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(From New Crazy Tales, 1783)
ONCE on a day when summer dressed the green, | |
| And nought around but fragrant flowers were seen, | |
| When golden Phoebus shot a gentle ray, | |
| Olympus smiled and all the fields were gay. | |
| Athwart the meads advanced a lovely pair, | 5 |
| Daphnis the young, and Rosalind the fair, | |
| Of equal fortune both, of equal years, | |
| Both warm in youth, and both devoid of cares, | |
| With mutual ardour fired; as on they went, | |
| The pleasing hours in amorous talk they spent. | 10 |
| The youth industrious to allure his love, | |
| Brought every flower that bloomed in mead, or grove. | |
| He culled the fairest to adorn her breast, | |
| And fondly wished to be as closely pressed. | |
| Now they arrive at the long wished for place, | 15 |
| Kind nature decked with a peculiar grace, | |
| There cooling zephyrs found the opening glade, | |
| There flowed a gentle stream, there rose an ambient shade. | |
| As here they sat protected from the sun, | |
| With a fond smile the loving youth begun. | 20 |
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| “Beloved fair maid, how bounteous nature round, | |
| With flowery gems bespangles all the ground; | |
| Their birth to know, makes reasoning blockheads pause; | |
| O blind to truth—productive love’s the cause. | |
| When the soft cloud descends in kindly showers, | 25 |
| And through the earth its genial moisture pours, | |
| The juice prolific makes each bud appear, | |
| And thence arise the glories of the year.” | |
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| “The feathered wooers in the shady grove, | |
| Fondly proclaim the energy of love, | 30 |
| The purling stream that flows beneath our feet, | |
| Murmurs its love in melody so sweet. | |
| Since then all things kind Venus’ transports know, | |
| Oh, why should we the pleasing talk forego? | |
| O let us now, the precious time employ, | 35 |
| While whisp’ring nature prompts us on to joy.” | |
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| Thus spoke the youth, and with a kiss instilled | |
| The inviting passion—the warm virgin thrilled | |
| In ev’ry vein—the ardour gains her heart; | |
| But Miss must play the coy coquettish part. | 40 |
| Her heaving breasts with indignation swell; | |
| She calls him villain, reprobate most fell. | |
| The Phantom honor, starts before her eyes, | |
| Rapid as lightning from the youth she flies. | |
| He not to lose the conquest of the day, | 45 |
| Pursues the fair through every winding way. | |
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| At length she turns to make this stern reply; | |
| “From whence, bold youth, take you this liberty? | |
| Lost is my fame should we be seen alone.” | |
| Of fame she talks, and in a haughty tone, | 50 |
| The youth persists his fair one to implore: | |
| She still denies, but he still urges more. | |
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| Cupid by chance lit near them in the grove, | |
| And saw the fond contention of their love. | |
| The partial God to Daphnis’ succour flies, | 55 |
| Plies quick his bow, “Yield, yield fair maid,” he cries, | |
| Stricken she feels love’s sharp resistless dart, | |
| Sighs, falls, to Daphnis yields a willing heart, | |
| Of conquest sure, the charmed, impatient boy, | |
| Rushes, impetuous, to inviting joy. | 60 |
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| Cupid around them draws a fragrant veil, | |
| From prying eyes their raptures to conceal. | |
| Soon as the endearments of their love were o’er, | |
| And the God wafted to Idalia’s shore, | |
| Exposed to sight shone Rosalinda’s charms; | 65 |
| The raptured youth lay panting in her arms. | |
| Amazed they started as they heard me near: | |
| He fled for shame, she cried, “Good sir, what cheer?” | |
| Pray make no noise, for this is sacred ground, | |
| I and my cousin have a bird’s nest found. | 70 |
| Did’st meet him, sir, he’s just about my age: | |
| The bird belongs to him, but mine the cage.” | |
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| Smiling, I heard, and smiling went away, | |
| Pleased at the adventure of the sportful day. | |
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