One Goose they had, ('twas all they cou'd allow) A wakeful Centry, and on Duty now, Whom to the Gods for Sacrifice they vow: Her, with malicious Zeal, the Couple view'd; She ran for Life, and limping they purfu'd: Full well the Fowl perceiv'd their bad intent,; And wou'd not make her Master's Compliment But perfecuted, to the Pow'rs fhe flies,

&

And close between the Legs of Jove the lies: He with a gracious Ear the Suppliant heard, And fav'd her Life; then what he was declar'd, And own'd the God. The Neighbourhood, said he, Shall justly perish for Impiety:

You stand alone exempted; but obey

With speed, and follow where we lead the way? Leave these accurs'd; and to the Mountains Height Afcend; ; nor once look backward in your Flight. They haste, and what their tardy Feet deny'd, The trusty Staff (their better Leg) supply'd., ./ An Arrow's Flight they wanted to the Top, And there fecure, but fpent with Travel, stop; Then turn their now no more forbidden Eyes; Loft in a Lake the floated Level lies:

A Watry Defart covers all the Plains,

Their Cot alone, as in an Ifle, remains: Wondring with weeping Eyes, while they deplore Their Neighbours Fate, and Country now no more, Their little Shed, fcarce large enough for Two,

Seems, from the Ground increas'd, in Height and Bulk to grow.

A ftately Temple shoots within the Skies,

The Crotches of their Cot in Columes rife:
The Pavement polish'd Marble they behold,
The Gates with Sculpture grac'd, the Spires and
Tiles of Gold.

Then thus the Sire of Gods, with Looks ferene,
Speak thy Defire, thou only Just of Men;
And thou, O Woman, only worthy found

To be with fuch a Man in Marriage bound.

A while they whifper; then, to Jove addrefs'd,

Philemon thus prefers their joint Request.
We crave to ferve before your facred Shrine,
And offer at your Altars Rites Divine:
And fince not any Action of our Life
Has been polluted with Domeftick Strife,

We beg one Hour of Death; that neither she With Widow's Tears may live to bury me, Nor weeping I, with wither'd Arms may bear My breathless Baucis to the Sepulcher.

The Godheads fign their Suit. They run their
In the fame Tenour all th' appointed Space: [Race
Then, when theirHour was come,while they relate
These past Adventures at the Temple-gate,
Old Baucis is by old Philemon seen

Sprouting with fudden Leaves of spritely Green:
Old Baucis look'd where old Philemon stood,
And faw his lengthen'd Arms a sprouting Wood:
New Roots their faften'd Feet begin to bind,
Their Bodies stiffen in a rifing Rind:
Then, ere the Bark above their Shoulders grew,
They give and take at once their last Adieu:
At once, Farewel, O faithful Spouse, they said;
At once th' incroaching Rinds their clofing Lips
Ev'n yet, an ancient Tyanaan fhows
[invade.
A spreading Oak, that near a Linden grows;
The Neighbourhood confirm the Prodigy,
Grave Men, not vain of Tongue, or like to lie.

I faw

my felf the Garlands on their Boughs, And Tablets hung for Gifts of granted Vows, And off'ring fresher up, with pious Pray'r, The Good, faid I, are God's peculiar Care, And fuch as honour Heav'n, shall heav'nly Honour share.

Pigmalion

Pygmalion and the Statue,

Out of the Tenth Book of

Ovid's Metamorphoses.

The Propætides, for their impudent Bebaviour,

being turn'd into Stone by Venus, Pygmalion, Prince of Cyprus, detested' all Women for their Sake, and resolv'd never to marry: He falls in love with a Statue of his own making, which is chang'd into a Maid, whom he marries. One of his Descendants is Cinyras, the Father of Myrrha; the Daughter incestuously loves her own Fathér; for which she is chang’d into the Tree which bears her Name. These two Stories immediately follow each other, and are admirably well connected.