| |
| DELIGHT 1 of Humane kind, and Gods above, | |
| Parent of Rome; Propitious Queen of Love, | |
| Whose vital pow’r, Air, Earth, and Sea supplies, | |
| And breeds what e’r is born beneath the rowling Skies: | |
| For every kind, by thy prolifique might, | 5 |
| Springs, and beholds the Regions of the light. | |
| Thee, Goddess, thee the clouds and tempests fear, | |
| And at thy pleasing presence disappear: | |
| For thee the Land in fragrant Flow’rs is drest; | |
| For thee the Ocean smiles, and smooths her wavy breast; | 10 |
| And Heav’n it self with more serene and purer light is blest. | |
| For when the rising Spring adorns the Mead, | |
| And a new Scene of Nature stands display’d, | |
| When teeming Budds, and chearful greens appear, | |
| And Western gales unlock the lazy year: | 15 |
| The joyous Birds thy welcome first express; | |
| Whose native Songs thy genial fire confess; | |
| Then salvage Beasts bound o’re their slighted food, | |
| Strook with thy darts, and tempt the raging floud. | |
| All Nature is thy Gift; Earth, Air, and Sea: | 20 |
| Of all that breaths, the various progeny, | |
| Stung with delight, is goaded on by thee. | |
| O’re barren Mountains, o’re the flowery Plain, | |
| The leafy Forest, and the liquid Main | |
| Extends thy uncontroul’d and boundless reign. | 25 |
| Through all the living Regions dost thou move, | |
| And scatter’st, where thou goest, the kindly seeds of Love: | |
| Since then the race of every living thing | |
| Obeys thy pow’r; since nothing new can spring | |
| Without thy warmth, without thy influence bear, | 30 |
| Or beautiful, or lovesome can appear; | |
| Be thou my ayd; My tuneful Song inspire, | |
| And kindle with thy own productive fire; | |
| While all thy Province, Nature, I survey, | |
| And sing to Memmius an immortal lay | 35 |
| Of Heav’n, and Earth, and every where thy wondrous power display: | |
| To Memmius, under thy sweet influence born, | |
| Whom thou with all thy gifts and graces dost adorn. | |
| The rather then assist my Muse and me, | |
| Infusing Verses worthy him and thee. | 40 |
| Mean time on Land and Sea let barb’rous discord cease, | |
| And lull the listning world in universal peace | |
| To thee Mankind their soft repose must owe; | |
| For thou alone that blessing canst bestow; | |
| Because the brutal business of the War | 45 |
| Is manag’d by thy dreadful Servant’s care; | |
| Who oft retires from fighting fields, to prove | |
| The pleasing pains of thy eternal Love: | |
| And panting on thy breast supinely lies, | |
| While with thy heavenly form he feeds his famish’d eyes; | 50 |
| Sucks in with open lips thy balmy breath, | |
| By turns restor’d to life, and plung’d in pleasing death. | |
| There while thy curling limbs about him move, | |
| Involv’d and fetter’d in the links of Love, | |
| When wishing all, he nothing can deny, | 55 |
| Thy Charms in that auspicious moment try; | |
| With winning eloquence our peace implore, | |
| And quiet to the weary World restore. | |
