University of Virginia Library

Translated from the Italian Poets.

To his Mistress.

When the Nights Beauties that surpass the Day,
The watchful Virgins shall invite to play,
To thee, through Guards of Dangers I'll advance,
Arm'd with a Glass of Wine, I'll baffle Chance;
But let the Door, the Entrance to our Joys,
Be just so order'd, that it make no Noise:
And when I shall approach with silent Fear,
To crown my Joys, Corinna wait you there;
As the fond Ivy round the Beech does twine,
So let my Arms, dear Life, be clasp'd by thine.
You cannot go amiss, oh let your Arms
At ev'ry touch convey a thousand Charms.
Let luscious Kisses and incentive Sips
Of Pleasure, fasten on our balmy Lips.
Let us in Kissing no dull Order show,
But let successive Tides of Pleasure flow,
As loth from us in so much haste to go.
With faint Resistance my Requests deny,
Pleas'd with an eager Importunity;
With doubtful struglings and a modest meen,
Seem to despise what you do most esteem,
And in the midst of these delightful Wars,
Wound me with harmless and with gentle Scars;
Let ev'ry part b'employ'd, and let me rove
Through all the hidden Mysteries of Love;
Let our glad Eyes, sparkling with hot Desire,
Portend, as Omens, we are both on Fire;
And when you see my Passions all inflam'd,
Willing to conquer, that they may be tam'd,
Then open all your little Cheats to me,
Th'Ingredients of a pleasing Fallacy:
When I'm unwilling, urge me to be kind;
When I am eager, shew an adverse Mind;
Shed now and then a counterfeited Tear,
And say, I cannot let your Hands be there;
Then let me see you dart a pleasing Beam,
As if you wholly not deny'd the Game;
Then let a thousand Raptures spring and rise,
Till a soft Slumber sits upon our Eyes,
And when in Dreams our Thoughts more free shall rove,
We'l act again the Comedy of Love.