Fair lovely Maid, or if that
Title be
Too weak, too Feminine for
Nobler thee,
Permit a Name that more
Approaches Truth:
And let me call thee,
Lovely
Charming Youth.
This last will justify my
soft complaint,
While that may serve to
lessen my constraint;
And without Blushes I the
Youth pursue,
When so much beauteous
Woman
is in view.
Against thy Charmes we
struggle
but in vain
With thy deluding Form thou
giv'st us pain,
While the bright Nymph
betrays
us to the Swain.
In pity to our Sex sure
thou wer't sent,
That we might Love, and
yet be Innocent:
For sure no Crime with thee
we can commit;
Or if we should--thy Form
excuses it.
For who, that gathers
fairest
Flowers believes
A Snake lies hid beneath
the Fragrant Leaves.
Thou beauteous
Wonder of a different kind,
Soft Cloris with
the dear Alexis joined;
When e'er the Manly part
of thee would plead,
Thou tempts us with teh
Image of the Maid,
While we the noblest
Passions
do extend
The Love to Hermes,
Aphrodite*
the Friend.
*See http://www.pantheon.org/articles/h/hermaphroditus.html for the story of Hermaphroditus.