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O
lady Venus, shine on me,
O rose-crowned goddess from thy seas
Radiant among the Cyclades!
O rose-crowned, puissant like the sea.
And bring thy Graces three,
The swift companions of thy mirthful mind,
Bring
thy sweet rogue with thee,
Thy careless archer, beautiful and blind.
A woman’s royal heart
Bid him to wound and bind her who is free;
Bind
her for me!
Nor for the sweet bright crimson blood may start
In
little rillets from the little heart
Spare her thy sport to be,
Goddess, she spared not me.
Epigram
If
thou wouldst traverse Time with vagrant feet
Nor
make the poles thy limit, fill not then
Thy
wallet with the fancy’s cloying sweet
Which is no stay to heaven-aspiring men,
But
follow wisdom since alone the wise
Can walk through fire with unblinking eyes.
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