Page:The Bible of Nature, and Substance of Virtue.djvu/29

THE EPICUREAN PHILOSOPHY.

FROM CREECH'S LUCRETIUS.

Kind Venus, glory of the blest abodes,
Parent of Rome, and joy of men and gods;
Delight of all, comfort of sea and earth;
To whose kind powers all creatures owe their birth.
At thy approach, great Goddess, straight remove
Whate'er are rough, and enemies to love;
The clouds disperse, the winds do swiftly waste,
And reverently in murmurs breathe their last:
The earth with various art (for thy warm powers
That dull mass feels) puts forth her gaudy flowers:
For thee doth subtle luxury prepare
The choicest stores of earth, of sea, and air,
To welcome thee, she comes profusely drest
With all the spices of the wanton east;
To pleasure thee, e'en lazy luxury toils,
The roughest sea puts on smooth looks, and smiles:
The well-pleas'd heaven assumes a brighter ray
At thy approach, and makes a double day.
When first the gentle spring begins t' inspire
Melting thoughts, soft wishes, gay desire,
And warm Favonius fans the amorous fire;
First through the birds the active flame doth move;
Who with their mates sit down, and sing, and love;
They gratefully their tuneful voice employ
At thy approach, the author of their joy.
Each beast forgets his rage, and entertains
A softer fury, through the flowry plains,
Through rapid streams, through woods, and silent groves,
With wanton play they run to meet their loves:
Whole Nature yields unto your charms, the ways
You lead, pursues, and eagerly obeys.
Acted by those kind principles you infuse,
Each bird and beast endeavors to produce
His kind, and the decaying world renews.
Thee, Nature's powerful ruler, without whom
Nothing that's lovely, nothing gay can come
From darksome Chaos' deep and ugly womb;