PSYCHE : or the GREAT METAMORPHOSIS . A POEM , written in Imitation of SPENSER , I. WHERE early Phoebus sheds his milder beams , The happy gardens of Adonis lay : There Time , well pleas'd to wonne , a youth beseems . Ne yet his wings were fledg'd , ne locks were grey ; Round him in sweet accord the Seasons play With fruits and blossoms meint , in goodly gree ; And dancing hand in hand rejoice the lea . Sick gardens now no mortal wight can see , Ne mote they in my simple verse descriven be . II . The temper'd clime full many a tree affords ; Those many trees blush forth with ripen'd fruite ; The blushing fruite to feast invites the birds ; The birds with plenteous feasts their strength recruite ; And warble songs more sweet than shepherd's flute . The gentle stream that roll'd the stones among , Charm'd with the place , almost forgot its suite ; But list'ning and responding to the song , Loit'ring , and winding often , murmured elong . III . Here Panacea , here Nepenthe grew , Here Polygon , and each ambrosial weed ; Whose vertues could decayed health renew , And , answering exhausted nature's need , Mote eath a mortal to immortal feed . Here lives Adonis in unfading youth ; Celestial Venus grants him that rich meed , And him successive evermore renew'th , In recompence for all his faithful love and truth , IV . Not she , I ween , the wanton queen of love , All buxom as the waves from whence she rose , With her twin sons , who idly round her rove , One Eros hight , the other Anteros ; Albeit brothers , different as foes : This sated , sullen , apt for bickerment ; That hungry , eager , fit for derring-does . That flies before , with scorching flames ybrent ; This foll'wing douts those flames with peevish discontent . V. Celestial Venus does such ribaulds shun , Ne dare they in her purlues to be seen ; But Cupid's torch , fair mother's fairest son , Shines with a steady unconsuming sheen ; Not fierce , yet bright , coldness and rage between . The backs of lyons fellonest he strod ; And lyons tamely did themselves amene ; On nature's wild full sov'reignly he rod ; Wild natures , chang'd , confess'd the mild puissant god . VI . A beauteous Fay , or heav'n-descended spright , Sprung from her sire , withouten female's aid , ( As erst Minerva did ) and Psyche hight , In that inclosure happy sojourn made . No art some heel'd uncomelyness betray'd , But nature wrought her many-colour'd stole ; Ne tarnish'd like an Aethiopian maid , Scorch'd with the suns that ore her beauties roll ; Ne faded like the dames who bleach beneath the pole . 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 colours yet were feint To those which nature for this fairy wove . Our grannums 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 colours , 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 thro' 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 ev'ry shrub , thine ev'ry 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 labour'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 sky , " 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 counterfesance thus she spoke ; Unweeting of her frailty . Light uprose Cupid on easy wings : 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 forelore 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 might 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 . " Behold 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 understond : " If spight inspires I dare all dangers prove : " And if successful , stand the levin-brond , " When hurlen angry forth from Jove's avenging hond . " XIX . He said , and deffly t'wards the gardens flew ; Horribly smiling at his foul emprise . When , nearer still and nearer as he drew , Unsufferable brightness wounds his eyes Forth beaming from the crystal walls ; he tries Arrear to move , averted from the blaze . But now no longer the pure aether buoys . His grosser body's disproportion'd peaze ; Down drops , plumb from his tow'ring path , the treachor base . XX . So ore Avernus , or the Lucrine lake , The wistless bird pursues his purpos'd flight : Whether by vapours noy'd that thenceforth break , Or else deserted by an air too light , Down tumbles the fowl headlong from his height . So Anteros astonied fell to ground , Provok'd , but not accoid at his straunge plight . He rose , and wending coasts it round and round To find unguarded pass , hopeless to leap the mound . XXI . As on the margin of a stream he stood , Slow rolling from that paradise within , A snake's out-case untenanted he view'd : Seizing the spoil , albeit it worthless been , He darts himself into the vacant skin . In borrow'd gear , th' exulting losel glides , Whose faded hues with joy flush bright again ; Triumphant ore the buoyant flood he rides ; And shoots th' important gulph , borne on the gentle tydes . XXII . So shone the brazen gates of Babylon ; Armies in vain her muniments assail : So strong , no engines could them batter down : So high , no ladders could the ramparts scale ; So flank'd with tow'rs , besiegers n'ote avail ; So wide , sufficient harvests they enclose : But where might yields , there stratagems prevail . Faithless Euphrates thro' the city flows , And thro' his channel pours the unexpected foes . XXIII . He sails along in many a wanton spire ; Now floats at length , now proudly rears his crest : His sparkling eyes and scales , instinct with fire , With splendor as he moves , the waves ore kest : And the waves gleam beneath his flaming breast . As through the battle , set in full array , When the sun walks in radiant brightness dress'd ; His beams that on the burnish'd helmets play , The burnish'd helms reflect , and spread unusual day . XXIV . So on he fares , and stately wreaths about , In semblaunce like a seraph glowing bright ; But without terror flash'd his lightning out , More to be wonder'd at , than to affright . The backward stream soon led the masker right To the broad lake , where hanging ore the flood ( Narcissus like , enamour'd with the sight Of his own beauties ) the fond Psyche stood , To mitigate the pains of lonely widowhood . XXV . Unkenn'd of her , he raught th' embroider'd bank ; And through the tangled flourets west aside To where a rosiere by the river dank , Luxuriant grew in all its blowing pride , Not far from Psyche ; arm'd with scaly hide He clamb the thorns , which no impression make ; His glitt'ring length , with all its folds untied , Plays floating ore the bush : then silence brake , And thus the nymph , astonish'd at his speech , bespake . XXVI . " O fairest , and most excellent compleat " In all perfections , sov'reign queen of nature ! " The whole creation bowing at thy feet " Submissive pays thee homage ! wond'rous creature , " If aught created thou ! for every feature " Speaks thee a goddess issued from the skie ; " Oh ! let not me offend , unbidden waiter , " At aweful distance gazing thus ! But why " Should gazing thus offend ? or how unbidden I ? XXVII , " The sun that wakes those flourets from their beds , " Or opes these buds by his soft influence , " Is not offended that they peep their heads , " And shew they feel his pow'r by their quick sense , " Off'ring at his command , their sweet incense ; " Thus I , drawn here , by thy enliv'ning rays , " ( Call not intrusion my obedience ! ) " Perforce , yet willing thrall , am come to gaze , " To pay my homage meet , and bask in beauty's blaze . " XXVIII . Amaz'd she stood , nor could recover soon : From contemplation suddenly abraid : Starting at speech unusual : yet the tune Struck sootly on her ear , and concert made With her own thoughts . Nor with less pleasure stray'd Her eyes delighted o'er his glossy skin ; Yet frighted at the thorn on which he play'd : Pleasure with horror mixt ! she hung between Suspended ; yields , recoils , uncertain where to lin . XXIX . At length she spoke : " Reptile , no charms I know " Such as you mention : yet whate'er they are , " ( And nill I lessen what the gods bestow ) " Their is the gift , and be the tribute their ! " For them these beauties I improve with care , " Intent to them alone from eve to morn . " But reed me , reptile , whence this wonder rare , " That thou hast speech , as if to reason born ? " And how , unhurt you sport on that forbidden thorn ? " XXX . " Say , why forbidden thorn ? the foe replied : " To every reptile , every insect free , " Has malice harsh to thee alone denied " The fragrance of the rose enjoy'd by me ? " " — 'Twas love , not malice , form'd the kind decree , Half-wroth , she cried : ) " Thine all these buskets are , " Thine fruit and flow'r , were Cupid's words to me : " But oh ? I charge thee , love , the rose forbear ; " For prickles sharp do arm the dang'rous rosiere . XXXI . " 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 labour'd balm , and well-concocted juice , " New life , new forms , new thews , new joys , new worlds " produce . XXXII . " Thy term of tryal past with constancy , " Thy wimpling slough shall fall like filth away ; " On pinions broad up-lifted 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 ! " XXXIII . Out burst the frannion into open laugh : She blush'd , and frown'd at his uncivil mirth . Then , soften'd to a smile , as hiding half What mote offend if boldly utter'd forth , He seem'd t' assay to give his answer birth : But stop'd ; and chang'd his smiles to looks of ruth , " Is this ( quoth he ) fit guerdon for thy worth ? " Does Cupid thus impose upon thy youth ? " Dwells then in heav'n such envy , void of love and truth ? XXXIV . " Is this the instance of his tenderness , " To envy Psyche what to worms is given ? " To cut her off from present happiness " With feign'd reversion of a promis'd heav'n ? " By threat'nings false from true enjoyments driven ! " How innocent the thorn to touch , he knows : " Where are my wounds ? or where th' avenging levin ? " How softly blush these colours of the rose ? " How sweet ( and div'd into the flow'r ) its fragrance flows ? XXXV. " Disadvantageous are thy terms of tryal ; " No longer Psyche then the rose forbear . " What is to recompence the harsh denyal , " But dreams of wand'ring thro' the fields of air . " And joys , I know not what , I know not where ! " As eath , on leafy pinions borne the tree " Mote rush into the skies , and flutter there , " As thou soar yon , and quit thy due degree : " Thou for this world wert made : this world was made for thee . XXXVI. " In vain you'd fly to yonder shrubs and plants ; " Bitter their taste , and worthless their effect : " Here is the polychrest for all thy wants ; " No panacea , like the rose , expect . " Mute as my fellow-brutes , as them abject " And reasonless was I , till haply woke " By tasting of the rose , ( O weak neglect " In thee the while ! ) the dawn of sapience broke " On my admiring soul , I reason'd , and I spoke . XXXVII . " Nor this the only change ; for soon I found " The brisker spirits flow in fuller tyde ; " And more than usual lustre spread around ; " Such virtue has the rose , in me well tried . " But wise , I ween , thy lover has denied " Its use to thee ; I join him too : beware " The dang'rous rose . — For such thy beauty's pride " 'Twere death to gaze on , if improv'd ! — Forbear " To sharp that wit , too keen ! — Touch not the rosiere . " XXXVIII . Uncheckt , indulg'd , her growing passions rise : Wonder , to see him safe , and hear his telling ; Ambition vain , to be more fair and wise ; And rage , at Cupid's misconceiv'd false dealing : Various the gusts , but , all one way impelling , She plung'd into the bosom of the tree , And snatch'd the rose , no dreaded pain or quelling . Off drops the snake , nor farther staid to see ; But rush'd into the flood , and vanish'd presently . XXXIX . Full many a thorn her tender body rent ; Full many a thorn within the wounds remain , And throbbing cause continual dreriment : While gory drops her dainty form distain . She wishes her lost innocence again , And her lost peace , lost charms , lost love to find ; But shame upbraids her with a wish so vain : Despair succeeded , and aversion blind ; Pain fills her tortur'd sense , and horror clouds her mind . XL. Her bleeding , faint , disorder'd , woe-begon , Stretcht on the bank beside the fatal thorn , Venus who came to seek her with her son , Beheld . She stop'd : And albe heav'nly born , Ruthful of others woe , began to mourn . The loss of Venus' smiles sick nature found : As frost-nipt drops the bloom , the birds forelorn Sit hush'd , the faded sun spreads dimness round ; The clatt'ring thunders crash , and earthquakes rock the ground . XLI. Then arming with a killing frown her brow ; " Die , poor unhappy " — Cupid suppliant broke Th' unfinish'd sentence ; and with dueful bow Beg'd her to doff the keenness of her look , Which nature feeling to her center shook . " Then how should Psyche bear it ? Spare the maid ; " 'Tis plain that Anteros his spight has wroke ; " Shall vengeance due to him , on her be laid ? " Oh ! let me run , and reach th' ambrosial balms , " he said . XLII. " Ah what would Cupid ask ? " the queen replies ; " Can all those balms restore her peace again ? " Wouldst thou a wretched life immortalize ; " Wouldst thou protract by potent herbs , her pain ? " Love bids her die : thy cruel wish restrain — " Why then ( quoth he ) in looms of fate were wove " The lives of those , in long successive train , " From her to spring , thro' yon bright tracts to rove ? " Due to the skyes , and meant to shine in fields above ? XLIII . " Say , would thy goodness envy them the light " Appointed for them , or the good prevent " Foreseen from them to flow ? eracing quite " The whole creation thro' avengement ? " One only species from its order rent , " The whole creation shrivels to a shade . — " — Better all vanish'd , said she , than be meint " In wild confusion ; through free will misled , " And tempted to go wrong from punishment delay'd . " XLIV. " Let me that exemplary vengeance bear , ( Benign return'd her amiable son : ) " Justice on her would lose its aim ; severe " In vain , productive of no good ; for none " Could by that desolating blow be won . " So falls each generous purpose of the will " Correct , extinguish'd by abortion : " Whence justice would its own intendments spill ; " And cut off virtue , by the stroke meant vice to kill . XLV. " Yet lest impunity should forehead give " To vice , in me let guilt adopted find " A victim ; here awhile vouchsafe me live " Thy proof of justice , mixt with mercy kind ! " " — Oh ! strange request ( quoth she ) of pity blind ! " How shouldst thou suffer , who didst ne'er offend ? " How canst thou bear to be from me disloin'd ? " To wander here , where nature 'gins to wend " To waste and wilderness , and pleasures have an end ? " XLVI. " You , Venus , suffer , ( said she ) when you strike " Not for your own , but others foul offence : " Why not permitted I to do the like , " When greater good , I see , will coul from thence ? " That greater good orepays all punishments ; " And makes my suff'rings , pleasure : if they prove " A means to conquer Anteros , dispense " Healings to Psyche's wounds , regain her love , " And lead her , with her happy sons , to realms above . " XLVII. " To thy intreaties Psyche's life I give , ( Replied th' indulgent mother to her son ; ) " But yet deform'd , and minish'd let her live ; " 'Till thou shalt grant a better change foredone ; " Nor shall that change , but thro' death gates be won . " This meed be thine , ore her and hers to reign ! " Already Nature puts her horrors on : " Away ! — I to my bow'r of bliss again ! " Thou to thy task of love , and voluntary pain . " XLVIII . She went ; and like a shifted stage , the scene Vanish'd at once ; th' ambrosial plants were lost ; The jarring seasons brought on various teen ; Each sought , each seeking , each by other crost . Young spring to summer flies from winter's frost ; While sweltry summer thirsts for autumn's bowl , Which autumn holds to winter ; winter tost With scorn away , young spring inflames his soul : Still craving , never pleas'd , thus round and round they roll . XLIX. Th' inclement airs bind up the sluggish soil ; The sluggish soil the toilsome hand requires ; Yet thankless pays with sour harsh fruits the toil ; Ne willing yields , but ragged thorns and briers . Birds , birds pursue ; as hunger's rage inspires : Their sweetest songs are now but songs of woe . Here from th' encroaching shore the wave retires : There hoarse floods roar ; impetuous torrents flow ; Invade the land , and the scarce harvests overthrow . L. Stretcht on the bank eftsoons th' inviting form Of Psyche faded ; brac'd up lank and slim , Her dwindled body shrunk into a worm : Her make new moulded , chang'd in ev'ry limb ; Her colours only left , all pale and dim : Doom'd in her caterpillar's shape to lout . Her passions ill such worthless thing beseem ; Pride , rage , and vanity to banish out , She creeping crawls , and drags a loathsome length about . LI . How Cupid wash'd her noisome filth away ; What arts he tried to win her love again ; By what wiles guileful Ant'ros did assay , By leasing , still her recreant to maintain , And render Cupid's kindly labours vain : Their combat , Cupid's conquest , Psyche's crown , ( My day's set task here ended ) must remain Unsung ; far nobler verse mote they renown : Unyoke the toiled steers , the weary sun goes down .