University of Virginia Library

Book II. Elegy V.

To his Mistris that jilted him.

Nay then the Devil take all Love! if I
So oft for its damn'd sake must wish to die:
What can I wish for but to die, when you.
Dear faithless Thing, I find, could prove untrue?
Why am I curs'd with Life? why am I fain
For thee, false Jilt, to bear eternal Pain?
'Tis not thy Letters, which thy Crimes reveal,
Nor secret Presents, which thy Falshood tell:
Would God! my just suspicions wanted cause,
That they might prove less fatal to my ease:
Would God! less colour for thy guilt there were,
But that (alas!) too much of proof does bear:
Bless'd he, who what he loves can justifie,
To whom his Mistris can the Fact deny,
And boldly give his Jealousie the lye,
Cruel the Man, and uncompassionate,
And too indulgent to his own Regret,
Who seeks to have her guilt too manifest,
And with the murd'ring secret stabs his Rest.
I saw, when little you suspected me,
When sleep, you thought, gave opportunity,
Your Crimes I saw, and these unhappy eyes
Of all your hidden stealths were Witnesses:
I saw in signs your mutual Wishes read,
And Nods the message of your Hearts convey'd:
I saw the conscious Board, which writ all o're
With scrawls of Wine, Love's mystick Cypher bore:
Your Glances were not mute, but each bewray'd,
And with your Fingers Dialogues were made:
I understood the Language out of hand,
(For what's too hard for Love to understand?)
Full well I understood for what intent
All this dumb Talk, and silent Hints were meant:
And now the Ghests were from the Table fled,
And all the Company retir'd to bed.
I saw you then with wanton Kisses greet,
Your Tongues (I saw) did in your Kisses meet:
Not such as Sisters to their Brothers give,
But Lovers from their Mistrisses receive:
Such as the God of War, and Paphian Queen
Did in the height of their Embraces joyn.
Patience, ye Gods! (I cried) what is't I see?
Unfaithful! why this Treachery to me?
How dare you let another in my sight
Invade my native Property, and Right?
He must not, shall not do't: by Love I swear
I'll seize the bold usurping Ravisher:
You are my Free-hold, and the Fates design,
That you should be unalienably mine:
These Favours all to me impropriate are:
How comes another then to trespass here?
This, and much more I said, by Rage inspir'd,
While conscious shame her Cheeks with Blushes fir'd:
Such lovely stains the face of Heav'n adorn,
When Light's first blushes paint the bashful Morn:
So on the Bush the flaming Rose does glow,
When mingled with the Lillies neighb'ring Snow:
This, or some other Colour much like these,
The semblance then of here Complexion was:
And while her Looks that sweet Disorder wore
Chance added Beauties undisclos'd before:
Upon the ground she cast her jetty Eyes,
Her Eyes shot fiercer Darts in that Disguise:
Her Face a sad and mournful Air express'd,
Her Face more lovely seem'd in sadness dress'd:
Urg'd by Revenge, I hardly could forbear,
Her braided Locks, and tender Cheeks to tear:
Yet I no sooner had her Face survey'd,
But strait the tempest of my Rage was laid:
A look of her did my Resentments charm,
A look of her did all their Force disarm:
And I, that fierce outrageous thing e're-while,
Grow calm as Infants, when in sleep they smile:
And now a Kiss am humbly fain to crave,
She smil'd, and strait a throng of Kisses prest,
The worst of which, should Jove himself but taste,
The brandish'd Thunder from his Hand would wrest:
Well-pleas'd I was, and yet tormented too,
For fear my envied Rival felt them so:
Better they seem'd by far than I ere taught,
And she in them shew'd something new methought:
Fond jealous I myself the Pleasure grutch,
And they displeas'd, because they pleas'd too much:
When in my mouth I felt her darting Tongue,
My wounded Thoughts it with suspicion stung:
Nor is it this alone afflicts my mind,
More reason for complaint remains behind:
I grieve not only that she Kisses gave,
Tho that affords me cause enough to grieve:
Such never could be taught her but in Bed,
And Heav'n knows what Reward her Teacher had.