BONEFONII BASIUM XVI.

DONEC pressiùs incubo labellis,
Et diduco avidus tuæ, puella,
Flose los animæ suavè-olentes;
Unus tum videor mihi deorum,
Seu quid altius est beatiusve.

Mox ut te eripis, ecce, rgo repentè : Unus qui superûm mihi videbar, Seu quid altius est beatiusre;

• Orci mi videor relatus umbris,

Seu quid inferiusve tristiusve.

KISS XVI. OF BONEFONIUS.

CLASP'D, sweet maid! in thy embrace;

While I view thy smiling face,

And the sweets with rapture sip,
Flowing from thy honied lip;
Then I taste, in heav'nly state,
All that's happy, all that's great :

But, when

you forsake my arms,

And displeasure clouds your charms;
Sudden I, who prov'd so late

All that's happy, all that's great,
Prove the tortures of a ghost,
Wand'ring on the Stygian coast.

VENERIS LUSUS.

EFFINXITquondan, blandummeditatalaborem,
Basia lusciva Cypria diva manu :
Ambrosia succos occultâ temperat arte,
Fragransque infuso nectare tingit opus;
Sufficit et partem mellis, quod subdolus olim
Non impunè favis surripuisset Amor ;*
Decussos violæ foliis admiscet odores,

Et spolia æstivis plurima rapta rosis;
Addit et illecebras, et mille et mille lepores,'
Et quot Acidaliæ gaudia cestus habet :

Ex his composuit Dea basia ; et omniu libans,
Invenias nitida sparsa per ora Chloes.

See the nineteenth Idyllium of Theocritus, to which this alludes.

THE

PASTIME OF VENUS.

INTENT to frame some new design of bliss,
The wanton Cyprian queen compos'd a kiss:
An ample portion of ambrosial juice

With mystic skill she temper'd first for use;
This done, her infant work was well bedew'd
With choicest nectar; and o'er all she strew'd
Part of the honey which sly Cupid stole,

Much to his cost, and blended with the whole;
Then, that soft scent which from the vi'let flows
She mixt, with spoils of many a vernal rose;
Each gentle blandishment in love we find,
Each graceful winning gesture next she join'd;
And all those joys that in her zone abound
Made up the kiss, and the rich labour crown'd.
Consid'ring now what beauteous nymph might
prove

Worthy the gift, and worthy of her love,
She fixt on Chloe, as her fav'rite maid;
To whom the goddess, sweetly-smiling, said:
"Take this, my fair! to perfect ev'ry grace;
"And on thy lips the fragrant blessing place."

M

BACIAMENTO RECIPROCO.

BEN è soave cosa

Quel bacio, che si prende

Da una vermiglia, e delicata rosa

Di bella guancia, e pur chi 'l vero intende,

Com' intendete voi

Auventurosi amanti, che 'l provate;

Dirà, che quello è morto bacio, à cui
La baciata beltà bacio non rende.

Ma i colpi di due labbra innamorate,
Quando à ferir si và bocca con bocca,
E che in un punto scocca

Amor con soavissima vendetta

L'una, el' altra saetta;

Son veri baci ove con giuste voglie

Tanto si dona altrui, quanto si toglie.