Quis malus hic languor? vel quæ tam fera moratur Segnities? rapienda Animus cur gaudia differt? Quin agite ô fidi citius properate miniftri, Lætitiæque alacres optata adducite dona. Omnis Amicarum cætus Sponfæque frequentes

Indutæ nitidos, celebrent convivia, cultus;

Quas plaga noftra tulit, quas extera regna, volentum Munera feu Regum fuerint, feu præmia Martis. Ordine quæque fuo noftri ftudiofa favoris

Prodeat, & meritam referet Pulcherrima palmam.

Hæc ubi dicta, onerant menfas, cyathofque coronant; Unà omnes studiifque favent, fremituque fecundo; Nec mora, progreditur Nympharum fplendidus Ordo: Ante alias Una arripuit tenuitque morantes Ardentefque oculos: memori quàm pectore fervo Semina nafcentis flammæ, dulcefque dolorum Primitias! Virgo plenis jam nubilis annis, Gentis erat Phariæ: quæ læti gratia vultûs Spirabat! quæ forma! ut mollia membra movebat, Inceffu facili greffus ornata decoros! Pectore candenti teretes tumuere papillæ, Nec Zona cohibente: fluebat nigra foluto Cæfaries nodo, multoque errabat in orbe Per nitidos diffufa humeros & lactea Colla.

Ore

Why therefore hefitates my doubtful Breast?
Why ceafes it one Moment to be bleft?

Fly fwift, my Friends; my Servants, fly; imploy
Your inftant Pains to bring your Mafter Joy.
Let all my Wives and Concubines be drefs'd:
Let them to-night attend the Royal Feast;
All ISRAEL'S Beauty, all the foreign Fair,
The Gifts of Princes, or the Spoils of War.
Before their Monarch They shall singly pass;
And the most Worthy fhall obtain the Grace.

I faid: the Feaft was ferv'd: the Bowl was crown'd:
To the King's Pleasure went the mirthful Round:
The Women came: as Customs wills, they past:
On One (O that distinguish'd One!) I caft

The fav'rite Glance: O! yet my Mind retains
That fond Beginning of my infant Pains.
Mature the Virgin was of EGYPT'S Race:

Grace fhap'd her Limbs; and Beauty deck'd her Face:

Eafy her Motion feem'd, ferene her Air:

Full, tho' unzon'd, her Bofom rofe: her Hair

Unty'd, and ignorant of artful Aid,

Adown her Shoulders loosely lay display'd;

And in the Jetty Curls ten thousand CUPIDS play'd.

Ore avido intuitus Nympham, placidoque beatus Vulnere, adefte (inquam) nascentem augete Sodales Lætitiam, mollique toro properate recentes Accumulare rofas, dum prodiga veris odori

Copia deficiat; lasciva in tempora Myrrhæ
Lacrymulas fuavemque Electri fundite rorem,
Fundite opes Arabum varias: date carmen amicum,
Et pulfate lyram fidibufque adjuncta canoris
Tympana; Tuque ades, ô formæ pulcherrima Virgo,
Tu, cujus rosea ora & clari fulgur ocelli
Delicias fpirant, toto quas pectore Princeps
Exoptat: palmam referas, atque annue votis.
O Virgo ante alias, quam regius ardet Amator,
Eoum qui fceptra quatit metuenda per orbem!

Sic fatus, Solioque fimul delapfus ab aureo, Paffu humili accedens, oblati pignus amoris Tendebam fupplex; altæque Infignia Frontis Exutus, Nymphæ crines ornare parabam, Sollicito prodens ardentia pectora vultu.

O Virgo dilecta (iterumque iterumque rogabam)

Indue, quam merita es, palmam, & fpectanda decora Præmia frontis habe; Sociis prælata puellis

Splendebis; Sociæ peragent tua jufsa puellæ.

Surge age, deliciæ; fequere ô mea fola voluptas! Pro

Fix'd on her Charms, and pleas'd that I could love, Aid me my Friends, contribute to improve Your Monarch's Blifs, I faid; fresh Roses bring To ftrow my Bed; 'till the impov'rish'd Spring Confefs her Want; around my am'rous Head Be dropping Myrrhe, and liquid Amber shed, "Till ARAB has no more. From the foft Lyre, Sweet Flute, and ten-ftring'd Inftrument, require Sounds of Delight: and Thou, fair Nymph, draw nigh; Thou, in whose graceful Form, and potent Eye Thy Mafter's Joy long fought at length is found; And as thy Brow, let my Defires be crown'd; O fav'rite Virgin, that haft warm'd the Breast, Whose sov'reign Dictates fubjugate the Eaft!

I faid; and fudden from the golden Throne
With a fubmiffive Step I hafted down.
The glowing Garland from my Hair I took,
Love in my Heart, Obedience in my Look;
Prepar❜d to place it on her comely Head:
O fav'rite Virgin! (yet again I faid)
Receive the Honors deftin'd to thy Brow;
And Ọ above thy Fellows happy Thou!
Their Duty muft thy fov'reign Word obey.
Rife up, my Love; my fair One, come away.

What

Protinus heu ! quantus dolor ingruit! ut furor ardens Invafit fenfus, & perculit intima cordis;

Cum fertum abjecit Virgo, faftuque modesto
Triftior, avertens candentia colla, refugit!

Luctantem juffit celare Superbia curam;
Ægrum animum queror, & fomni Solatia pofco :
Mox Epulas medias dejectâ fronte reliqui
Sollicitus; fidæque dedi mandata Cohorti,
Qui fervant noftras veteri de more puellas,

Ut ducant Nympham thalami in fecreta, torisque
Ornatis Dominum inftantem fperare juberent.

Anxius atque moræ impatiens (Amor Iraq; mentem Præcipitant) Nympham fequor indefeffus iniquam; Acceffi donifque petens precibufque fatigans, Imbellefque iterum gemitus & mollia vota Turpiter effudi; querulo jam murmure fupplex, Elatâ mox voce minans: neglectaque dona Ante pedes iterum pofui; feu mallet Amoris Cedere deliciis, feu certæ occumbere morti.

Illa fed invictas aures inimica tenebat; Et paulùm avertens, irâ mistoque dolore,

Occu