VII.

Nor shame, nor pride of borrow'd substance wrought

Her gay embroidery and ornament:

But she who gave the gilded insect's coat

Spun the soft silk, and spread the various teint :
The gilded insect's colors yet were feint

To those which nature for this fairy wove.
Our Grannams thus with diff'rent dies besprent,
Adorn'd in naked majesty the grove,

Charm'd our great Sires, and warm'd our frozen clime to love.

VIII.

On either side, and all adown her back,
With many a ring at equal distance plac'd,
Contrary to the rest, was heben black,

With shades of green, quick changing as she pass'd;
All were on ground-work of bright gold orecast.
The black gave livelood to the greenish hue,

The green still deep'd the heben ore it lac'd;

The gold, that peep'd atween and then withdrew, Gave lustre to them both, and charm'd the wond'ring view.

IX.

It seem'd like arras, wrought with cunning skill, Where kindly meddle colors, light, and shade:

Here flows the flood; there rising wood or hill Breaks off its course; gay verdure dies the mead. The stream, depeinten by the glitt❜rand braid, Emong the hills now winding seems to hide ;

Now shines unlook'd for through the op'ning

glade,

Now in full torrent pours its golden tyde;

Hills, woods, and meads refresh'd, rejoicing by its side.

X.

Her Cupid lov'd, whom Psyche lov'd again.
He, like her parent and her belamour,
Sought how she mote in sickerness remain,
From all malengine safe, and evil stour.
"Go, tender cosset, said he, forray ore

These walks and lawnds; thine all these buskets

are;

Thine every shrub, thine every fruite and flower: But oh! I charge thee, love, the rose forbear; For prickles sharp do arm the dang'rous rosiere.

XI.

"Prickles will pain, and pain will banish love:
I charge thee, Psyche, then the rose forbear.
When faint and sick, thy languors to remove,
To yon ambrosial shrubs and plants repair;
Thou weetest not what med'cines in them are;
What wonders follow their repeated use

N'ote thy weak sense conceive, should I declare; Their labor'd balm, and well-concocted juice, New life, new forms, new thews, new joys, new worlds produce.

XII.

"Thy term of tryal past with constancy,
That wimpling slough shall fall like filth away;
On pinions broad, uplifted to the skie,
Thou shalt astert, thy stranger self survey.
Together, Psyche, will we climb and play;

Together wander through the fields of air,
Beyond where suns and moons mete night and day.
I charge thee, O my Love, the rose forbear,
If thou wouldst scathe avoid, Psyche, forewarn'd,
beware!

XIII.

"How sweet thy words to my enchanted ear!" (With grateful, modest confidence she said) "If Cupid speak, I could for ever hear; Trust me, my love, thou shalt be well obey'd. What rich purveyance for me hast thou made, The prickly rose alone denied! the rest In full indulgence giv'n! 'twere to upbraid To doubt compliance with this one request : How small, and yet how kind, Cupid, is thy beheast!

XIV.

"And is that kindness made an argument
To raise me still to higher scenes of bliss ?
Is the acceptance of thy goodness meant
Merit in me for farther happiness?
No merit and no argument, I wiss,
Is there besides in me unworthy maid:
Thy gift the very love I bear thee is.

Trust me, my love, thou shalt be well obey'd:
To doubt compliance here, Cupid, were to upbraid."

XV.

Withouten counterfesaunce thus she spoke : Unweeting of her frailty. Light uprose Cupid on easy wing: yet tender look, And oft reverted eye on her bestows; Fearful, but not distrustful of her vows. And mild regards she back reflects on him: With aching eye pursues him as he goes: With aching heart marks each diminish'd limb; 'Till indistinct, diffus'd, and lost in air he seem.

XVI.

He went to set the watches of the east,
That none mote rush in with the tyde of wind:
He went to Venus to make fond request

From fleshly ferm to loosen Psyche's mind,

And her eftsoons transmew.

She forlore pin'd;

And mov'd for solace to the glassy lake,

To view the charms that had his heart entwin'd. She saw, and blush'd, and smil’d; then inly spake: "These charms I cannot chuse but love, for Cupid's sake."

XVII.

But sea-born Venus 'gan with envy stir

At bruite of their great happiness; and sought
How she mote wreak her spight: then call'd to her
Her sons, and op'd what rankled in her thought;
Asking who'd venture ore the mounds to vau't
To breed them scathe unwares; to damp the joy
Of blissful Venus, or to bring to nought

The liefest purpose of her darling Boy,

Or urge them both their minion Psyche to destroy.

XVIII.

Eros recul'd, and noul'd the work atchieve.
"Bold is th' attempt, said he, averse from love:
If love inspires I could derreign to reave
His spear from Mars, his levin-brond from Jove."
Him Anteros, sneb'd surly. "Galless dove!
Than Love's, Spight's mightier prowess under-
stond :

If Spight inspires I dare all dangers prove:
And if successful, stand the levin-brond,

When hurlen angry forth from Jove's avenging hond."