V.

Celestial Venus does fuch ribaulds shun,
Ne dare they in her purlues to be seen;
But Cupid's torch, fair mother's faireft fon,
Shines with a steady unconsuming sheen;

Not fierce, yet bright, coldness and rage between,
The backs of lyons felloneft he strod;
And lyons tamely did themselves amene;

On nature's wild full fov'reignly he rod;
Wild natures, chang'd, confefs'd the mild puiffant god.

VI.

A beauteous Fay, or heav'n-defcended spright,
Sprung from her fire, withouten female's aid,
(As erft Minerva did) and Pfyche hight,

In that inclosure happy fojourn made.
No art fome heel'd uncomelynefs betray'd,
But nature wrought her many-colour'd stole;
Ne tarnish'd like an Æthiopian maid,

Scorch'd with the funs that ore her beauties roll;
Ne faded like the dames who bleach beneath the pole.

VII.

Nor fhame, nor pride of borrow'd fubftance wrought

Her gay embroidery and ornament:

But she who gave the gilded infect's coat

Spun the foft filk, and spread the various teint ;

The

The gilded infect's colours yet were feint
To thofe which nature for this fairy wove.

Our grannums thus with diff'rent dies besprent,
Adorn'd in naked majesty the grove,

Charm'd our great fires, and warm'd our frozen clime to love.

VIII.

On either fide, and all adown her back,
With many a ring at equal distance plac'd,
Contrary to the reft, was heben black,

With fhades of green, quick changing as fhe pafs'd,
All were on ground-work of bright gold orecast.
The black gave livelood to the greenish hue,
The green ftill deep'd the heben ore it lac'd;

The gold, that peep'd atween and then withdrew,
Gave luftre to them both, and charm'd the wond'ring view.

IX.

It seem'd like arras, wrought with cunning skill,
Where kindly meddle colours, light, and shade;
Here flows the flood; there rifing wood or hill
Breaks off its courfe; gay verdure dies the mead.
The ftream, depeinten by the glitt❜rand braid,
Emong the hills now winding feems to hide;
Now fhines unlook'd for thro' the op'ning glade,
Now in full torrent pours its golden tyde;

Hills, woods, and meads refresh'd, rejoicing by its fide.

X.

Her Cupid lov'd, whom Pfyche lov'd again.
He, like her parent and her belamour,
Sought how the mote in fickerness remain,
From all malengine fafe, and evil ftour.
"Go tender coffet, faid he, forray ore

"Thefe walks and lawnds; thine all these buskets are; "Thine ev'ry fhrub, thine ev'ry fruite and flower: "But oh! I charge thee, love, the rofe forbear; "For prickles fharp do arm the dang'rous rofiere.

XI.

"Prickles will pain, and pain will banish love: "I charge thee, Pfyche, then the rose forbear. "When faint and fick, thy languors to remove, "To yon ambrofial fhrubs and plants repair; "Thou weetest not what med'cines in them are: "What wonders follow their repeated ufe "N'ote thy weak sense conceive, fhould I declare; "Their labour'd balm, and well-concocted juice, "New life, new forms, new thews, new joys, new worlds

XII.

"Thy term of tryal paft with conftancy,

[produce,

"That wimpling flough shall fall like filth away; "On pinions broad, uplifted to the sky,

"Thou shalt, aftert, thy ftranger self survey.

"Together,

66

Together, Pfyche, will we climb and play;

66

Together wander through the fields of air,

Beyond where funs and moons mete night and day. "I charge thee, O my love, the rofe forbear,

"If thou wouldst scathe avoid. Pfyche, forewarn'd, beware!"

XIII.

"How fweet thy words to my enchanted ear!
(With grateful, modeft confidence the faid)
"If Cupid fpeak, I could for ever hear:

"Trust me, my love, thou fhalt be well obey'd.
"What rich purveyance for me haft thou made,
"The prickly rofe alone denied! the rest
"In full indulgence giv'n! 'twere to upbraid
"To doubt compliance with this one request:
"How small, and yet how kind, Cupid, is thy beheast!

XIV.

“And is that kindness made an argument
"To raise me ftill to higher scenes of blifs?
"Is the acceptance of thy goodness meant
"Merit in me for farther happiness ?
"No merit and no argument, I wiss,
"Is there befides in me unworthy maid:

Thy gift the very love I bear thee is.

"Truft me, my love, thou shalt be well obey'd;

To doubt compliance here, Cupid, were to upbraid.”

XV. With

XV.

Withouten counterfefance thus fhe spoke ;
Unweeting of her frailty. Light uprofe
Cupid on eafy wings: yet tender look,
And oft reverted eye on her bestows;
Fearful, but not distrustful of her vows.
And mild regards fhe back reflects on him:
With aching eye purfues him as he goes;
With aching heart marks each diminish'd limb;
Till indistinct, diffus'd, and lost in air he seem.

XVI.

He went to fet the watches of the east,
That none mote rush in with the tyde of wind:
He went to Venus to make fond request
From fleshly ferm to loofen Pfyche's mind,
And her eftfoons tranfmew. She forelore pin'd;
And mov'd for folace to the glaffy lake,

To view the charms that had his heart entwin'd. She faw, and blufh'd and fmil'd; then inly fpake: "These charms I cannot chufe but love, for Cupid's fake."

XVII.

But fea-born Venus 'gan with envy ftir

At bruite of their great happiness; and sought
How the might wreak her fpight: then call'd to her
Her fons, and op'd what rankled in her thought;