Ostella Or the Faction of Love and Beauty Reconcil'd | ||
To a vertuous Lady, on whom Envy had thrown a Scandal, for which she Mourned, and hung her Chamber with Blacks.
Let not the Sables so benight your eys,nor yet entomb your Beauty ere it dies;
Envy doth from this Sorrow gather strength,
and grows more huge and monstrous in length:
He gluts himself upon your Discontent,
and raiseth from your Sighs his Merriment.
The giddy people, that nought understands;
Strangers to Truth, will like to firebrands,
Kindle a hot suspicion in each other,
till they your Honour and your Fame do smother.
A Stream that may be stopt at the Springs head,
if let alone may overflow a Mead,
Nay drown a League of Earth. Now Envy sings;
and t'paint his Falshood like to Truth, he brings
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and your offence makes you so often die.
Then Madam tear those Death-like-Sables thence,
in th' stead set up your Flags of Innocence:
And brave Defiance that Truth's light may be
no longer hid by Envies Trechery.
Thus reassuming your Hearts jollity,
Envie will want his food, so starving die.
Ostella Or the Faction of Love and Beauty Reconcil'd | ||