"Love bids her die: thy cruel wish restrain. "Why then (quoth he) in looms of fate were wove "The lives of those, in long fucceffive train,
"From her to fpring, thro' yon bright tracts to rove? "Due to the skyes, and meant to shine in fields above?
"Say, would thy goodness envy them the light "Appointed for them, or the good prevent "Foreseen from them to flow? eracing quite "The whole creation thro' avengement? "One only species from its order rent, "The whole creation fhrivels to a fhade..
“ —Better all vanish'd, said she, than be meint "In wild confufion; through free will misled, "And tempted to go wrong from punishment delay'd."
"Let me that exemplary vengeance bear, (Benign return'd her amiable fon :)
Justice on her would lose its aim; severe "In vain, productive of no good; for none "Could by that defolating blow be won, "So falls each generous purpose of the will "Correct, extinguish'd by abortion :
"Whence justice would its own intendments fpill; "And cut off virtue, by the stroke meant vice to kill.
<< Yet left impunity fhould forehead give To vice, in me let guilt adopted find
66 A victim; here awhile vouchsafe me live "Thy proof of juftice, mixt with mercy kind!"
---Oh! ftrange request (quoth fhe) of pity blind! "How shouldft thou fuffer, who didft ne'er offend? "How canft thou bear to be from me difloin'd?
To wander here, where nature 'gins to wend To wafte and wilderness, and pleasures have an end ?”
You, Venus, fuffer, (faid fhe) when you ftrike "Not for your own, but others foul offence :
"Why not permitted I to do the like,
"When greater good, I fee, will coul from thence? "That greater good orepays all punishments; "And makes my fuff'rings, pleasure: if they prove "A means to conquer Anteros, dispense
Healings to Pfyche's wounds, regain her love,
« And lead her, with her happy sons, to realms above."
"To thy intreaties Pfyche's life I give, (Replied th' indulgent mother to her fon ;) "But yet deform'd, and minish'd let her live;'
“ 'Till thou shalt grant a better change foredone;
"Nor fhall that change, but thro' death gates be won. "This meed be thine, ore her and hers to reign! "Already Nature puts her horrors on: "Away!-I to my bow'r of blifs again! "Thou to thy task of love, and voluntary pain."
She went; and like a shifted stage, the scene Vanished at once; th' ambrofial plants were loft; The jarring feafons brought on various teen ; Each fought, each fecking, each by other croft. Young spring to fummer flies from winter's froft; While fweltry fummer thirfts for autumn's bowl, Which autumn holds to winter; winter toft
With fcorn away, young spring inflames his foul : Still craving, never pleas'd, thus round and round they roll.
Th' inclement airs bind up the fluggish foil; The fluggish foil the toilfome hand requires ; Yet thankless pays with four harsh fruits the toil; Ne willing yields, but ragged thorns and briers. Birds, birds purfue; as hunger's rage inspires: Their sweetest fongs are now but fongs of woe. Here from th' encroaching fhore the wave retires : There hoarfe floods roar; impetuous torrents flow; Invade the land, and the scarce harvests overthrow.
Stretcht on the bank eftfoons th' inviting form Of Pfyche faded; brac'd up lank and slim, Her dwindled body fhrunk into a worm : Her make new moulded, chang'd in ev'ry limb; Her colours only left, all pale and dim: Doom'd in her caterpillar's shape to lout. Her paffions ill fuch worthless thing beseem; Pride, rage, and vanity to banish out,
She creeping crawls, and drags a loathfome length about.
How Cupid wash'd her noisome filth away What arts he tried to win her love again; By what wiles guileful Ant'ros did assay, By leafing, ftill her recreant to maintain, And render Cupid's kindly labours vain : Their combat, Cupid's conqueft, Pfyche's crown, (My day's fet tafk here ended) must remain Unfung; far nobler verse mote they renown: Unyoke the toiled fteers, the weary fun goes down.
Quifnam igitur liber? Sapiens, ibique imperiofus; Quem neque pauperies, neque mors, neque vincula terrent : Refponfare cupidinibus, contemnere honores
Fortis; et in feipfo totus teres atque rotundus.
HOR. Serm. Lib. II. Sat. 7.
AIL LIBERTY! whofe prefence glads th' abode
Of heav'n itself, great attribute of God!
By thee fuftain'd, th' unbounded spirit runs, Moulds orbs on orbs, and lights up funs on funs; By thee fuftain'd, in love unwearied lives, And uncontroul'd creates, fupports, forgives: No pow'r, or time, or space his will withstood; Almighty! endlefs! infinite in good!
"Iffo, why not communicate the bliss, "And let man know what this great bleffing is ?" Say what proportion, creature, wouldft thou claim; As thy Creator's, in extent, the fame!
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