Cow.

--Best the Cow
Of Aspect sour: her Head unshap'd and large,
Her hanging Neck enormous: from her Chin
Her swagging Dewlaps to her Knees depend.
Her Flank of Length unmeasur'd: all Parts huge:
Her Feet too: and beneath her crankled Horns
Her Ears uncouth and rough. Nor shall her Form
Be disapprov'd, whose Skin with Spots of white
Is vary'd: or who struggles with the Yoke,
And sometimes pushes with the Horn, in Front
A Bull resembles, tall, and big all o'er,
And with her Tail, in walking, sweeps the Ground.

Their Age for just Connubials fit, begins
After four Years: before the Tenth, expires:
The rest unapt for Teeming, and of Strength
Unequal to the Plough.--

Creation.
See Chaos. God.

First, that the Earth might regular appear,
He rounds the Figure to a perfect Sphere:
Then bad the Sea to roll:--and Winds he gave
To swell the Surges of the rising Wave:
The rising Wave commission'd to explore
The compass'd Earth, and bound it with a Shore.
The running Springs he adds, and standing Lakes,
And bounding Banks for winding Rivers makes:
Earth drinks in some; the rest their watry Train
Roll on, and pour their Treasures in the Main:
Where, in their narrow Banks confin'd no more,
They freer rage, and lash the sounding Shore.
He bad the Woods be cloth'd, the Plains extend,
Subside the Vallies, and the Rocks ascend.

The spacious Fields of Air, suspended high,
Inclose the Ball, and skirt it with the Sky:
Weighty, with Fire, with Earth compared, light,
The winged Air between them takes it's Flight.
Thick Clouds o'erspread, and Storms engender there,
And Thunder's Voice, which wretched Mortals fear,
And Winds with Lightnings mixt, thence shiv'ring Winter bear.

Far above these, in Order and in Place,
The wise Creator fix'd the heav'nly Space;
Fields of pure Æther, from all Dregs refin'd,
By Earth unclogg'd, and by no Bounds confin'd.

Scarce had he all in proper Limits fix'd,
When, long depress'd and with Confusion mix'd,
Each Star upshot it's explicated Head,
And Heav'ns wide Arch with new born Glories spread.
Then, that no Void in Nature might appear,
With Stars and Forms divine he fill'd the heav'nly Sphere:
The glitt'ring Fishes to the Floods repair:
Beasts to the Earth: and Birds possess the Air.
Man too was made.--

--He sung, how thro' the mighty Void
The Seeds of Earth, and Water, Air, and Fire,
Consolidated met: how first from These
The Elements, and the World's recent Globe
Compounded rose: how then the firmer Soil
Grew hard, and in it's Channel shut the Sea,
And by Degrees, of various Things receiv'd
Th' unnumber'd Species:--how the Earth admir'd
To see the new--born Sun with Glory shine:
How Show'rs from high--hung Clouds distill'd: when first
The Woods began to rise: and thin, dispers'd,
The Animals o'er unknown Mountains rov'd.--
Cruelty.
See Inhumanity.

He drew the Faulchion that beside him hung,
Then dragg'd her by the Hair along the Ground,
And fast, behind her Back, her Arms he bound.
The Princess willingly her Throat reclin'd,
And view'd the Steel with a contented Mind.
But soon her Tongue the girding Pincers strain
With Anguish, soon she feels the piercing Pain:
Oh Father! Father! She would fain have spoke,
But the sharp Torture her Intention broke:
In vain she tries! for now the Blade had cut
Her Tongue sheer off, and left the panting Root.
The mangled Part still quiver'd on the Ground,
And murmur'd out a faint imperfect Sound:
As some dissever'd Serpent's nimble Train,
That springs, and twists, and wriggles with the Pain,
So stirr'd the Tongue, with trembling Motion, fast,
And dying, towards it's Mistress turn'd at last.--

Young Itys fondling to his Mother came:--
And as her cruel Eyes his Features trace,
She cries, how like thy Father's is that Face!--
In Silence, then, she forms the dreadful Scene,
Her Bosom boiling with revengeful Spleen.

But as the Boy to her Embraces sprung,
And round her Neck in tender Transport hung,
Mixing kind Kisses with his childish Charms,
He moves her Soul, and all her Rage disarms:
Then tender Thoughts in spite of Passion rise,
And melting Tears disarm her threat'ning Eyes.
But when she found the Mother's easy Heart,
Too fondly swerving from th' intended Part,
She, turning from the Boy, her Sister views,
And in her Breast the dire Resolve renews.

Then, like some Tigress, that by Ganges' Floods,
A trembling Fawn drags thro' the gloomy Woods,
Itys she hurries to an inward Room,
Far off retir'd within the spacious Dome:
The Boy, with rueful Cries, but all too late,
Holds out his Hands, and deprecates his Fate:
To clasp his Mother's Neck he fondly aims,
And strives to melt her with endearing Names.
But Procne, on the horrid Mischief bent,
Home to his Heart a piercing Poiniard sent,
Nor did she, while the murd'ring Blade she drove,
Start once aside, or once her Eyes remove.
This might suffice: but Philomela too
Across his Throat a shining Cutlass drew.
Then both, with Knives, dissect each quiv'ring Part,
And carve the butcher'd Limbs with cruel Art:
Which, whelm'd in boiling Cauldrons o'er the Fire,
Or turn'd on Spits, in steamy Smoke aspire.
The slipp'ry Pavement swims with crimson Gore.--

I saw where Marius' hapless Brother stood,
With Limbs all torn, and cover'd o'er with Blood:
A Thousand gaping Wounds increas'd his Pain,
While weary Life a Passage sought in vain.
That Mercy still his ruthless Foes deny,
And, whom they mean to kill, forbid to die.
This from the Wrist the suppliant Hands divides,
That hews his Arms from off his naked Sides:
One crops his breathing Nostrils, one his Ears,
While from the Roots his Tongue another tares:
Panting awhile upon the Earth it lies,
And with mute Motion trembles e'er it dies.
Last, from the sacred Caverns where they lay,
The bleeding Orbs of Sight are rent away.--
Cuckold.

Venus' Amour with Mars, the Sun (we're told)
First saw: for all things he does first behold.
Griev'd at the Sight, and swift, on Mischief bent,
To Venus' Husband, Juno's Son, he sent:
The Goddess and her God Gallant betray'd,
And told the Cuckold where their Pranks were play'd.
Poor Vulcan soon desir'd to hear no more:
He dropp'd his Hammer, and he shook all o'er.
But straight recov'ring, with malicious Pains,
A Net he forms of Brass, and brazen Chains,
So exquisitely fine, the sharpest Sight
Could not discern them in the fairest Light:
The Spider's Web, spread out to take her Prey,
Is not so thin, so finely drawn as they.
The Work, obedient to the Touch, he spread
In secret Foldings o'er the conscious Bed:
And when th' adult'rous God and Goddess came,
To quench, again, and satisfy their Flame:
The just Machine, so artfully prepar'd,
Both, in the very Act of Love, ensnar'd.
Vulcan the Iv'ry folding Doors displays,
And calls the Gods to witness his Disgrace.
Together link'd th' entangled Lovers lay,
Expos'd, and naked, in the Face of Day:
The Gods with Envy view'd, and could not blame,
But for the Pleasure wish'd to bear the Shame.
All laugh'd aloud: and, at each heav'nly Feast,
The wanton Tale became a standing Jest.--

Before her Husband, Lesbia calls me Names,
And at the Lewdness of the Town exclaims:
This tickles the poor Cuckold to the Life,
And he thanks Heav'n for such a virtuous Wife.
Contented Fool!--Your Reas'ning is quite wrong:
If she were Virtuous, she would hold her Tongue.
Scandal and Noise do not her Virtue prove,
But are the Marks of unextinguish'd Love.--
Cyclops.
See Gyant.

The Cyclops in their vast capacious Cave
Work'd the tormented Iron: Brontes huge,
And Steropes, and with his naked Limbs
Pyracmon. In their Hands before them glow'd
The unform'd Thunder: Bolts which Jove to Earth
Profusely hurls from all the Welkin round:
Part finish'd, part imperfect yet remain'd.
Three Forks of darted Hail, of watry Cloud
Three more they added: Three of glaring Fire:
As many of the winged southern Wind.
Then dreadful Flashes, and the roaring Noise,
And Rage, and Terror, and avenging Flames.
Some in a diff'rent Quarter of the Grot
Labour'd the Chariot, and the rapid Wheels
Of Mars, with which vast Cities he alarms,
And rouses Heroes.--

--They all with eager Haste
Bend to the Labour: and their several Tasks
Divide: Brass flows in Rivers: liquid Gold,
And wounding Steel, in the vast Furnace boils.
A mighty Shield they form: Sev'n Orbs involv'd
Orb within Orb: In breathing Bellows some
Receive, and render back th' included Air:
Others in Water tinge the sputt'ring Brass.
The Cave with batter'd Anvils groans around:
By turns, with mighty Strength, in equal Time,
Their Arms advance, by turns their Hammers chime.--
Daring.

But Gods we all may be: for those that dare
Are Gods, and Fortune's chiefest Favours share.
The ruling Pow'rs a lazy Prayer detest,
The bold Adventurer succeeds the best.--

Fortune is ever to the Brave a Friend.--

Who bravely dare ev'n Jove himself will aid.--

Fortune and Venus both assist the Brave.--
Darkness.
See Storm at Sea.

--For neither did the Stars
Appear, nor Light in all th' Expanse of Heav'n:
But Clouds o'ercast the Sky: and Dead of Night
Confin'd the Moon in Darkness.--

But no red Clouds, with golden Borders gay,
Promise the Skies the bright Return of Day;
No faint Reflections of the distant Light,
Streak with long Gleams the scatt'ring Shades of Night:
From the damp Earth impervious Vapours rise,
Encrease the Darkness, and involve the Skies.—