inspector keep: The lovely nymph who would her swain surprise, May close her mouth, but not conceal her eyes; Sleep from the fairest face some beauty takes, And all the homely features homelier makes: So thought our wife, beholding with a sigh Her sleeping spouse, and Edward smiling by. A sick relation for the husband sent; Without delay the friendly sceptic went; Nor fear'd the youthful pair, for he had seen The wife untroubled, and the friend serene; No selfish purpose in his roving eyes, No vile deception in her fond replies: So judged the husband, and with judgment true, For neither yet the guilt or danger knew. What now remain'd? but they again should play Th' accustom'd game, and walk th' accustom'd way; With careless freedom should converse or read, And the Friend's absence neither fear nor heed: