The Rape of the Lock By Alexander Pope Creation of machine-readable version, transcription, correction, editorial commentary, and markup by Students and Staff of the University of Virginia, Lou Burnard, John O'Brien, Sara Brunstetter Table of Contents THE RAPE of the LOCK.CANTO I. ......................................................................................... THE RAPE of the LOCK. CANTO II. ....................................................................................... THE RAPE of the LOCK. CANTO III. ...................................................................................... THE RAPE of the LOCK. CANTO IV. ...................................................................................... THE RAPE of the LOCK. CANTO V. ....................................................................................... - [Frontispiece] - [frontispiece note], n00001 Page 3 - [Title Page] - The Rape of the Lock, n0001 AN HEROI-COMICAL, n001 POEM. In Five Canto's Written by Mr. POPE. —A tonso est hoc nomen adepta capillo., n002 OVID. LONDON Printed for Bernard Lintott, at the Cross-keys in Fleetstreet . 1714. - [Epistle.1] - TO Mrs. ARABELLA FERMOUR., n003 MADAM, It will be in vain to deny that I have some value for this piece, since I dedicate, n004 it to you. Yet you may bear me witness, it was intended only to divert a few young - [Epistle.2] - Ladies, who have good sense and good Humour enough, to laugh not only at their sex's little unguarded Follies, but at their own. But as it was communicated with the Air of a Secret, it soon found its Way into the World. An imperfect Copy having been offer'd to a Bookseller, You had the Good-Nature for my Sake, n005 to consent to the publication of one more correct: This I was forc'd to before I had executed half my Design, for the Machinery, n006 was entirely wanting to compleat it. The Machinery Madam, is a Term invented by the Critiks, to signify that Part which the Deities, Angels, or Dæmons, are made to act in a poem: For the ancient Poets are in one respect like Page 4 - [Epistle.3] - many modern Ladies; Let an Action be never so trivial in it self, they always make it appear of the utmost Importance. These Machines I determin'd to raise on a very new and odd Foundation, the Rosicrucian, n007 Doctrine of Spirits. I know how disagreeable it is to make use of hard Words before a Lady, n008 ; but 'tis so much the Concern of a Poet to have his Works understood, and particularly by your Sex, that You must give me leave to explain two or three difficult Terms. The Rosicrucians are the People I must bring You acquainted with. The best Account I know of them is in the French Book call'd Le Comte de Gabalis, n009, which - [Epistle.4] - both in its Title and Size is so like a Novel, that many of the fair Sex have read it for one by Mistake., n010 According to these Gentlemen, the four Elements are inhabited by Spirits, which they call Sylphs, Gnomes, Nymphs, and Salamanders. The Gnomes, or Dæmons of Earth, delight in Mischief; but the Sylphs, whose Habitation is Air, are the best-condition'd Creatures imaginable. For the say, any Mortals may enjoy the most intimate Fa miliarities with these gentle Spirits, upon a Condition very easie to all true Adepts, an involate Preservation of Chastity. As to the following Canto's, all the Passages of them are as Fabulous, as the Vision at the beginning, or the Transformation at the End; (except the Loss of your - [Epistle.5] - Hair, which I always name with Reverence.) The Human Persons are as Fictitious as the Airy ones; and the Character of Belinda, as it is now manag'd, resembles You in nothing but in Beauty. If this Poem had as many Graces as there are in Your Person, or in Your Mind, yet I could never hope it should pass thro' the World half so Uncensured as You have done. But let its Fortune be what it will, mine is happy enough, to have given me this Occasion of assuring You that I am. with the truest Esteem, Madam Your Most Obedient Humble Servant. A. POPE. Page 5 - [Engraving] - Page 6 - 1 - THE RAPE of the LOCK. CANTO I. 1 WHAT dire Offence from am'rous Causes springs, 2 What mighty Quarrels rise from Trivial Things, n012 3 I sing -- This Verse to C---l, , Muse! is due; n013 6 This, ev'n Belinda, may vouchsafe to view: 7 Slight is the Subject, but not so the Praise, 8 If She inspire, and He approve my Lays. - 2 - 1 Say what strange Motive, Goddess! cou'd compel 2 A well-bred Lord t'assault a gentle Belle? n014 3 Oh say what stranger Cause, , yet unexplor'd, 4 Cou'd make a gentle Belle reject a Lord ? 5 And dwells such Rage in softest Bosoms then? 6 And lodge such daring Souls in Little Men? n015 7 Sol, thro' white Curtains did his Beams display, 8 And op'd those Eyes which brighter shine than they; n016 9 Now Shock, had giv'n himself the rowzing Shake, n017 10 And Nymphs prepar'd their Chocolate, to take; n018 11 Thrice the wrought Slipper knock'd against the Ground, , n019 12 And striking Watches , the tenth Hour resound. 13 Belinda still her downy Pillow prest, n020 n021 14 Her Guardian Sylph, prolong'd the balmy Rest, . n022 15 'Twas he , had summon'd to her silent Bed 16 The Morning Dream that hover'd o'er her Head. n023 17 A Youth more glitt'ring than a Birth-night Beau, , 18 (That ev'n in Slumber caus'd her Cheek to glow) - 3 - 19 Seem'd to her Ear his winning Lips to lay, 20 And thus in Whispers said, or seem'd to say. Page 7 n024 21 Fairest of Mortals, , thou distinguish'd Care 22 Of thousand bright Inhabitants of Air! 23 If e'er one Vision touch'd thy infant Thought, 24 Of all the Nurse and all the Priest have taught, 25 Of airy Elves by Moonlight Shadows seen, n025 26 The silver Token, , and the circled Green, n026 27 Or Virgins visited by Angel-Pow'rs, , 28 With Golden Crowns and Wreaths of heav'nly Flowers, 29 Hear and believe! thy own Importance know, 30 Nor bound thy narrow Views to Things below. 31 Some secret Truths from Learned Pride conceal'd, 32 To Maids alone and Children are reveal'd: 33 What tho' no Credit doubting Wits may give? 34 The Fair and Innocent shall still believe. 35 Know then, unnumbered Spirits round thee fly, n028 36 The light Militia, of the lower Sky; - 4 - n029 37 These, tho' unseen, are ever on the Wing, , n030 n031 38 Hang o'er the Box, , and hover round the Ring, . n033 39 Think what an Equipage, thou hast in Air, n034 40 And view with scorn Two Pages and a Chair, . 41 As now your own, our Beings were of old, n036 42 And once inclos'd in Woman's beauteous Mold, ; n037 43 Thence, by a soft Transition, , we repair n038 44 From earthly , Vehicles to these of Air. 45 Think not, when Woman's transient Breath is fled, 46 That all her Vanities at once are dead: 47 Succeeding Vanities she still regards, n039 48 And tho' she plays no more, o'erlooks the Cards, . 49 Her Joy in gilded Chariots, when alive, n040 50 And Love of Ombre, , after Death survive. n041 51 For when the Fair, in all their Pride expire, n042 52 To their first Elements , the Souls retire: n043 53 The Sprights of fiery Termagants in Flame, 54 Mount up, and take a Salamander 's Name. 55 Soft yielding Minds to Water glide away, 56 And sip with Nymphs , their Elemental Tea. - 5 - 57 The graver Prude sinks downward to a Gnome , 58 In search of Mischief still on Earth to roam. 59 The light Coquettes in Sylphs aloft repair, Page 8 60 And sport and flutter in the Fields of Air. 61 Know farther yet; Whoever fair and chaste 62 Rejects Mankind, is by some Sylph embrac'd: 63 For Spirits, freed from mortal Laws, with ease 64 Assume what Sexes and what Shapes they please. 65 What guards the Purity of melting Maids, n044 66 In Courtly Balls, , and Midnight Masquerades, 67 Safe from the treach'rous Friend, and daring Spark, 68 The Glance by Day, the Whisper in the Dark; 69 When kind Occasion prompts their warm Desires, 70 When Musick softens, and when Dancing fires? 71 'Tis but their Sylph , the wife Celestials know, n045 72 Tho' Honour, is the Word with Men below. n046 73 Some Nymphs, there are, too conscious of their Face, 74 For Life predestin'd to the Gnomes Embrace - 6 - n047 75 Who swell their Prospects and exalt their Pride, , 76 When Offers are disdain'd, and Love deny'd. 77 Then gay Ideas crowd the vacant Brain; 78 While Peers and Dukes, and all their sweeping Train, 79 And Garters, Stars, and Coronets appear, n048 80 And in soft Sounds, Your Grace salutes their Ear, . 81 'Tis these that early taint the Female Soul, n049 82 Instruct the Eyes of young Coquettes, to roll, 83 Teach Infants Cheeks a bidden Blush to know, 84 And little Hearts to flutter at a Beau . 85 Oft when the World imagine Women stray, 86 The Sylphs thro' mystick Mazes guide thier Way, n050 87 Thro' all the giddy Circle, they pursue, 88 And old Impertinence expel by new. 89 What tender Maid but must a Victim fall 90 To one Man's Treat, but for another's Ball? n051 91 When Florio, speaks, what Virgin could withstand, n051 92 If gentle Damon, did not squeeze her Hand? - 7 - 93 With varying Vanities, from ev'ry Part, 94 They shift the moving Toyshop of their Heart; 95 Where Wigs with Wigs, with Sword-knots Sword-knots strive, 96 Beaus banish Beaus, and Coaches Coaches drive.