Chill, dark, alone, adreed, he lay,
Till up the welkin rofe the day,

Then deem'd the dole was o'er :
But wot ye well his harder lot?
His feely back the bunch had got
Which Edwin loft afore.

This tale a Sybil-nurse ared;
She foftly ftroak'd my youngling head,
And when the tale was done,

"Thus fome are born, my fon, fhe cries,
With bafe impediments to rife,

"And fome are born with none.

"But virtue can itself advance

To what the favourite fools of chance
By fortune feem defign'd;

Virtue can gain the odds of fate,

"And from itself shake off the weight

"Upon th' unworthy mind."

1

PER

THE VIGIL OF VENUS.

Written in the time of JULIUS CAESAR, and by fome afcribed to CATULLUS.

L

ET thofe love now, roho never lov'd before;
Let those who always lov'd, now love the more.
The fpring, the new, the warbling spring appears,
The youthful feason of reviving years;

. In fpring the loves enkindle mutual heats,
The feather'd nation chuse their tuneful mates,
The trees grow fruitful with defcending rain,
And dreft in differing greens adorn the plain.
She comes; to-morrow Beauty's empress roves
Through walks that winding run within the groves;
She twines the shooting myrtle into bowers,

And ties their meeting tops with wreaths of flowers,
Then, rais'd fublimely on her eafy throne,
From Nature's powerful dictates draws her own.

Let thofe love now, who never low'd before;
Let thofe who always lov'd, now love the more.

4

'Twas on that day which saw the teeming flood
Swell round, impregnate with celestial blood;
Wandering in circles stood the finny crew,
The midft was left a void expanse of blue,
There parent ocean work'd with heaving throes,
And dropping wet the fair Dione rofc.

Let

Let thofe love now, who never lov'd before; Let thofe who always lov'd, now love the more.

She paints the purple year with vary'd show, Tips the green gem, and makes the blossom glow. She makes the turgid buds receive the breeze,

Expand to leaves, and fhade the naked trees.
When gathering damps the misty nights diffuse,
She sprinkles all the morn with balmy dews;
Bright trembling pearls depend at every spray,
And, kept from falling, feem to fall away.
A gloffy freshnefs hence the rose receives,
And blushes fweet through all her filken leaves
(The drops descending through the silent night,
While stars ferenely roll their golden light):
Close till the morn, her humid veil fhe holds;
Then deckt with virgin pomp the flower unfolds.
Soon will the morning blush: ye maids!

prepare,

In rofy garlands bind your flowing hair;
'Tis Venus' plant: the blood fair Venus fhed,
O'er the gay beauty pour'd immortal red ;
From Love's foft kifs a fweet ambrofial smell
Was taught for ever on the leaves to dwell;
From gems, from flames, from orient rays of light,
The richeft luftre makes her purple bright;
And the to-morrow weds; the fporting gale
Unties her zone, fhe bursts the verdant veil;
Through all her fweets the rifling lover flies,
And as he breathes, her glowing fires arise.

Let thofe love now, who never lov'd before;
Let those who always lov'd, now love the more.

Now fair Dione to the myrtle grove

Sends the gay Nymphs, and fends her tender love.
And shall they venture? Is it fafe to go,

While Nymphs have hearts, and Cupid wears a bow?
Yes, fafely venture, 'tis his mother's will;
He walks unarm'd, and undefigning ill,
His torch extinct, his quiver ufeleis hung,
His arrows idle, and his bow unstrung.

And yet, ye Nymphs, beware; his eyes have charms;
And love that 's naked, ftill is love in arms.

Let thofe love now, who never lov'd before;
Let thofe who always lov'd, now love the more.
From Venus' bower to Delia's lodge repairs
A virgin train complete with modest airs :
"Chafte Delia, grant our fuit! or fhun the wood,
"Nor ftain this facred lawn with favage blood.
"Venus, O Delia ! if he could perfuade,
"Would ask thy prefence, might the afk a maid."
Here chearful quires for three aufpicious nights
With fongs prolong the pleafurable rites :
Here crouds in measure lightly-decent rove;
Or feek by pairs the covert of the grove,
Where meeting greens for arbours arch above,
And mingling flowrets ftrow the scenes of love,
Here dancing Ceres shakes her golden fheaves;
Here Bacchus.revels, deck'd with viny leaves :
Here Wit's enchanting God, in lawrel crown'd,
Wakes all the ravifh'd hours with filver found.
Ye fields, ye forefts, own Dione's reign,
And Delia, huntrefs. Delia, fhun the plain.

Let

Let thofe love now, who never lov'd before,
Let thofe who always lov'd, now love the more.
Gay with the bloom of all her opening year,
The Queen at Hybla bids her throne appear;
And there prefides; and there the favourite band
(Her fmiling graces) fhare the great command.
Now, beauteous Hybla! drefs thy flowery beds
With all the pride the lavish season sheds;
Now all thy colours, all thy fragrance yield,
And rival Enna's aromatic field.

To fill the prefence of the gentle court,

From every quarter rural nymphs refort.

From woods, from mountains, from their humble vales,
From waters curling with the wanton gales.
Pleas'd with the joyful train, the laughing queen
In circles feats them round the bank of green;

And, Lovely girls, fhe whispers, guard your hearts : "My boy, though ftript of arms, abounds in arts.”

Let thofe love now, who never lov`d before;
Let thofe who always lov'd, now love the more.
Let tender grafs in fhaded alleys spread,
Let early flowers erect their painted head,
To-morrow's glory be to-morrow. seen,
That day, old Ether wedded Earth in gree
The vernal father bid the Spring appear,
In clouds he coupled to produce the year,
The fap defcending o'er her bosom ran,
And all the various forts of foul began.
By wheels unknown to fight, by fecret veins
Diftilling life, the fruitful goddess reigns,

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