The fighs which fent forth that laft tender word 245 Up tow'rds the heav'ns like a bright meteor foar'd, And the kind nymph, not yet bereft of charms, Fell cold and breathless in her lover's arms.
Goddess! who now my fate haft understood,
Spare but my tears, and freely take my blood: 250
Here let me end the ftory of my cares;
My difmal grief enough the rest declares:
Judge thou by all this mifery display'd,
Whether I ought not to implore thy aid;
Thus to survive reproaches on me draws;
Never fad withes had so just a caufé.
Come then, my only hope! in ev'ry place
Thou vifiteft men tremble at thy face,
And fear thy name: once let thy fatal hand
Fall on a fwain that does the blow demand.
Vouchfafe thy dart; I need not one of those
With which thou doft unwilling kings depofe :
A welcome death the flightest wound can bring,
And free a foul already on her wing:
Without thy aid, moft miferable I
Muft ever wish, yet not obtain to die.
On apprehenfion of lofing what he had nezvlý gained.
SURE I of all men am the first
That ever was by kindness curft,
Who must my only blifs bemoan,
And am by happiness undone.
Had I at distance only feen
That lovely face, I might have been
With the delightful object pleas'd,
But not with all this paffion feiz'd.
When afterwards fo near I came
As to be fcorch'd in Beauty's flame,
To so much softness, so much fenfe,
Reafon itself made no defence.
What pleafing thoughts poffefs'd my mind
When little favours fhew'd you kind!
And tho', when coldness oft' prevail'd,
My heart would sink, and spirits fail'd,
Yet willingly the yoke I bore,
And all
your chains as bracelets wore;
At your lov'd feet all day would lie,
Defiring without knowing why;
For, not yet bleft within your arms,
Who could have thought of half your charms?
Charms of fuch a wondrous kind,
Words we cannot, must not, find,
A body worthy of your mind.
Fancy could ne'er fo high reflect,
Nor Love itself fuch joys expect.
After fuch embraces past,
Whose memory will ever last,
Love is still reflecting back;
All my foul is on a rack.
To be in hell's fufficient curfe,
But to fall from heav'n is worse.
I liv'd in grief ere this I knew,
But then I dwelt in darknefs too.
Of gains, alas! I could not boast,
But little thought how much I lost.
Now heart-devouring eagerness,
And sharp impatience to poffefs;
Now reftlefs cares, confuming fires,
Anxious thoughts, and fierce defires,
Tear my heart to that degree,
For ever fix'd on only thee;
Then all my comfort is, I fhall
Live in thy arms, or not at all.
IN IMITATION OF ANACREON.
THOU flatterer of all the fair,
Come with all your skill and care;
Draw me fuch a fhape and face
As your flatt'ry would difgrace.
With not that she would appear,
'Tis well for you she is not here:
Scarce can you with safety see
All her charms defcrib'd by me:
I, alas! the danger know,
I, alas! have felt the blow;
Mourn, as loft, my former days,
"That never fung of Celia's praife;
And thofe few that are behind
I fhall bleft or wretched find
Only just as she is kind.
With her tempting eyes begin,
Eyes that would draw angels in
Oh! thofe wanton rolling eyes!
At each glance a lover dies:
Make them bright, yet make them willing,
Let them look both kind and killing.
Next draw her forehead, then her nofe,
And lips juft op'ning, that disclose
Teeth fo bright, and breath so sweet,
So much beauty, so much wit,
To our very foul they strike,
All our fenfes pleas'd alike.
But fo pure a white and red
Never, never can be said:
What are words in fuch a cafe?
What is paint to fuch a face?
How should either art avail us?
Fancy here itfelf must fail us.
In her looks, and in her mien,
Such a graceful air is seen,
That if you, with all your art,
Can but reach the smallest part,
Next to her, the matchlefs fhe!
We fhall wonder moft at thee.
Then her neck, and breafts, and hair, -but my charming fair
Does in a thousand things excel
Which I must not, dare not, tell.
How go on then? Oh! I fee
A lovely Venus drawn by thee;
Oh! how fair fhe does appear!
Touch it only here and there :
Make her yet feem more divine,
Your Venus then may look like mine,
Whofe bright form if once you faw,
You by her would Venus draw.
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