And threw her Body proftrate on the Bed,
And, to conceal her Blushes, hid her Head:
There filent lay, and warn'd her with her Hand
To go: But the receiv'd not the Command;
Remaining still importunate to know:
Then Myrrha thus: Or ask no more, or go:
I prithee go, or staying fpare my Shame;
What thou wou'dft is 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 she no farther knows. And laft; if conscious to her Counsel made, Confirms anew the Promise of her Aid.
Now Myrrha rais'd her Head ; but foon oppress'd With Shame, 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 falt'ring Tongue its Office still deny'd.
At laft her Veil before her Face the fpread,
And drew a long preluding Sigh, and fàid,
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 stood,
Made (to her Grief) more knowing than the wou'd:
Much the reproach'd, and many things she said,
To cure the Madness of th' unhappy Maid:
In vain: For Myrrha stood convict of Ill;
Her Reafon vanquish'd, but unchang'd her Will:
Perverse of Mind, unable to reply;
She stood refolv'd or to poffefs, or die.
At length the Fondness of a Nurse prevail'd
Against her better Senfe, and Virtue fail'd:
Enjoy, my Child, fince fuch is thy Defire,
Thy Love, the faid; the durft not fay, thy Sire. Live, though unhappy, live on any Terms:
Then with a fecond Oath her Faith confirms.
The folemn Feaft of Ceres now was near,
When long white Linnen Stoles the Matrons wear;
Rank'd in Proceffion walk the pious Train, Off'ring First-fruits, and Spikes of yellow Grain: For nine long Nights the Nuptial-Bed they thun, And fanctifying Harveft, lie alone.
Mix'd with the Crowd, the Queen forfook her And Ceres Pow'r with secret Rites ador'd: [Lord, The Royal Couch now vacant for a time, The crafty Crone, officious in her Crime, The curft Occafion took: The King the found Eafie with Wine, and deep in Pleasures drown'd, Prepar'd for Love: The Beldame blew the Flame, Confefs'd the Paffion, but conceal'd the Name. HerForm the prais'd; theMonarch ask'd her Years, And the reply'd, The fame thy Myrrha bears. Wine and commended Beauty fir'd his Thought; Impatient, he commands her to be brought. [home, Pleas'd with her Charge perform'd, the hies her And gratulates the Nymph, the Task was over
Myrrha was joy'd the welcome News to hear;
But clogg'd with Guilt, the Joy was unfincere:
So various, so discordant is the Mind,
That in our Will, a different Will we find.
Ill fhe prefag'd, and yet purfu'd her Lust;
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 Sight,
And (shrunk within their Sockets) lost their Light.
Icarius firft withdraws his holy Flame:
The Virgin Sign, in Heav'n the second Name,
Slides down the Belt, and from her Station flies,
And Night with Sable Clouds involves the Skies.
Bold Myrrha still pursues her black Intent;
She stumbled thrice, (an Omen of th' Event ;)
Thrice fhriek'd the Fun'ral Owl, yet on she went,
Secure of Shame, because secure of Sight;
Ev'n bashful Sins are impudent by Night. [Dame,
Link'd Hand in Hand, th' Accomplice, and the
Their Way exploring, to the Chamber came:
The Door was ope, they blindly grope their Way,
Where dark in Bed th' expecting Monarch lay:
Thus far her Courage held, but here forfakes;
Her faint Knees knock at ev'ry Step she makes.
The nearer to her Crime, the more within
She feels Remorfe, and Horror of her Sin;
Repents too late her criminal Defire,
And wishes, that unknown she cou'd retire.
Her, lingring thus, the Nurse (who fear'd Delay
The fatal Secret might at length betray)
Pull'd forward, to compleat the Work begun,
And faid to Cinyras, Receive thy own:
Thus faying, fhe deliver'd Kind to Kind,
Accurs'd, and their devoted Bodies join'd.
The Sire, unknowing of the Crime, admits
His Bowels, and profanes the hallow'd Sheets;
He found the trembled, but believ'd fhe ftrove
With Maiden Modesty, against her Love,
And fought with flatt'ring Words vain Fancies to
Perhaps he faid, My Daughter, cease thy Fears,
(Because the Title fuited with her Years;)
And Father, she might whisper him again,
That Names might not be wanting to the Sin.
Full of her Sire, fhe left th' incestuous Bed,
And carry'd in her Womb the Crime she bred;
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