Cupid crucify'd. Written in Latin by
Aeris in Campis, memorat
quos Mufa Maronis, &c.
Ithin the Aerial Fields by Maro fung,
That to the gloomy State of Dis belong,
Where Myrtle Groves the frantick Lovers fhade,
The HEROINES kept their Orgies in the Glade.
Each in her Hand the fatal Weapon bore,
That fent her bleeding to the Stygian Shore.
In pathlefs Woods, in Defarts wafte and wide,
By a malignant Light they wand'ring glide,
Thro' drowsy Poppies, and thro' fedgy Brakes,
O'er filent Brooks, and finooth unruffled Lakes,
Around whofe rueful Banks were thinly spread
The drooping Flow'rs of various Heroes dead;
Uncheer'd by any Sun, they languid lay,
And fcarce diftinguish'd by the fickly Ray.
The felf-belov'd Narciffus there was found,
And Hyacinthus flain by foreign Wound. ・
The golden Saffron, and the purple Flow'r,
Dy'd with the Blood of Venus Paramour.
All that could make their Sorrows yet furvive, And keep the Memory of Pain alive;
In spight of Death the Heroines compel
To feel below the Woes by which they fell,
Recal their fatal Scenes of hap'less Love,
That rag'd within their tender Hearts above;
The Lofs of Life no Lofs of Grief obtain❜d,
For e'en in Death their fond Defires remain'd.
Poor Semele, loft by Juno's curs'd Deceit,
Deplores, in empty Tears, her dreadful Fate ;
The Midwife-Thunder ftill renews her Pain,
And fhe laments her blafted Joys again;
While the diffembled 'Light'ning's idle Flame
She waves around, fhe feels the mimick Wounds
(the fame.
Canis with Rage upbraids her Lover God,
That rules the wat'ry Kingdoms with his Nod,
That with fallacious Gifts he but betray'd
An injur'd, yet a fond believing Maid,
When in a fleeting Manhood he deny'd
The Sum of all her Wishes and her Pride;
Since forc'd to her old Figure to return,
She here must still her ravish'd Honour mourn.
Still Procris ftenching of her Blood is found,
Yet bleffing ftill the Hand that gave the Wound;
Fond of the Hand that fent the fatal Dart,
·Her Cephalus ftill fills her love-fick Heart.
The Seftian Maid down to the fatal Shore,
Where her belov'd Leander lay before,
The fmoaky Taper head-long with her bore.
The manly Sappho, without Fear or Dread,
Threatens to leap from off the cloudy Head
Of lofty Leucade, a Med'cine fure,
And by the Gods, for Love, a promis'd Cure.
The fad Eriphyle does still refuse
Harmonia dang'rous Ornaments to use,
Here all the Stories of the Aerial Crete,
In dufky Images appear compleat.
Paliphae does the snowy Bull pursue,
And Ariadne bears the fatal Clew.
The love-fick Phadra with difpairing Eyes,
Her Suit rejected with her Letters fpies;
This bears the Noofe, her wretched End to own, And that the Shadow of her empty Crown.
Here Laodamia ftill renews her Pains,
Aid of her disappointed Love complains,
Hoping her Lord from Trojan Wars in vain.
Befit of Grecians fell upon that Coast,
She first of Grecians there a Husband loft;
A Husband dearer to her, than her Life,
So fierce a Lover fhe, so fond a Wife!
The Fates in pity of her wild defpair,
Gave him again to her impetuous Pray'r;
But oh! the fleeting Gift is of one Night,
For with the dawn he takes eternal flight,
And he thro' Shades purfues his gloomy way,
Refolv'd no more to view the hoft ile Day.
Sorrow, or Rage appear'd in every Face,
And ery Hand a naked Sword did grace.
Thisbe and Canace; the Sidonian Queen,
With mournful Eyes and armed Hands were feen.
This bore her Husband's Sword, her Father's that,
And this her Guest's, the Causes of their Fate
Unhappy Dido wanders through these Groves,
To feek the Faithlefs Fugitive fhe loves.
Thus born'd Diana with her terry Crown,
And her pale Torch, in duskie Night, alone,
Through Latmian Hills her fecret Steps convey'd,
With strange defires, to the dear confcious Shade,
Where her Endymion in kind Sleep was laid,
To feed her odd fantastick Love with Bliss,
That reach'd no farther than an empty Kifs.
A thousand more about dejected rove,
Repeating fill the Wounds of ancient Love,
With fweet, yet fad Complaints their Pains renew,
Pleas'd yet to fuffer for their being true.
Amidst this mournful Train, for want of Eyes,
Uncautious Love with founding Pinnions flies;
His flaming Torch, with hoftile Light difpels,
The native darknefs of thofe difmal Cells.
All knew the fatal Boy, one common fmart,
His prefence gave to e'ry love-fick Heart.
Tho' humid Clouds obfcure his shining Belt,
And his light Torch the preffing Darkness felt
And his gay Quiver now but faintly shone,
Yet to the confcious Troop the guilty God was known.
They rouze their empty Vigour by consent,
All, to revenge their ancient Ills, are bent :•
Their common Foe had ta'en a devious Flight
Beyo id his Empire, to the Realms of Night.
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