The First of April | Page 3

a splendid Altar stood,
Inlaid, in curious forms, with
fragrant wood;
Whereon the faithful Votaries might lay
Their
Offerings sacred to the festal day.
Methought, that, tir'd of the disgusting scene,
Fit for Fools only, and
their silly Queen,
I sought in haste to leave the inglorious Throng:

But as the pressing Crowd my steps prolong,
The deafening Cymbals,
and the noisy brawl
Of pealing Laughter, ecchoed round the Hall.

And strait a troop of dancing Youths appear'd,
Of rosy hue, by
friendly BACCHUS chear'd.
The tinkling bells upon their feet they
wore;
Each, in his hand, a rural Tabor bore,
Whose sides they
frequent beat, and, at the sound,
Aloft in air, with, antic step, they
bound.
Next came a blooming Boy in robe of green;
On his fair brow a
flowery crown was seen,
Where the pale Primrose with the Cowslip
vied,
And fragrant Violets shone in purple pride.
Upon a Bull he
rode, whose horns were gay
With many a golden flower and budding
spray.
Around him every vernal Songster fled,
While the Lark
soar'd and whistled o'er his head.

And now he smil'd with joy, and
now, apace,
The crystal tears bedew'd his alter'd face.
Like the
young Fondling on his Mother's breast,
Who cries for absent joys,

and thinks them best:
'Mid smiles, and tears, and frowns, he onward
came,
With gentle pace,--and APRIL was his name.
To him succeeds a light and frolic Train
Of wanton Females, insolent
and vain,
Whose cheeks, by Art encrimson'd, far outvie
The vivid
hue of blushing Modesty.
Their auburn ringlets float not in the air;

No silken fillet binds their flowing hair;
But, plaister'd into form, the
curls disgrace
Each animated feature of the face.
The gladsome Fair,
in honour of the day,
With artificial flow'rets strew'd the way.
But in what language shall the Muse describe
The dancing, dressing
Millinery Tribe,
Who, with their various emblems, next appear,

And joyful tell th' approach of FASHION near.
With mincing step the fickle Princess came:
Th' attending Crowds
shout forth her empty name.
Strange was her form,--her look, her
dress were strange; And yet each moment saw their sudden change.

Now her Locks soar aloft, and threat the sky;
Now shade the
brightness of her rolling eye:
Awhile they on her wanton bosom
break;
Then, upward forc'd, display th' uncover'd neck.
Ere the long
train could spread its shady folds,--
Drawn up,--a knot the alter'd
vestment holds.
Soon fade the glories of th' enormous Plume;
As
soon the superseding Chaplets bloom.
The rigid Stay, whose daring
height conceals
Those swelling charms where many a Cupid dwells,

Ere they can heave again,--no more appear;
But leave each vulgar
eye to revel there.
As I look'd down, the dropping Silk denies
Her
pretty feet to my intruding eyes:
Again I look'd,--th' according
flounce updrew,
And gave the well-turn'd ankle to my view.
Now
stiff,--now slouching in her gait she walk'd;
Now lisp'd, now mouth'd
each sentence as she talk'd.
A form so changeful I had never seen;--

The red, the blue, the yellow, and the green,
In quick succession,
o'er her figure past,
A moment loiter'd, but refus'd to last.

And as, in
various pride, she mov'd along,
Now charm'd,--now angry with the
shouting Throng,
Submissive _Eunuchs_ to their Mistress bend,


And in shrill warblings hail their _only_ Friend.
Now LUXURY advanc'd, a pamper'd Dame;
In these brave piping
days a favourite name.
Tissues of gold her gorgeous robe compose;

In many a fold the shining vestment flows;
And far behind sends
forth a sweeping Train,
Which _Dame Cornelys_ scarcely can sustain.

Gems bright as those which Eastern Monarchs wear,
Hang on her
breast and sparkle in her hair.
She but commands, and
lo!--submissive Art
Is proud its curious labours to impart.
She but
commands,--and eager Nature brings
The best and fairest of her
offerings.
The distant Climates with each other vie,
Whate'er she
wants or wishes, to supply.
The _North_ before her spreads his furry
store;
The _South_ his golden sands and silver ore;
The sumptuous
_East_ is anxious to display
Gems of the brightest hue and purest ray;

The _West_, by arts to other climes unknown, }
For her gives
lustre to th' unpolish'd stone, }
And shapes the rugged gold with
cunning all his own. }
Th' obedient _Seasons_ bend to her controul,

Invert their course, and in new order roll.
The hoary _Winter_ to
her wish doth bring
The scented blossoms of the balmy _Spring_;

The forward _Spring_ impatient doth disclose
The full-blown
beauties of the _Summer_ Rose;
Th' encroaching _Summer_ robs th'
_Autumnal_ fields
Of the rich fruitage which their bounty yields;

While _Autumn_ looks on _Winter_ with disdain,
And courts an
union with the _Vernal Train_.
E'en _Time_ accords to her imperial
sway;
She rules the Night, and she directs the Day.
But the glad
Day affords her no delight;
She hates the Sun, and revels in the Night.

As she went on,--the gaudy carpet spread
Its velvet surface for her
stately tread;
While the soft flute and animating lyre
Awake to
rapture every fond desire.
_Profusion_ follow'd,--for whose single
meal,

Whole Hecatombs receive the Butcher's steel.
Next
_Drunkenness_ roar'd forth the beastly strain,
And _Waste_ and
_Riot_ closed the glutted Train.

And yet methought I saw, to them unseen,
Wan _Ruin_ stalk behind,
with haggard mien,
Expecting instant prey;--and with him came

The angry _Fever_, whose insatiate flame
Drinks up the pure and
purple streams of Life;
And every Disease