OH! I COME NOT TO UPBRAID THEE.
I
Oh! I come not to upbraid thee,
Nor to woo thee am I here,
Though in peril I would aid thee,
Though in sorrow I would cheer.
Though 'tis thee I'd snatch from danger,
On its brink were thousands thrown,
Yet the vow of some mere stranger
I would trust before thine own.
II
It will be a source of wonder
When we part, I know it well;
Why our hearts were torn asunder
Let thine own false accents tell.
Thou mayst say I did deceive thee,
Unprovoked I did renounce;
There are many will believe thee,
E'en as I believed thee once.
III
I would peril life to save thee,
For no other do I live;
No, the love I freely gave thee
To no other can I give.
For with me all love was over
When my first love proved a dream;
I have ceased to be thy lover,
Love could ne'er survive esteem.
