I FLUTT’RING spread thy purple Pinions, | |
| Gentle Cupid, o’er my Heart; | |
| I a Slave in thy Dominions; | |
| Nature must give Way to Art. | |
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II Mild Arcadians, ever blooming, | 5 |
| Nightly nodding o’er your Flocks, | |
| See my weary Days consuming, | |
| All beneath yon flow’ry Rocks. | |
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III Thus the Cyprian Goddess weeping, | |
| Mourn’d Adonis, darling Youth: | 10 |
| Him the Boar in Silence creeping, | |
| Gored with unrelenting Tooth. | |
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IV Cynthia, tune harmonious Numbers; | |
| Fair Discretion, string the Lyre; | |
| Soothe my ever-waking Slumbers: | 15 |
| Bright Apollo, lend thy Choir. | |
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V Gloomy Pluto, King of Terrors, | |
| Arm’d in adamantine Chains, | |
| Lead me to the Crystal Mirrors, | |
| Wat’ring soft Elysian Plains. | 20 |
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VI Mournful Cypress, verdant Willow, | |
| Gilding my Aurelia’s Brows, | |
| Morpheus hov’ring o’er my Pillow, | |
| Hear me pay my dying Vows. | |
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VII Melancholy smooth Mæander, | 25 |
| Swiftly purling in a Round, | |
| On thy Margin Lovers wander, | |
| With thy flow’ry Chaplets crown’d. | |
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VIII Thus when Philomela drooping, | |
| Softly seeks her silent Mate, | 30 |
| See the Bird of Juno stooping; | |
| Melody resigns to Fate. | |
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