"Should every object grasp, with partial ken
"Leucothoe only see'st! that nymph alone,
"Attracts those eyes, whose lustre all the world
"Expect to view. Oft in the eastern skies,
"More early rising, art thou seen; and oft
"More tardy 'neath the waves thou sinkest: long
"The wintry days thou stretchest, with delay
"Thy object lov'd to see. Meantime pale gloom
"O'ercasts thy orb; the dullness of thy mind
"Obstructs thy brightness; and thy rays obscure,
"Terror in mortal breasts inspire. Not pale
"Thou fadest, as, when nearer whirl'd to earth,
"Faint Luna's shadow o'er thy surface glooms:
"But love, and only love the paleness gives.
"Her only, now thy amorous soul pursues;
"Rhodos, nor Clymene, nor Perse fair,
"Of Colchian Circe mother, tempt thee now;
"Nor Clytie, whom thy cold neglect still spurns;
"Yet still she burns to clasp thee: deep she mourns,
"Stung more acutely by this fresh amour.
"Now in Leucothoe, every former love
"Is lost. Leucothoe, whom the beauteous nymph,
"Eurynome, in odoriferous climes
"Of Araby brought forth. Full-grown, matur'd,
"Leucothoe's beauteous form no less surpass'd
"Her mother's, than her mother's all beside.
"Her sire, the royal Orchamus (who claim'd
"A seventh descent from ancient Belus) rul'd
"The Achaemenian towns. The rapid steeds
"Of Phoebus pasture 'neath the western sky;
"Not grass, ambrosia, eating; heavenly food,
"Which nerves their limbs, faint with diurnal toil,
"Restoring all their ardor. Whilst the steeds,
"This their celestial nourishment enjoy;
"And night, as 'custom'd, governs in her turn;
"The god the close apartments of his nymph
"Beloved, enters;--form'd to outward view,
"Eurynome her mother. Her he saw
"The slender threads from spindle twirling fine,
"Illumin'd by the lamp; and circled round
"By twice six female helpers. Warm he gave
"As a lov'd daughter, his maternal kiss,
"And said;--our converse secrecy demands.--
"Th' attendant maids depart,--nor hinderance give,
"Loitering, a mother's secret words to hear.
"When he, the chamber free from spy or guard,
"Exclaims,--no female I! behold the god,
"The lengthen'd year who spaces! who beholds
"Each object earth contains! the world's great eye
"By which it all surveys. My tender words
"Believe, I dearly love thee. Pale she look'd,
"While thus he spoke;--started, and trembling dropp'd
"Her distaff, and