XXVI.

Ac veluti, quum Solis equos accepit anhelos
Taurus, apesque novo jam prima examina vere
Emisere favis, pendentia more racemi :
Illæ inter flores et prata recentia rore
Huc illuc volitant, tabulis aut levibus, ante
Stramineas arces, primo jam melle madentes,
Exspatiantur, et in medium consulta reponunt.
Haud secus aëriæ densantur in agmina turbæ ;
Inde datum accipiunt signum, et mirabile dictu !
Quorum magni artus, et membra immania nuper
Visa giganteam Telluris vincere prolem,
Nanorum in parvas subito collecta figuras
Innumera angustis spatiis stipantur, ut illa
Gens Pygmæa, olim super Indos accola montes;
Naiadumve chori graciles, parvæque Napææ,
Quarum forte jocos media sub nocte colonus
Fontis aquam prope, vel serus sub tegmine luci,
Aut videt, aut vidisse putat: super arbitra cœlo
Luna sedens, terræ propior, deductaque ab alto,
Pallentes invertit equos; choreisque jocisque
Gens intenta, aures divino carmine mulcet.
Olli mixta metu pertentant gaudia pectus.

J. G. L.

XXVII.

The Rose.

As late each flower that sweetest blows

I plucked, the garden's pride,

Within the petals of a rose

A sleeping Love I spied.

Around his brows a beamy wreath
Of many a lucent hue;

All purple glowed his cheek beneath,
Inebriate with dew.

I softly seized the unguarded Power,
Nor scared his balmy rest,

And placed him, caged within the flower,
On spotless Sarah's breast.

But when, unweeting of the guile,

Awoke the prisoner sweet,

He struggled to escape awhile,

And stamped his fairy feet.

Ah! soon the soul-entrancing sight
Subdued the impatient boy ;

He gazed, he thrilled with deep delight,
Then clapped his wings for joy.

XXVII.

Rosa.

DUM, quæcunque viget copia narium,

Horti delicias persequor, in rosæ

Nuper flore jacentem

Vidi forte Cupidinem.

Lumen cui rutila tempora tæniæ

Ambit versicolor; purpureæ genæ

Subter dulce coruscis

Ardent roribus ebriæ.

Incautum tenera corripui manu

Somnos ne placidos discuterem, et sinus

Sic in flore revinctum

Saræ sub niveos tuli.

At dulcem ut puerum deseruit sopor,
Fraudis continuo nescius in fugam

Jactat membra parumper,

Et parvis pedibus micat.

Ah victrix animi gratia quam cito

Iratum edomuit! Spectat, et intimum

Cor dulcedine tactus

Pennas lætitia quatit.

E

"And oh!" he cried, "of magic kind

What charms this throne endear?

Some other Love let Venus find,

I'll fix my empire here."

Coleridge.

XXVIII.

BELIEVE me, if all those endearing young charms
Which I gaze on so fondly to-day,

Were to change by to-morrow, and fleet in my arms,

Like fairy gifts fading away;

Thou wouldst still be adored, as this moment thou art,

Let thy loveliness fade as it will;

And around the dear ruin each wish of my heart
Would entwine itself verdantly still.

It is not while beauty and youth are thine own,
And thy cheeks unprofaned by a tear,

That the fervour and faith of a heart can be known,
To which time will but make thee more dear.
Oh! the heart that has truly loved never forgets,

But as truly loves on to the close!

As the sun-flower turns on her god, when he sets,

The same look which she turned when he rose.

Moore.

Atque "Hæc unde capit sic magicis," ait,

"Sedes illecebris? Ilicet alterum

Mater quærat Amorem,

Hic nostro imperio domus."

G. S.

XXVIII.

TAM cupidis hodie quem specto blandus ocellis Iste tuus dulci vernus in ore decor,

Crede, meis si cras fugeret mutatus in ulnis,

Qualia quæ Nymphæ dant fugitura deæ;
Fidus adhuc cultor toto te corde foverem ;
Cara fores pariter, facta venusta minus;
Interea, priscæ tibi per vestigia formæ
Nexilis æterna fronde vireret amor.

Dum tibi nec turpis veneres prædabitur ætas,
Lacryma nec teneras polluet ægra genas,
Non poterunt ea, queis fies labentibus annis
Carior, ardentem corda probare fidem.
Frigida nam nescit verax oblivia pectus,

Et manet ad finem, qui fuit ante calor;
Ut Clytie, quo mane suum veneratur, eodem
Deperit obtutu vespere fixa deum.

B.