The song her charm'd attention drew, When now the tempters stood in view; CURIOSITY with prying eyes, And hand of busy, bold emprize; Like HERMES, feather'd were her feet, And like fore-running fancy fleet; By search untaught, by toil untir'd, To novelty she still aspir'd, Tasteless of ev'ry good possess'd, And but in expectation bless'd. With her, associate, PLEASURE came, Gay PLEASURE, frolic-loving dame! Her mien, all swimming in delight, Her beauties, half reveal'd to sight; Loose flow'd her garments from the ground And caught the kissing winds around. As erst MEDUSA'S looks were known To turn beholders into stone, A dire reversion here they felt, And in the eye of pleasure melt. Her glance of sweet persuasion charm'd, Unnerv'd the strong, the steel'd disarm'd; No safety, ev'n the flying find, Who, vent'rous, looks not once behind. Thus was the much-admiring maid, While distant, more than half betray'd. With smiles, and adulation bland, They join'd her side, and seiz'd her hand; Their touch envenom'd sweets instill'd, Her frame with new pulsations thrill'd, While half consenting, half denying, Reluctant now, and now complying, Amidst a war of hopes and fears, Of trembling wishes, smiling tears, Still down, and down, the winning pair Compell'd the struggling, yielding fair. As when some stately vessel, bound To blest ARABIA'S distant ground, Borne from her courses, haply lights Where BARCA'S flow'ry clime invites; Conceal'd around whose treach'rous land, Lurks the dire rock, and dang'rous sand; The pilot warns, with sail and oar, To shun the much-suspected shore In vain: the tide too subtly strong, Still bears the wrestling bark along, Till found'ring, she resigns to fate, And sinks, o'erwhelmn'd, with all her freight. So baffling ev'ry bar to sin, And heav'n's own pilot plac'd within, Along the devious smooth descent, With pow'rs increasing as they went, The DAMES, accustom'd to subdue, As with a rapid current drew; And o'er the fatal bounds convey'd The lost, the long-reluctant maid. Here stop, ye fair ones, and beware, Nor send your fond affections there; Yet, yet your darling, now deplor'd, May turn, to you and HEAV'N restor'd; Till then, with weeping HONOUR, wait The servant of her better fate, With HONOUR left upon the shore, Her friend and handmaid now no more; Nor, with the guilty world, upbraid The fortunes of a wretch betray'd; But o'er her failing cast a veil, Rememb'ring you, yourselves, are frail. And now, from all-enquiring light, Fast fled the conscious shades of night; The damsel, from a short repose, Confounded at her plight, arose.