Nor one of opposite Abydus' shore;
None of all these, that virgins' favours

wore,

Were absent; all such fill the flowing way,
When Fame proclaims a solemn holy-day,
Not bent so much to offer holy flames,
As to the beauties of assembled dames.

The virgin Hero enter'd th' holy place, And graceful beams cast round about her face,

Like to the bright orb of the rising Moon. The top-spheres of her snowy cheeks put

on

A glowing redness, like the two-hued rose
Her odorous bud beginning to disclose.
You would have said, in all her lineaments
A meadow full of roses she presents.
All over her she blush'd; which (putting

on

Her white robe, reaching to her ankles)

shone

(While she in passing did her feet dispose) As she had wholly been a moving rose. Graces in numbers from her parts did flow. The Ancients, therefore (since they did not know

Hero's unbounded beauties), falsely feign'd Only three Graces; for, when Hero strain'd

Into a smile her priestly modesty,

A hundred Graces grew from either eye.
A fit one, sure, the Cyprian Goddess found
To be her ministress; and so highly
crown'd

With worth her grace was, past all other dames,

That, of a priest made to the Queen of Flames,

A new Queen of them she in all eyes shined;

And did so undermine each tender mind Of all the young men, that there was not

Ev'n tired I am with sight, yet doth not find

A satisfaction by my sight my mind.
O could I once ascend sweet Hero's bed,
Let me be straight found in her bosom
dead!

I would not wish to be in heaven a God,
Were Hero here my wife. But, if forbod
To lay profane hands on thy holy priest,
O Venus, with another such assist
My nuptial longings." Thus pray'd all
that spake ;

The rest their wounds hid, and in frenzies brake;

Her beauty's fire, being so suppress'd, so raged.

But thou, Leander, more than all engaged, Wouldst not, when thou hadst view'd th amazing Maid,

Waste with close stings, and seek no open aid,

But, with the flaming arrows of her eyes Wounded unwares, thou wouldst in sacrifice Vent th' inflammation thy burnt blood did

Made earthquakes in him with their fros and flame.

His heart betwixt them toss'd, till Reve

rence

Took all these prisoners in him; and from

thence

Her matchless beauty, with astonishment Increased his bands: till aguish Love, tha

lent

Shame and Observance, licensed their re

move;

And, wisely liking impudence in love, Silent he went, and stood against the

Maid,

And in side glances faintly he convey'd His crafty eyes about her; with dumi

shows

Tempting her mind to error. And now

grows

e to conceive his subtle flame, and joy'd

nce he was graceful. Then herself employ'd

er womanish cunning, turning from him quite

er lovely countenance; giving yet some light,

en by her dark signs, of her kindling fire,

ith up and down-looks whetting his desire.

joy'd at heart to see Love's sense in her,

d no contempt of what he did prefer. Id while he wish'd unseen to urge the rest,

e day shrunk down her beams to lowest West,

d East; the Even-Star took vantage of her shade.

en boldly he his kind approaches made, d as he saw the russet clouds increase, strain'd her rosy hand, and held his peace,

t sigh'd, as silence had his bosom broke.

hen she, as silent, put on anger's cloak, d drew her hand back. He discerning

well

wane)

ent slowly on, and, with a woman's words

reatening Leander, thus his boldness bords:

"Why, stranger, are you 10mad? Illfated man,

hy hale you thus a virgin Sestian? eep on your way: let go, fear to offend he noblesse of my birth-right's either friend.

ill becomes you to solicit thus be priest of Venus. Hopeless, dangerous, he "barr'd-up way is to a virgin's bed." hus, for the maiden form, she menaced. ut he well knew that when these female 12mines

reak out in fury, they are certain signs Of their persuasions. Women's threats

once shown,

hows in it only all you wish your own.

VOL. II.

And therefore of the ruby-colour'd maid The odorous neck he with a kiss assay'd, And, stricken with the sting of love, he pray'd:

'Dear Venus, next to Venus you must go;

And next Minerva, trace Minerva too; Your like with earthly dames no light can show;

To Jove's great Daughters I must liken you.

Blest was thy great Begetter; blest was she Whose womb did bear thee; but most blessedly

The womb itself fared that thy throes did prove.

O hear my prayer: pity the need of Love.
As priest of Venus, practise Venus' rites.
Come, and instruct me in her bed's-
delights.

It fits not you, a virgin, to vow aids
To Venus' service; Venus loves no maids.
If Venus' institutions you prefer,
And faithful ceremonies vow to her,
Nuptials and beds they be. If her love
binds,

Love love's sweet laws, that soften human minds.

Make me your servant; husband, if you pleased;

Whom Cupid with his burning shafts hath seised,

And hunted to you, as swift Hermes drave With his gold-rod Jove's bold son to be slave

To Lydia's sovereign Virgin; but for me,
Venus insulting forced my feet to thee.
I was not guided by wise Mercury.
Virgin, you know, when Atalanta fled
Out of Arcadia, kind Melanion's bed,
Affecting virgin-life, your angry Queen,
Whom first she used with a malignant
spleen,

At last possess'd him of her complete

About her shoulders gather'd up her weed. All these fore-tokens are that men shall speed.

Of a persuaded virgin, to her bed Promise is most given when the least is said.

And now she took in Love's sweet bitter sting,

Burn'd in a fire that cool'd her surfeiting. Her beauties likewise strook her friend amazed;

For, while her eyes fix'd on the pavement gazed,

Love on Leander's looks show'd fury seas'd.

Never enough his greedy eyes were pleased To view the fair gloss of her tender neck. At last this sweet voice past, and out did break

A ruddy moisture from her bashful eyes : "Stranger, perhaps thy words might exer

cise

Motion in flints, as well as my soft breast. Who taught thee words, that err from East to West

In their wild liberty? O woe is me!

To this my native soil who guided thee? All thou hast said is vain: for how canst thou

(Not to be trusted; one I do not know) Hope to excite in me a mixed love? "Tis clear, that Law by no means will approve

Nuptials with us; for thou canst never gain

My parents' graces. If thou wouldst re

To meet in some delights, dances, or so; But day and night the windy sea doth throw

Wild murmuring cuffs about our deafen'd ears."

This said, her white robe hid her cheeks like spheres.

And then (with shame affected, since she

used

Words that desired youths, and her friends accused)

She blamed herself for them, and them for her.

Mean-space Leander felt Love's arrow err Through all his thoughts; devising how he might

Encounter Love, that dared him so to fight.

Mind-changing Love wounds men and cures again.

Those mortals over whom he lists to reign, Th' All-tamer stoops to, in advising how They may with some ease bear the yoke, his bow.

So our Leander, whom he hurt, he heal'd. Who having long his hidden fire conceal'd,

And vex'd with thoughts he thirsted to

But on th' opposed shore of the noiseful seas
The messenger of glittering marriages
Look'd wishly for; or rather long'd to see
The witness of their Light to misery,
Far off discover'd in their covert bed.
When Hero saw the blackest curtain spread
That veil'd the dark night, her bright torch
she show'd.

Whose light no sooner th' eager lover view'd,

But love his blood set on as bright a fire:
Together burn'd the torch and his desire.
But hearing of the sea the horrid roar,
With which the tender air the mad waves
tore,

At first he trembled ; but at last he rear'd
High as the storm his spirit, and thus

cheer'd

peace!

Husband! No other man liath paid th' in

crease

Of that huge sum of pains you took for me.
And yet I know it is enough for thee
To suffer for my love the fishy savours
The working sea breathes. Come, lay all

thy labours

On my all-thankful bosom." All this said, He straight ungirdled her; and both parts paid