When, rising from the silvery stream, 

 Effusing beauty's warmest gleam, 

 Venus f appear'd, in flushing hues, 



Mellow'd by ocean's briny dews ; 



When, in the starry courts above, 



The pregnant brain of mighty Jove 



Disclos'd the Nymph of azure glance, 



The Nymph who shakes the martial lance. + 



Then, then, in strange eventful hour, 



The Earth § produced an infant flower, 



Which sprung, with blushing tinctures drest, 



And wanton d o'er its parent's breast. — 



The Gods beheld this brilliant birth, 



And hail'd the Rose, the boon of earth. 



With nectar drops, a ruby tide, 



The sweetly orient buds they dy'd ; 



f Anacreon, with exquisite grace, in another Ode describes this birth of Venus, and represents the goddess as swimming on the 

 soft wave. 



Light as the leaf, that summer's breeze 



Has wafted o'er the glassy seas, 



She floats upon the ocean's breast, 



Which undulates in sleepy rest, 



And stealing on, she gently pillows 



Her bosom on the amorous billows; 



Her bosom, like the humid rose, 



Her neck, like dewy-sparkling snows, 



Illume the liquid path she traces, 



And burn within the stream's embraces! 



In languid luxury soft she glides, 



Encircled by the azure tides; 



Then, from their Queen's inspiring glance. 



The Dolphins o'er the green sea dance, 



Bearing in triumph young Desire, 



And baby Love with smiles of fire. 



While, sparkling on the silver waves, 



The tenants of the briny caves 



Around the pomp in eddies play, 



And gleam along the watery way. Moore. 



This is certainly more beautiful than the usual delineation of Venus rising up out of the sea. 



With rosy fingers, as uncurl'd they hung 

 Round her fair brow, her golden locks she wrung; 

 O'er the smooth surge on silver sandals stood, 

 And look'd enchantment on the dazzled flood. 

 The bright drops, rolling from her lifted arms, 

 In slow meanders wander o'er her charms, 

 Seek round her snowy neck their lucid track, 

 Pearl her white shoulders, gem her ivory back, 

 Round her fine waist and swelling bosom swim, 

 And star with glittering brine each crystal limb. 

 Th' immortal form enamour'd Nature hail'd, 

 And Beauty blaz'd to heaven and earth unveil'd. 



Darwin. 



+ Pallas, or Minerva, the Goddess of Wisdom, is represented as proceeding from the brain of Jove, completely armed. For the origin 

 of the fable of Venus arising from the sea, vide our Philosophy of Botany, page 134; and for this fable, note * to the Verses on the 

 Nymphea Nelumbo, by Sir William Jones, who describes the birth of Maia, the Minerva of the Asiatics. " She is represented with blue 

 eyes," says Bacon, " to shew the soft persuasion of words ; and all armed, with a shield covered with snakes, to express the pathetic 

 power of all-overcoming eloquence. Her bird is the owl, to point out the sedateness of wisdom." 



§ When the Sea produced Fenus-, Jupiter Minerva; then the Earth produced the Rose. How exquisite the compliment ! 







= 



