Then Shock, Belinda’s dog,
“Who
thought she slept too long,
Leaped up, and waked his mistress
with his tongue.”
So Belinda rises and is dressed. While her maid seems to do the work,
“The busy sylphs surround
their darling care,
These set the head, and those
divide the hair,
Some fold the sleeve, whilst
others plait the gown’
And Betty’s praised
for labours not her own.”
Next Belinda set out upon the Thames to go by boat to Hampton Court, and as she sat in her gayly decorated boat she looked so beautiful that every eye was turned to gaze upon her—
“On her white breast
a sparkling cross she wore,
Which Jews might kiss, and
infidels adore.”
She was so beautiful and graceful that it seemed as if she could have no faults, or—
“If to her share some
female errors fall,
Look in her face, and you’ll
forget them all.
This nymph, to the destruction
of mankind,
Nourished two locks, which
graceful hung behind
In equal curls, and well conspired
to deck,
With shining ringlets, the
smoothe iv’ry neck.
Love in these labyrinths his
slaves detains,
And mighty hearts are held
in slender chains.
With hairy springes we the
birds betray,
Slight lines of hair surprise
the finny prey,
Fair tresses man’s imperial
race insnare,
And beauty draws us with a
single hair.”
The “Adventurous Baron” next appears upon the scene. He, greatly admiring Belinda’s shining locks, longs to possess one, and makes up his mind that he will. And, as the painted vessel glided down the Thames, Belinda smiled, and all the world was gay, only Ariel alone was sad and disturbed, for he felt some evil, he knew not what, was hanging over his mistress. So he gathered all his company and bade them watch more warily than before over their charge. Some must guard the watch, some the fan, “And thou Crispissa, tend her fav’rite lock,” he says. And woe betide that sprite who shall be careless or neglectful!
“Whatever spirit, careless
of his charge,
His post neglects, or leaves
the fair at large,
Shall feel sharp vengeance
soon o’ertake his sins,
Be stopped in vials, or transfixed
with pins,
Or plunged in lakes of bitter
washes lie,
Or wedged, whole ages in a
bodkin’s eye.”
So the watchful sprites flew off to their places—
“Some, orb in orb, around
the nymph extend;
Some thrid* the mazy ringlets
of her hair,
Some hang upon the pendants
of her ear.”
Slipped through.
The day went on, Belinda sat down to play cards. After the game coffee was brought, and “while frequent cups prolong the rich repast,” Belinda unthinkingly gave the Baron a pair of scissors. Then indeed the hour of fate struck. The Baron standing behind Belinda found the temptation too great. He opened the scissors and drew near—