Her eye proclaims her of the Briton line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face, Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

Twice twenty slender virgin-fingers twine This curious web, where all their fancies shine.

'Virgins harts, I perceive,' remarks one of Diana's nymphs, 'are not unlike Cotton trees, whose fruite is so hard in the budde, that it soundeth like steele, and beeing rype, poureth forth nothing but wooll, and theyr thoughts, like the leaves of Lunary, which the further they growe from the Sunne, the sooner they are scorched with his beames.'

It fortun'd that, from out the thicket wood A ramping lion rushed suddenly, And hunting greedy after savage blood, The royal virgin helpless did espy; At whom, with gaping mouth full greedily To seize and to devour her tender corse, When he did run, he stopp'd ere he drew nigh, And loosing all his rage in quick remorse, As with the sight amazed, forgot his furious force.

Her household motions light and free, And steps of virgin-liberty; A countenance in which did meet 15 Sweet records, promises as sweet; A Creature not too bright or good For human nature's daily food; For transient sorrows, simple wiles, Praise, blame, love, kisses, tears, and smiles.

Now all those charms, that blooming grace, The well-proportion'd shape, and beauteous face, Shall never more be seen by mortal eyes; In earth the much lamented virgin lies.

At another, it is an old dropsical impostor, whom thousands of blaspheming dupes venerate as a second virgin quick of a new Messiah!

45 Thy love, CALLITRICHE, two Virgins share, Smit with thy starry eye and radiant hair; On the green margin sits the youth, and laves His floating train of tresses in the waves; Sees his fair features paint the streams that pass, 50 And bends for ever o'er the watery glass.

The virgin-singers say, that the sound of their song is as it were self-inspired and self-animated from within, and exalted with delight according to the reception it meets with from the hearers.

Congenial horrors hail!with frequent foot Oft have I in my pleasing calm of life, When nurs'd by careless solitude I liv'd, Oft have I wander'd thro' your rough domain; Trod the pure virgin snows; my self as pure; Heard the winds blow, or the big torrents burst, Or seen the deep fermenting

That with bold hands the Argive fleet he fires; 20 But there, from heaven the blue-eyed virgin falls, And frighted Troy retires within her walls; They that are foremost in that bloody race, Turn head anon, and give the conqu'rors chase.

a trembling virgin spare!