As Yet A Stranger To The Gentle Fires That Amathusia'S Smiling Queen[2] Inspires, Not Seldom I Derided Cupid'S Darts, And Scorn'D His Claim To Rule All Human Hearts. Go, Child, I Said, Transfix The Tim'Rous Dove, An Easy Conquest Suits An Infant Love; Enslave The Sparrow, For Such Prize Shall Be Sufficient Triumph To A Chief Like Thee; Why Aim Thy Idle Arms At Human Kind? Thy Shafts Prevail Not 'Gainst The Noble Mind. The Cyprian[3] Heard, And, Kindling Into Ire, (None Kindles Sooner) Burn'D With Double Fire. It Was The Spring, And Newly Risen Day Peep'D O'Er The Hamlets On The First Of May; My Eyes Too Tender For The Blaze Of Light, Still Sought The Shelter Of Retiring Night, When Love Approach'D, In Painted Plumes Arrayed; Th'Insidious God His Rattling Darts Betray'D, Nor Less His Infant Features, And The Sly Sweet Intimations Of His Threat'Ning Eye. Such The Sigeian Boy[4] Is Seen Above, Filling The Goblet For Imperial Jove; Such He, On Whom The Nymphs Bestow'D Their Charms, Hylas,[5] Who Perish'D In A Naiad'S Arms. Angry He Seem'D, Yet Graceful In His Ire, And Added Threats, Not Destitute Of Fire. "My Power," He Said, "By Others Pain Alone, 'Twere Best To Learn; Now Learn It By Thy Own! With Those, Who Feel My Power, That Pow'R Attest! And In Thy Anguish Be My Sway Confest! I Vanquish'D Phoebus, Though Returning Vain From His New Triumph O'Er The Python Slain, And, When He Thinks On Daphne,[6] Even He Will Yield The Prize Of Archery To Me. A Dart Less True The Parthian Horseman[7] Sped, Behind Him Kill'D, And Conquer'D As He Fled, Less True Th'Expert Cydonian, And Less True The Youth, Whose Shaft His Latent Procris Slew.[8] Vanquish'D By Me See Huge Orion Bend, By Me Alcides,[9] And Alcides'S Friend.[10] At Me Should Jove Himself A Bolt Design, His Bosom First Should Bleed Transfix'D By Mine. But All Thy Doubts This Shaft Will Best Explain, Nor Shall It Teach Thee With A Trivial Pain, Thy Muse, Vain Youth! Shall Not Thy Peace Ensure, Nor Phoebus' Serpent Yield Thy Wound A Cure.[11] He Spoke, And, Waving A Bright Shaft In Air, Sought The Warm Bosom Of The Cyprian Fair. That Thus A Child Should Bluster In My Ear Provok'D My Laughter More Than Mov'D My Fear. I Shun'D Not, Therefore, Public Haunts, But Stray'D Careless In City, Or Suburban Shade, And Passing And Repassing Nymphs That Mov'D With Grace Divine, Beheld Where'Er I Rov'D. Bright Shone The Vernal Day, With Double Blaze, As Beauty Gave New Force To Phoebus' Rays. By No Grave Scruples Check'D I Freely Eyed The Dang'Rous Show, Rash Youth My Only Guide, And Many A Look Of Many A Fair Unknown Met Full, Unable To Control My Own. But One I Mark'D (Then Peace Forsook My Breast) One--Oh How Far Superior To The Rest! What Lovely Features! Such The Cyprian Queen Herself Might Wish, And Juno Wish Her Mien. The Very Nymph Was She, Whom When I Dar'D His Arrows, Love Had Even Then Prepar'D. Nor Was Himself Remote, Nor Unsupplied With Torch Well-Trimm'D And Quiver At His Side; Now To Her Lips He Clung, Her Eye-Lids Now, Then Settled On Her Cheeks Or On Her Brow. And With A Thousand Wounds From Ev'Ry Part Pierced And Transpierced My Undefended Heart. A Fever, New To Me, Of Fierce Desire Now Seiz'D My Soul, And I Was All On Fire, But She, The While, Whom Only I Adore, Was Gone, And Vanish'D To Appear No More. In Silent Sadness I Pursue My Way, I Pause, I Turn, Proceed, Yet Wish To Stay, And While I Follow Her In Thought, Bemoan With Tears My Soul'S Delight So Quickly Flown. When Jove Had Hurl'D Him To The Lemnian Coast[12] So Vulcan Sorrow'D For Olympus Lost, And So Oeclides, Sinking Into Night, From The Deep Gulph Look'D Up To Distant Light.[13] Wretch That I Am, What Hopes For Me Remain Who Cannot Cease To Love, Yet Love In Vain? Oh Could I Once, Once More, Behold The Fair, Speak To Her, Tell Her Of The Pangs I Bear, Perhaps She Is Not Adamant, Would Show Perhaps Some Pity At My Tale Of Woe. Oh Inauspicious Flame--'Tis Mine To Prove A Matchless Instance Of Disastrous Love. Ah Spare Me, Gentle Pow'R!--If Such Thou Be Let Not Thy Deeds, And Nature Disagree. Now I Revere Thy Fires, Thy Bow, Thy Darts: Now Own Thee Sov'reign Of All Human Hearts. Spare Me, And I Will Worship At No Shrine With Vow And Sacrifice, Save Only Thine. Remove! No--Grant Me Still This Raging Woe! Sweet Is The Wretchedness, That Lovers Know: But Pierce Hereafter (Should I Chance To See One Destined Mine) At Once Both Her And Me. ___________________________________________________________[14] Such Were The Trophies, That In Earlier Days, By Vanity Seduced I Toil'D To Raise, Studious Yet Indolent, And Urg'D By Youth, That Worst Of Teachers, From The Ways Of Truth; Till Learning Taught Me, In His Shady Bow'R, To Quit Love'S Servile Yoke, And Spurn His Pow'R. Then, On A Sudden, The Fierce Flame Supprest, A Frost Continual Settled On My Breast, Whence Cupid Fears His Flames Extinct To See, And Venus Dreads A Diomede[15] In Me.