Ode
to
Venus
,
from
her
Votaries
of
the
Street
.
By
*****
ARE
these
thy
palms
?
oh
queen
of
love
!
Pity
thy
wretched
votaries
!
From
above
Behold
them
stroll
,
their
bosoms
bare
,
Chill'd
with
the
blasts
of
rude
St.
Clement's
air
;
And
twitch
the
sleeve
with
sly
advance
:
Roll
the
bright
eye
,
or
shoot
the
side-long
glance
:
Whilst
the
chaste
moon
,
with
envious
light
Peeps
thro'
the
curtain
of
the
freezing
night
.
Not
thus
when
Horace
hymn'd
thy
praise
.
You
heard
the
Glyceras
of
happier
days
.
Oh
goddess
of
love's
pleasing
pain
!
From
thy
own
isle
avert
the
frost
,
and
rain
;
Nor
let
the
little
mouth
inhale
,
(
Bane
to
the
teeth
)
a
rough
,
unfriendly
gale
;
Or
slender
ancle
white
,
and
neat
,
Betray
a
splash
from
the
polluted
street
.
Look
down
with
pity
on
the
woes
,
That
trace
our
footsteps
,
and
our
haunts
enclose
.
For
thee
,
we
forfeit
fair
renown
,
Brave
want
and
danger
,
orphans
of
the
town
;
For
thee
,
sustain
the
cruel
shock
Of
caustic
Franks
,
and
cicatrizing
Rock
:
Happy
!
if
Hermes'
timely
care
,
The
searching
deity
of
here
and
there
,
Can
soften
the
venereal
doom
,
And
keep
awhile
pale
beauty
from
the
tomb
.
But
languid
!
lifeless
!
cold
,
and
bare
,
Gone
ev'ry
tooth
,
and
fallen
ev'ry
hair
,
A
prey
to
grief
,
remorse
,
disease
,
—
Ah
!
Paphian
Venus
,
faithless
as
the
seas
!
Fir'd
by
thy
spells
,
and
magic
charms
,
We
guiltless
virgins
glow'd
at
soft
alarms
.
Embark'd
with
youth
,
and
airy
smiles
,
The
graces
,
playful
loves
and
wanton
wiles
;
On
pleasure's
wave
we
loos'd
the
sails
,
Alas
!
too
credulous
of
flatt'ring
gales
;
For
lo
!
the
heav'ns
with
clouds
are
spread
,
The
graces
,
loves
,
with
youth
are
fled
,
And
leave
the
ship
,
an
easy
prize
,
Unrigg'd
and
leaky
to
th'
inclement
skies
.