The poetical works of John Godfrey Saxe :: :: University of Virginia Library

Cupid, we know, is painted blind;
The reason it were hard to find,
Unless, indeed, we may suppose
The fable of Lafontaine shows,
Beyond a reasonable doubt,
How the misfortune came about.

'T is said that on a certain day,
As Love and Folly were at play,
They fell into a warm debate
Upon a point of little weight,
Until, so high the quarrel rose,
From angry words they came to blows.
Love, little used to warlike arts
(Save with his famous bow and darts),
Although he fought with all his might,
Was quickly vanquished in the fight;
Miss Folly dealt him such a slap
Across the face, the little chap
Fell in a swoon, and woke to find
He could not see!—the boy was blind!

Now when his doting mother came
To know the case, the angry dame
Behaved as any mother might
Whose only son had lost his sight.
Whate'er had caused the dreadful deed,
Malicious aim, or want of heed,
Such wrath in heaven was seldom seen
As Venus showed in speech and mien.
She stunned Olympus with her cries
For vengeance. “What! put out his eyes!
My precious Cupid! Let the jade
Straight down to Orcus be conveyed!
That justice may be duly done
On her who maimed my darling son,
And left the lad, bereaved of sight,
To grope in everlasting night!”

While Venus thus for vengeance prayed
On Folly,—thoughtless, hapless maid,—
Great Jove convenes a special court
To hear the case and make report.
In solemn council long they sit
To judge what penalty is fit
The crime to answer; and, beside
Some restitution to provide
(If aught, indeed, they can devise)
For Master Cupid's ruined eyes.

And thus, at last, it was decreed,
That Folly, for her wicked deed,
In part the damage should restore
By leading Cupid evermore!

L'ENVOI.

And so it comes that still we see
The maid where'er the boy may be;
Love still is blind; and Folly still
Directs the urchin where she will.