University of Virginia Library

TO THE MARRIED.

Preserve thy vow! 'Twas plighted in thy Faith,
If any Faith, have any plight at all;
If ought be serious, if ought of love,
If ought of honor, can be found in man,
The very promise in the sight of God,
Made in the presence of thy fellow men,
Must sure be holy.—Let the cause of vow,
Be from thy fancy, or caprice, or Love,
Let it but have the origin of good,
Preserve and keep it. Solemn is the act,
Whatever words may bind it, or if none,
Be it but understood an act of Faith,
Intent is much; and words but speak intent
When spoken faithfully to God or man.
Whether or not a single word proclaim
The promise of fidelity in life,
All marriage is the interchange of vow
Silent or spoken, to the King of Kings,
Whose subjects, monarchs, and their ministers,
To day of dissolution will be held,
Or free or not, according to their souls.
This is thy plight: that even unto death,
Through good or ill, thou keep thee to the one
To whom in honor, faith, and rectitude
Thy pledge is given. Is it light to shew
By ev'ry principle acknowledg'd good,
Thine own accordance with the sentiment
Accordingly preserved; and then to change
Faith to the faithless, mockery to man!
How canst thou think, that any will perform
Their deeds of contract in the goods of life,
And pay thee lawfully the stated sum,
Betwixt thee pending; if in sight of man,
In sight of God, thou break the solemn vow,
Which bound thee to thy natures counterpart?
I know the world, I see the scornful smile,
And hear in fancy what the fickle say,
The men of luxury who care for nought
But common laws of honor, which permit,
The vilest passions to maintain their sway,
I think I hear them. “Hypocritic fool!
“Curs'd puritan! or mad dissembling knave!
“Fit only for the presence of the saints;
“Completest Humbug. What a noble soul,
“Too good for earth! he'd better make a world,
“And find inhabitants of other sort,
“Than those of flesh!” So let them talk at ease,
They could not alter or depress that soul,
Which bids defiance to their arguments;
And spite of torrent, will be found like rock,
Adhesive to the ground of solid Truth.
Preserve thy vow, may Heaven give thee peace,
To pass through trials of the wedded state;
But this I know, that sorrows will be found,
As poignant, more so, with the single man,
Unless the mind, the soul and spirit too,
Be single, and devoted to the Lord.
Souls, are united in the thought of good;
Men are united in the vows of love;
But perfect unison will ne'er have sway
'Till God shall visit us in judgment day.