For thus the Gods, thus Jove's high Will ordains, While Man his native Innocence Retains

Be thou his Blifs, his great Reward be thou,
Thy full Perfection, Heaven's fair Pattern fhow,
And teach him by thy felf thy Native Skies to
know. Bl

But oh! if Pity touch thy tender Breast,
If for Mankind thy Care wou'd be exprefs'd,
Keep close this fatal Casket I bestow,

Nor feek the Secrets lodg'd within to know.
If thy frail Hand too curious, fhou'd incline
To pry, and difobey the Will divine,
Straight forth ten thousand winged Plagues fhall
fly,

And scatter swift Contagion thro' the Sky.
Thee too, thou Faireft, fhall the Ruin feize,

Pain fhalt thou feel, and Languish with Disease.

Deformity

Deformity thy lovely Looks fhall blaft,

And foul Pollution lay thy Beauties wáft.

To spread around on Earth, the Beams of Beau

ties Light.

Nor did fhe there with Epimetheus Dwell,
Shut up and Cloister'd in a lonely Cell,
As-old Greek Tales of Dreaming Hefiod tell.
But bounteous of Delight and unconfin'd,

She made the Bleffing common to Mankind,
Defign'd a Publick Good ftill paffing on,
On undistinguish'd Crowds alike fhe fhone.

The stupid Herd with pleafing Dread amaz'd, Dumb with Attention, ftood, and glad fome gaz'd,

Some

Some ravish'd with her Mien fo graceful were, Some with the Ringlets of her Amber Hair, Some with her Iv'ry Front, and Face for heav'nly Fair.

From her each Part Ambrofial Odours flow'd, And breath'd a balmy Bleffing on the Crowd, While her bright Eyes (which scarce the Mufe had told,

Unless by facred Inspiration Bold)

With Light effulgent, Darted forth a Ray,

That Chear'd Mankind, and made the World look

Gay.

So when Aurora in the Rofy East,

Lifts her fair Head, with radiant Honours Dreft,

O'er Natures Face a various Smile fhe fpreads, And paints a-new the Fields and Flow'ry Meads,

Ten

Ten-thousand-colour'd dyes her Beams unfold,]

The Limpid Stream in Silver Waves is Roll'd, And all the Green-Wood fhade is burnifh'd o'er with Gold.

Such Beauty was, in our firft Fathers Time, While yet the Youthful World was in its Prime, The mingling Graces of the Sexes met, And full Perfection made the Form compleat ; While Man yet free from Avarice, or Pride, The Ways of Wickedness had never try'd, Nor warping from the Right, Perversly turn'd afide.

But when Pernicious Change invading spread, And Error blind mistaking Reafon led, The fwift Contagion reach'd the lovely Maid.

Pandora

Pandora tainted by an Impious Age,

Purfu'd each fond Defire, and each fantastic Rage: Curious to know, the Box difturb'd her Reft, Jove's hard Commands fat heavy on her Breast, And Woman, Woman the frail Nymph confest: Refolv'd at length, whatever Jove forbid,

She eas'd her longing Mind, and broke the Lid :
When fteaming, ftrait, a deadly Vapour rofe,
Long Trains of waiting Plagues it did disclose,
Diseases, Miseries, and mortal Woes.

First the fell Poifon feiz'd the curious Maid,
First on her Youth, her blooming Roses prey'd ;
Her Eyes no more their starry Fires could boaft,
But dim and dull in cloudy Mifts were loft ;
No Part was left untainted in the whole,

But all that once was fair, was loathfom now and

foul. >

C

Nor