THE
VIGIL
of
VENUS
.
Written
in
the
Time
of
JULIUS
CAESAR
,
and
by
some
ascrib'd
to
CATULLUS
.
LET
those
love
now
,
who
never
lov'd
before
,
Let
those
who
always
lov'd
,
now
love
the
more
.
The
Spring
,
the
new
,
the
warb'ling
Spring
appears
,
The
youthful
Season
of
reviving
Years
;
In
Spring
the
Loves
enkindle
mutual
Heats
,
The
feather'd
Nation
chuse
their
tuneful
Mates
,
The
Trees
grow
fruitful
with
descending
Rain
And
drest
in
diff'ring
Greens
adorn
the
Plain
.
She
comes
;
to
morrow
Beauty's
Empress
roves
Thro'
Walks
that
winding
run
within
the
Groves
;
She
twines
the
shooting
Myrtle
into
Bow'rs
,
And
ties
their
meeting
Tops
with
Wreaths
of
Flow'rs
,
Then
rais'd
sublimely
on
her
easy
Throne
From
Nature's
pow'rful
Dictates
draws
her
own
.
Let
those
love
now
;
who
never
lov'd
before
,
Let
those
who
always
lov'd
,
now
love
the
more
.
'Twas
on
that
Day
which
saw
the
teeming
Flood
Swell
round
,
impregnate
with
celestial
Blood
;
Wand'ring
in
Circles
stood
the
finny
Crew
,
The
midst
was
left
a
void
Expanse
of
Blue
,
There
Parent
Ocean
work'd
with
heaving
Throes
,
And
dropping
wet
the
fair
Dione
rose
.
Let
those
love
now
,
who
never
lov'd
before
,
Let
those
who
always
lov'd
,
now
love
them
more
.
She
paints
the
purple
Year
with
vary'd
show
,
Tips
the
green
Gem
,
and
makes
the
Blossom
glow
.
She
makes
the
turgid
Buds
receive
the
Breeze
,
Expand
to
Leaves
,
and
shade
the
naked
Trees
.
When
gath'ring
damps
the
misty
Nights
diffuse
,
She
sprinkles
all
the
Morn
with
balmy
Dews
;
Bright
trembling
Pearls
depend
at
ev'ry
spray
,
And
kept
from
falling
,
seem
to
fall
away
.
A
glossy
Freshness
hence
the
Rose
receives
,
And
blushes
sweet
through
all
her
silken
Leaves
;
(
The
Drops
descending
through
the
silent
Night
,
While
Stars
serenely
roll
their
golden
Light
,
)
Close
'till
the
Morn
,
her
humid
Veil
she
holds
;
Then
deckt
with
Virgin
Pomp
the
Flow'r
unsolds
.
Soon
will
the
Morning
blush
:
Ye
Maids
!
prepare
,
In
rosy
Garlands
bind
your
flowing
Hair
'Tis
Venus'
Plant
:
The
Blood
fair
Venus
shed
,
O'er
the
gay
Beauty
pour'd
immortal
Red
;
From
Love's
soft
Kiss
a
sweet
Ambrosial
Smell
Was
taught
for
ever
on
the
Leaves
to
dwell
;
From
Gemms
,
from
Flames
,
from
orient
Rays
of
Light
The
richest
Lustre
makes
her
Purple
bright
;
And
she
to
morrow
weds
;
the
sporting
Gale
Unties
her
Zone
,
she
bursts
the
verdant
Veil
;
Thro'
all
her
Sweets
the
rifling
Lover
flies
,
And
as
he
breaths
,
her
glowing
Fires
arise
.
Let
those
love
now
,
who
never
lov'd
before
,
Let
those
who
always
lov'd
,
now
love
the
more
.
Now
fair
Dione
to
the
Myrtle
Grove
Sends
the
gay
Nymphs
,
and
sends
her
tender
Love
.
And
shall
they
venture
?
is
it
safe
to
go
?
While
Nymphs
have
Hearts
,
and
Cupid
wears
a
Bow
?
Yes
safely
venture
,
'tis
his
Mother's
Will
;
He
walks
unarm'd
and
undesigning
ill
,
His
Torch
extinct
,
his
Quiver
useless
hung
,
His
Arrows
idle
,
and
his
Bow
unstrung
.
And
yet
,
ye
Nymphs
,
beware
,
his
Eyes
have
Charms
,
And
Love
that's
naked
,
still
is
Love
in
Arms
.
Let
those
love
now
,
who
never
lov'd
before
,
Let
those
who
always
lov'd
,
now
love
the
more
.
From
Venus
Bow'r
to
Delia's
Lodge
repairs
A
Virgin
Train
compleat
with
modest
Airs
:
'
Chast
Delia
!
grant
our
Suit
!
or
shun
the
Wood
,
'
Nor
stain
this
sacred
Lawn
with
savage
Blood
.
'
Venus
,
O
Delia
!
if
she
cou'd
persuade
,
'
Wou'd
ask
thy
Presence
,
might
she
ask
a
Maid
.
Here
chearful
Quires
for
three
auspicious
Nights
With
Songs
prolong
the
pleasurable
Rites
:
Here
Crouds
in
Measures
lightly-decent
rove
;
Or
seek
by
Pairs
the
Covert
of
the
Grove
,
Where
meeting
Greens
for
Arbours
arch
above
,
And
mingling
Flowrets
strow
the
Scenes
of
Love
.
Here
dancing
Ceres
shakes
her
golden
Sheaves
:
Here
Bacchus
revels
,
deckt
with
viny
Leaves
:
Here
Wit's
enchanting
God
in
Lawrel
crown'd
Wakes
all
the
ravish'd
Hours
with
silver
Sound
.
Ye
Fields
,
ye
Forests
,
own
Dione's
Reign
,
And
Delia
,
Huntress
Delia
,
shun
the
Plain
.
Let
those
love
now
,
who
never
lov'd
before
,
Let
those
who
always
lov'd
,
now
love
the
more
.
Gay
with
the
Bloom
of
all
her
opening
Year
,
The
Queen
at
Hybla
bids
her
Throne
appear
;
And
there
presides
;
and
there
the
fav'rite
Band
(
Her
smiling
Graces
)
share
the
great
Command
.
Now
beauteous
Hybla
!
dress
thy
flow'ry
Beds
With
all
the
Pride
the
lavish
Season
sheds
,
Now
all
thy
Colours
,
all
thy
Fragrance
yield
,
And
rival
Enna's
Aromatick
Field
.
To
fill
the
Presence
of
the
gentle
Court
From
ev'ry
Quarter
rural
Nymphs
resort
,
From
Woods
,
from
Mountains
,
from
their
humble
Vales
,
From
Waters
curling
with
the
wanton
Gales
.
Pleas'd
with
the
joyful
Train
,
the
laughing
Queen
In
Circles
seats
them
round
the
Bank
of
green
;
And
'
lovely
Girls
,
(
she
whispers
)
guard
your
Hearts
;
'
My
Boy
,
tho'
stript
of
Arms
,
abounds
in
Arts
.
Let
those
love
now
,
who
never
lov'd
before
,
Let
those
who
always
lov'd
,
now
love
the
more
.
Let
tender
Grass
in
shaded
Allys
spread
,
Let
early
Flow'rs
erect
their
painted
Head
.
To
morrow's
Glory
be
to
morrow
seen
,
That
Day
,
old
Ether
wedded
Earth
in
green
.
The
Vernal
Father
bid
the
Spring
appear
,
In
Clouds
he
coupled
to
produce
the
Year
,
The
Sap
descending
o'er
her
Bosom
ran
,
And
all
the
various
sorts
of
Soul
began
.
By
Wheels
unknown
to
Sight
,
by
secret
Veins
Distilling
Life
,
the
fruitful
Goddess
reigns
,
Through
all
the
lovely
Realms
of
native
Day
,
Through
all
the
circled
Land
,
and
circling
Sea
;
With
fertil
Seed
she
fill'd
the
pervious
Earth
,
And
ever
fix'd
the
mystick
Ways
of
Birth
.
Let
those
love
now
,
who
never
lov'd
before
,
Let
those
who
always
lov'd
,
now
love
the
more
.
'Twas
she
the
Parent
,
to
the
Latian
Shore
Through
various
Dangers
Troy's
Remainder
bore
.
She
won
Lavinia
for
her
warlike
Son
,
And
winning
her
,
the
Latian
Empire
won
.
She
gave
to
Mars
the
Maid
,
whose
honour'd
Womb
Swell'd
with
the
Founder
of
immortal
Rome
.
Decoy'd
by
Shows
the
Sabin
Dames
she
led
,
And
taught
our
vig'rous
Youth
the
Means
to
wed
.
Hence
sprung
the
Romans
,
hence
the
Race
divine
Thro'
which
great
Caesar
draws
his
Julian
Line
.
Let
those
love
now
,
who
never
lov'd
before
,
Let
those
who
always
lov'd
,
now
love
the
more
.
In
rural
Seats
the
Soul
of
Pleasure
reigns
;
The
Life
of
Beauty
fills
the
rural
Scenes
;
Ev'n
Love
(
if
Fame
the
Truth
of
Love
declare
)
Drew
first
the
breathings
of
a
rural
Air
.
Some
pleasing
Meadow
pregnant
Beauty
prest
,
She
laid
her
Infant
on
its
flow'ry
Breast
,
From
Nature's
Sweets
he
sipp'd
the
fragrant
Dew
,
He
smil'd
,
he
kiss'd
them
,
and
by
kissing
grew
.
Let
those
love
now
,
who
never
lov'd
before
,
Let
those
who
always
lov'd
,
now
love
the
more
.
Now
Bulls
o'er
Stalks
of
Broom
extend
their
Sides
,
Secure
of
Favours
from
their
lowing
Brides
.
Now
stately
Rams
their
fleecy
Consorts
lead
,
Who
bleating
follow
thro'
the
wand'ring
Shade
.
And
now
the
Goddess
bids
the
Birds
appear
,
Raise
all
their
Musick
,
and
salute
the
Year
:
Then
deep
the
Swan
begins
,
and
deep
the
Song
Runs
o'er
the
Water
where
he
sails
along
;
While
Philomela
tunes
a
treble
Strain
,
And
from
the
Poplar
charms
the
list'ning
Plain
.
We
fancy
Love
exprest
at
ev'ry
Note
,
It
melts
,
it
warbles
,
in
her
liquid
Throat
.
Of
barb'rous
Tereus
she
complains
no
more
,
But
sings
for
Pleasure
as
for
Grief
before
.
And
still
her
Graces
rise
,
her
Airs
extend
,
And
all
is
Silence
'till
the
Syren
end
.
How
long
in
coming
is
my
lovely
Spring
?
And
when
shall
I
,
and
when
the
Swallow
sing
?
Sweet
Philomela
cease
,
—
Or
here
I
sit
,
And
silent
lose
my
rapt'rous
Hour
of
Wit
:
'Tis
gone
,
the
Fit
retires
,
the
Flames
decay
,
My
tuneful
Phoebus
flies
averse
away
.
His
own
Amycle
thus
,
as
Stories
run
,
But
once
was
silent
,
and
that
once
undone
.
Let
those
love
now
,
who
never
lov'd
before
,
Let
those
who
always
lov'd
,
now
love
the
more
.