Thehero of our tale, at length, we find
          Was well rewarded:  Love again proved kind;
          For, musing as he walk’d alone one day,
          And pass’d a gall’ry, (held a secret way,)
          A voice in plaintive accents caught his ear,
          And from the neighb’ring closet came, ’twas clear: 
          My dear Curtade, my only hope below,
          In vain I love;—­you colder, colder grow;
          While round no fair can boast so fine a face,
          And numbers wish they might supply thy place,
          Whilst thou with some gay page prefer’st a bet,
          Or game of dice with some low, vulgar set,
          To meeting me alone; and when just now
          To thee I sent, with rage thou knit’st thy brow,
          And Dorimene, with ev’ry curse abus’d
          Then played again, since better that amus’d,
          And left me here, as if not worth a thought,
          Or thou didst scorn what I so fondly sought.

          Astonishment, at once, our Roman seiz’d;
          But who’s the fair that thus her bosom eas’d? 
          Or, who’s the gay Adonis, form’d to bless? 
          You’d try a day, and not the secret guess,
          The queen’s the belle:—­and, doubtless you will stare,
          The king’s own dwarf the idol of her care!

          TheRoman saw a crevice in the wood,
          Through which he took a peep from where he stood;
          To Dorimene our lovers left the key,
          Which she had dropt when lately forc’d to flee,
          And this Joconde pick’d up, a lucky hit,
          Since he could use it when he best thought fit. 
          It seems, said he, I’m not alone in name,
          And since a prince so handsome is the same,
          Although a valet has supplied my place,
          Yet see, the queen prefers a dwarf’s embrace.

          Thisthought consol’d so well,—­his youthful rays
          Returned, and e’en excelled his former days;
          And those who lately ridicul’d his charms,
          Now anxious seem’d to revel in his arms
          ’Twas who could have him,—­even prudes grew kind;—­
          By many belles Astolphus was resign’d;
          Though still the king retain’d enough, ’twas seen;—­
          But now let us resume the dwarf and queen.

          OurRoman, having satisfied his eyes,
          At length withdrew, confounded by surprise. 
          Who follows courts, must oft with care conceal,
          And scarcely know what sight and ears reveal.

          Yet, by Joconde the king was lov’d so well,
          What now he’d seen he greatly wish’d to tell;
          But, since to princes full respect is due,
          And what concerns them, howsoever true,
          If