One to the silver lustre of the moon, In graceful, careless, attitude reclined, Display'd her snowy bosom, full unzoned In all its naked loveliness: another Led up the sprightly dance; and as she moved, Her loose robes gently floating, the light breeze Lifted her vest, and to the enraptured eye Uncover'd her left breast. Gods! what a sight! What heavenly whiteness! breathing and alive, A swelling picture!—This from eyelids dark Beam'd forth a ray of such celestial light, As dazzled whilst it charm'd. A fourth appear'd, Her beauties half uncover'd, and display'd Her delicate arm, and taper fingers, small, And round, and white as polish'd ivory. Another yet, with garment loosely thrown Across her neck and shoulders; as she moved, The am'rous zephyrs drew aside her robe, Exposed her pliant limbs, full, round, and fair, Such as the Paphian Goddess might have own'd. Love smiled at my surprise, shook his light wings, And mark'd me for his victim.—Others threw Their careless limbs upon the bank bedeck'd With odoriferous herbs, and blossoms rare, Such as the earth produced from Helen's tears, The violet with dark leaves, the crocus too, That gave a warm tint to their flowing robes, And marjoram sweet of Persia rear'd its head To deck the verdant spot.—ANON. _The same._ There one reclined apart I saw, within the moon's pale light, With bosom through her parted robe appearing snowy white: Another danced, and floating free her garments in the breeze, She seem'd as buoyant as the wave that leaps o'er summer seas; While dusky shadows all around shrunk backward from the place, Chased by the beaming splendour shed like sunshine from her face. Beside this living picture stood a maiden passing fair, With soft round arms exposed: a fourth, with free and graceful air, Like Dian when the bounding hart she tracks through morning dew, Bared through the opening of her robes her lovely limbs to view. And oh! the image of her charms, as clouds in heaven above, Mirror'd by streams, left on my soul the stamp of hopeless love. And slumbering near them others lay, on beds of sweetest flowers, The dusky-petal'd violet, the rose of Paphian bowers, The inula and saffron flower, which on their garments cast And veils, such hues as deck the sky when day is ebbing fast; While far and near tall marjoram bedeck'd the fairy ground, Loading with sweets the vagrant winds that frolick'd all around. —J. A. ST. JOHN. * * * * * SEMOS. (Book xiv. § 2, p. 979.)