Amores

Ovid

Ovid. Ovid's Art of Love (in three Books), the Remedy of Love, the Art of Beauty, the Court of Love, the History of Love, and Amours. Dryden, John, et al., translator. New York: Calvin Blanchard, 1855.

  1. Begone untimely nerves! I trust no more,
  2. Such was the promise of your strength before.
  3. Could you the fair one balk of her delight,
  4. Disgrace your master by so base a fright,
  5. And want the courage for so sweet a fight?
  6. Did she not kindly too your stay demand,
  7. And tempt it softly with a soothing hand ?
  8. But when solicitings no life could gain,
  9. And inspirations, tho' from her, were vain;
  10. "Who bade thee thus thyself to me to bring !
  11. Go for a silly unperforming thing:
  12. Art thou a wretch by some curs'd spell destroy'd,
  13. Or here com'st fribbling with past pleasure cloy'd?"
  14. She spoke, and springing from the bed she flew,
  15. And secret beauties so disclos'd to view;
  16. Yet to conceal the joyless night's digrace,
  17. She called for water with a smiling face,
  18. And wash'd a nameless unpolluted place.