Pia Desideria or, Divine Addresses, In Three Books. Illustrated with XLVII. Copper-Plates. Written in Latin by Herm. Hugo. Englished by Edm. Arwaker ... The Fourth Edition, Corrected |
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 | Pia Desideria |  |
165
III.
My Beloved is mine, and I am his; he feedeth among the Lilies
Cant. ii. 16.
Blest Souls, whose Hearts burn with such equal Fire,
As never, but together, will Expire!
To your Content I wou'd not Crowns prefer,
For all Heav'ns Blessings are dilated there:
And when with equal Flames two Souls engage,
That happy Minute is Love's golden Age.
Such Bliss I wish'd, when Love at first possest,
And spread his Ensigns o'er my trembling Breast:
How oft I pray'd, whene'er in Love I burn,
Grant me, great Pow'r, to find a just return!
The God return'd this Answer to my Pray'r,
Love first, and never then of Love Despair!
The sudden Sound invades my frightned Ear,
I trembled when I knew the God was near.
Is it thy Will, Almighty Love (I cry'd)
To list a Soldier, in thy Wars untry'd?
'Tis true, my Fellow-Maids have told me long
The promis'd Joys of thy adoring throng:
But oft my Nurse, acquainted with the Cheat,
Told me, 'twas all Delusion and Deceit;
And that the Oracle too true wou'd prove,
Which thus declar'd the ill effects of Love:
“Num'rous as Atho's Hares, or Hybla's Swarms,
“Or as the Shells, or Sands, or Loves Allarms,
“Or Olive-berries on the loaden Tree,
“Abounding still with Fear and Misery.
For still this Fear the Wretches entertain,
Lest all their Love shou'd meet unjust Disdain.
Of happy Lovers no Records can boast;
Their Bliss was Counterfeit, or short at most:
The airy God's unsettled Motion shews
That Love's a Tide that always Ebbs and Flows.
As never, but together, will Expire!
To your Content I wou'd not Crowns prefer,
For all Heav'ns Blessings are dilated there:
And when with equal Flames two Souls engage,
That happy Minute is Love's golden Age.
Such Bliss I wish'd, when Love at first possest,
And spread his Ensigns o'er my trembling Breast:
How oft I pray'd, whene'er in Love I burn,
Grant me, great Pow'r, to find a just return!
The God return'd this Answer to my Pray'r,
Love first, and never then of Love Despair!
The sudden Sound invades my frightned Ear,
I trembled when I knew the God was near.
Is it thy Will, Almighty Love (I cry'd)
To list a Soldier, in thy Wars untry'd?
'Tis true, my Fellow-Maids have told me long
The promis'd Joys of thy adoring throng:
166
Told me, 'twas all Delusion and Deceit;
And that the Oracle too true wou'd prove,
Which thus declar'd the ill effects of Love:
“Num'rous as Atho's Hares, or Hybla's Swarms,
“Or as the Shells, or Sands, or Loves Allarms,
“Or Olive-berries on the loaden Tree,
“Abounding still with Fear and Misery.
For still this Fear the Wretches entertain,
Lest all their Love shou'd meet unjust Disdain.
Of happy Lovers no Records can boast;
Their Bliss was Counterfeit, or short at most:
The airy God's unsettled Motion shews
That Love's a Tide that always Ebbs and Flows.
Go then and trust those dying Flames that will,
Since Love's a wand'rer and uncertain still.
“Than his own Feathers is he lighter far,
“And all his promis'd Faith but empty Air.
By Oaths and Vows let no one be betray'd,
Which vanish in the Breath with which th'are made,
His Cheeks are with unusual Blushes drest,
And his quick Flight, this mighty Truth confest:
And now his Fraud, and Treachery I knew,
To all his Pow'r I bid a last Adieu.
Since Love's a wand'rer and uncertain still.
“Than his own Feathers is he lighter far,
“And all his promis'd Faith but empty Air.
By Oaths and Vows let no one be betray'd,
Which vanish in the Breath with which th'are made,
His Cheeks are with unusual Blushes drest,
And his quick Flight, this mighty Truth confest:
And now his Fraud, and Treachery I knew,
To all his Pow'r I bid a last Adieu.
To Thee, thou Heav'n-born Love, my Soul I'll join,
Be thou my Flame, Dear Lord! and I'll be thine!
While Day and Night successively return,
Our mutual Fires shall never cease to burn,
O the sweet Balm distilling from each Kiss!
How vast the Pleasure, how divine the Bliss!
What new Delights from Heav'nly Love still flow,
They only, who enjoy the Blessing, know.
But, oh! to Love, or be Belov'd of Thee,
Is the great Myst'ry of Felicity:
And, more t'inhance and recommend the Joy,
'Tis such as Time does Heighten, not Destroy.
My Love, my Life in Thee all Hybla's Sweets,
In Thee all Ophir's richest Treasure meets.
With what repeated Exstacies possest,
We vent our Passions in each others Breast!
O how unspeakable's the Bliss to me,
To lose my Self in thoughts of its Eternity!
This Love is subject to no anxious Cares,
Too Blest for Troubles, too secure for Fears.
In Paradises of Delight it feeds,
Where whitest Lilies deck th'enamell'd Meads:
Among which Emblems of our pure Desires,
We in chast Pleasures quench our mutual Fires.
Be thou my Flame, Dear Lord! and I'll be thine!
167
Our mutual Fires shall never cease to burn,
O the sweet Balm distilling from each Kiss!
How vast the Pleasure, how divine the Bliss!
What new Delights from Heav'nly Love still flow,
They only, who enjoy the Blessing, know.
But, oh! to Love, or be Belov'd of Thee,
Is the great Myst'ry of Felicity:
And, more t'inhance and recommend the Joy,
'Tis such as Time does Heighten, not Destroy.
My Love, my Life in Thee all Hybla's Sweets,
In Thee all Ophir's richest Treasure meets.
With what repeated Exstacies possest,
We vent our Passions in each others Breast!
O how unspeakable's the Bliss to me,
To lose my Self in thoughts of its Eternity!
This Love is subject to no anxious Cares,
Too Blest for Troubles, too secure for Fears.
In Paradises of Delight it feeds,
Where whitest Lilies deck th'enamell'd Meads:
Among which Emblems of our pure Desires,
We in chast Pleasures quench our mutual Fires.
Thou who hearest, or readest this, take care to have the Lilies in thee, if thou wouldst have this dweller among the Lilies visit thee.
Bernard. in Cant. Serm. 71.
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