I was in, I could not well distinguish the lineamints of, any
farther than that there was a great deal of youth and freshness in it.
The frolic and various play of all his fine polished limbs, as they
appeared above the surface, in the course of his swimming or wantoning
with the water, amused and insensibly delighted me; sometimes he lay
motionless, on his back, waterborne, and dragging after him a fine head
of hair, that, floating, swept the stream in a bush of black curls. Then
the overflowing water would make a separation between his breast and
glossy white belly; at the bottom of which I could not escape observing
so remarkable a distinction, as a black mossy tuft, out of which
appeared to emerge a round, softish, limber, white something, that
played every way, with ever the least motion or whirling eddy. I cannot
say but that part chiefly, by a kind of natural instinct, attracted,
detained, captivated my attention: it was out of the power of all my
modesty to command my eye away from it; and seeing nothing so very
dreadful in its appearance, I insensibly looked away all my fears: but
as fast as they gave way, new desires and strange wishes took place, and
I melted as I gazed. The fire of nature, that had so long lain dormant
or concealed, began to break out, and made me feel my sex for the first
time. He had now changed his posture, and swam prone on his belly,
striking out with his legs and arms; finer modeled than which could
not have been cast, whilst his floating locks played over a neck and
shoulders whose whiteness they delightfully set off. Then the luxuriant
swell of flesh that rose from the small of his back, and terminates its
double cope at where the thighs are set off, perfectly dazzled one with
its watery glistening gloss.

"By this time I was so affected by this inward involution of sentiments,
so softened by this sight, that now, betrayed into a sudden transition
from extreme fears to extreme desires, I found these last so strong upon
me, the heat of the weather too perhaps conspiring to exalt their
rage, that nature almost fainted under them. Not that I so much as knew
precisely what was wanting to me: my only thought was, that so sweet
a creature, as this youth seemed to me, could only make me happy; but
then, the little likelihood there was of compassing an acquaintance with
him, or perhaps of ever seeing him again, dashed my desires, and turned
them into torments. I was still gazing, with all th