 | Letters and poems |  |
100
Elegy.
Upon quitting his Mistress.
I know, Celinda, I have born too long,
And, by forgiving, have encreas'd my Wrong:
Yet if there be a Power in Verse to slack
Thy course in Vice, or bring fled Vertue back,
I'll undertake the Task; howe'er so hard,
A gen'rous Action is its own Reward.
Oh! were thy Vertues equal to thy Charms,
I'd fly from Crowns to live within those Arms:
But who, oh who, can e'er believe thee just,
When such known Falshoods have destroy'd all Trust?
And, by forgiving, have encreas'd my Wrong:
Yet if there be a Power in Verse to slack
Thy course in Vice, or bring fled Vertue back,
I'll undertake the Task; howe'er so hard,
A gen'rous Action is its own Reward.
Oh! were thy Vertues equal to thy Charms,
I'd fly from Crowns to live within those Arms:
But who, oh who, can e'er believe thee just,
When such known Falshoods have destroy'd all Trust?
Farewel, false Fair! nor shall I longer stay;
Since we must part, why shou'd we thus delay?
Your Love alone, was what my Soul cou'd prize;
And missing that, can all the rest despise.
Yet shou'd I not repent my Follies past,
Cou'd you take up, and grow reserv'd at last,
'Twou'd please me, parted from your fatal Charms,
To see you happy in another's Arms.
Whatever Threatnings Fury might extort,
Oh fear not I shou'd ever do you hurt:
For tho' my former Passion is remov'd,
I wou'd not injure one I once had lov'd.
Adieu! While thus I waste my time in vain,
Sure there are Maids I might entirely gain:
I'll search for such, and to the first that's true,
Resign the Heart so hardly freed from you.
Since we must part, why shou'd we thus delay?
101
And missing that, can all the rest despise.
Yet shou'd I not repent my Follies past,
Cou'd you take up, and grow reserv'd at last,
'Twou'd please me, parted from your fatal Charms,
To see you happy in another's Arms.
Whatever Threatnings Fury might extort,
Oh fear not I shou'd ever do you hurt:
For tho' my former Passion is remov'd,
I wou'd not injure one I once had lov'd.
Adieu! While thus I waste my time in vain,
Sure there are Maids I might entirely gain:
I'll search for such, and to the first that's true,
Resign the Heart so hardly freed from you.
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