| Fuess and Stearns, comps. The Little Book of Society Verse. 1922. | | | | Cupid Mistaken | | By Matthew Prior |
| | | AS after noon, one summer’s day, | |
| Venus stood bathing in a river; | |
| Cupid a-shooting went that way, | |
| New strung his bow, new fill’d his quiver. | |
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| With skill he chose his sharpest dart: | 5 |
| With all his might his bow he drew: | |
| Swift to his beauteous parent’s heart | |
| The too well-guided arrow flew. | |
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| I faint! I die! the goddess cried; | |
| O cruel, could’st thou find none other, | 10 |
| To wreck thy spleen on? Parricide! | |
| Like Nero, thou hast slain thy mother. | |
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| Poor Cupid sobbing scarce could speak; | |
| “Indeed, mamma, I did not know ye: | |
| Alas! how easy my mistake; | 15 |
| I took you for your likeness, Chloe.” | | | | |
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