Thou too, bright goddess, once in Ida's grove,
Didst not difdain to meet a fhepherd's love,
With him while frisking lambs around you play'd,
Conceal'd you sported in the fecret shade;
Scarce could Anchifes' raptures equal mine,
And Delia's beauties only yield to thine.

What are you now, my once moft valu'd joys,
Infipid trifles all, and childish toys-
Friendship itself ne'er knew a charm like this,
Nor Colin's talk could please like Delia's kiss.
Ye Muses, skill'd in every winning art,
Teach me more deeply to engage her heart;
Ye Nymphs, to her your freshest roses bring,
And crown her with the pride of all the fpring;
On all her days let health and peace attend;
May she ne'er want, nor ever lofe a friend;
May fome new pleasure every hour employ;
But let her Damon be her highest joy.

With thee, my Love, for ever will I stay,
All night carefs thee, and admire all day;
In the fame field our mingled flocks we'll feed,
To the fame spring our thirsty heifers lead,
Together will we share the harvest toils,

Together prefs the vine's autumnal spoils,

Delightful state, where peace and love combine,
To bid our tranquil days unclouded shine!
Here limpid fountains roll through flow'ry meads,
Here rifing forests lift their verdant heads;
Here let me wear my careless life away,
And in thy arms infenfibly decay.

When late old age our heads fhall filver o'er,
And our flow pulfes dance with joy no more;
When time no longer will thy beauties spare,
And only Damon's eye fhall think thee fair;
Then
may the gentle hand of welcome death,
At one foft ftroke deprive us both of breath;
May we beneath one common ftone be laid,
And the fame cypress both our ashes shade.
Perhaps fome friendly Mufe, in tender verse,
Shall deign our faithful paffion to rehearse,
And future ages with just envy mov'd,
Be told how Damon and his Delia lov'd.

SOLI

"TWA

WAS night; and FLAVIA to her room retir'd,
With ev'ning chat and fober reading tir'd;

There melancholy, penfive, and alone,

She meditates on the forfaken town:

On her rais'd arm reclin'd her drooping head, She figh'd, and thus in plaintive accents faid : "Ah, what avails it to be young and fair,

"To move with negligence, to dress with care? "What worth have all the charms our pride can boast, "If all in envious folitude are loft?

"Where none admire, 'tis useless to excel;

"Where none are Beaus, 'tis vain to be a Belle:

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"Beauty, like wit, to judges fhould be shewn;
"Both most are valu'd where they beft are known.

"With every grace of nature, or of art,
"We cannot break one stubborn country heart;
"The brutes, infenfible, our pow'r defy :
"To love exceeds a 'Squire's capacity.

"The town, the court, is Beauty's proper sphere;
"That is our heav'n, and we are angels There:
"In that gay circle thousand Cupids rove,

"The court of Britain is the court of Love.

"How has my conscious heart with triumph glow'd,. "How have my sparkling eyes their transport shew'd, "At each distinguish'd birth-night ball, to fee "The homage due to empire, paid to me!

"When every eye was fix'd on me alone,

"And dreaded mine more than the monarch's frown : "When rival statesmen for my favour ftrove,

"Lefs jealous in their pow'r, than in their love,
"Chang'd is the scene; and all my glories die,
"Like flow'rs transplanted to a colder sky;

"Loft is the dear delight of giving pain,
"The tyrant joy of hearing flaves complain.
"In stupid indolence my life is spent,

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Supinely calm, and dully innocent:

"Unbleft I wear my useless time away;

Sleep (wretched maid!) all night, and dream all day ;

"Go

"Go at fet hours to dinner and to prayer; "For dulness ever must be regular.

"Now with mamma at tedious whift I play; "Now without scandal drink infipid tea; "Or in the garden breathe the country air, "Secure from meeting any Tempter there: "From books to work, from work to books I rove, "And am (alas!) at leifure to improve!

"Is this the life a Beauty ought to lead?

"Were eyes fo radiant only made to read?

"These fingers, at whose touch ev'n age would glow, "Are these of use for nothing but to few? "Sure erring Nature never could design

"To form a housewife in a mould like mine! "O Venus, queen and guardian of the fair,

Attend propitious to thy vot'ry's pray'r:

"Let me revifit the dear town again :

"Let me be seen!-could I that wish obtain,

"All other wishes my own pow'r would gain."

}

BLEN