Naked, beneath cool shades, they lay,

Enjoyment waited on Desire,
Each Member did their Wills obey,

Nor could a Wish set Pleasure higher.
But we, poor Slaves to Hope and Fear,

Are never of Joys secure :
They lessen still as they draw near,

And none but dull Delights endure.
Then, Chloris, while I Duty pay,

The nobler Tribute of my Heart,
Be not you so severe to say

You love me for a frailer Part.

a

Give me Leave to rail at you,
I ask nothing but my due
To call you false and then to say
You shall not keep my Heart a Day.
But, alas ! against my Will,
I must be your Captive still.
Ah, be kinder then, for I
Cannot change and would not die.
Kindness has resistless Charms,

All besides but weakly move,
Fiercest Anger it disarms,

And clips the Wings of flying Love.
Beauty does the Heart invade,
Kindness only can persuade;
It gilds the Lover's servile chain,
And makes the Slaves grow pleased again.

Upon Leaving his Mistress

'Tis not that I am weary grown
Of being yours and yours alone,
But with what Face can I incline
To damn you to be only mine?

You, whom some kinder Pow'r did fashion
By Merit and by Inclination
The Joy at least of a whole Nation.

Let meaner Spirits of your Sex
With humbler Aims their Thoughts perplex,
And boast if, by their Arts, they can
Contrive to make one happy Man :
While, moved by an impartial Sense,
Favours like Nature you dispense
With universal influence.

See, the kind Seed receiving Earth
To every Grain affords a Birth,
On her no Show'rs unwelcome fall,
Her willing Womb retains 'em all.
And shall my Celia be confin'd ?
No, live up to thy mighty Mind,
And be the Mistress of Mankind !

ABSENT from thee I languish still,

Then ask me not, when I return? The straying Fool 'twill plainly kill

To wish all Day, all Night to mourn.

Dear, from thine Arms then let me fly,

That my fantastic Mind may prove The Torments it deserves to try,

That tears my fixed Heart from my Love.

When, wearied with a World of Woe,

To thy safe Bosom I retire,
Where Love, and Peace, and Honour flow,

May I, contented, there expire.

Lest once more wandering from that Heaven,

I fall on some base Heart unblessed, Faithless to thee, false, unforgiven,

And lose my everlasting Rest.

To his Mistress

WHY dost thou shade thy lovely Face? O why
Does that eclipsing Hand of thine deny

The Sunshine of the Sun's enlightening Eye?

Without thy Light what Light remains in me? Thou art my Life; my Way, my Light's in thee ; I live, I move, and by thy Beams I see.

Thou art my Life-if thou but turn away
I die a thousand Deaths. Thou art my Way-
Without thee, Love, I travel not, but stray.

My Light thou art-without thy glorious Sight
My Eyes are darken'd with eternal Night.
My Love, thou art my Way, my Life, my Light.

Thou art my Way; I wander if thou fly.
Thou art my Light; if hid how blind am I !
Thou art my Life; if thou withdraw'st, I die.

My Eyes are dark and blind, I cannot see :
To whom or whither should my Darkness flee,
But to that Light?—and who's that Light but thee?

If I have lost my Path, dear Lover, say,
Shall I still wander in a doubtful Way?
Love, shall a Lamb of Israel's Sheepfold stray?

My Path is lost, my wandering Steps do stray;
I cannot go, nor can I safely stay;

Whom should I seek but thee, my Path, my Way?

And yet thou turn'st away thy Face and fly'st me! And yet I sue for Grace and thou deny'st me! Speak, art thou angry, Love, or only try'st me?

Thou art the Pilgrim's Path, the blind Man's Eye, The dead Man's Life. On thee my Hopes rely : If I but them remove, I surely die.

Dissolve thy Sunbeams, close thy Wings and stay ! See, see how I am blind, and dead, and stray ! -Oh thou that art my Life, my Light, my Way!

Then work thy Will! If Passion bid thee flee,
My Reason shall obey, my Wings shall be
Stretch'd out no further than from me to thee !

My dear Mistress has a Heart,

Soft as those kind Looks she gave me,
When with Love's resistless Art

And her Eyes she did enslave me.
But her Constancy's so weak,

She's so wild and apt to wander,
That my jealous Heart would break,

Should we live one day asunder.

Melting Joys about her move,

Killing Pleasures, wounding Blisses,
She can dress her Eyes in Love,

And her Lips can warm with Kisses.
Angels listen when she speaks,

She's my Delight, all Mankind's Wonder,
But my jealous Heart would break,

Should we live one day asunder.

WHILE on those lovely Looks I gaze,

To see a Wretch pursuing,
In Raptures of a blest Amaze

His pleasing happy Ruin ;
'Tis not for Pity that I move,

His Fate is too aspiring,
Whose Heart, broke with a Load of Love,
Dies wishing and admiring.

But if this Murder you'd forego,

Your Slave from Death removing, Let me your Art of Charming know,

Or learn you mine of Loving ; But, whether Death or Life betide,

In Love 'tis equal Measure ; The Victor lives with empty Pride,

The Vanquish'd die with Pleasure.

A Dialogue

Strephon PRITHEE, now, fond Fool, give o'er ; Since my Heart is gone before, To what Purpose should I stay? Love commands another Way.

Daphne Perjur'd Swain, I knew the Time When Dissembling was your Crime ; In Pity now employ that Art, Which first betray'd, to ease my Heart.

Strephon
Women can with Pleasure feign,
Men dissemble still with Pain.
What Advantage will it prove,
If I lie, who cannot love ?

Daphne
Tell me then the Reason, why
Love from Hearts in Love does fly?
Why the Bird will build a Nest,
Where she ne'er intends to rest ?