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In that voracious shape she still appears,
And plagues her people with perpetual wars.

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In this, Antigoné for beauty ftrove
With the bright confort of imperial Jove:
Juno, incens'd, her royal power display'd,
And to a bird converts the haughty maid.
Laomedon his daughter's fate bewails,
Nor his, nor Ilion's fervent prayer prevails,
But on her lovely skin white feathers rise;
Chang'd to a clamorous ftork, the mounts the skies. 14j
In the remaining orb, the heavenly maid
The tale of childlefs Cynaras difplay'd,
A fettled anguish in his look appears,

And from his bloodshot eyes flow streams of tears;
On the cold ground, no more a father, thrown,
He for his daughters clafp'd the polifh'd stone.
And, when he fought to hold their wonted charms,
The temple's fteps deceiv'd his eager arms.
Wreaths of green olive round the border twine,
And her own tree inclofes the defign.

Arachne paints th' amours of mighty Jove,
How in a bull the God difguis'd his love;
A real bull feems in the piece to roar,
And real billows breaking on the fhore :

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In fair Europa's face appears furprize,

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To the retreating land the turns her eyes,

And feems to call her maids, who wondering flood,

And with their tears increas'd the briny flood;

Her trembling feet the by contraction faves

From the rude infult of the rifing waves.

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Here

Here amorous Jove diffolving Læda trod,
And in the vigorous fwan conceal'd the god.
Love lends him now an eagle's new disguise,
Beneath his fluttering wings Afteria lies,
Th' enlivening colours here with force exprefs'd
How Jove the fair Antiope carefs'd.

In a strong fatyr's muscled form he came
Inftilling love tranfports the glowing dame,
And lufty twins reward his nervous flame.
Here how he footh'd the bright Alcmena's love,
Who for Amphitryon took th' impoftor Jove,
And how the God in golden fhower allur'd
The guarded nymph, in brazen walls immur'd:
How, in a swain, Mnemofyne he charms;
How lambent flame the fair Ægina warms:
And how with various glittering hues inlaid
In ferpent's form Deöis he betray'd.
Here
you, great Neptune, with a fhort-liv'd flame
In a young bull enjoy th' Æolian dame.
Then in Enipeus' fhape intrigues pursue:
'Tis thus th' Aloids boaft defcent from you.
Here to Bifaltis was thy love convey'd,
When a rough ram deceiv'd the yielding maid.
Ceres, kind mother of the bounteous year,
Whofe golden locks a fheafy garland bear;
And the dread dame, with hifling ferpents hung,
(From whom the Pegafæan courfer sprung)
Thee in a fnuffling ftallion's form enjoy,

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Exhauft thy ftrength, and every nerve employ;

24

Melantho

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Melantho as a dolphin you betray,
And fport in pleasures on the rolling fea;
Such juft proportion graces every part,
Nature herself appears improv'd by art.
Here in difguife was mighty Phoebus seen,
With clownish aspect, and a rustic mien;
Again transform'd, he 's drefs'd in falcon's plumes,
And now the lion's noble shape affumes;

Now, in a fhepherd's form, with treacherous fmiles

He Macareian Iffe's heart beguiles.

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Here his plump fhape enamour'd, Bacchus leaves, 205
And in the grape Erigone deceives.

There Saturn, in a neighing horfe, the wove,
And Chiron's double form rewards his love.

Feftoons of flowers, inwove with ivy, shine,

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Border the wondrous piece, and round the texture twine.

Not Pallas, nor ev'n fpleen itself, could blame,
The wondrous work of the Mæonian danie;
With grief her vaft fuccefs the Goddess borę,
And of cœleftial crimes the story tore.
Her boxen fhuttle now, enrag'd, she took,
And thrice the proud Idmonian artist struck :
Th' unhappy maid, to fee her labours vain,
Grew refolute with pride, and fhame, and pain:
Around her neck a fatal noose the ty'd,
And fought by fudden death her guilt to hide.
Palls with pity faw the defperate deed,
And thus the virgin's milder fate decreed:
"Live, impious rival, mindful of thy crime,,
66 Sufpended thus to wafte thy future time,

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"Thy

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