The Poetical Works of Addison; Gay's Fables; and Somerville's Chase · Chapter 18The Story of Narcissus
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Thus did the nymphs in vain caress the boy, He still was lovely, but he still was coy; When one fair virgin of the slighted train Thus prayed the gods, provoked by his disdain, 'Oh, may he love like me, and love like me in vain!' Rhamnusia pitied the neglected fair, And with just vengeance answered to her prayer. There stands a fountain in a darksome wood, Nor stained with falling leaves nor rising mud; Untroubled by the breath of winds it rests, _10 Unsullied by the touch of men or beasts: High bowers of shady trees above it grow, And rising grass and cheerful greens below. Pleased with the form and coolness of the place, And over-heated by the morning chase, Narcissus on the grassy verdure lies: But whilst within the crystal fount he tries To quench his heat, he feels new heats arise. For as his own bright image he surveyed, He fell in love with the fantastic shade; _20 And o'er the fair resemblance hung unmoved, Nor knew, fond youth! it was himself he loved. The well-turned neck and shoulders he descries, The spacious forehead, and the sparkling eyes; The hands that Bacchus might not scorn to show, And hair that round Apollo's head might flow, With all the purple youthfulness of face, That gently blushes in the watery glass. By his own flames consumed the lover lies, And gives himself the wound by which he dies. _30 To the cold water oft he joins his lips, Oft catching at the beauteous shade he dips His arms, as often from himself he slips. Nor knows he who it is his arms pursue With eager clasps, but loves he knows not who. What could, fond youth, this helpless passion move? What kindle in thee this unpitied love? Thy own warm blush within the water glows, With thee the coloured shadow comes and goes, Its empty being on thyself relies; _40 Step thou aside, and the frail charmer dies. Still o'er the fountain's watery gleam he stood, Mindless of sleep, and negligent of food; Still viewed his face, and languished as he viewed. At length he raised his head, and thus began To vent his griefs, and tell the woods his pain. 'You trees,' says he, 'and thou surrounding grove, Who oft have been the kindly scenes of love, Tell me, if e'er within your shades did lie A youth so tortured, so perplexed as I? _50 I who before me see the charming fair, Whilst there he stands, and yet he stands not there: In such a maze of love my thoughts are lost; And yet no bulwarked town, nor distant coast, Preserves the beauteous youth from being seen, No mountains rise, nor oceans flow between. A shallow water hinders my embrace; And yet the lovely mimic wears a face That kindly smiles, and when I bend to join My lips to his, he fondly bends to mine. _60 Hear, gentle youth, and pity my complaint, Come from thy well, thou fair inhabitant. My charms an easy conquest have obtained O'er other hearts, by thee alone disdained. But why should I despair? I'm sure he burns With equal flames, and languishes by turns. Whene'er I stoop he offers at a kiss, And when my arms I stretch, he stretches his. His eye with pleasure on my face he keeps, He smiles my smiles, and when I weep he weeps. _70 Whene'er I speak, his moving lips appear To utter something, which I cannot hear. 'Ah wretched me! I now begin too late To find out all the long-perplexed deceit; It is myself I love, myself I see; The gay delusion is a part of me. I kindle up the fires by which I burn, And my own beauties from the well return. Whom should I court? how utter my complaint? Enjoyment but produces my restraint, _80 And too much plenty makes me die for want. How gladly would I from myself remove! And at a distance set the thing I love. My breast is warmed with such unusual fire, I wish him absent whom I most desire. And now I faint with grief; my fate draws nigh; In all the pride of blooming youth I die. Death will the sorrows of my heart relieve. Oh, might the visionary youth survive, I should with joy my latest breath resign! _90 But oh! I see his fate involved in mine.' This said, the weeping youth again returned To the clear fountain, where again he burned; His tears defaced the surface of the well With circle after circle, as they fell: And now the lovely face but half appears, O'errun with wrinkles, and deformed with tears. 'All whither,' cries Narcissus, 'dost thou fly? Let me still feed the flame by which I die; Let me still see, though I'm no further blessed.' _100 Then rends his garment off, and beats his breast: His naked bosom reddened with the blow, In such a blush as purple clusters show, Ere yet the sun's autumnal heats refine Their sprightly juice, and mellow it to wine. The glowing beauties of his breast he spies, And with a new redoubled passion dies. As wax dissolves, as ice begins to run, And trickle into drops before the sun; So melts the youth, and languishes away, _110 His beauty withers, and his limbs decay; And none of those attractive charms remain, To which the slighted Echo sued in vain. She saw him in his present misery, Whom, spite of all her wrongs, she grieved to see. She answered sadly to the lover's moan, Sighed back his sighs, and groaned to every groan: 'Ah youth! beloved in vain,' Narcissus cries; 'Ah youth! beloved in vain,' the nymph replies. 'Farewell,' says he; the parting sound scarce fell _120 From his faint lips, but she replied, 'Farewell.' Then on the unwholesome earth he gasping lies, Till death shuts up those self-admiring eyes. To the cold shades his flitting ghost retires, And in the Stygian waves itself admires. For him the Naiads and the Dryads mourn, Whom the sad Echo answers in her turn; And now the sister-nymphs prepare his urn: When, looking for his corpse, they only found A rising stalk, with yellow blossoms crowned. _130