The gay-plum'd natives of the shades Then bill, then sing again, while love and music make the day. III. The stubborn plough had then Made no rude rapes upon the virgin earth, Who yielded of her own accord her plenteous birth, Without the aid of men; As if within her teeming womb, All nature and all sexes lay, To adorn the careless shepherd's grassy beds; While still new opening buds each moment grew And as these wither'd drest his shaded couch anew; Beneath whose boughs the snakes securely dwelt, Not doing harm, nor harm from others felt; With whom the nymphs did innocently play, No spiteful venom in the wantons lay, But to the touch were soft, and to the sight were gay. IV. Then no rough sound of war's alarms, Had taught the world the needless use of arms: Monarchs were uncreated then, Those arbitrary rulers over men ; Kings that made laws first broke them, and the gods] By teaching us religion first, first set the world at odds. Till then ambition was not known That poison to content, bane to repose; Each swain was lord o'er his own will alone, Nor needed any troublesome defence Against his neighbour's insolence. Flocks, herds, and every necessary good V. Right and property were words since made, Was gaining of a glorious name, Stiling their savage slaughters, victories; Thou wert not known in those blest days! Thy poison was not mixt with their unbounded joys! And that was lawful all that pleasure did invite VI. The flow'ry meads the rivers and the groves : That ever smiled and danced and play'd And now the woods, and now the streams invade, And where they came all things were gay When in the myrtle groves the lovers sat and glad: A thousand Cupids fann'd their wings aloft, And every god his own soft power admir'd, And smiled, and frowned, and sometimes bent his bow. * The swift paced hours of life soon steal away, The spring decays, but when the winter's gone, The sun may set, but when the night is fled, He rises from his wat'ry bed, All glorious, gay, all drest in amorous fire! But Silvia, when your beauties fade, When the fresh roses on your cheek shall die,-Like flowers that wither in the shade, Eternally they will forgotten lie! And no kind spring its sweetness will supply What will your duller honour signify? Go boast it then! and see what numerous store And the gay hasty minutes prize; Our sun and spring receive but one short light, K This poem exhibits the talents of Mrs. Behn to advantage; it is one of her best, and written with much care. There are few things in our poetry better than the last stanza; the thought itself has probably occurred to all poets, and may be considered as a poetic commonplace, but it certainly was never expressed in language more elegant, nor in verse more harmonious. Waller's beautiful song, "Go lovely rose," was probably written about the same time, and is one of the most elegant lyric poems in any language. It has been overlooked by late collectors, and we may perhaps be excused for inserting it in this place, by way of comparison, as it is grounded on the same idea with the above stanza.It needs to be once read only, to be for ever fixed in all poetic memories. Go lovely rose, Tell her that wastes her time, and me, That now she knows, When I resemble her to thee, How sweet and fair she seems to be! Tell her that's young, And shuns to have her graces spy'd, That hadst thou sprung In deserts, where no men abide, Thou must have uncommended died! Small is the worth Of beauty from the light retir'd: Bid her come forth, Suffer herself to be desir'd, And not blush so to be admir'd Then die!-that she The common fate of all things rare May read in thee; How small a space of time they share, That are so wondrous sweet and fair! SONG. Love armed. Love in fantastic triumph sat, Whilst bleeding hearts around him flow'd, For whom fresh pains he did create, And strange tyrannic power he shew'd. From thy bright eyes he took his fire, Enough to undo the amorous world. From me he took his sighs and tears; Thus thou and I the god have arm'd, But my poor heart alone is harm'd, SONG. The Invitation. Damon, I cannot blame your will, |