Love can with speech inspire a mute,
And taught Vanessa to dispute. 
This topic, never touch’d before,
Display’d her eloquence the more: 
Her knowledge, with such pains acquired,
By this new passion grew inspired;
Through this she made all objects pass,
Which gave a tincture o’er the mass;
As rivers, though they bend and twine,
Still to the sea their course incline: 
Or, as philosophers, who find
Some favourite system to their mind;
In every point to make it fit,
Will force all nature to submit. 
  Cadenus, who could ne’er suspect
His lessons would have such effect,
Or be so artfully applied,
Insensibly came on her side. 
It was an unforeseen event;
Things took a turn he never meant. 
Whoe’er excels in what we prize,
Appears a hero in our eyes;
Each girl, when pleased with what is taught,
Will have the teacher in her thought. 
When miss delights in her spinet,
A fiddler may a fortune get;
A blockhead, with melodious voice,
In boarding-schools may have his choice: 
And oft the dancing-master’s art
Climbs from the toe to touch the heart. 
In learning let a nymph delight,
The pedant gets a mistress by’t. 
Cadenus, to his grief and shame,
Could scarce oppose Vanessa’s flame;
And, though her arguments were strong,
At least could hardly wish them wrong. 
Howe’er it came, he could not tell,
But sure she never talk’d so well. 
His pride began to interpose;
Preferr’d before a crowd of beaux! 
So bright a nymph to come unsought! 
Such wonder by his merit wrought! 
’Tis merit must with her prevail! 
He never knew her judgment fail! 
She noted all she ever read! 
And had a most discerning head! 
  ’Tis an old maxim in the schools,
That flattery’s the food of fools;
Yet now and then your men of wit
Will condescend to take a bit. 
  So when Cadenus could not hide,
He chose to justify his pride;
Construing the passion she had shown,
Much to her praise, more to his own. 
Nature in him had merit placed,
In her a most judicious taste. 
Love, hitherto a transient guest,
Ne’er held possession of his breast;
So long attending at the gate,
Disdain’d to enter in so late. 
Love why do we one passion call,
When ’tis a compound of them all? 
Where hot and cold, where sharp and sweet,
In all their equipages meet;
Where pleasures mix’d with pains appear,
Sorrow with joy, and hope with fear;
Wherein his dignity and age
Forbid Cadenus to engage. 
But friendship, in its greatest height,
A constant, rational delight,
On virtue’s basis fix’d to last,
When love allurements long are past,
Which gently warms, but cannot burn,
He gladly offers in return;
His want of passion will redeem
With gratitude, respect, esteem: 
With what devotion we bestow,
When goddesses appear below.