SEARCH
0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Prev | Current Page 175 | Next

Petronius Arbiter, 20-66

"The Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter"

Then her
chin, her neck, her arms, and feet, gently girt with embroider'd
sandals, to whose whiteness the Parian marble wou'd serve but as a
foil. 'Twas then I began to despise my old mistress Doris. And thus
broke out:
"Sure amorous Jove's a holy tale above;
With fancy'd arts that wait upon his love,
When we are blest with such a charm as this,
And he no rival of our happiness:
How well the bull wou'd now the god become:
Or his grey-hairs to be transform'd to down?
Here's Danae's self, a touch from her wou'd fire
And make the god in liquid joys expire."
She was pleas'd, and smil'd with such an air, that, she seem'd like
the moon in all her glories breaking through a cloud, when addressing
her self, her pretty fingers humouring the turn of her voice, "If a
fine woman, and that but this year, has been acquaint'd with a man,"
said she, "may deserve your love, let me commend a mistress to you. I
am sensible you have a comrade already, nor have I thought it below me
to inquire it: But why not a mistress too? I enter the list on the
same bottom with your comrade; nor do I desire to engross all the
caresses; only think me deserving, and confer them as you please."
"Let me beseech you, madam," return'd I, "by all those cupids in your
face and meen, not to scorn to admit a stranger into the number of
your admirers. You'l find him most religious, if you accept his
devotions, and that you shou'd not suspect I believe the way to this
heaven, unlike all others, may be trod gratis, I present you with my
comrade.


Pages:
163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187