SOLILOQUY
Of
a
BEAUTY
in
the
Country
.
Written
at
Eton
School
.
By
the
Same
.
'TWAS
night
;
and
FLAVIA
to
her
room
retir'd
,
With
ev'ning
chat
and
sober
reading
tir'd
;
There
melancholy
,
pensive
,
and
alone
,
She
meditates
on
the
forsaken
town
:
On
her
rais'd
arm
reclin'd
her
drooping
head
,
She
sigh'd
,
and
thus
in
plaintive
accents
said
:
"
Ah
,
what
avails
it
to
be
young
and
fair
,
"
To
move
with
negligence
,
to
dress
with
care
?
"
What
worth
have
all
the
charms
our
pride
can
boast
,
"
If
all
in
envious
solitude
are
lost
?
"
Where
none
admire
,
'tis
useless
to
excel
;
"
Where
none
are
Beaus
,
'tis
vain
to
be
a
Belle
:
"
Beauty
,
like
wit
,
to
judges
should
be
shewn
;
"
Both
most
are
valu'd
where
they
best
are
known
.
"
With
ev'ry
grace
of
nature
,
or
of
art
,
"
We
cannot
break
one
stubborn
country
heart
:
"
The
brutes
,
insensible
,
our
pow'r
defy
:
"
To
love
exceeds
a
'Squire's
capacity
.
"
The
town
,
the
court
,
is
Beauty's
proper
sphere
;
"
That
is
our
heav'n
,
and
we
are
angels
There
:
"
In
that
gay
circle
thousand
Cupids
rove
,
"
The
court
of
Britain
is
the
court
of
Love
.
"
How
has
my
conscious
heart
with
triumph
glow'd
,
"
How
have
my
sparkling
eyes
their
transport
shew'd
,
"
At
each
distinguish'd
birth-night
ball
,
to
see
"
The
homage
due
to
empire
,
paid
to
me
!
"
When
ev'ry
eye
was
fix'd
on
me
alone
,
"
And
dreaded
mine
more
than
the
monarch's
frown
:
"
When
rival
statesmen
for
my
favour
strove
,
"
Less
jealous
in
their
pow'r
,
than
in
their
love
.
"
Chang'd
is
the
scene
;
and
all
my
glories
die
,
"
Like
flow'rs
transplanted
to
a
colder
sky
;
"
Lost
is
the
dear
delight
of
giving
pain
,
"
The
tyrant
joy
of
hearing
slaves
complain
.
"
In
stupid
indolence
my
life
is
spent
,
"
Supinely
calm
,
and
dully
innocent
:
"
Unblest
I
wear
my
useless
time
away
;
"
Sleep
(
wretched
maid
!
)
all
night
,
and
dream
all
day
;
"
Go
at
set
hours
to
dinner
and
to
prayer
;
"
For
dulness
ever
must
be
regular
.
"
Now
with
mamma
at
tedious
whist
I
play
;
"
Now
without
scandal
drink
insipid
tea
;
"
Or
in
the
garden
breathe
the
country
air
,
"
Secure
from
meeting
any
Tempter
there
:
"
From
books
to
work
,
from
work
to
books
I
rove
,
"
And
am
(
alas
!
)
at
leisure
to
improve
!
"
Is
this
the
life
a
Beauty
ought
to
lead
?
"
Were
eyes
so
radiant
only
made
to
read
?
"
These
fingers
,
at
whose
touch
ev'n
age
wou'd
glow
,
"
Are
these
of
use
for
nothing
but
to
sew
?
"
Sure
erring
Nature
never
could
design
"
To
form
a
housewife
in
a
mould
like
mine
!
"
O
Venus
,
queen
and
guardian
of
the
fair
,
"
Attend
propitious
to
thy
vot'ry's
pray'r
:
"
Let
me
revisit
the
dear
town
again
:
"
Let
me
be
seen
!
—
cou'd
I
that
wish
obtain
,
"
All
other
wishes
my
own
pow'r
would
gain
.