 | The Land of Love |  |
Love's Temple.
'Midst the gay Court, a famous Temple stands,
Old as the Universe, which it commands;
For Love before the World a Being had,
And nothing was compos'd without his Aid.
'Tis rich, but solemn; all divine, yet gay;
The dazling Jems Lights from the Roof display,
And all below inform, without the Aid of Day.
All Nations hither bring rich Off'rings,
And 'tis endow'd with Gifts of love-sick Kings.
Upon an Altar, to whose mighty Store,
Tagus, and both the India's are but poor,
Was plac'd the God, with ev'ry Beauty form'd,
Of smiling Youth, but naked, unadorn'd;
His painted Wings display'd, his Bow laid by,
For here Love needs not his Artillery:
One of his little Hands aloft he bore,
Grasping a wounded Heart that burnt all o'er;
On which he look'd with lovely laughing Eyes,
As pleas'd and vain with the fond Sacrifice:
The other pointing downward, seem'd to say,
Here at my Feet your grateful Victims lay;
And in a Golden Scroul above his Head,
In Diamond Characters this Motto stood,
Behold the Pow'r that conquers ev'ry God.
Old as the Universe, which it commands;
For Love before the World a Being had,
And nothing was compos'd without his Aid.
'Tis rich, but solemn; all divine, yet gay;
The dazling Jems Lights from the Roof display,
And all below inform, without the Aid of Day.
All Nations hither bring rich Off'rings,
And 'tis endow'd with Gifts of love-sick Kings.
Upon an Altar, to whose mighty Store,
Tagus, and both the India's are but poor,
Was plac'd the God, with ev'ry Beauty form'd,
Of smiling Youth, but naked, unadorn'd;
His painted Wings display'd, his Bow laid by,
For here Love needs not his Artillery:
One of his little Hands aloft he bore,
Grasping a wounded Heart that burnt all o'er;
On which he look'd with lovely laughing Eyes,
As pleas'd and vain with the fond Sacrifice:
The other pointing downward, seem'd to say,
Here at my Feet your grateful Victims lay;
57
In Diamond Characters this Motto stood,
Behold the Pow'r that conquers ev'ry God.
Unto this sacred Place I did perswade
The lovely tim'rously yielding Maid;
Implor'd we might together sacrifice,
And she agrees with blushing down-cast Eyes:
Then 'twas we both our Hearts an Off'ring made,
Which at the Feet of the young God we laid;
With equal Flames they burnt, with equal Joy,
But with a Fire that neither did destroy:
Soft was its Force, and Sympathy with them,
Dispers'd it self thro' ev'ry trembling Limb.
But by a blessed Change, in taking back,
The lovely Virgin did her Heart mistake:
Her bashful Eyes favour'd Love's great Design,
I took her burning Victim, she took mine.
The lovely tim'rously yielding Maid;
Implor'd we might together sacrifice,
And she agrees with blushing down-cast Eyes:
Then 'twas we both our Hearts an Off'ring made,
Which at the Feet of the young God we laid;
With equal Flames they burnt, with equal Joy,
But with a Fire that neither did destroy:
Soft was its Force, and Sympathy with them,
Dispers'd it self thro' ev'ry trembling Limb.
But by a blessed Change, in taking back,
The lovely Virgin did her Heart mistake:
Her bashful Eyes favour'd Love's great Design,
I took her burning Victim, she took mine.
Thus, Lysidas, without Restraint or Art,
I reign'd the Monarch of Aminta's Heart;
My great, my happy Title she allows,
And makes me Lord of all her tender Vows:
My pleasing Hours in the Extream of Joy,
With my soft Languisher I still employ;
When I am gay, Love revels in her Eyes;
When sad, there the young God all panting lies.
A thousand Freedoms now she does impart,
Shews all her Tenderness, disrob'd of Art;
But oh! this could not satisfy my Heart.
A thousand Anguishes it still contains,
It sighs, and heaves, and pants, with pleasing Pains;
Still unexplor'd, a Place there did remain,
The Bower of Enjoyment was its Name:
A Place which Lovers most of all admire,
For there they quench the Flames Love does inspire.
Yea, Gods themselves, they say, sometimes repair,
And leave their Heav'n, to make a Visit there.
To this bless'd Bow'r, so charming to the Sight,
With all my Rhet'rick I the Maid invite.
To mighty Love upon my Knees I fall,
And to my Guide for his Assistance call;
Who fav'ring my Design, with smiling Face,
And sweeter Language, thus describ'd the Place.
I reign'd the Monarch of Aminta's Heart;
My great, my happy Title she allows,
And makes me Lord of all her tender Vows:
My pleasing Hours in the Extream of Joy,
With my soft Languisher I still employ;
When I am gay, Love revels in her Eyes;
When sad, there the young God all panting lies.
A thousand Freedoms now she does impart,
Shews all her Tenderness, disrob'd of Art;
But oh! this could not satisfy my Heart.
58
It sighs, and heaves, and pants, with pleasing Pains;
Still unexplor'd, a Place there did remain,
The Bower of Enjoyment was its Name:
A Place which Lovers most of all admire,
For there they quench the Flames Love does inspire.
Yea, Gods themselves, they say, sometimes repair,
And leave their Heav'n, to make a Visit there.
To this bless'd Bow'r, so charming to the Sight,
With all my Rhet'rick I the Maid invite.
To mighty Love upon my Knees I fall,
And to my Guide for his Assistance call;
Who fav'ring my Design, with smiling Face,
And sweeter Language, thus describ'd the Place.
| The Land of Love | |