A purer azure. Thro' the lightened air A higher luftre and a clearer calm, Diffufive, tremble; while, as if in fign. Of danger paft, a glittering robe of joy Set off abundant by the yellow ray,
Invefts the fields, and Nature fmiles, reviv'd. 'Tis beauty all and grateful fong around, Join'd to the low of kine, and numerous bleat Of flocks thick-nibbling thro' the clover'd vale. And shall the hymn be marr'd by thankless Man, 1235 Most favour'd, who with voice articulate
Should lead the chorus of this lower world? Shall he, fo foon forgetful of the hand
That hufh'd the thunder, and ferenes the sky, Extinguish'd feel that spark the tempeft wak'd, 1240 That fenfe of powers exceeding far his own, Ere yet his feeble heart has loft its fears?
Cheer'd by the milder beam, the fprightly youth Speeds to the well-known pool, whofe crystal depth A fandy bottom fhews. A while he stands, Gazing th' inverted landscape, half afraid To meditate the blue profound below,
Then plunges headlong down the circling flood. His ebon treffes and his rofy cheek
Inftant emerge, and thro' th' obedient wave, 1250 At each fhort breathing by his lip repell'd, With arms and legs according well, he makes,
As humour leads, an easy-winding path,
While from his polish'd fides a dewy light Effufes on the pleas'd spectators round.
This is the pureft exercise of health,
The kind refresher of the summer heats; Nor when cold Winter keens the brightening flood Would I, weak-shivering, linger on the brink. Thus life redoubles, and is oft' preserv'd, By the bold fwimmer, in the swift illapse Of accident difaftrous. Hence the limbs Knit into force; and the fame Roman arm That rofe victorious o'er the conquer'd earth, First learn'd, while tender, to fubdue the wave. 1265 Even from the body's purity the mind Receives a fecret fympathetic aid.
Clofe in the covert of an hazel copfe,
Where winded into pleasing folitudes
Runs out the rambling dale, young Damon fat, 1270 Penfive, and pierc'd with love's delightful pangs: There to the ftream that down the diftant rocks Hoarfe-murmuring fell, and plaintive breeze that Among the bending willows, falfely he Of Mufidora's cruelty complain'd.
She felt his flame; but deep within her breast, In bashful coynefs, or in maiden pride, The foft return conceal'd, fave when it ftole In fide-long glances from her downcast eye, Or from her fwelling foul in ftifled fighs. Touch'd by the fcene, no ftranger to his vows, Volume I.
He fram'd a melting lay to try her heart, And if an infant paffion struggled there, To call that paffion forth. Thrice happy fwain ! A lucky chance, that oft' decides the fate Of mighty monarchs, then decided thine: For, lo! conducted by the laughing Loves, This cool retreat his Mufidora fought:
Warm in her cheek the fultry feafon glow'd; And, rob'd in loose array, she came to bathe 1290 Her fervent limbs in the refreshing stream. What fhall he do? In fweet confufion loft, And dubious flutterings, he a while remain'd: A pure ingenuous elegance of foul,
A delicate refinement, known to few, Perplex'd his breast, and urg'd him to retire; But Love forbade. Ye Prudes, in virtue, fay, Say, ye Severeft, what would you have done? Mean time this fairer nymph than ever blest Arcadian ftream, with timid eye around
1300 The banks furveying, stripp'd her beauteous limbs, To taste the lucid coolness of the flood. Ah, then! not Paris on the piny top Of Ida panted stronger, when aside The rival-goddeffes the veil divine
Caft unconfin'd, and gave him all their charms, Than, Damon, thou, as from the fnowy leg And flender foot th' inverted filk fhe drew; As the foft touch diffolv'd the virgin zone,
And thro' the parting robe th' alternate breast, 1310 With youth wild-throbbing, on thy lawless gaze In full luxuriance rofe. But, desperate youth, How durft thou rifque the foul-distracting view, As from her naked limbs, of glowing white, Harmonious fwell'd by Nature's fineft hand, 1315 In folds loose-floating fell the fainter lawn, And fair-expos'd she flood, shrunk from herself, With fancy blufhing, at the doubtful breeze Alarm'd, and starting like the fearful fawn? Then to the flood fhe rufh'd; the parted flood 1320 Its lovely gueft with closing waves receiv'd, And every beauty foftening, every grace Flushing anew, a mellow luftre fhed; As fhines the lily thro' the crystal mild, Or as the rofe amid the morning dew, Fresh from Aurora's hand, more fweetly glows. While thus fhe wanton'd, now beneath the wave But ill-conceal'd, and now with ftreaming locks, That half-embrac'd her in a humid veil, Rifing again, the latent Damon drew
Such mad'ning draughts of beauty to the soul,
As for a while o'erwhelm'd his raptur'd thought With luxury too daring. Check'd, at last, By love's refpectful modefty, he deem'd The theft profane, if aught profane to love
Can e'er be deem'd; and, ftruggling from the shade
With headlong hurry fled; but first these lines,
Trac'd by his ready pencil, on the bank
With trembling hand he threw. "Batheon, my Fair! "Yet unbeheld, fave by the facred eye 1340
"Of faithful Love. I go to guard thy haunt, "To keep from thy recess each vagrant foot, "And each licentious eye." With wild furprise, As if to marble ftruck, devoid of fenfe, A ftupid moment motionless she stood:
So ftands the ftatue* that enchants the world; So bending tries to veil the matchless boast, The mingled beauties of exulting Greece. Recovering, fwift fhe flew to find thofe robes Which blissful Eden knew not; and, array'd 1350 In careless hafte, th' alarming paper fnatch'd: But when her Damon's well-known hand fhe faw, Her terrors vanish'd, and a fofter train
Of mixt emotions, hard to be defcrib'd,
Her fudden bofom feiz'd: fhame void of guilt, 1355 The charming blush of innocence, esteem
And admiration of her lover's flame,
By modefty exalted; even a sense Of self-approving beauty stole across
Her bufy thought. At length a tender calm 1360 Hufh'd by degrees the tumult of her foul, And on the spreading beech, that o'er the stream Incumbent hung, fhe with the sylvan pen
Of rural lovers this confeffion carv'd,
* The Venus of Medici.
« ElőzőTovább » |