Psyche, and other poems — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

~ Vii in making choice of the beautiful ancient allegory Of ss Love and the Soul, I had some fears lest my subject might be condemned by the frown of severer moralists ; however, f hope that cf such have the condescension to read through a poem which they may perhaps think too long, they will yet do me the justice to allow, that I have only pictured znnocent love, such love as the purest bosom might confess. “* Les jeunes femmes, qui ne veulent point paroztre co- guettes, ne doivent jamais parler de l’amour comme d’une chose ou elles puissent avoir part,” says La Rochefoucault s but I believe zt is only the false refinement of the most pro- jliigate court which could give birth to such a sentiment, and that love will always be found to have had the sirong- est influence where the morals have been the purest. EF much regret that I can have no hope of affording any pleasure to some, whose opinion I highly respect, whom Ihave heard profess themselves ever disgusted by the veil- ed form of allegory, and yet Are not the choicest fables of the poets, Who were the fountains and first spring's of wisdom, Wrapt in perplexcd allegories ? } But if I have nat been able to resist the seductions of the mysterious fair, who perhaps never appeans captivas ting except in the eyes af her own poet, I have however Comicbooks:com |