The ARGUMEN T.
Paris, having fail'd to Sparta for the obtaining of Helen, whom Venus had promised him as the Reward of his adjudging the Prize of Beauty to her, was nobly there entertain'd by Menelaus, Helen's Hufband; but he being call'd away to Crete, to take Poffeffion of what was left him by his Grandfather Atreus, commends bis Gueft to the Care of his Wife. In his Abfence Paris Courts ber, and writes to her the following Epistle.
LL Health, fair Nymph, thy Paris fends to thee,
Tho' You, and only You, can give it me.
Shall I then fpeak? or is it needlefs grown
To tell a Paffion that it felf has fhown?
Does not my Love it felf too open lay,
And all I think in all I do betray?
If not, oh! may it ftill in fecret lie,
"Till Time with our kind Wishes shall comply,
*Till all our Joys may to us come fincere,
Nor lose their Price by the allay of Fear.
In vain I strive; who can that Fire conceal,
Which does it felf by its own Light reveal è
But if you needs would hear my trembling Tongue
Speak what my Actions have declar'd so long,
I Love; you've there the Word that does impart
The trueft Meffage from my bleeding Heart.
Forgive me, Madam, that I thus confefs
To you, my fair Phyfician, my Disease,
And with fuch Looks this fuppliant Paper grace,
As best becomes the Beauties of that Face.
Wrinkle wear,
May that smooth Brow no angry
But be your Looks as kind as they are fair.
Some Pleasure 'tis to think thefe Lines fhall find
An Entertainment at your Hands so kind,
For this creates a Hope, that I too may,
Receiv'd by you, as happy be as they.
Ah! may that Hope be true! nor I complain
That Venus promis'd you to me in vain.
For know, left you through Ignorance offend
The Gods, 'tis Heav'n that me does hither fend.
None of the meaneft of the Pow'rs Divine
That first infpir'd, ftill favours my Defign.
Great is the Prize I seek, I must confefs,
But neither is my Due or Merit less:
Venus has promis'd fhe would you affign,
Fair as her felf, to be for ever mine.
Guided by her, my Troy I left for thee,
Nor fear'd the Dangers of the faithless Sea.
She with a kind and an auspicious Gale
Drove the good Ship, and stretch'd out ev'ry Sail.
For fhe, who sprung out of the teeming Deep,
Still o'er the Main does her wide Empire keep.
Still may fhe keep it, and as she with ease
Allays the Wrath of the moft angry Seas,
So may fhe give my ftormy Mind fome Reft,
And calm the raging Tempeft of my Breaft,
And bring home all my Sighs and all my Vows
To their wifh'd Harbour, and defir'd Repofe.
Hither my Flames I brought, not found 'em here;
I my whole Courfe by their kind Light did fteer:
For I by no Miftake or Storm was toft
Against my Will upon this happy Coaft.
Nor as a Merchant did I plow the Main
To venture Life, like fordid Fools, for Gain.
No; may the Gods preferve my prefent Store,
And only give me you to make it more.
Nor to admire the Place came I fo far;
I have Towns richer than your Cities are.
'Tis you I feek, to me from Venus due,
You were my Wish, before your Charms I knew.
Bright Images of you my Mind did draw,
Long ere my Eyes the lovely Object faw.
Nor wonder that with the swift-winged Dart,
At fuch a Distance you could wound my.
Heart:
So Fate ordain'd, and left you fight with Fate,
Hear and believe the Truth I fhall relate.
Now in my Mother's Womb fhut up I lay,
Her fatal Burthen longing for the Day,
When the in a myfterious Dream was told,
Her teeming Womb a burning Torch did hold;
Frighted the rifes, and her Vifion fhe
To Priam tells, and to his Prophets he;
They fing that I all Troy fhould fet on Fire:
But fure Fate meant the Flames of my Defire.
For fear of this among the Swains expos'd,
My native Greatnefs every thing disclos'd,
Beauty, and Strength, and Courage join'd in one,
Through all Disguise spoke me a Monarch's Son.
A Place there is in Ida's thickest Grove,
With Oaks and Fir-trees fhaded all above,
The Grafs here grows untoucht by bleating Flocks,
Or Mountain Goat, or the laborious Ox.
From hence Troy's Tow'rs, Magnificence and Pride,
Leaning against an aged Oak, I spy'd.
When straight methought I heard the trembling Ground
With the ftrange Noife of trampling Feet refound.
In the fame Inftant Jove's great Meffenger,
On all his Wings borne through the yielding Air,
Lighting before my wond'ring Eyes did ftand,
His golden Rod fhone in his facred Hand:
With him three charming Goddeffes there came,
Juno and Pallas, and the Cyprian Dame.
With an unusual Fear I ftood amaz'd,
'Till thus the God my finking Courage rais'd:
Fear not; Thou art Jove's Substitute below,
The Prize of heav'nly Beauty to bestow;
Contending Goddeffes appeal to you,
Decide their Strife; He fpake, and up he flew.
Then Bolder grown, I throw my Fears away,
And ev'ry one with curious Eyes furvey.
Each of 'em merited the Victory,
And I, their doubtful Judge, was griev'd to fee,
That one must have it, when deserv'd by Three.
But yet that One there was which most prevail'd,
And with more pow'rful Charms my Heart affail'd.
Ah! would you know who thus my Breast could move?
Who could it be but the fair Queen of Love?
With mighty Bribes they all for Conqueft ftrive,
Juno will Empires, Pallas Valour give,
Whilft I ftand doubting which I should prefer,
Empire's foft Eafe, or glorious Toils of War;
But Venus gently fmil'd, and thus fhe fpake,
They're dang'rous Gifts, O do not, do not take!
I'll make Thee Love's immortal Pleasures know,
And Joys that in full Tides for ever flow.
For, if you Judge the Conqueft to be mine,
Fair Leda's fairer Daughter fhall be thine.
She fpake: And I gave her the Conqueft due,
Both to her Beauty, and her Gift of you.
Mean-while (my angry Stars more gentle grown)
I am acknowledg'd royal Priam's Son,
All the glad Court, all Troy does celebrate,
With a new Festival, my Change of Fate.
And as I languish now, and die for thee,
So did the Beauties of all Troy for me.
You in full Pow'r over a Heart do reign,
For which a thousand Virgins figh'd in vain :
Nor did Queens only fly to my Embrace,
But Nymphs of Form Divine, and Heav'nly Race:
I all their Loves with cold Difdain represt,
Since Hopes of you firft fir'd my longing Breaft.
Your charming Form all Day my Fancy drew,
And when Night came, my Dreams were all of you.
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