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Full at thy face, th' avenging brands to bear,
And fhake the ferpents from their hiffing hair?
But thou in time th' increafing ill controul,
Nor first debauch the body by the foul;
Secure the facred quiet of thy mind,

And keep the fanctions nature has defign'd.
Suppose I shou'd attempt, th' attempt were vain;
No thoughts like mine his finlefs foul profane:
Obfervant of the right; and O, that he
Cou'd cure my madness, or be mad like me!
Thus fhe; but Cinyras, who daily fees
A crowd of noble fuitors at his knees,
Among fo many, knew not whom to choose,
Irrefolute to grant, or to refuse.

But having told their names, inquir'd of her,
Who pleas'd her beft, and whom she would prefer?
The blufhing maid flood filent with furprise,
And on her father fix'd her ardent eyes,

:

And looking figh'd and as she figh'd, began
Round tears to fhed, that fcalded as they ran.
The tender fire, who faw her blush, and cry,
Afcrib'd it all to maiden-modefty;

And dry'd the falling drops, and yet more kind,
He ftrok'd her cheeks, and holy kiffes join'd:
She felt a fecret venom fire her blood,

And found more pleasure than a daughter fhou'd;
And, afk'd again, what lover of the crew
She lik'd the beft; fhe anfwer'd, One like you.
Miftaking what fhe meant, her pious will
He prais'd, and bade her fo continue till:
The word of Pious heard, fhe blufh'd with shame
Of fecret guilt, and cou'd not bear the name.
'Twas now the mid of night when flumbers clofe
Our eyes, and footh our cares with foft repofe;
But no repofe cou'd wretched Myrrha find,
Her body rolling, as fhe roll'd her mind :

Mad

Mad with defire fhe ruminates her fin,

And wishes all her wishes o'er again :

Now the despairs, and now refolves to try ;
Wou'd not, and wou'd again, she knows not why;
Stops, and returns, makes and retracts the vow ;
Fain wou'd begin, but understands not how :
As when a pine is hewn upon
the plains,

And the laft mortal stroke alone remains,
Lab'ring in pangs of death, and threatning all,
This way and that the Lods, confidering where to fall:
So Myrrha's mind, impell'd on either fide,
Takes ev'ry bent, but cannot long abide :
Irrefolute on which the fhould rely,

At laft unfix'd in all, is only fix'd to die :
On that fad thought the refts; refolv'd on death,
She rifes, and prepares to choak her breath :
Then while about the beam her zone fhe ties,
Dear Cinyras, farewel, fhe foftly cries;
For thee I die, and only wish to be

Not hated, when thou know'ft I die for thee:
Pardon the crime, in pity to the cause ;

This faid, about her neck the noose the draws.
The nurfe, who lay without, her faithful guard,
Though not the words, the murmurs overheard,
And fighs and hollow founds: furpris'd with fright,
She ftarts, and leaves her bed, and fprings a light:
Unlocks the door, and entring out of breath,
The dying faw, and inftruments of death;
She shrieks, the cuts the zone with trembling hafte,
And in her arms her fainting charge embrac'd:
Next (for fhe now had leisure for her tears)
She weeping afk'd, in thefe her blooming years,
What unforeseen misfortune caus'd her care,
To lothe her life, and languifh in despair!

The maid, with down-caft eyes, and mute with grief,
For death unfinish'd, and ill-tim'd relief,

Stood

Stood fullen to her fuit: the beldame prefs'd

The more to know, and bar'd her wither'd breast,
Adjur'd her, by the kindly food the drew

From those dry founts, her fecret ill to fhew.
Sad Myrrha figh'd, and turn'd her eyes afide;
The nurse still urg'd, and wou'd not be deny'd:
Nor only promis'd fecrecy; but pray'd

She might have leave to give her offer'd aid. ́
Good will, the faid, my want of ftrength fupplies,
And diligence fhall give what age denies :
If ftrong defires thy mind to fury move,
With charms and med'cines I can cure thy love:
If envious eyes their hurtful rays have cast,
More pow'rful verfe fhall free thee from the blast:
If heaven offended fends thee this disease,
Offended heaven with prayers we can appease.
What then remains, that can these cares procure?
Thy houfe is flourishing, thy fortune fure:
Thy careful mother yet in health furvives,
And, to thy comfort, thy kind father lives.
The virgin ftarted at her father's name,
And figh'd profoundly, confcious of the shame:
Nor yet the nurse her impious love divin'd:
But yet furmis'd, that love difturb'd her mind:
Thus thinking, she purfu'd her point, and laid
And lull'd within her lap the mourning maid;
Then foftly footh'd her thus, I guess your grief:
You love, my child; your love shall find relief.
My long experienc'd age shall be your guide;
Rely on that, and lay diftrust aside :

No breath of air fhall on the fecret blow,
Nor fhall (what most you fear) your father know.
Struck once again, as with a thunder-clap,
The guilty virgin bounded from her lap,
And, threw her body proftrate on the bed,
And to conceal her blushes, hid her head;
VOL. IV.

C

There

There filent lay, and warn'd her with her hand
To go but fhe receiv'd not the command;
Remaining ftill importunate to know :

Then Myrrha thus; Or ask no more, or go:
I pr'ythee go, or ftaying fpare my shame;
What thou wou'dft hear, is impious ev'n to name.
At this, on high the beldame holds her hands,
And trembling both with age, and terror, ftands;
Adjures, and falling at her feet intreats,

Sooths her with blandishments, and frights with threats,
To tell the crime intended, or disclose

What part of it fhe knew, if fhe no farther knows : And last, if confcious to her counsel made,

Confirms anew the promise of her aid.

Now Myrrha rais'd her head; but foon opprefs'd
With fhame, reclin'd it on her nurfe's breast
Bath'd it with tears, and ftrove to have confefs'd :
Twice fhe began, and stopp'd; again she try'd;
The fault'ring tongue its office ftill deny'd :
At laft her veil before her face she spread,
And drew a long preluding figh, and faid,
O happy mother, in thy marriage bed!

Then groan'd, and ceas'd; the good old woman fhook,
Stiff were her eyes, and ghaftly was her look:
Her hoary hair upright with horror ftood,

Made (to her grief) more knowing than fhe wou'd.
Much the reproach'd, and many things fhe faid,
To cure the madness of the unhappy maid:
In vain for Myrrha ftood convict of ill;
Her reafon vanquish'd, but unchang'd her will:
Perverfe of mind, unable to reply,

She ftood refolv'd or to poffefs, or die.
At length the fondness of a nurse prevail'd
Against her better fenfe, and virtue fail'd:
Enjoy, my child, fince fuch is thy defire,
Thy love, fhe faid; fhe durft not fay, thy fire.

Live, tho' unhappy, live on any terms:
Then with a fecond oath her faith confirms.
The folemn feaft of Ceres now was near,
When long white linen ftoles the matrons wear;
Rank'd in proceffion walk the pious train,
Off'ring firft-fruits, and fpikes of yellow grain:
For nine long nights the nuptial bed they shun,
And, fanctifying harveft, lie alone.

Mix'd with the crowd, the queen forfook her lord,
And Ceres' power with fecret rites ador'd;
The royal couch now vacant for a time,
The crafty crone, officious in her crime,
The curft occafion took: the king the found
Eafy with wine, and deep in pleasure drown'd,
Prepar'd for love: the beldame blew the flame,
Confefs'd the paffion, but conceal'd the name.
Her form the prais'd; the monarch ask'd her years,
And fhe reply'd, the fame that Myrrha bears.
Wine and commended beauty fir'd his thought;
Impatient, he commands her to be brought.
Pleas'd with her charge perform'd, fhe hies her home,
And gratulates the nymph, the task was overcome.
Myrrha was joy'd the welcome news to hear;
But clogg'd with guilt, the joy was infincere :
So various, fo difcordant is the mind,
That in our will, a different will we find.
Ill the prefag'd, and yet purfu'd her luft;
For guilty pleasures give a double guft.
'Twas depth of night: Arctophylax had driv'n
His lazy wain half round the northern heav'n,
When Myrrha haften'd to the crime defir'd;
The moon beheld her first, and first retir'd;
The stars amaz'd ran backward from the fight,
And, fhrunk within their fockets, loft their light.
Icarius firft withdraws his holy flame:

The virgin-fign, in heaven the second name,

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