and all love-smitten, longing to bestow
what Hope can figure, or what eyes can show.
42
“ ’Tis my good will that in the Neptune-reign,
my place of birth, a fair brave race be born,
which a shrewd proof shall be to worlds malign,
and to the rebels who thine empire scorn;
that nought shall save, ne mure adamantine
ne triste Hypocrisy, these men forsworn:
Ne’er shall these earth-things hope their selves to save
when burn immortal Love-fires ’neath the wave.”
43
Thus willeth Venus and her wilful Boy
obeys, and flies to see her will be done;
he bids them bring his bow of ivory,
with golden-headed arrows many a one:
The Cyprian with glad gest of wanton joy
within her chariot receives her son;
and slacks the bridles for the Birds whose song
the Phaëtonian death wailed loud and long.
44
But Cupid warneth that still wants their scheme
a famous Go-between of high degree
who, though a thousand times she baulked his aim,
a thousand times firm friend prefer’d to be.
Gigantia was the Goddess, daring dame,
vain-glorious, boastful, false and true was she
who sees with hundred eyne, flies every where
and that she sees a thousand tongues declare.
45
They wend to seek and send her on in state,
to blow her trumpet of the clearest strain;
and so the wandering Braves to celebrate,
as never mortals could such praises gain:
Now Fame, with murm’uring sounds that penetrate,
flies through the deepest grottos of the Main:
and scatt’ereth Truth believèd true to be;
for Fame’s own gossip is Credulity.
46
These goodly lauds, and rumours excellent
the hearts of God and Goddess, whilom firèd
by Bacchus and to harm the Heroes bent,
changed and with something likest love inspirèd.
The fem’inine bosom, ever diligent
in shifting will, of settled will soon tirèd,
now crieth cru’elty, shame and over zeal
for such high valour evil will to feel.
47
Meanwhile the lither Lad had loosed his bow
shaft urging shaft; loud groans from Ocean rise:
They pierce point-blank the waves that restless flow
these straight, those whirling in a spiral guise:
The fair Nymphs fall and breathe the secret throe,
the ’bosomed burden of their burning sighs;
each falls ere seen the face that makes her die,
for oft the ear hath loved before the eye.
48
Now of his iv’ory Lune the cusps drew near,
with might and main th’ indomitable Boy,
who fired at Tethys more than any fair,
for-that was she to love the coyest coy.
Now of its arrows is the quiver bare,
nor lives in sea-plain Nymph her life to ’joy;
and, if the wounded breathe a living breath
’tis but to savour that they strive with Death.
49
Give way, ye tall cerulean waves, give way!
for look ye, Venus brings her medicine,
showing the snow-white belly’ing sails that stray
o’er swelling crests of billows Neptunine:
That thou reciprocal response convey,
Oh ardent Love! to longings feminine,
an honest modesty must ne’er withstand
whatever Venus deigneth to command.
50
Now the fair Nereid-choir itself enrol’d;
and side by side the gentle bevy sped
with tripping dances, usance known of old,
straight for that Island whither Venus led:
And there the Goddess ’gan to all unfold
her thousand feats of loving hardihed:
They, to be victims of sweet Love preparèd,
each trick would try and dare whate’er she darèd.
51
Cutting the broad highway the vessels ride
o’er ample Ocean seeking Home’s dear shore,
wishing but cool sweet water to provide
for their long voyage briny waters o’er:
When all attonce with start of joy descried
Love’s Isle rise lovely stretched their eyes before,
as bursting radiant through the morning air
rose Memnon’s Mother delicately fair.
52
The bien and bonny Isle afar they hail,
by Venus wafted through the wavy flood,
(e’en as the Zephyrs waft the snow-white sail)
whither the sturdy Fleet fast sailing stood;
and lest unheeding pass the crews, and fail
there to take harbour as she willed they should,
right on their courses threw her lovely bower
that Acidalian of omnip’otent power.
53
Firm and immobile she disposed it where
she saw the seamen seek and shape their way;
so fixt stood Delos when Latona bare
Phoebus and her who joys in forestry.
Thither the hurrying Prores thro’ Ocean tare
where bends the seaboard in a little bay
quiet and curved, upon whose snow-white sand
her rosy shells strewed Cytheréa’s hand.
54
Three fairy hillocks threefold headlets showèd
swelling superbly gracious to the sight,
whose greeny clothing grass-enamel’d glowèd,
in that fair joyous Island of Delight:
While glassy-clear three limpid fountains flowèd
from peaks with gleaming verdure deckt and dight;
and from the milk-white rocks derivèd flow
fugitive wavelets, prattling as they go.
55
Down a sweet dale that dints the hillocks, glide
the sparkling waters to their trysting-place,
and make a table of so fair a tide;
never could Fancy such a landskip trace:
O’erhang it graceful groves on ev’ry side
like one who bendeth pranking form and face,
and in the crystal mirror joys to view
his proper semblance and resemblance true.
56
Skywards a thousand trees rise tall and straight,
apple’d with od’orous fruitage passing rare:
Here th’ Orange painteth on her dainty freight
the hues that burnt in Daphné’s burnisht hair:
Droops low crusht earthwards by her juicy weight,
the Citron glowing with her saffron gear:
Lemons with scented spherelets deckt and drest
mock budding honours of the maiden’s breast.
57
The forest-growths that clothe the hillocks trine
with frondent ringlets fronts and heads array;
Alcides’ Poplars with the Laurels twine
loved by the laurel’d fair-faxt Lord of Day:
and Cytheraea’s Myrtles with the Pine
of Cybelé, to strange amour a prey:
The spiring Cypress pointeth to the skies,
where man hath built his air-based Paradise.
58
Pomona’s choicest gifts spontaneous grow,
and all in diff’erent taste and gust abound;
no want of cult’uring hand these arbours know,
withouten culture better fares the ground:
Cherries with Tyrian tincture purpled glow;
and Morus eke that mimicks Amor’s sound;
while from her patrial Persia-land the Pome185
flourisheth fairer in her foreign home.
59
Gapes the Granado tints incarnadine
whereby, O Ruby! shent is all thy sheen;
’braced by her husband-Elm the
