DEAR Howard, from the soft assaults of Love, Poets and painters never are secure; Can I untouched the fair ones' passions move, Or thou draw beauty, and not feel its power! To great Apelles when young Ammon brought The darling idol of his captive heart; And the pleased nymph with kind attention sat, To have her charms recorded by his art; The amorous master owned her potent eyes; Sighed when he looked, and trembled as he drew; Each flowing line confirmed his first surprise, And as the piece advanced, the passion grew. While Philip's son, while Venus' son was near, What different tortures does his bosom feel! Great was the rival, and the god severe: Nor could he hide his flame, nor durst reveal. The prince, renowned in bounty as in arms, With pity saw the ill-concealed distress; Quitted his title to Campaspe's charms, And gave the fair one to the friend's embrace. Thus the more beauteous Cloe sat to thee, Good Howard, emulous of the Grecian art; But happy thou, from Cupid's arrow free, And flames that pierced thy predecessor's heart. Had thy poor breast received an equal pain, Had I been vested with the monarch's power, Thou must have sighed, unlucky youth, in vain; Nor from my bounty hadst thou found a cure. Though to convince thee, that the friend did feel A kind concern for thy ill-fated care, I would have soothed the flame I could not heal; Given thee the world, though I withheld the fair. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...DOMESDAY BOOK: LOVERIDGE CHASE by EDGAR LEE MASTERS COMFORT by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING ON MAN by WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR THE HAPPY LIFE OF A COUNTRY PARSON by ALEXANDER POPE ECHO by AULUS LICINIUS ARCHIAS |