Pox o' your friends, that dote and domineer! The Fates, and Stars, and Gods, must govern here. "Tis that which bids me this bright maid adore ; No other thought has had access! Did she now beg, I'd love no less, And, were she an empress, I should love no more: Were she as just and true to me, Ah, simple soul! what would become of thee? AGAINST HOPE. HOPE! whose weak being ruin'd is, Alike, if it succeed, and if it miss; Whom good or ill does equally confound, And both the horns of Fate's dilemma wound: Vain shadow! which dost vanish quite, Both at full noon and perfect night! The stars have not a possibility Of blessing thee; If things then from their end we happy call, 'Tis Hope is the most hopeless thing of all. Hope! thou bold taster of delight, Who, whilst thou shouldst but taste, devour'st it quite! Thou bring'st us an estate, yet leavest us poor, By clogging it with legacies before! The joys which we entire should wed, Good fortunes without gain imported be, For joy, like wine, kept close does better taste; If it take air before, its spirits waste. Hope! Fortune's cheating lottery! Where for one prize an hundred blanks there be; When thy false beams o'er Reason's light prevail, Brother of Fear, more gayly clad! The merrier fool o' the' two, yet quite as mad: Sire of Repentance! child of fond Desire! That blow'st the chemics', and the lovers', fire, Leading them still insensibly on By the strange witchcraft of " Anon!" By thee the one does changing Nature, through Her endless labyrinths, pursue; And the' other chases Woman, whilst she goes More ways and turns than hunted Nature knows. FOR HOPE. HOPE! of all ills that men endure, The only cheap and universal cure! Thou captive's freedom, and thou sick man's health; Thou loser's victory, and thou beggar's wealth! Thou manna, which from heaven we eat, Thou strong retreat! thou sure-entail'd estate, Hope! thou first-fruits of happiness! Whilst thee, her earnest-money, we retain, Whether she' her bargain break, or else fulfil; Brother of Faith! 'twixt whom and thee In thee, or in possession! Only the future's thine, the present his! Hope! thou sad lovers' only friend! Than thou canst be, when thou dost miss ; Men leave thee,by obtaining, and straight flee And that's a pleasant country, without doubt, LOVE'S INGRATITUDE. I LITTLE thought, thou fond ingrateful sin! When first I let thee in, And gave thee but a part In my unwary heart, That thou wouldst e'er have grown So false or strong to make it all thine own. At mine own breast with care I fed thee still, And daintily I nourish'd thee What ill returns dost thou allow !— I fed thee then, and thou dost starve me now. There was a time when thou wast cold and chill, This frozen and benumbed snake, But now it stings that breast which made it warm. What cursed weed's this Love! but one grain sow, And the whole field 'twill overgrow; Straight will it choke up and devour Each wholesome herb and beauteous flower! Nay, unless something soon I do, Twill kill, I fear, my very laurel too. VOL. II. F But now all's gone-I now, alas! complain, That 'twere rebellion now to claim mine own. THE FRAILTY. I KNOW 'tis sordid and 'tis low And all the weakness and the baseness there, In vain, exceedingly in vain, sometimes, and bite my Yet to what purpose do I bite chain; With teeth which ne'er will break it quite? For, if the chiefest Christian Head Was by this sturdy tyrant buffeted, COLDNESS. As water fluid is, till it do grow Solid and fix'd by cold; So in warm seasons Love does loosely flow; Frost only can it hold: A woman's rigour, and disdain, Does his swift course restrain. |