Cruel Eros himself had never dealt leniently with me, loved or lover I am put to the torture! Take the case of Chrysis: she loves me desperately, never leaves off teasing me, she who despised me as a servant, because, when she was acting as her mistress's go-between, I was dressed in the garments of a slave: she, I say) that same Chrysis, who looked with contempt upon your former lowly lot, is now bent upon following it up even at the peril of her life; (she swore that she would never leave my side on the day when she told me of the violence of her passion: but Circe owns me, heart and soul, all others I despise.

Who could be lovelier than she ?) What loveliness had Ariadne or Leda to compare with hers?
What had Helen to compare with her, what has Venus?
If Paris himself had seen her with her dancing eyes, when he acted as umpire for the quarreling goddesses, he would have given up Helen and the goddesses for her! If I could only steal a kiss, if only I might put my arms around that divine, that heavenly bosom, perhaps the virility would come back to this body and the parts, flaccid from witchcraft would, I believe, come into their own.

Contempt cannot tire me out: what if I was flogged; I will forget it! What if I was thrown out! I will treat it as a joke! Only let me be restored to her good graces! At rest on my pallet, night's silence had scarce settled down To soothe me, and eyes heavy-laden with slumber to lull When torturing Amor laid hold of me, seizing my hair And dragging me, wounding me, ordered a vigil till dawn.
'Oh heart of stone, how canst thou lie here alone ?' said the God, 'Thou joy of a thousand sweet mistresses, how, oh my slave ?' In disarrayed nightrobe I leap to bare feet and essay To follow all paths; but a road can discover by none.
One moment I hasten; the next it is torture to move, It irks me again to turn back, shame forbids me to halt And stand in the midst of the road.

Lo! the voices of men, The roar of the streets, and the songs of the birds, and the bark Of vigilant watch-dogs are hushed! Alone, I of all Society dread both my slumber and couch, and obey Great Lord of the Passions, thy mandate which on me was laid.".