IL PENSEROSO. HENCE, vain deluding Joys, The brood of Folly without father bred! Or fill the fixed mind with all your toys! And fancies fond with gaudy shapes possess, As the gay motes that people the sun-beams; The fickle pensioners of Morpheus' train. Whose saintly visage is too bright To hit the sense of human sight, And therefore to our weaker view Prince Memnon's sister might beseem, The Seanymphs, and their powers offended: Thee, bright-hair'd Vesta, long of yore, The solitary Saturn bore; His daughter she; in Saturn's reign Such mixture was not held a stain: Oft in glimmering bowers and glades Whilst yet there was no fear of Jove. With a sad leaden downward cast Thou fix them on the earth as fast: And join with thee calm Peace, and Quiet, Aye round about Jove's altar sing: That in trim gardens takes his pleasure: In her sweetest saddest plight, While Cynthia checks her dragon yoke, Sweet bird, that shunn'st the noise of folly, Most musical, most melancholy! Thee, chantress, oft, the woods among, Far from all resort of mirth, Save the cricket on the hearth, |