THE MOON AND THE COMET; A FABLE. Amelia Opie (née Alderson) Alexander Huber Editor Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
Broad Street Oxford OX1 3BG UK
Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive
Taylor Institution Library St Giles' Oxford OX1 3NA UK info@eighteenthcenturypoetry.org https://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/
Oxford This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Opie, Amelia Alderson, 1769-1853. The Warrior's Return, and Other Poems. By Mrs. Opie. 2d. ed. London Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, Paternoster-row 1808 pp. [131]-136.

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THE MOON AND THE COMET ; A FABLE . THIS fact is clear .... Both man and woman Prize not what's good , but what's uncommon ; And most delighted still they are , Not with the excellent , but rare , .... I could of this give proofs most stable , But , par exemple , take a fable . 'T was night .... but still a mimic day Shone softly forth from milky way ; For now the bright unclouded moon ' Was riding in her highest noon .... ' Who , as she slowly sailed along , Beheld a most unusual throng With eyes upraised devoutly gazing , And heard , " Behold ! see there ! amazing ! " " What can this mean ? " dame Cynthia said , " Perhaps , " and high she drew her head , " Perhaps that I to earth tonight Shine with unwonted beauty bright ; And therefore mortals in amaze Come crowding forth on me to gaze ; " And then , .... for heavenly beauties love , Like earthly ones , applause to move , .... She stooped , within a lake below To see how looked her sparkling brow : And as her crescent she adjusted , She thought , if mirrors might be trusted , That night , so wondrous was her beauty , To gaze on her was mortals' duty . But O ! sad fall to female pride ! She soon with wondering looks descried 'Twas not on her that eyes were turned ; For her no curious ardour burned ; At her no telescopes were aimed , Nor wonder at her charms proclaimed ; .... Some other idol now , she found , Had fickle man in fetters bound ; And Cynthia was compelled to own , Unseen her matchless beauty shone . " But what , " she cried , " thus rivals me ? I all the stars and planets see .... Orion has his belt in order ; Of Saturn's ring bright shines the border ; Mars sports his coat of reddest hue ; The Bear has put his horses to ; .... But still , these sights so oft are seen , There's nothing new in them I ween : And after all I know the cry Is , ' they are nought when I am by .... ' 'Tis strange ; and I shall surely pout Until I've found my rival out . " This said , she looked on every side With eager looks of wounded pride , And round with all the spite inspected Of conscious beauty quite neglected ; When , lo ! she saw with wondring breast , Just twinkling in the northern west , And dimly seen , since seen from far , A rayless , misty , long-tailed star ; While homage from her charms was ravished , To be on this poor Comet lavished ! W—k—e , beware ! Though amateurs , And nobles , artists , connoisseurs , Thy works admire , thy skill commend , And smiling o'er thy canvass bend , Thy powers will be no more respected , Thy crowded easel soon neglected , If ever artist should appear ( The comet of dame fashion's sphere , ) Who works to wondering London shows Not done with fingers , but with .... toes .