My languid numbers have forgot to flow, 230 And fancy finks beneath a weight of woe. Lesbian Virgins, and ye Lesbian dames,

Themes of my verse, and objects of

my flames, No more your groves with my glad fongs shallring, No more these hands shall touch the trembling

ftring:

My Phaon's fled, and I those arts refign

235

(Wretch that I am, to call that Phaon mine!)
Return, fair youth, return, and bring along
Joy to my foul, and vigour to my song :
Abfent from thee, the Poet's flame expires; 240
But ah! how fiercely burn the Lover's fires?
Gods! can no pray'rs, no fighs, no numbers move
One favage heart, or teach it how to love?
The winds my pray'rs, my fighs, my numbers

bear,

The flying winds have loft them all in air! 245
Or when, alas! fhall more aufpicious gales
To these fond eyes reftore thy welcome fails?
If you return-ah why thefe long delays?
Poor Sappho dies while careless Phaon stays.
O launch the bark, nor fear the wat❜ry plain; 250
Venus for thee shall smooth her native main.

Ipfe gubernabit refidens in puppe Cupido:

Ipfe dabit tenera vela legetque manu. Sive juvat longe fugiffe Pelafgida Sappho ; (Non tamen invenies, cur ego digna fuga.) 255 [O faltem miferae, Crudelis, epiftola dicat : Ut mihi Leucadiae fata petantur aquae.]

O launch thy bark, fecure of profp'rous gales;
Cupid for thee shall spread the swelling fails.
If you will fly-(yet ah! what cause can be,
Too cruel youth, that you should fly from me?)
If not from Phaon I muft hope for ease,
Ah let me feek it from the raging feas:
To raging feas unpity'd I'll remove,
And either cease to live or cease to love!

256

ELOISA TO ABELARD.