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Anxius? ô quam fæpe oculis muliebria paffim
Ora pererrabam, cari veftigia vultus

Siqua forent? libuit folio mihi fæpe relicto
Solam inter tacitos fylvarum ambire receffus:
Sæpe etiam in fomnis per longa filentia noctis,
Floriferafque fuper Valles, perque alta fequebar
Flumina furgentem auroram fpectare pigebat,
Cum fugerent gratæ fraudes & amabilis Error.

Dum fremeret trepidante diu fub pectore luctans, Et magis atque magis fervefceret Æftus Amoris; Evicit tandem fines; Rationis habenas Audire impatiens, rapido fefe impete volvit, Molliaque indignans Naturæ fædera rupit.

Montibus haud aliter fummis,quorum antra coercent Concava congeftafque nives pluviafque tumentes, Dum fpatiis nimis anguftis negat unda teneri; Sefe præcipitem Torrens agit, ut fuga nulla Prævertat curfu, vis nulla retardet euntem: Quin urbes rapiens fylvafque armenta virosque Obruit; horrefcit communi funere tellus, Et referunt procul ingeminatum Saxa dolorem.

Jam

How oft, with Sighs, view'd every Female Face,
Where mimic Fancy might her Likeness trace?
How oft defir'd to fly from ISRAEL'S Throne,
And live in Shades with Her and Love alone?
How oft, all Night, purfu'd her in my Dreams,
O'er flow'ry Vallies, and thro' Crystal Streams;
And waking, view'd with Grief the rifing Sun,
And fondly mourn'd the dear Delufion gone?

When thus the gather'd Storms of wretched Love, In my fwoln Bofom, with long War had ftrove; At length they broke their Bounds; at length their Force Bore down whatever met it's stronger Course: Lay'd all the Civil Bonds of Manhood waste; And scatter'd Ruin as the Torrent past.

So from the Hills, whofe hollow Caves contain
The congregated Snow, and fwelling Rain;
'Till the full Stores their antient Bounds difdain;
Precipitate the furious Torrent flows:

In vain would Speed avoid, or Strength oppose:
Towns,Forefts, Herds, and Men promifcuous drown'd,
With one great Death deform the dreary Ground:
The echo'd Woes from diftant Rocks refound.

And

Jamque, furor quocunque rapit, Quæ turpiter aufi, Oblitus decorifque mei Soliique paterni!

Ut falfis acclivem animum per mille fecutus
Ambages Vitii curvas, cæcofque receffus!
Jam patrias, jamque externâ de gente puellas
Sordidus in thalami gremium commune recepi.
Mutavi flammam affiduè: Quamcunque beatam
Viderat una dies, neglectam poftera vidit;
Utque animum movit fluitantem incerta libido,
Has, illas, arfi impatiens, captafque reliqui.
O! precor, ô! fugiant mortalia lumina Scenæ
Infames; tacitam inducant Oblivia nubem;
Et nigram errorum Seriem fuper incubet umbra
Denfior, offufæque æterna filentia noctis!

Vel feri tantum compendia parva Nepotes

Et fcelerum figna accipiant, quibus undique Gentes Cognofcant monitæ, vitiis Opprobria nafci,

Et certos Levitate animi fluxiffe Dolores.

Defidiâ languens penitùs luxuque folutus,

Noctem epulis ludifque, & fomno perdere lucem Confuêram: tandem oppressas nova pabula flammas Accumulata necant; aciefque hebetatur amori Mutato toties; propriâ vi fracta libido

Decidit, & laffam fubierunt tædia mentem.

Quin

And now, what impious Ways my Wishes took; How they the Monarch, and the Man forfook; And how I follow'd an abandon'd Will,

Thro' crooked Paths, and fad Retreats of Ill;

HOW JUDAH's Daughters now, now foreign Slaves,
By turns my prostituted Bed receives:

Thro' Tribes of Women how I loosely rang'd
Impatient; lik'd To-night, To-morrow chang'd;
And by the Inftinct of capricious Luft,
Enjoy'd, difdain'd, was grateful, or unjuft:
O, be these Scenes from human Eyes conceal'd,
In Clouds of decent Silence juftly veil'd!
O, be the wanton Images convey'd

To black Oblivion, and eternal Shade!

Or let their fad Epitome alone,

And outward Lines to future Age be known,

Enough to propagate the fure Belief,

That Vice engenders Shame; and Folly broods o'er Grief.

Bury'd in Sloth, and loft in Ease I lay:"

The Night I revell'd; and I flept the Day.
New Heaps of Fewel damp'd my kindling Fires;
And daily Change extinguish'd young Defires.
By its own Force deftroy'd, Fruition ceas'd ;
And always weary'd, I was never pleas'd.

L

No

Quin Animus prifcum queritur periiffe vigorem,
Incultufque diu, amiffas defiderat artes;

Jàm neque Judicii fanum mihi reftat acumen,
Quo vera amplecti valeam, fecludere falfa:
Torpefcunt pigri fenfus; mentique fepultæ
Ingenii veteris veftigia nulla fuperfunt.
Ducit opes fenfim mala confuetudo, laborque
Et Virtus ingrata movent faftidia; fractæ
Paulatim frigent effato in corpore vires,
Et blando ulteriùs Vitio fupereffe recufant.

Imperium extendunt deliria noftra puellis; Succubui, facilis votis, patienfque minarum ; Nympha fuperba jubet nunc Perfica fyrmate longo Verrere humum & lento fpectandum incedere paffu; Jamque Syra (indignum!) cantus interque Choreas Crure tenùs medio veftes fuccingere cogit.

Illecebris captus, ritufque & diffona Sacra, Quidlibet infanum fuadente fequebar Amicâ. Dira Philiftina vereor dum juffa, Dagonis Invifi ante aras adolefcit flamma; regente Pellice Chaldaica, Chaldææ altaria fumant, Affyrioque Deo fervent redolentia Thura. Ufq; novæ meretrici aræ rubuere recentes,

Quot

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