DR. DARWIN. 24$ 



The Poet knows their importance; how 

 much they will infpirit his portraits, and 

 diftinguiih them from each other. In the 

 progrefs of this epifode the Nereid loofes 

 her veil (we may conclude the wind had 

 fallen) and we meet the following defcrip- 

 tion of a very graceful operation, that of a 

 lovely female combing her lavifh treffes : 



O'er her fair brow her pearly comb unfurls 

 Her beryl locks, and parts the waving curls ; 

 Each tangled braid, with/glift'ning teeth unbinds, 

 And with the floating treafure mulks the winds. 



This is not a repetition of the employ- 

 ment of the new- born Venus, in the fecond 

 Canto. She had recently /emerged, and 

 therefore her hair muft neceffarily hang 

 uncurled, and flie is in the attitude of 

 wringing the water from her golden trefles; 

 than which no pofition can be more fa- 

 vourable to female fymmetry. 



Do&or Darwin's poem paints every 



attitude and employment which, in either 



R3 fex, 



