HE me of this, perhaps, through Crete had flown;
But Crete had newer wonders of her own,
In Iphis chang'd; for near the Gnoffian bounds,
(As loud report the miracle refounds)
At Phæftus dwelt a man of honest blood,
But meanly born, and not so rich as good;
Efteem'd and lov'd by all the neighbourhood;
Who to his wife, before the time affign'd
For child-birth came, thus bluntly spoke his mind.
If heaven, faid Lygdus, will vouchsafe to hear,
I have but two petitions to prefer;
Short pains for thee, for me a fon and heir.
Girls cost as many throes in bringing forth;
Befide, when born, the tits are little worth;
Weak puling things, unable to sustain
Their share of labour, and their bread to gain.
If, therefore, thou a creature fhalt produce,
Of fo great charges, and fo little use,
(Bear witnefs, heaven, with what reluctancy)
Her hapless innocence I doom to die.
He faid, and tears the common grief display,
Of him who bad, and her who must obey.
Yet Telethufa ftill perfifts, to find
Fit arguments to move a father's mind;
T'extend his wishes to a larger fcope,
And in one veffel not confine his hope.
Lygdus continues hard: her time drew near,
And the her heavy load could fcarcely bear;
When flumbering, in the latter fhades of night,
Before th' approaches of returning light,
She faw, or thought the faw, before her bed,
A glorious train, and Ifis at their head :
Her moony horns were on her forehead plac'd,
And yellow fheaves her fhining temples grac'd:
A mitre, for a crown, fhe wore on high;
The dog and dappled bull were waiting by;
Ofiris, fought along the banks of Nile;
The filent God; the facred Crocodile;
And, last, a long proceffion moving on,
With timbrels, that affift the labouring moon.
Her flumbers feem'd difpell'd, and, broad awake,
She heard a voice, that thus diftin&tly fpake.
My votary, thy babe from death defend,
Nor fear to fave whate'er the Gods will fend.
Delude with art thy husband's dire decree :
When danger calls, repofe thy truft on me;
And know thou haft not ferv'd a thanklefs Deity.
This promife made, with night the Goddess fled :
With joy the woman wakes, and leaves her bed;
Devoutly lifts her spotless hands on high,
And prays the powers their gift to ratify.
Now grinding pains proceed to bearing throes,
Till its own weight the burden did disclose.
'Twas of the beauteous kind, and brought to light
With fecrecy, to fun the father's fight.
Th' indulgent mother did her care employ,
And pafs'd it on her husband for a boy.
The nurfe was confcious of the fact alone;
The father paid his vows as for a fon;
And call'd him Iphis, by a common name,
Which either fex with equal right may claim.
Iphis his grandfire was; the wife was pleas'd,
Of half the fraud by Fortune's favour cas'd:
The doubtful name was us'd without deceit,
And truth was cover'd with a pious cheat.
The habit fhew'd a boy, the beauteous face
With manly fiercenefs mingled female grace.
Now thirteen years of age were swiftly run,
When the fond father thought the time drew on
Of fettling in the world his only fon.
Janthe was his choice; fo wondrous fair,
Her form alone with Iphis could compare ;
A neighbour's daughter of his own degree,
And not more blefs'd with Fortune's goods than he.
They soon espous'd: for they with ease were join'd,
Who were before contracted in the mind.
Their age the fame, their inclinations too;
And bred together in one school they grew.
Thus, fatally difpos'd to mutual fires,
They felt, before they knew, the fame defires.
Equal their flame, unequal was their care;
Cne lov'd with hope, one languish'd in defpair.
The maid accus'd the lingering days alone:
For whom he thought a man, fhe thought her own.
But Iphis bends beneath a greater grief;
As fiercely burns, but hopes for no relief.
Ev'n her despair adds fuel to her fire;
A maid with madnefs does a maid defire.
And, fcarce refraining tears, Alas, faid she,
What iffue of iny love remains for me!
How wild a paffion works within my breast!
With what prodigious flames am I poffeft!
Could I the care of Providence deserve,
Heaven muft deftroy me, if it would preferve.
And that's my fate, or fure it would have fent
Some ufual evil for my punishment:
Not this unkindly curfe; to rage and burn,
Where Nature fhews no profpect of return.
Nor cows for cows confume with fruitless fire;
Nor mares, when hot, their fellow-mares defire:
The father of the fold fupplies his ewes ;
The tag through fecret woods his hind purfues;
And birds for mates the males of their own species
choose.
Her females nature guards from female flame,
And joins two fexes to preferve the game:
Would I were nothing, or not what I am!
Crete, fam'd for monfters, wanted of her store,
Till my new love produc'd one monster more.
The daughter of the fun a bull defir'd,
And yet ev'n then a male a female fir'd:
Her paffion was extravagantly new:
But mine is much the madder of the two.
To things impoffible fhe was not bent,
But found the means to compass her intent.
To cheat his eyes, she took a different shape;
Yet ftill fhe gain'd a lover, and a leap.
Should all the wit of all the world confpire,
Should Daedalus affift my wild defire,
What art can make me able to enjoy,
Or what can change Ianthe to a boy?
Extinguish then thy paffion, hopeless maid,
And recollect thy reafon for thy aid.
Know what thou art, and love as maidens ought,
And drive thefe golden withes from thy thought.
Thou canst not hope thy fond desires to gain;
Where hope is wanting, wishes are in vain.
And yet no guards against our joys confpire;
No jealous husband hinders our defire;
My parents are propitious to my wish,
And the herself confenting to the blifs.
All things concur to profper our defign;
All things to profper any love but mine.
And yet I never can enjoy the fair;
'Tis paft the power of heaven to grant my prayer.
Heaven has been kind, as far as heaven can be ;
Our parents with our own defires agree;
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