University of Virginia Library

Jupiter, at a distance, Mercury.
JUPITER.
How am I tir'd, thus vainly to pursue
A Nymph, I cannot keep in view?
I daily through Arcadia rove,
O're every Hill, through every Grove,
But in her Ears to Sigh my Love;
And may as well the Shades and Ecchoes chace;
The Shades I easier can embrace,
Which grieves me too, whilst I this Maze have trod,
There's none to pity a dispairing God.

Mer.
In these Arcadian Woods I've lost my Heart;
[Aside.
Whilst I the Nymph, by whom I smart,
Pursue, some little Ease to get;
This Jove I've oft a wandring met:
He makes my Jealousie grow strong;
What does he do out of his Heav'n so long?
I'm sure on some fair Nymph he has Design,
And all my fear is, lest it should be mine.
Can no soft Beauty be Embrac'd,
But he must still desire a Tast?
That the Old Titans from his Throne had hurl'd
This general grievance of the World;
But I too soon to rage am won,
Perhaps there is no injury done;
Another Nymph has snatcht his Eye,
I'le go discourse with him, and try.

Jupiter discovers him.
Jup.
Ah! Mercury! What Fortune brought thee here?
Thou faithful Envoy of the Gods, Come near;
Plung'd deep in sorrow, with despair opprest:
I now was wishing for some Breast,
Where I my Secrets might repose,
And Fate has sent the best I could have chose.

Mer.
—What wondrous pain
Is it can make the King of Gods complain?

Jup.
My old Affliction Love!

Mer.
What do I hear!
[Aside.
This News I did not vainly fear.
Now dare not I what Nymph he loves enquire,
Lest we should both of us the same admire.

Jup.
Thou seem'st disturb'd, what does thy passion move?

Mer.
—Only my Loyalty for Jove:
And Rage at the Tyrannick Boy,
That dares great Jove's Repose destroy;
His Boldness Jove too mildly bears,
Though us poor Vassal Gods he dares
Into his Chains and Fetters bring,
He is too sawcy with our King.
You ought to make his very Godhead cease,
For yours and Heav'ns universal Peace.

Jup.
—Oh let thy vain Discourses dye!
Loves is delightful Tyranny:
There is more pleasure in his pains,
Than all the Joys our Heav'n contains:
If Love I out of Heav'n should chace,
It would appear so dull a place,
My self and all the Gods would be,
even tir'd with Immortality.

Mer.
—I own these Joys, sometimes I try,
To pass away Eternity:
But are they not for Jove too low.

Jup.
—The World must not the Secret know.
We boast great things to be ador'd and sought;
(There is some Pleasure to be happy thought)
But for all Joys of our abode,
From Earth I would not move;
Nor be content to be a God,
To be depriv'd of Love.
Without that Joy Two vast Extreams would joyn;
Things without Sense would equal things Divine:
'Twixt us and Plants there would be little odds,
And sawcy Mortals be more Bless'd than Gods.

Mer.
Oh! let not Jove submit to such a Fate
Poorly to envy things he does Create.

Jup.
No, if to Mortals I present Delight,
I to the Feast will still my self invite.

Mer.
—Yes Yes, we know Joves Appetite;
[Aside.
E're quite abstain from Loves sweet Feasts,
Hee'l humbly dine with Birds and Beasts.

Jup.
—I still provide with care,
We Gods in all Delights should share;
Besides the Loves by us embrac'd
Would kill a poor weak Mortal, but to tast,
We know what pleasure Love affords,
To Heavy Beasts and Mettled Birds;
Here and there at will we fly,
Each step of Natures Pearch we try;
Down to the Beast, and up again
To the more fine delights of Man:
We every sort of pleasure try;
So much advantage has a Deity.

Mer.
Nay, if Jove Rents the World to Man and Beast,
He may preserve the Royalty at least,
And freedom take to Hunt in any Grounds;
The Pleasures of great Jove should have no Bounds:
This distant talk still keeps me sweating here,
In Agonies of Jealousie and Fear;
And if I do not put an end,
[Aside.
The day he thus will gladly spend:
I'le not torment my self in vain,
I'le boldly ask and end my pain.
All Joys the World must own their Sovereigns due;
But yet the Story does untold remain,
What Beauty did the Glory gain,
Once more the Worlds great Ruler to subdue.

Jup.
Oh! Mercury! the fairest Nymph of Humane Race!
All former Loves of mine she does so far surpass,
I them for Beauties scarce allow,
And never truly lov'd till now.

Mer.
Astonishment!

Jup.
Did they all live again,
I would not take the pain,
To vex my self into a shape,
For all the pleasure of a Rape;
Except it were to sharpen my desire,
And to return to her with greater fire.

Mer.
What should she be? and where does she remain?

Jup.
Oh! that's my grief, she's one of cold Diana's Train.

Mer.
Oh! I am stabb'd! my fear prophetick proves,
I am assured, it is my Nymph he loves.

[Aside.
Jup.
—Thou know'st what ills of late were done,
In Heav'n and Earth, by Phœbus Frantick Son:
I from high Heav'n descending to survey
The half-burnt World, and with a God-like care
All ruin'd places to repair,
Came here to view my lov'd Arcadia.
As I in every place did pass,
To cloath the wither'd Fields with Grass,
To all the Woods new Leaves and Shades to bring,
Set Rivers running, fill each empty Spring:
—I chanc'd to spy
This Young and Beautious Nymph trip often by.

Mer.
And has great Jove her Name yet ever heard;

Jup.
No opportunity I yet have got,
She swiftly by like some bright Meteor shot
Dazled my Eye, and streight she disappeard.

Mer.
And whither ran the vanishing Vision still?

Jup.
—Or to the Woods, or o're some Hill,
To Hunt some Dear, or swifter Roe,
Still in her Hand a Dart or Bow:
Her Garbe did negligence express;
For oh! she had no need of dress:
Conceal'd, I oft pursued her, but in vain;
For still at last she mixt with chast Diana's Train.

Mer.
Can she be gain'd?

Jup.
By no Inchantment can,
She flies the very Shadow of a Man:
She thinks it does her Vertue stain,
If she but sleep where one has lain;
That she is of some purity beguil'd.
If she but tast the Air, the Breath of one defil'd;
If any wandring Loves by chance
T'approach her be so bold,
Away the naked Cupids dance,
She makes them shake with Cold.

Mer.
This in my Soul does some small comfort breed,
What then to gain her will ye do?

Jup.
—I do not know,
It does the skill of one poor God exceed.
But ha! I see 'em come from yonder Grove,
Diana all the Train, this way they move.

Mer.
They are preparing for this Mornings Chace.

Jup.
Let's hide our selves in Clouds apace,
Lest we our being here betray,
And quickly chace 'em all away.

Exit.
Mer.
But as they pass I'le watch your Eye,
And your lov'd Nymph that way discry.

Exit.