Poems on Several Occasions (Broome)/A Dialogue between a Lady and her Looking-Glass, while she had the Green-Sickness

by William Broome

A

DIALOGUE

BETWEEN

A Lady and her Looking-Glass, while she had the Green-Sickness.

 

The gay Ophelia view'd her Face
In the clear Crystal of her Glass;
The Lightning from her Eye was fled,
Her Cheek was pale, the Roses dead.

Then thus Ophelia, with a Frown:——
Art thou, false Thing, perfidious grown?
I never could have thought, I swear,
To find so great a Sland'rer there!

False Thing! thy Malice I defy!
Beaux vow I'm fair—who never lye;
More brittle far than brittle thou,
Would every Grace of Woman grow,
If Charms so great so soon decay,
The bright Possession of a Day!
But this I know, and this declare,
That thou art false, and I am fair.

The Glass was vex'd to be bely'd,
And thus with angry Tone reply'd:

No more to me of Falshood talk,
But leave your Oatmeal and your Chalk!
'Tis true, you're meagre, pale, and wan,
The Reason is, you're sick for Man.—

While yet it spoke, Ophelia frown'd,
And dash'd th' Offender to the ground;
With fury from her Arm it fled,
And round a glitt'ring Ruin spread;
When lo! the Parts pale Looks disclose,
Pale Looks in every Fragment rose;
Around the Room instead of one,
An hundred pale Ophelia's shone;
Away the frighted Virgin flew,
And humbled, from herself withdrew.

The MORAL.
Ye Beaux, who tempt the fair and young,
With Snuff, and Nonsense, Dance and Song;
Ye Men of Compliment and Lace!
Behold this Image in the Glass:

The wond'rous Force of Flattery prove,
To cheat fond Virgins into Love:
Tho' Pale the Cheek, yet swear it glows
With the Vermilion of the Rose:
Praise them—for Praise is always true,
Tho' with both Eyes the Cheat they view;
From hateful Truths the Virgin flies;
But the false Sex, is caught with Lyes.