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4. Love its own folds within,
With admixture of contingencies,
Is as suitable to earth

As rays are of the sun;

And he who entertains mistrust

Of love, which truly so much good conceals,
Deserves no prospect of heaven

Or that the firm-set earth should him endure. 5. Well knows he that love

Is full of endless good;
But of evil good ariseth,

What good is becoming better,

So he who damages a hair,

In pure amorous war,

Should never sight of heaven's bliss attain,

Or be on earth maintained.

6. Love is infinite,

If its basis is sound,

But what soon ends
Is passion, and not love.
Its elevation without flight,
Solely to will confining,
May a sun's ray destroy him,
And cover him no earth.

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No small gratification possessed the hinds when they saw how furiously Elicio stood his ground; not the less did the loveless Lenio adhere fixedly to his own notions, ere he desired to return to the song, and to evince in what he enunciated of how small significance were the reasonings of Elicio to obscure the truth, which he stoutly maintained. Yet did Galatea's father (whose august name was Aurelio) remark, Disconcert not thyself to make appear in thy song what thy heart feels. The road to the village is short, and it seems to me that more time is needed than you compute, to defend you from the swains advanced against you. Hold thy thoughts for a more opportune crisis,. for some day will Flicio and them join with other herdsmen at the fountain of stones or the palm brook, where more commodiously you may broach the point, and clear up your diversity of ppinion

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"What Elicio holds is but opinion," answered Lenio,
"but mine is certified truth, which sooner or later, in forcing
verity, constrains me to espouse it, yet will a time not fail,
as you remark, more expedient for this effect." "This will
I obtain," rejoined Elicio, "for with a genius so rare as
yours, friend Lenio, it grieves me that it should fail to attain
the point, which is the true character of love, of which you
are the avowed enemy." "You are in error, Elicio," retorted
Lenio, "if you imagine that by some painted and fantastic
words you can induce me to change, what I consider it
unmanly to change." "So much the worse is it," rejoined
Elicio, "to be obstinate in wrong, as it is wholesome to
persevere in good; and by my elders I have heard say, that
it is a quality of the wise to embrace counsel."
"This I
deny not," again said Lenio, "did I conclude my opinion to
be untenable, yet as neither experience nor reason inform
me of the contrary up to this point, I infer my notion to be
right, as I hold yours to be the contrary."
"If the
heresies of love are to be chastised," said Erastro, "at this
season, from now, I should begin, dear Lenio, to cut wood
wherewith to burn that vast heresy and enemy which love
comprises." "And should I meet nothing of love but what
you follow, and are of the group of the enamoured," again
said Lenio, "it would demand one hundred tongues to
renounce it, if so many could be acquired."
"And now
does it appear to thee, Lenio," answered Erastro, "that I am
not calculated for love?" "Contrariwise," said Lenio.
"Such of your mental and physical qualities are its favoured
ministers, for he who is lame, by the least defect is discovered,
and he whose judgment is wanting differs little from an
idiot, so those who follow the banners of your valorous
captain. I, in my deductions, hold them to be no great
characters, for had they so been, immediately that the
poison of love assailed them, they had thrown it off."

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Great was the annoyance to him at what Lenio said, but he furnished this rejoinder :-" In my idea your grote que notions merit only words for reply, still I hope some day you may pay for it, and really find neither defender or defence.'

"If I understood from you, Erastro," remarked Leni?, "that you were as valiant as amorous, thy menaces wou

A

really infuse fear in me, but as I discern you are in the rear of some affections and in advance of others, laughter takes the place of dread."

And thus was exhausted Erastro's patience, and despite the presence of Lisandro and Elicio, who were arranged in their midst, he answered Lenio with dumb significance, for his tongue really refused to do its office in the perturbation of his vexed wrath.

Great was the satisfaction which all experienced from the quarrel of the hinds, and the more anger and annoyance Erastro evinced, the more it was imperative on Galatea's parent to attempt some reconciliation, though Erastro-not losing the respect of that lady's father in no way-contributed to it. So soon as the question was finished, all jovially repaired to the hamlet, and on their transit thither, the nonpareil Florisa, at the sound of the instrument of Galatea, set up this strain

1. May my dear lambkins grow ;

In the enclosure of verdant pastures,

And in the ardent heat, and in frigid winter,
Abundance find of fodder and cool streams !

2. May he remember in sleep nights and days together,
In all that to the pastoral state relates,
Without love's cares, how slight soever,
Being felt, or its oft told triflings avowed!
3. May this announce love's thousand 'vantages,
May that its vanities make known,

And I know not if both may not perish!

4. Nor victor shall I know to award the crown, This I know of the elect of love, for it

How few there are; how many have to mourn.

Short was the road to the shepherds, allured and entertained by the charming voice of Florisa, who ceased not her song till she neared the village and the cottages of Elicio and Erastro, who, with Lisandro, dwelt there, taking leave first of Aurelio, of Galatea and Florisa, who, with Teolinda, came to the village, and each of the residents to his own home. That very same night the mournful Lisandro asked permission of Elicio to visit him, and as far as in him lay in

unison with his desires, to finish what, to his idea, remained of his life. Elicio, with all available reasons, and with the truest evidence of friendship, could only let him remain with him some days, and then the unlucky hind, embracing Elicio, with floods of tears and sighs, took leave, promising to inform him all about his condition, and having accompanied Elicio some half league from his cottage, returned to renew the embrace, and thus, with reiterated offers of friendship, they again separated, which quite unnerved Elicio; so he repaired to his own cot, to drift through the night in amorous illusions, and to hope the next day to revisit Galatea, the cause of the woe, who, having reached her own village, and longing to hear the result of Teolinda's loves, effected it so that they should be alone that night, and thus Florisa and Teolinda, realising the convenience to be desired, the lovelorn shepherdess pursued her narrative, as it is disclosed in the second book of this pastoral.

49

BOOK II.

Pursuance of Teolinda's adventures.-Her ditty.-Lamentation of Artidoro inscribed on the barks of trees.-The three shepherdesses retire to rest.-Florisa tunes her instrument, to which Teolinda sings. Interrupted by the sounds of a pipe and a rebeck.-Responsive songs of Damon and Thirsis.-Colloquy of Thirsis and Damon. -Retire to a village to be present at the marriage preparations of Daranio and Silveria.-Surprised by a ditty from Elicio.-Erastro strikes into the conversation.-Songs of Erastro, Elicio, Damon, and Thirsis.-Taken unawares by a song from an unknown voice of a youth found in a disconsolate situation.-Erastro consoles him.— The youth's narrative.-His journey and his recognition of his friend Timbrio, whom he discovered bound in fetters and ready for execution.-Addresses and rescues him.-Is himself captured and lodged in prison.-Timbrio fell amongst thieves, and was seized as one of them.-Love of Timbrio for Nisida.-Verses of Silerio to Timbrio.-Verses by Silerio in praise of Nisida's beauty.-Note of Timbrio to Nisida.-Conversation of Aster and Nisida.-Love of Silerio for Nisida. His verses.-Love for Blanca, sister to Nisida.Silerio sings, and whilst pursuing his story is astonished by hearing some music, and seeing some swains, in the midst of whom was a youth crowned with flowers, who turns out to be Daranio.-Progress to the village.-Lenio's song.-Advance of Galatea, and Erastro's song to her.

FREE and detached from that which appertained to night. with the flocks, they managed to withdraw and be alone with Teolinda, where no one could interpose, to hear the conclusion of the love tale. Hence to a little garden went they, which belonged to Galatea, and sitting, all three, below a green and flourishing vine tree, which most intricately-by means of nets or poles was interwoven. Teolinda, turning to repeat some words already spoken, pursued her narrative::

"The dance being over with the song of Artidoro, as before stated, sweet shepherdesses, it was the opinion of all that we should repair to the hamlet, and in its temple offer the wonted sacrifices, and in this mind the solemnity of the festival gave us a certain latitude. So regardless of the

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