DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9261#0009
PHOSEON Lib. VIII. PHOSES. Book VIII. 251
Ale tavnen accept a poterat deponere helium
Ob fide: me comitem , me pacts pignus habere.
Si, quae te genuit,talis,pulcherrime rerum,
Qualis es ipfe, fuit >• merito Deus arfit in il-
ia. 50
O ego ter felix , fi pennis lapfa per auras
Gnofiaci pojjim cajlris in fi fere regis:
Faffaque me, fammasque me as, qua dote,
rogarem,
Vellet emi! tantum patrias ne pofceret arces.
Nam pereant potius fperata cubilia; quam
fim 55
Proditione potens. quamvis faepe utile vinci
Vicloris placidi fecit dementia multis.
Jufia facit cert} pro nato bella peremto:
In cauffaque valet, cauffamque tuentibus ar-
mis,
XJt puto, ruincemur. qui fi manet exitus ur-
hem, 60
Cur fuus haec illi referabit moenia Marvors,
Et non nofler amor ? melius fine caede mo-
raque,
Impensaque fui poterit fuperare cruoris.
Quam metuo eerie, ne quis tua peffora,
Minos,
Vulneret imprudens!
ut in te
Dirigere immitem ,
haftam ?
Coepta placent 3 & flat fententia tradere
mecum
Dotalem patriam ,finemque imponere bello.
Verum velle parum efl. aditus cujlodia fervat:
Clauflraque port arum genitor tenet: hunc ego
folum jo
Infelix timeo: folus me a <vota moratur.
JDt facer ent, fine patre for em ! fibi quis que
profeffo
Tit Deus. ignavis precibus Fortuna repugnat.
Altera jamdudum fuccenfa Cupidine tanto
Perdere gauderet, quodcumque objlaret amo-
n- . 75
Et cur ulla foret me fortiori ire per ignes,
Pergladios aufim. neque in hoc tamen igni-
bus ullis y
Aut gladiis opus efl: opus efl mihi crinc pa-
ter no.
Ilia mihi efl auro pretiofior: ilia beat am
Purpura me , votique met fattura poten-
tern. 8o
Tali a dicenti, cur arum maxima nutrix
Tom. II. JSlox
33
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quis enim tarn dims,
nifi nefcius , audeat
Yet, were I tender'd as a Pledge of Peace,
The Cruelties of War might quickly ceafe.
Oh! with what Joy I'd wear the Chains he gave!
A patient Hoftage, and a willing Slave.
Thou lovely Object! if the Nymph that bare
Thy charming Perfon, were but half lb fair ;
Well might a God her Virgin Bloom defire,
And with a Rape indulge his am'rous Fire.
Oh! had I Wings to glide along the Air,
To his dear Tent I'd fly, and lettle there:
There tell my Quality, confefs my Flame,
And grant him any Dowry that he'd name:
All, all I'd give; only my native Land ,
My deareft Country, fhou'd excepted ftand -,
For, perifh Love, and all expected Joys,
E're with fo bafe a Thought my Soul com-
plies.
Yet, oft the Vanquilh'd fome Advantage find,
When conquer'd by a noble, gen'rous Mind.
Brave Minos juftly has the War begun ,
Fir'd with Refentment for his murder'd Son:
The righteous Gods a righteous Caufe regard,
And will, With Victory, his Arms reward :
We mull be conquer'd \ and the Captive's Fate
Will furely feize us, tho' it feize us late.
Why then fhou'd Love be idle, and neglect
What Mars j by Arms and Perils, will eftect?
,, Oh ! Prince, I die, with anxious Fear oppreft,
,, Left fome ralh Hand Ihou'd wound my Char-
mer's Breaft:
For, if they law, no barb'rous Mind cou'd dare
,, Againft that lovely Form to raife a Spear.
,, But I'm refolv'd, and fix'd in this Decree,
„ My Father's Country {hall my Dowry be.
,, Thus I prevent the Lois of Life and Blood,
,, And, in Effect, the Action mull be good.
„ Vain Refolution! for, at ev'ry Gate
,, The trufty Centinels, fuccelhve , wait:
,, The Keys my Father keeps ah ! there's my
Grief;
,, 'Tis he obftructs all Hopes of my Relief.
Gods! that this hated Light I ne'er had foen ?
Or, all my Life, without a Father been!
But Gods we all may be-, for thole that dare.
Are Gods, and Fortune's chiefeft Favours fharc.
The ruling Pow'rs a lazy Pray'r deteft,
The bold Adventurer fucceeds the bell.
What other Maid, inlpir'd with fuch a Flame,
But wou'd take Courage, and abandon Shame?
But wou'd, tho* Ruin fhou'd infue, remove
Whate'er oppos'd, and clear her Way to Love?
This, fhall another's feeble PalTion dare ?
While I fit tame, and languifh in Defpair:
No ^ for tho' Fire and Sword before me lay,
Impatient Love thro' both fhou'd force it's
Way.
Yet I have no fuch Enemies to fear.
My fole Obftruction is my Father's Hair :
His Purple Lock my fanguin Hope deftroys,
And clouds the Profpect of my rifing Joys.
Whilft thus fhe fpoke amidft the thick'ning
Air
Night fupervenes, the greatcjt Nurfe of Care:
A z 33 And,
33
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33
33
33
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»
Ale tavnen accept a poterat deponere helium
Ob fide: me comitem , me pacts pignus habere.
Si, quae te genuit,talis,pulcherrime rerum,
Qualis es ipfe, fuit >• merito Deus arfit in il-
ia. 50
O ego ter felix , fi pennis lapfa per auras
Gnofiaci pojjim cajlris in fi fere regis:
Faffaque me, fammasque me as, qua dote,
rogarem,
Vellet emi! tantum patrias ne pofceret arces.
Nam pereant potius fperata cubilia; quam
fim 55
Proditione potens. quamvis faepe utile vinci
Vicloris placidi fecit dementia multis.
Jufia facit cert} pro nato bella peremto:
In cauffaque valet, cauffamque tuentibus ar-
mis,
XJt puto, ruincemur. qui fi manet exitus ur-
hem, 60
Cur fuus haec illi referabit moenia Marvors,
Et non nofler amor ? melius fine caede mo-
raque,
Impensaque fui poterit fuperare cruoris.
Quam metuo eerie, ne quis tua peffora,
Minos,
Vulneret imprudens!
ut in te
Dirigere immitem ,
haftam ?
Coepta placent 3 & flat fententia tradere
mecum
Dotalem patriam ,finemque imponere bello.
Verum velle parum efl. aditus cujlodia fervat:
Clauflraque port arum genitor tenet: hunc ego
folum jo
Infelix timeo: folus me a <vota moratur.
JDt facer ent, fine patre for em ! fibi quis que
profeffo
Tit Deus. ignavis precibus Fortuna repugnat.
Altera jamdudum fuccenfa Cupidine tanto
Perdere gauderet, quodcumque objlaret amo-
n- . 75
Et cur ulla foret me fortiori ire per ignes,
Pergladios aufim. neque in hoc tamen igni-
bus ullis y
Aut gladiis opus efl: opus efl mihi crinc pa-
ter no.
Ilia mihi efl auro pretiofior: ilia beat am
Purpura me , votique met fattura poten-
tern. 8o
Tali a dicenti, cur arum maxima nutrix
Tom. II. JSlox
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
quis enim tarn dims,
nifi nefcius , audeat
Yet, were I tender'd as a Pledge of Peace,
The Cruelties of War might quickly ceafe.
Oh! with what Joy I'd wear the Chains he gave!
A patient Hoftage, and a willing Slave.
Thou lovely Object! if the Nymph that bare
Thy charming Perfon, were but half lb fair ;
Well might a God her Virgin Bloom defire,
And with a Rape indulge his am'rous Fire.
Oh! had I Wings to glide along the Air,
To his dear Tent I'd fly, and lettle there:
There tell my Quality, confefs my Flame,
And grant him any Dowry that he'd name:
All, all I'd give; only my native Land ,
My deareft Country, fhou'd excepted ftand -,
For, perifh Love, and all expected Joys,
E're with fo bafe a Thought my Soul com-
plies.
Yet, oft the Vanquilh'd fome Advantage find,
When conquer'd by a noble, gen'rous Mind.
Brave Minos juftly has the War begun ,
Fir'd with Refentment for his murder'd Son:
The righteous Gods a righteous Caufe regard,
And will, With Victory, his Arms reward :
We mull be conquer'd \ and the Captive's Fate
Will furely feize us, tho' it feize us late.
Why then fhou'd Love be idle, and neglect
What Mars j by Arms and Perils, will eftect?
,, Oh ! Prince, I die, with anxious Fear oppreft,
,, Left fome ralh Hand Ihou'd wound my Char-
mer's Breaft:
For, if they law, no barb'rous Mind cou'd dare
,, Againft that lovely Form to raife a Spear.
,, But I'm refolv'd, and fix'd in this Decree,
„ My Father's Country {hall my Dowry be.
,, Thus I prevent the Lois of Life and Blood,
,, And, in Effect, the Action mull be good.
„ Vain Refolution! for, at ev'ry Gate
,, The trufty Centinels, fuccelhve , wait:
,, The Keys my Father keeps ah ! there's my
Grief;
,, 'Tis he obftructs all Hopes of my Relief.
Gods! that this hated Light I ne'er had foen ?
Or, all my Life, without a Father been!
But Gods we all may be-, for thole that dare.
Are Gods, and Fortune's chiefeft Favours fharc.
The ruling Pow'rs a lazy Pray'r deteft,
The bold Adventurer fucceeds the bell.
What other Maid, inlpir'd with fuch a Flame,
But wou'd take Courage, and abandon Shame?
But wou'd, tho* Ruin fhou'd infue, remove
Whate'er oppos'd, and clear her Way to Love?
This, fhall another's feeble PalTion dare ?
While I fit tame, and languifh in Defpair:
No ^ for tho' Fire and Sword before me lay,
Impatient Love thro' both fhou'd force it's
Way.
Yet I have no fuch Enemies to fear.
My fole Obftruction is my Father's Hair :
His Purple Lock my fanguin Hope deftroys,
And clouds the Profpect of my rifing Joys.
Whilft thus fhe fpoke amidft the thick'ning
Air
Night fupervenes, the greatcjt Nurfe of Care:
A z 33 And,
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
»