"
"What?" said she, "do you give him without whom you cou'd not live?
On whose lips your very being hangs? Whom you so love, as I cou'd
you." Her words were attended with such a grace at their delivery,
and the sweet sound so, charm'd the yielding air, you wou'd have
sworne some syren had been breathing melodies. Thus rapt with every
thing so amazing, and fancying a glory shin'd in every part, I
ventur'd to enquire what name the goddess own'd? "My maid, I
perceive," said she, "has not inform'd you, I am call'd Circe; I would
not have you believe tho, I bear that name, that I derive my original
from Apollo; nor that my mother, while she lay in the god's imbraces,
held the fiery steeds: Yet I shall know enough of heaven, if fate will
give you to my arms. And who knows the dark decrees? Therefore come,
my dear, and crown my wishes. Nor need you fear any malicious
disturbance of our joys. Your comrade is far enough from hence."
Upon which she threw her downy arms about me, and led me to a plat of
ground, the pride of nature, deckt with a gay variety of every
pleasing object.
On Ida's top, when Jove his nymph carest,
And lawless in open view exprest:
His Mother Earth in all her charms was seen,
The rose, the violet, the sweet jessamin,
And the fair lily smiling on the green.
Such was the plat on which my Venus lay,
But secret our love, more glorious the day,
When all around was bright, and as the nymph as gay.
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