Imitations Of English Poets. Earl Of Dorset: Artemisia.

1 Though Artemisia talks, by fits,     Of councils, classics, fathers, wits;     Reads Malebranche, Boyle, and Locke:     Yet in some things methinks she fails--     'Twere well if she would pare her nails,     And wear a cleaner smock.     2 Haughty and huge as High-Dutch bride,     Such nastiness, and so much pride     Are oddly join'd by fate:     On her large squab you find her spread,     Like a fat corpse upon a bed,     That lies and stinks in state.     3 She wears no colours (sign of grace)     On any part except her face;     All white and black beside:     Dauntless her look, her gesture proud,     Her voice theatrically loud,     And masculine her stride.     4 So have I seen, in black and white     A prating thing, a magpie height,     Majestically stalk;     A stately, worthless animal,     That plies the tongue, and wags the tail,     All flutter, pride, and talk.     PHRYNE.     1 Phryne had talents for mankind,     Open she was, and unconfined,     Like some free port of trade:     Merchants unloaded here their freight,     And agents from each foreign state     Here first their entry made.     2 Her learning and good breeding such,     Whether the Italian or the Dutch,     Spaniards or French came to her:     To all obliging she'd appear,     'Twas 'Si, Signor,' 'twas 'Yaw, Mynheer,'     'Twas 'S' il vous plait, Monsieur.'     3 Obscure by birth, renown'd by crimes,     Still changing names, religions, climes,     At length she turns a bride:     In diamonds, pearls, and rich brocades,     She shines the first of batter'd jades,     And flutters in her pride.     4 So have I known those insects fair,     (Which curious Germans hold so rare)     Still vary shapes and dyes;     Still gain new titles with new forms;     First grubs obscene, then wriggling worms,     Then painted butterflies.