One Goose they had, ('twas all they cou'd allow) A wakeful Centry, and on Duty now, Whom to the Gods for Sacrifice they vow: Her, with malicious Zeal, the Couple viewd; She ran for Life, and limping they pursu'd: Full well the Fowl perceiv'd their bad intent, ; And wou'd not make her Master's Compliment But persecuted, to the Pow’rs she flies, And close between the Legs of Jove fhe lies: He with a gracious Ear the Suppliant heard, And sav'd her Life; then what he was declar'd, And own'd the God. The Neighbourhood, said he, Shall justly perish for Impiety: You stand alone exempted; but obey With speed, and follow where we lead the way: Leave these accurs’d; and to the Mountains Height Ascend; nor once look backward in your Flight.

They hafte, and what their tardy Feet deny'de The trusty Staff (their better Leg) supply'd., i An Arrow's Flight they wanted to the Top, And there secure, but spent with Travel, stop: Then turn their now no more forbidden Eyes; Loft in a Lake the floated Level lies:

A Watry Desarr covers all the Plains,
Their Cot alone, as in an Isle, remains :
Wondring with weeping Eyes, while they deplore
Their Neighbours Fate, and Country now nomoré,
Their little Shed, scarce large enough for Two,
Seems, from the Ġround increas’d, in Height and

Bulk to grow.
A stately Temple shoots within the Skies,
The Crotches of their Cot in Columnes rise:
The Pavement polish'd Marble they behold,
The Gates with Sculpturé grâc'd, the Spires and

Tiles of Gold. Then thus the Sire of Gods, with Looks feréne, Speak thy Desire, thou only Just of Men; And thou, O Woman, only worthy found To be with such a Man in Marriage bound.

A while they whisper ; then, to Jove address’d, Philemon thus prefers their joint Request. We crave to serve before your facred Shrinė, And offer at your Altars Rites Divine: And fince not any Action of our Life Has been polluted with Doméstick Strife,

ܕܐ

We beg one Hour of Death; that neither the
With Widow's Tears may live to bury me,
Nor Weeping I, with wither'd Arms may bear
My breathless Baucis to the Sepulcher.

The Godheads lign their Suit. They run their
In the same Tenour all th’appointed Space: [Race

Then, when their Hour was come,while they relate
These past Adventures at the Temple-gate,
Old Baucis is by old Philemon seen
Sprouting with sudden Leaves of spritely Green:
Old Baucis look'd where old Philemon stood,
And saw his lengthen'd Arms a sprouting Wood:
New Roots their fasten’d Feet begin to bind,
Their Bodies stiffen in a rising Rind:
Then, ere the Bark above their Shoulders grew,

,
They give and take at once their last Adieu:
At once, Farewel, O faithfül Spouse, they said;
At once th' incroaching Rinds their closing Lips
Ev'n yet, an ancient Tyanean shows

[invade.
A spreading Oak, that near a Linden grows;
The Neighbourhood confirm the Prodigy,
Grave Men, not vain of Tongue, or like to lie.

I saw my self the Garlands on their Boughs; And Tablets hung for Gifts of granted Vows; And off'ring fresher up, with pious Pray’r, The Good, faid I, are God's peculiar Care, And fuch as honour Heav'n, shall heav'nly Ho

nour share.

Pygmalion and the Statue,

Out of the Tenth Book of

Ovid's Metamorphoses.

The Propætides, for their impudent Bebaviour,

being turn'd into Stone by Venus, Pygmalion, Prince of Cyprus, detested' all Women for their Sake, and resolv'd never to marry: He falls in love with a Statue of his own making, which is chang'd into a Maid, whom he marries. One of his Descendants is Cinyras, the Father of Myrrha; the Daughter incestuously loves her own Fathér; for which she is chang’d into the Tree which bears her Name. These two Stories immediately follow each other, and are admirably well connected.