Bending to look on me. I started back, It started back, but pleased I soon returned, Pleased it returned as soon with answering looks Of sympathy and love; there I had fixed
Mine eyes till now, and pined with vain desire Had not a voice thus warned me, What thou seest, What there thou seest, fair creature, is thyself, With thee it came and goes: but follow me, And I will bring thee where no shadow stays Thy coming, and thy soft embraces; he Whose image thou art, him thou shalt enjoy Inseparably thine; to him shalt bear Multitudes like thyself, and thence be called Mother of human race. What could I do, But follow straight, invisibly thus led? Till I espied thee, fair indeed and tall, Under a plantain, yet methought less fair, Less winning soft, less amiably mild,
Than that smooth watery image; back I turned, Thou following criedst aloud, Return, fair Eve; Whom fliest thou? whom thou fliest, of him thou art, His flesh, his bone; to give thee being I lent Out of my side to thee, nearest my heart Substantial life, to have thee by my side Henceforth an individual solace dear; Part of my soul I seek thee, and thee claim My other self: with that thy gentle hand Seized mine, I yielded, and from that time see How beauty is excelled by manly grace
And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.
So spake our general mother, and with eyes
Of conjugal attraction unreproved,
And meek surrender, half embracing leaned On our first father, half her swelling breast Naked met his under the flowing gold Of her loose tresses hid: he in delight Both of her beauty and submissive charms Smiled with superior love, as Jupiter
On Juno smiles when he impregns the clouds That shed May flowers; and pressed her matron lip With kisses pure.
The Passionate Shepherd to his Love.
COME live with me, and be my Love, And we will all the pleasures prove That valleys, groves, or hills, or field, Or woods and steepy mountains yield.
Where we will sit upon the rocks, And see the Shepherds feed our flocks By shallow rivers, to whose falls Melodious birds sing madrigals.
And I will make thee beds of roses, And then a thousand fragrant posies, A cap of flowers, and a kirtle Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle.
A gown made of the finest wool, Which from our pretty lambs we pull; Slippers lined choicely for the cold, With buckles of the purest gold.
A belt of straw, and ivy-buds, With coral clasps and amber studs; And if these pleasures may thee move, Come live with me, and be my Love. Thy silver dishes for thy meat, As precious as the Gods do eat, Shall on an ivory table be Prepared each day for thee and me.
The Shepherd-Swains shall dance and sing, For thy delight, each May-morning: If these delights thy mind may move, Then live with me, and be my Love.
If all the world and love were young, And truth in every Shepherd's tongue, These pretty pleasures might me move To live with thee, and be thy Love.
But time drives flocks from field to fold, When rivers rage, and rocks grow cold; Then Philomel becometh dumb,
And age complains of care to come.
The flowers do fade, and wanton fields To wayward Winter reckoning yields, A honey tongue, a heart of gall, Is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall.
Thy gowns, thy shoes, thy beds of roses, Thy cap, thy kirtle, and thy posies, Soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten, In folly ripe, in reason rotten.
Thy belt of straw, and ivy-buds, Thy coral clasps, and amber studs, All these in me no means can move To come to thee, and be thy Love.
Why should we talk of dainties then, Of better meat than 's fit for men? These are but vain: that's only good Which God hath blest, and sent for food.
But could youth last, and love still breed, Had joys no date, nor age no need; Then those delights my mind might move To live with thee, and be thy love.
MOTHER of light! how fairly dost thou go Over those hoary crests, divinely led ! Art thou that huntress of the silver bow Fabled of old? Or rather dost thou tread Those cloudy summits thence to gaze below, Like the wild Chamois from her Alpine snow, Where hunter never climbed,-secure from dread? How many antique fancies have I read
Of that mild presence! and how many wrought! Wondrous and bright,
Chasing fair figures with the artist, Thought!
Sometimes I see thee ride
A far-bound galley on its perilous way,
Whilst breezy waves toss up their silvery spray; Sometimes behold thee glide,
Clustered by all thy family of stars,
Like a lone widow, through the welkin wide, Whose pallid cheek the midnight sorrow mars;
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