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EPISTLES:

WITH HIS

AMOURS.

TRANSLATED INTO

ENGLISH VERSE,

By the Moft Eminent Hands.

Ise
God. by Sir Samuel Garth, the

Vel tibi compofitá cantetur Epiftola Voce?
Ignotum hoc aliis ille novavit Opus.

OVID.

LONDON:

Printed for T. DAVIES, W. STRAHAN, W. CLARKE
and R. COLLINS, T. BECKET, T. CADELL, G.
ROBINSON, R. BALDWIN, S. BLADON.

M.DCC.LXXV I.

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'N moving Lines thefe few EPISTLES tell

What Fate attends the Nymph that likes too well: How faintly the fuccessful Lovers burn;

And their neglected Charms how Ladies mourn.
The Fair you'll find, when soft Intreaties fail,
Affert their uncontefted Right, and Rail.
Too foon they liften, and resent too late;
'Tis fure they Love, whene'er they strive to Hate.
Their Sex or proudly Shuns, or poorly Craves;
Commencing Tyrants, and concluding Slaves.
In diff'ring Breafts what diff'ring Paffions glow!
Ours kindle quick, but Yours extinguish flow.
The Fire we boast, with Force uncertain burns,
And breaks but out, as Appetite returns :

I

But Yours, like Incense, mounts by foft degrees,
And in a fragrant Flame confumes to please.

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Your

Your Sex, in all that can engage, Excel;
And Ours, in Patience, and perfuading well.
Impartial Nature equally decrees;

You have your Pride, and we our Perjuries.
Tho' form'd to Conquer, yet too oft you Fall,
By giving Nothing, or by granting All.

But, Madam, long will Your unpractis'd Years
Smile at the Tale of Lovers Hopes and Fears.
Tho' Infant Graces footh Your gentle Hours,

More foft than Sighs, more fweet than breathing Flow'rs;
Let rafh Admirers your keen Lightning fear;

'Tis bright at distance, but destroys if near.

The Time ere-long, if Verfe prefage, will come,
Your Charms fhall open in full Brudenal Bloom,
All Eyes shall gaze, all Hearts fhall Homage vow,
And not a Lover languish, but for you.

The Muse shall ftring her Lyre, with Garlands crown'd,
And each bright Nymph fhall ficken at the Sound.
So when Aurora firft falutes the Sight,

Pleas'd we behold the tender Dawn of Light.
But when with riper Red she warms the Skies,
In circling Throngs the wing'd Muficians rife ;
And the gay Groves rejoice in Symphonies.
Each pearly Flow'r with painted Beauty shines ;
And ev'ry Star its fading Fire refigns.

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THE
HE Publick having encouraged so many Editions of

Ovid's Epiftles, I began to think if any thing might yet be added to the Perfection of the Work. And the greater Part of Sapho to Phaon being omitted in Sir Carr Scroope's Tranflation, I folicited an entire new Version of that Epiftle, to render the whole Book compleat. The Author of it will have me acquaint the Reader, that it was undertaken on that Account only, and not out of any fuppofed Defect in what that Gentleman had done.

It was propofed in this Edition to change the Method of the Epiftles according to the Chronological Order, and the Connexion the Subjects often have with each other; which might have contributed to the Eafe of the English Reader, by clearing fome Hiftorical Passages referred to in feveraļ of them. But Custom having obtained to the Contrary, we have only fubjoined the following Account.

The Chief of those who undertook the Expedition of the Golden Fleece, were Hercules and Jafon: Some Writers add THESEUS, who was Cotemporary with them, and famous for his Victory over the Minotaur, which he atchieved by the Affiftance of ARIADNE, whom afterwards forfaking, he married PHEDRA, who fell in Love with his Son HIPPOLYTUS. JASON as he went on the forementioned Expedition was entertained by HYPSYPILE at Lemnos, but deferted her for MEDEA, and afterwards MEDEA for Creufa. HERCULES after his Return

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