Languidiùs Vox illa, argutiùs illa fonabat,
Altera inops artis, nimis altera prodiga vifa eft;
Nec placuere mihi numeri, nifi funderet Abra
Sola melos: Sociis prælata, infignior ibat;
Nec tenuis nitidos comitata eft gloria cultus.
Ar&tiùs ut crines cohibebat fplendida Vitta,
Pulcrior emicuit contractæ gratia frontis;
Utque tumefcebant nive candidiora, Pyropi
Pectora vicini commendavere rubores:
Baccatæ armillæ teretes auxere lacertos,
Et varii varium decus incendere lapilli.
Quin magis ut placuit, magis hinc ftudiofa placendi Gratior effulfit radiantis confcia formæ.
Jam tandem veteris repetita opprobria flammæ
Refpicere à tergo poteram & culpata fateri:
Saucia corda libet paulùm lenire viciffim,
Conceptofque fovere aftris melioribus ignes.
Quid (dixi) ferat Abra mali? quæ caufa timoris?
Tam tenera infultare poteft? tam blandula lædet?
Unquamne ambivit quidquam nifi poffe placere?
Deliciis fruar illæfus, facilemque receffum
Too flat I-thought This Voice, and That too fhrill;
One show'd too much, and one too little Skill:
Nor could my Soul approve the Mufic's Tone;
'Till all was hush'd, and ABRA fung alone.
Fairer She feem'd, diftinguish'd from the reft;
And better Mein disclos'd, as better dreft.
A bright Tiara round her Forehead ty'd,
To jufter Bounds confin'd it's rifing Pride:
The blushing Ruby on her fnowy Breast,
Render'd it's panting Whiteness more confefs'd;
Bracelets of Pearl gave Roundess to her Arm;
And ev'ry Gem augmented ev'ry Charm.
Her Senfes pleas'd, her Beauty ftill improv'd:
And She more lovely grew, as more belov'd.
And now I could behold, avow, and blame
The feveral Follies of my former Flame;
Willing my Heart for Recompence to prove
The certain Joys that lye in profp'rous Love.
For what, faid I, from ABRA can I fear,
Too humble to infult, too foft to be fevere?
The Dam'fel's fole Ambition is to please:
With Freedom I may like, and quit with Eafe:
Inveniam; fine fraude animum folabitur Abra;
Et Pax alma femel comitem sese addet amori.
iniquæ
Magne Deus, quam cæcus Homo eft! quam fortis
Ludibrium infelix; laqueos fibi tendere natus!
Viribus heu! noftris nimiùm confidimus; hoftis
Nec fatis infidias adverfaque tela cavemus:
Altiùs inflatas ventofa fuperbia mentes
Attollit, vanoque incendit amore placendi.
Summa Voluptatis temerè per labra vagamur,
Dum revocare licet veftigia: nulla peric'li
Securos terret facies; frænifque remiffis
Nos ubicunque rapi ventis præbemus & undæ.
Florifero deinde in prato aut viridante sub umbrâ
Lafcivè fufi languentia membra, repletos
Inter Crateras, variéque nitentia ferta,
Æquora ridentes volvi propiora videmus:
Dum tandem erumpens violentior ingruit Æftus,
Turbidus immifcet terramque & Sydera nimbus;
Præcipitefque per Oceani spatia ampla rotati
Vexamur fero malè credula corda dolore:
Se circum capita agglomerant pereuntia fluctus,
Mærentique oculo tellus contracta recedit.
She fooths, but never can enthrall my Mind:
Why may not Peace and Love for once be join'd?
Great Heav'n! how frail thy Creature Man is made! How by Himself infenfibly betray'd!
In our own Strength unhappily secure,
Too little cautious of the adverse Pow'r;
And by the Blaft of Self-opinion mov'd,
We wish to charm, and seek to be belov'd.
On Pleasure's flowing Brink We idly stray,
Masters as yet of our returning Way:
Seeing no Danger, We disarm our Mind;
And give our Conduct to the Waves and Wind:
Then in the flow'ry Mead, or verdant Shade
To wanton Dalliance negligently laid,
We weave the Chaplet, and We crown the Bowl;
And smiling fee the nearer Waters roll;
'Till the strong Gufts of raging Paffion rife;
'Till the dire Tempeft mingles Earth and Skies;
And swift into the boundless Ocean born,
Our foolish Confidence too late We mourn:
Round our devoted Heads the Billows beat;
And from our troubled View the leffen'd Lands retreat.
O latè dominator Amor! tua fceptra latentem Quà tutum exquiret Pectus mortale receffum? Quas paret Ingenium oppofitas tot fraudibus artes? Quæ varias aperire poteft Sapientia formas Infidiis veftris ritè infervire paratas,
Cum miferos fævo meditaris perdere ludo?
Nympha fuperba hodie, jactans fe, pulcra nocendi Arma palam induitur, belloque laceffit inermes: Elato vultu inceffuque patet Dea: ftat mens Inconcuffa, ferox, erectaque cafibus, audet Spernere terrena, & fati ridere furorem.
Interea fcuto præcordia fepta virili
Claudentes, dum non inhonefta Superbia munit;
Ducimur egregiæ laudis muliebria Gefta
Mirari, noftræ virtutis imagine capti.
Quæ placuiffe poteft, facili dulcedine vincet;
Quos hodie incendit, cras fub juga mittet amantes.
Vitra oculis Ratio prætendere fida videtur;
Quàm fallax! Formæ quàm incerta refultat Imago!
Mirantes animum, & perculfi luminis igne,
Dum Nymphæ canimus laudes, fperamus amores.
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