The Works of Tibullus Containing his Love-Elegies. Translated by Mr Dart. To which is added, The Life of the Author; with Observations on the Original Design of Elegiack Verse; and the Characters of the most Celebrated Greek, Latin and English Elegiack Poets |
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| II. | To MARS.
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 | The Works of Tibullus |  |
To MARS.
In Praise of Sulpicia.
In all her Charms is fair Sulpicia drest,
To grace thy Calends, and attend thy Feast;
To view the Maid, leave th' Ætherial Height;
Indulgent Venus will permit the Sight:
But come prepar'd, least Beauties' Influence move,
And sink the gazing Warrior into Love:
For when the angry God of fierce Desire,
Intends to set th' immortal Pow'rs on Fire;
He, to revive th' extinguish'd Torches, flies
To the bright Lustre of her sparkling Eyes.
To grace thy Calends, and attend thy Feast;
To view the Maid, leave th' Ætherial Height;
Indulgent Venus will permit the Sight:
But come prepar'd, least Beauties' Influence move,
And sink the gazing Warrior into Love:
For when the angry God of fierce Desire,
Intends to set th' immortal Pow'rs on Fire;
He, to revive th' extinguish'd Torches, flies
To the bright Lustre of her sparkling Eyes.
235
Her ev'ry Action, every Motion warms
The Breast, with secret and resistless Charms;
Insensibly she fires, while Graces gay
Direct her Footsteps, and attend her Way.
The Breast, with secret and resistless Charms;
Insensibly she fires, while Graces gay
Direct her Footsteps, and attend her Way.
If loose, she waves the Tresses of her Hair,
The easy Negligence becomes the Fair;
If comb'd, the glossy Locks are ty'd behind,
In Fillets bound, or plated Braids confin'd:
The lovely Maid no less invites the Eye,
With study'd Dress, and artful Decency.
She fires with aweful Majesty when drest,
In glowing Purple, and the Tyrian Vest;
She fires us, when like soft descending Snows,
Around her Feet the shining Stola flows;
So on Olympus, everlasting Rise,
A Thousand Forms the gay Vertumnus tries,
Graceful in all, and Bright in each Disguise.
For her, the Tyrians fleecy Wooll infuse,
Twice to imbibe the Dye, and Purple Juice:
For her, what e'er his od'rous Harvest yields,
The rich Arabian sends from Spicy Fields;
For her, the Bord'rer on the Eastern Sea,
The Tawny Indian takes his toilsome Way,
Along the ruddy Sand, and shelly Shore,
To find the lucid Pearl, and shining Store.
Ye Vocal Nine, your tuneful Notes prepare,
And sing the Praises of the Heavenly Fair:
Hither Illustrious Phœbus come, and bring
The sounding Shell, and wake the Silver String;
And celebrate this Day, when it appears
In circ'ling Seasons, and revolving Years;
No Name like hers, so well becomes your Lays,
No Maid like her, so well deserves your Praise.
The easy Negligence becomes the Fair;
If comb'd, the glossy Locks are ty'd behind,
In Fillets bound, or plated Braids confin'd:
The lovely Maid no less invites the Eye,
With study'd Dress, and artful Decency.
She fires with aweful Majesty when drest,
In glowing Purple, and the Tyrian Vest;
She fires us, when like soft descending Snows,
Around her Feet the shining Stola flows;
So on Olympus, everlasting Rise,
A Thousand Forms the gay Vertumnus tries,
Graceful in all, and Bright in each Disguise.
236
Twice to imbibe the Dye, and Purple Juice:
For her, what e'er his od'rous Harvest yields,
The rich Arabian sends from Spicy Fields;
For her, the Bord'rer on the Eastern Sea,
The Tawny Indian takes his toilsome Way,
Along the ruddy Sand, and shelly Shore,
To find the lucid Pearl, and shining Store.
Ye Vocal Nine, your tuneful Notes prepare,
And sing the Praises of the Heavenly Fair:
Hither Illustrious Phœbus come, and bring
The sounding Shell, and wake the Silver String;
And celebrate this Day, when it appears
In circ'ling Seasons, and revolving Years;
No Name like hers, so well becomes your Lays,
No Maid like her, so well deserves your Praise.
| The Works of Tibullus | |