 | The poems, odes, songs, and other metrical effusions, of Samuel Woodworth |  |
172
THIRD LESSON OF LOVE;
OR THE WAY TO KEEP HIM.
Ye fair, who complain of neglect in your spouses,
And mourn the extinction of love in their hearts,
My recipe con—'tis the charm which arouses
The flame that may slumber, but seldom departs.
And mourn the extinction of love in their hearts,
My recipe con—'tis the charm which arouses
The flame that may slumber, but seldom departs.
Eliza once shone the perfection of beauty,
The mirror of fashion, the phœnix of taste,
When Edwin, invited by love and by duty,
Pray'd Hymen to favour an ardour so chaste.
The mirror of fashion, the phœnix of taste,
When Edwin, invited by love and by duty,
Pray'd Hymen to favour an ardour so chaste.
He loved her—but long ere he whisper'd his passion,
Affection for him taught Eliza to sigh;
And arm'd with attractions by beauty and fashion,
Her conquest she read in the glance of his eye.
Affection for him taught Eliza to sigh;
And arm'd with attractions by beauty and fashion,
Her conquest she read in the glance of his eye.
Their nuptials were sweeten'd with love's purest rapture:
But exquisite pleasure the soonest expires;
Eliza forgot 'twas a trifle to capture,
Compared with the art which retaining requires.
But exquisite pleasure the soonest expires;
Eliza forgot 'twas a trifle to capture,
Compared with the art which retaining requires.
173
Secure of her prize, she neglected to cherish
The charms which subdued him, and gilded his chain;
And carelessly suffered attractions to perish,
The guard and the glory of beauty's domain.
The charms which subdued him, and gilded his chain;
And carelessly suffered attractions to perish,
The guard and the glory of beauty's domain.
The moments devoted to love and caresses,
Were gradually shorten'd—for Edwin would roam;
To his heart with less ardour her bosom he presses—
His paradise seem'd any where but at home.
Were gradually shorten'd—for Edwin would roam;
To his heart with less ardour her bosom he presses—
His paradise seem'd any where but at home.
Astonish'd and grieved at this wane of attention,
With tears and intreaties she sought for the cause,
And task'd, but in vain, her once ready invention,
To find out the reason, if any there was.
With tears and intreaties she sought for the cause,
And task'd, but in vain, her once ready invention,
To find out the reason, if any there was.
Till prompted by pride, to awaken his passion,
She studied her once-boasted charms to improve,
Applied to Desborus, field-marshal of fashion,
And begg'd a supply of the weapons of love.
She studied her once-boasted charms to improve,
Applied to Desborus, field-marshal of fashion,
And begg'd a supply of the weapons of love.
With a bow full of grace, and a smile that is nature's,
Desborus began all his genius to show,
When heart-slayers, beau-killers, annihilators,
Waved lightly around her smooth forehead of snow.
Desborus began all his genius to show,
When heart-slayers, beau-killers, annihilators,
Waved lightly around her smooth forehead of snow.
174
As clouds round the sun in bright glory descending,
Diffuse the rich radiance in rose-coloured streaks;
So each curl (while her eyes their new lustre were lending)
Reflected the blushes of light on her cheeks.
Diffuse the rich radiance in rose-coloured streaks;
So each curl (while her eyes their new lustre were lending)
Reflected the blushes of light on her cheeks.
And her portals of breath, with their pearls studded round,
Lately dim from neglect, now new polish'd were seen;
And oft as they oped to her voice's sweet sound,
A thousand young cupids were peeping between.
Lately dim from neglect, now new polish'd were seen;
And oft as they oped to her voice's sweet sound,
A thousand young cupids were peeping between.
Hymen's lamp was rekindled, her Edwin grew kind,
More constancy never was shown by the dove;
At the conjugal chain he no longer repined,
Since Huggins entwined it with garlands of love.
More constancy never was shown by the dove;
At the conjugal chain he no longer repined,
Since Huggins entwined it with garlands of love.
| The poems, odes, songs, and other metrical effusions, of Samuel Woodworth | |