beareth her berrièd birth, here red, there green.
And ye, O Pears! if long your boughs design
with luscious pyramids to deck the scene,
busk ye to ’dure what hurt and harm may wreak
to your soft flanks the Bird’s injurious beak.
60
The gorgeous tapestry, rare colours blending
and robing rustick earth with rainbow dye,
makes Achaemenia’s186 webs the less resplending,
yet softer shades on sombre vales to lie.
Here the Cephisian flow’er187 his head low bending
eyeth the lakelet lucid as the sky:
There Cinyras’ grandson-son188 still bleeds in bloom,
and, Paphian goddess! still thou wail’st his doom.
61
’Twere hard, in sooth, to judge which case be true,
where sim’ilar splendours mantle earth and air,
if fair Aurora lend the flow’ers her hue,
or if the flowers lend her hues so fair.
There Zephyr aided Flora to bestrew
Vi’olet with colours Love-wan lovers wear;
with Iris red and freshest blooth of Rose,
which on the Damsel’s cheek all beauteous glows:
62
The snow-white Lily with the rory tear
of Dawntide dripping, and the Mangerona:189
Letters on hyacinthine leaves appear,
Hyacinth loved by son of lone Latona:
Each fruit and flow’ering Daisy shows full clear,
that fain would Chloris rival with Pomona.
Then, if the Birds disport on airy wing
Earth has a joyaunce for each four-foot thing.
63
Along the streamlet sings the snowy Swan,
percht on her spraylet answereth Philomel:
Startled Actaeon stands no more to scan
his horny forehead where the waters well;
Here the fast lev’ret flies the hunter-man
from densest thicket, or the shy gazelle:
There hurrying homewards to her darling brood
the light-wing’d Birdie bears the grateful food.
64
’Mid such a freshness swift-foot sprang aground
our second Argonauts, far-left the Fleet,
where in the wood-depths willing to be found
strolled the fair Nymphs as though no fear they weet;
These waked the Zitter’s soft pathetic sound,
those made the Harp and Flute sing song as sweet;
and bearing golden bows appeared a few
the prey pursuing they did not pursue.
65
Thus taught their Tut’oress in such teaching wise,
to scatter careless o’er the hill and plain;
so might the Barons see’ing a doubtful prize,
first burn with hot desire the prize to gain.
Some maids whose natural charms the veil despise,
in pride of soveran Beauty justly vain,
casting all Art’s adulteries aside,
bathe their pure bodies in the pearly tide.
66
But the stout seamen when their feet were set
ashore, all hastenèd to greet the strand;
nor was there any who his ship had quit
sans hopes of finding game upon the land:
None think such game that needs ne springe ne net
on those fair hillocks thus would come to hand;—
so bien, so bonny, so benign a prey
by Venus cast love-wounded in their way.
67
Some with the spingard armed and arbalest,
hoping to slay the horny hart or hind,
in sombre bosques and valleys hotly prest,
determined Vert and Venerie to find:
Others in shadows that high noon arrest
from scorching verdant turf, to walk incline’d
along the gentle riv’ulet’s grassy reach,
o’er the white pebbles purling to the beach.
68
Begin with sudden start the Youths to ’spy
variegate colours glance through greeny boughs;
colours that catch the judgment of man’s eye
as not of nat’ural bloom, ne flow’er, ne rose;
but fleecy laine and silk of diff’erent dye,
Dress, that with double force Desire endows,
wherein the human Rose herself enshrines,
and, Art enhancing Nature, brighter shines.
69
Loud cries Velloso, marv’elling at the sight:
“My masters! wondrous game,” quoth he, “is this;
if yet endure that olden Pagan rite,
the Grove be sacred to the Goddesses:
Here meet we more than what the human Sprite
ever desirèd; and right well we wis
excellent wonders and great things here lie
by Nature veiled from Man’s imprudent eye.
70
“Follow we fast these Goddesses, and speer
an they be Fantasm or divine indeed!”
Thus he; and, fleeter than the fleet-foot deer,
all follow coursing o’er the riv’erine mead.
Between the branches flying Nymphs appear,
haply with more of hurry than of speed;
and, slack’ening pace with shrieks and laughter gay,
each yields her graces as her greyhound’s prey.
71
From this the breezes golden tresses blow,
from that the robe’s frail hem is reft aside:
High burns Desire, enkindled by the snow
of living loveliness so sudden ’spied.
One falls apurpose, and her fall doth show
by loving languor more than plaint or pride,
she wills her follower stumble, falling o’er
the lovely quarry on the pebbly shore.
72
Others seek other places where the stream
reveals of bathing Nymphs the secret charms:
who startled ’gin to fly with shriek and scream,
as though surprised by rude assault of arms.
While others feigning to feel less esteem
for fear and shame than force, veil false alarms,
plunge in the brake and give to greedy eyes
denied to grasping hands the goodly prize.
73
That, who in hurry to resume contrives
the modesty that marks the Hunter-maid
hides in the wave her limbs; another strives
to snatch the garment on the stream-bank laid.
Youngling there is who in the river dives
all clad and booted (lest too long delay’d
by doffing garments he should miss the game),
to quench in water Love’s consuming flame.
74
As Hound of Hunter, crafty beast and ware,
taught cripples to retrieve from brook or tarn,
seeing the steely tube upraised in air;
cov’ering the well-known quarry, duck or hern;
ere heard the crack, uneath the sight to bear
he plungeth, certain praise and prize to earn,
and swimmeth barking: Thus the Brave made free
to seize the Fair—no Phoebus’ sister she!
75
Le’onard, a soldier whom good gifts adorn,
a knightly Belamour and delicate,
who was not once the prey of Cupid’s scorn,
but ever dree’d Love’s life-long spite and hate;
he, who so long believed he was not born
to Love-luck being e’er unfortunate,
not that he held all Hope beyond his range
when Destiny shall deign his doom to change:
76
Here willed his Fortune, he should wing his way
chasing the fairest Daughter of the Wave,
Ephýre, lief to make him dearly
