The LADY who offers her LOOKING GLASS to VENUS.. Taken from an Epigram of PLATO. ENUS, take iny votive glass ; VEN Since I am not what I was; What from this day I shall be, Venus, let me never fee. CLOE JEALOUS. I. FOR ORBEAR to afk me, why I weep; For mind I what you late have writ ? The ways, where changing Cupid flies ? III. Your riddle purpos'd to rehearse The general power that beauty has : But why did no peculiar verse Describe one charm of Cloe's face? IV. The glass, which was at Venus' shrine, Which fhew'd how youth and beauty fade: V. Ten thousand trifles light as these Nor can my rage, nor anger, move: When in my glass I chanc'd to look ; That every grace, which thence I took, Should know to charm my Damon more. Reading thy verfe; who heeds, faid. I; Whose heart to me is always true! VIII. My bloom indeed, my little flower Yet car'd I not what might prefage Or withering wreath, or fleeting youth; Love I esteem'd more strong than Age, And Time lefs permanent than Truth. X. Why then I weep, forbear to know: I ever yet conceal'd from thee. The fecret wound with which I bleed Answer to CLOE JEALOUS, in the fame Stile; the AUTHOR fick. I. YES, faireft proof of Beauty's power, Dear idol of my panting heart, Nature points this my fatal hour: nor fhed a tear; Heave thou no figh, Left yet my half-clos'd eye may view, III. From Jealoufy's tormenting ftrife Content I haften to the dead. IV. Yet IV. Yet when some better-fated youth Shall with his amorous parly move thee; A BETTER ANSWER. DEAR Cloc, how blubber'd is that pretty face! Thy cheek all on fire, and thy hair all uncurl'd: Pr'ythee quit this caprice; and (as old Falstaff says) Let us ev'n talk a little like folks of this world. II. How canft thou prefume, thou haft leave to destroy The beauties, which Venus but lent to thy keeping? Those looks were defign'd to inspire love and joy : More ordinary eyes may ferve people for weeping. III. To be vext at a trifle or two that I writ, Your judgment at once, and my paffion, you wrong: You take that for fact, which will scarce be found wit: Od's-life! muft one fwear to the truth of a fong? IV. What I fpeak, my fair Cloe, and what I write, fhews I court others in verse; but I love thee in prose : VOL. I. K V. The V. The God of us verse-men (you know, child) the Sun, If at morning o'er earth 'tis his fancy to run; So when I am weary'd with wandering all day; Then finish, dear Cloe, this paftoral war; PALLAS AND VENUS. AN EPIGRAM. HE Trojan Swain had judg'd the great difpute, THE And Beauty's power obtain'd the golden fruit; When Venus, loofe in all her naked charms, Met Jove's great daughter clad in fhining arms. The wanton goddess view'd the warlike maid From head to foot, and tauntingly she said: Yield, fifter; rival, yield naked, you fee, I vanquish guess how potent I fhould be, If to the field I came in armour dreft; Dreadful, like thine, my fhield, and terrible : my creft! The |