Afking who'd venture ore the mounds to vau't
To breed them fcathe unwares; to damp the joy
Of blissful Venus, or to bring to nought

The liefeft purpose of her darling boy,

Or urge them both their minion Pfyche to deftroy.

XVIII.

Eros recul'd, and noul'd the work atchieve.
"Behold is th' attempt, faid he, averse from love:
"If love infpires I could derreign to reave

"His fpear from Mars, his levin-brond from Jove."
Him Anteros, fneb'd furly.

"Gallefs dove!

"Than love's, fpight's mightier prowess understond: "If fpight infpires I dare all dangers prove:

"And if fuccefsful, ftand the levin-brond,

"When hurlen angry forth from Jove's avenging hond."

XIX.

He faid, and deffly t'wards the gardens flew ;

Horribly smiling at his foul emprise.

When, nearer ftill and nearer as he drew,

Unfufferable brightness wounds his eyes

Forth beaming from the crystal walls; he tries
Arrear to move, averted from the blaze.
But now no longer the pure æther buoys
His groffer body's difproportion'd peaze;

Down drops, plumb from his tow'ring path, the treachor base.

I

XX. So

bafe.

XX.

So ore Avernus, or the Lucrine lake,
The wiftless bird purfues his purpos'd flight:
Whether by vapours noy'd that thenceforth break,
Or elfe deferted by an air too light,

Down tumbles the fowl headlong from his height.
So Anteros aftonied fell to ground,

Provok'd, but not accoid at his ftraunge plight.
He rofe, and wending coafts it round and round
To find unguarded pass, hopeless to leap the mound,

XXI.

As on the margin of a stream he ftood,
Slow rolling from that paradife within,
A fnake's out-cafe untenanted he view'd:
Seizing the spoil, albeit it worthless been,
He darts himself into the vacant skin.
In borrow'd gear, th' exulting lofel glides,
Whose faded hues with joy flush bright again;
Triumphant ore the buoyant flood he rides;

And shoots th' important gulph, borne on the gentle tydes.

XXII.

So fhone the brazen gates of Babylon;
Armies in vain her muniments affail :

So ftrong, no engines could them batter down:
So high, no ladders could the ramparts scale;

X. So

So

So flank'd with tow'rs, befiegers n'ote avail;
So wide, fufficient harvests they enclose :

But where might yields, there ftratagems prevail.
Faithlefs Euphrates thro' the city flows,

And thro' his channel pours the unexpected foes.

XXIII.

He fails along in many a wanton spire ;
Now floats at length, now proudly rears his crest:
His sparkling eyes and scales, inftinct with fire,
With fplendor as he moves, the waves ore keft:
And the waves gleam beneath his flaming breast.
As through the battle, fet in full array,
When the fun walks in radiant brightness dress'd;
His beams that on the burnish'd helmets play,
The burnish'd helms reflect, and spread unusual day.

XXIV.

So on he fares, and ftately wreaths about,
In femblaunce like a feraph glowing bright;
But without terror flash'd his lightning out,
More to be wonder'd at, than to affright.
The backward stream soon led the masker right
To the broad lake, where hanging ore the flood
(Narciffus like, enamour'd with the fight
Of his own beauties) the fond Pfyche stood,
To mitigate the pains of lonely widowhood.

XXV. Un

XXV.

Unkenn'd of her, he raught th' embroider'd bank; And through the tangled flourets weft afide To where a rofiere by the river dank, Luxuriant grew in all its blowing pride, Not far from Pfyche; arm'd with scaly hide He clamb the thorns, which no impreffion make; His glitt'ring length, with all its folds untied, Plays floating ore the bush: then filence brake, And thus the nympth, astonish'd at his speech, bespake.

XXVI.

"O faireft, and most excellent compleat "In all perfections, fov'reign queen of nature! "The whole creation bowing at thy feet "Submiffive pays thee homage! wond'rous creature, "If aught created thou! for every feature "Speaks thee a goddess issued from the skie; "Oh! let not me offend, unbidden waiter, "At aweful distance gazing thus! But why "Should gazing thus offend? or how unbidden I ?

XXVII,

"The fun that wakes thofe flourets from their beds,
"Or opes these buds by his soft influence,
"Is not offended that they peep their heads,
"And fhew they feel his pow'r by their quick sense,

VOL. III.

C

"Off'ring

"Off'ring at his command, their sweet incense; "Thus I, drawn here, by thy enliv'ning rays,

(Call not intrufion my obedience !) "Perforce, yet willing thrall, am come to gaze,

"To pay my homage meet, and bafk in beauty's blaze."

XXVIII.

Amaz'd fhe flood, nor could recover foon:
From contemplation fuddenly abraid:
Starting at speech unufual: yet the tune
Struck footly on her ear, and concert made

With her own thoughts. Nor with less pleasure stray'd
Her eyes delighted o'er his gloffy skin;

Yet frighted at the thorn on which he play'd:Pleasure with horror mixt! fhe hung between Sufpended; yields, recoils, uncertain where to lin.

XXIX.

At length fhe spoke: "Reptile, no charms I know
"Such as you mention: yet whate'er they are,
"(And nill I leffen what the gods bestow).

"Their is the gift, and be the tribute their!
"For them these beauties I improve with care,
"Intent to them alone from eve to morn.

"But reed me, reptile, whence this wonder rare, "That thou haft fpeech, as if to reafon born? "And how, unhurt you sport on that forbidden thorn?"

XXX.“ Say,