nd toss the sprawling infant on the spear,
While the fond mother's cries regale my ear.
I fight, I vanquish, murder friends and foes;
Nor dare the immortal gods my rage oppose."

Though I did great violence to my understanding in praising this
unnatural rhapsody, I nevertheless extolled it as a production that of
itself deserved immortal fame; and besought her ladyship to bless the
world with the fruits of those uncommon talents Heaven had bestowed upon
her. She smiled with a look of self-complacency, and encouraged by
the incense I had offered, communicated all her poetical works which I
applauded, one by one, with as little candour as I had shown at first.
Satiated with my flattery, which I hope my situation justified, she
could not in conscience refuse me an opportunity of shining in my turn:
and, therefore, after a compliment to my nice discernment and taste,
observed, that doubtless I must have produced something in that way
myself, which she desired to see. This was temptation I could by no
means resist. I owned that while I was at college I wrote some detached
pieces, at the desire of a friend who was in love; and at her request
repeated the following verses, which indeed my love for Narcissa had
inspired:--

On Celia,

Playing on the harpsichord and singing.

When Sappho struck the quivering wire,
The throbbing breast was all on fire:
And when she raised the vocal lay,
The captive soul was charm'd away.

But had the nymph possessed with these
Thy softer, chaster, power to please;
Thy beauteous air of sprightly youth,
Thy native smiles of artless truth;

The worm of grief had never preyed
On the forsaken love-sick maid:
Nor had she mourn'd a hapless flame,
Nor dash'd on rocks her tender frame.

My mistress paid me a cold compliment on the versification, which, she
said, was elegant enough, but, the subject beneath the pen of a true
poet. I was extremely nettled at her indifference, and looked at
Narcissa, who by this time had joined us, for her approbation; but
she declined giving her opinion, protesting she was no judge of
these matters; so that I was forced to retire very much balked in
my expectation, which was generally a little too sanguine. In the
afternoon, however, the waiting-maid assured me that Narcissa had
expressed her approbation of my performance with great warmth, and
desired her to procure a copy of it