Dup’d by these arts, Dorus to manhood rose,
  Nor dream’d of aught more comely than his Nose,
  Till Love, whose pow’r ev’n Princes have confest,
  Claim’d the soft empire o’er his youthful breast. 
  Fair Claribel was she who caused his care;
  A neighb’ring Monarch’s daughter, and sole heir. 
  For beauteous Claribel his bosom burn’d;
  The beauteous Claribel his flame return’d;
  Deign’d with kind words his passion to approve,
  Met his soft vows, and yielded love for love. 
  If in her mind some female pangs arose
  At sight (and who can blame her?) of his Nose. 
  Affection made her willing to be blind;
  She loved him for the beauties of his mind;
  And in his lustre, and his royal race,
  Contented sunk—­one feature of his face.

  Blooming to sight, and lovely to behold,
  Herself was cast in Beauty’s richest mould;
  Sweet female majesty her person deck’d,
  Her face an angel’s—­save for one defect—­
  Wise Nature, who to Dorus over kind,
  A length of nose too liberal had assign’d,
  As if with us poor mortals to make sport,
  Had giv’n to Claribel a nose too short: 
  But turned up with a sort of modest grace;
  It took not much of beauty from her face;
  And subtle Courtiers, who their Prince’s mind
  Still watch’d, and turned about with every wind,
  Assur’d the Prince, that though man’s beauty owes
  Its charm to a majestic length of nose,
  The excellence of Woman (softer creature)
  Consisted in the shortness of that feature. 
  Few arguments were wanted to convince
  The already more than half persuaded Prince;
  Truths, which we hate, with slowness we receive,
  But what we wish to credit, soon believe.

  The Princess’s affections being gain’d,
  What but her Sire’s approval now remain’d? 
  Ambassadors with solemn pomp are sent
  To win the aged Monarch to consent
  (Seeing their States already were allied)
  That Dorus might have Claribel to bride. 
  Her Royal Sire, who wisely understood
  The match propos’d was for both kingdoms’ good,
  Gave his consent; and gentle Claribel
  With weeping bids her Father’s court farewell.

  With gallant pomp, and numerous array,
  Dorus went forth to meet her on her way;
  But when the Princely pair of lovers met,
  Their hearts on mutual gratulations set,
  Sudden the Enchanter from the ground arose,
  (The same who prophesied the Prince’s nose)
  And with rude grasp, unconscious of her charms,
  Snatch’d up the lovely Princess in his arms,
  Then bore her out of reach of human eyes,
  Up in the pathless regions of the skies.

  Bereft of her that was his only care,
  Dorus resign’d his soul to wild despair;
  Resolv’d to leave the land that gave him birth,
  And seek fair Claribel throughout the earth. 
  Mounting his horse, he gives the beast