 | A Collection of Poems |  |
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THE LETTER.
Pastoral VI.
There is a Rock, whose solitary Brow,
Is dark with melancholly Shades of Yew;
Thro' these, the Winds in hollow murmurs blow,
And beat, with solemn Sounds, the Caves below.
Fit Place for Contemplation, or for Care,
To lift the Soul, or pour out sad Despair!
And here lay Collin, hapless Swain! alone,
And scribled out this Letter on a Stone.
Is dark with melancholly Shades of Yew;
Thro' these, the Winds in hollow murmurs blow,
And beat, with solemn Sounds, the Caves below.
Fit Place for Contemplation, or for Care,
To lift the Soul, or pour out sad Despair!
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And scribled out this Letter on a Stone.
“O charming Nymph, whom once I durst call mine,
“When thou as fondly nam'd me to be thine;
“And tho' no more for mine thou shalt be known,
“Yet I will still be thine, and thine alone;
“And, faithless Woman! tho' I speak in vain,
“And sigh to Winds, yet will I still complain;
“The Winds to Woods, my sad Complaints shall bear,
“And ev'ry Grot thy perjur'd Faith shall hear;
“Ev'n flinty Rocks shall softly join my Moan,
“And Streams, my Plaints remurmur, as they run.
“O cruel, fair, perfidious Charmer, say!
“What Object steals thy wand'ring Heart away?
“O say what happier Lover now enjoys
“Thy faithless Breast, and fills thy fraudful Eyes!
“Of what superior Charms is he possest,
“That Colin's fall is doom'd, to make him blest?
“Is he more fond, more passionate than I?
“Or can he finer Charms in thee descry?
“Does he new Views of beauteous Scenes explore,
“Unknown, unfelt, by Colin's Soul before?
“Else, what so far your fickle Mind could move,
“To break all Vows, and violate all Love?
“Ah me! what Pangs thro' all my vitals dart!
“Oh! I could tear my fond believing Heart!
“That thought you'd still be soft, and kind, and true,
“Nor fear'd to find a perjur'd Soul in you;
“Such tender looks and dear deluding Mein,
“Bespoke you all an Angel's Truth within.
“When thou as fondly nam'd me to be thine;
“And tho' no more for mine thou shalt be known,
“Yet I will still be thine, and thine alone;
“And, faithless Woman! tho' I speak in vain,
“And sigh to Winds, yet will I still complain;
“The Winds to Woods, my sad Complaints shall bear,
“And ev'ry Grot thy perjur'd Faith shall hear;
“Ev'n flinty Rocks shall softly join my Moan,
“And Streams, my Plaints remurmur, as they run.
“O cruel, fair, perfidious Charmer, say!
“What Object steals thy wand'ring Heart away?
“O say what happier Lover now enjoys
“Thy faithless Breast, and fills thy fraudful Eyes!
“Of what superior Charms is he possest,
“That Colin's fall is doom'd, to make him blest?
“Is he more fond, more passionate than I?
“Or can he finer Charms in thee descry?
“Does he new Views of beauteous Scenes explore,
“Unknown, unfelt, by Colin's Soul before?
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“To break all Vows, and violate all Love?
“Ah me! what Pangs thro' all my vitals dart!
“Oh! I could tear my fond believing Heart!
“That thought you'd still be soft, and kind, and true,
“Nor fear'd to find a perjur'd Soul in you;
“Such tender looks and dear deluding Mein,
“Bespoke you all an Angel's Truth within.
“Can you forget that tender Time now past?
“When round my Neck your circling Arms you cast,
“When (touch'd with something that foretold my Pain)
“My Heart the heavy Grief could scarce sustain;
“Your melting Words subdu'd my rising Fears,
“And your deluding Kisses stop'd my Tears;
“With promis'd Faith you charm'd me into Joy,
“Ah then I thought no Swain so blest as I!
“But O the dismal Change! my Joys are fled,
“And sullen, now I wander thro' the Glade.
“In vain, each friendly Shepherd would divert,
“With Songs, the sad Disorder of my Heart;
“Without Delight, their tuneful Lays I hear,
“The warbling Flute as idly strikes mine Ear;
“Ev'n joyless rise the Verdures of the Plain,
“And Roses blow, and Lillies spring in vain:
“From Songs, from Flowers, and ev'ry Thing to bless,
“I sickly fly, and seek this lone Recess;
“Where rocky Caverns, frightful yawn around,
“And Shades combining, darken all the Ground.
“When round my Neck your circling Arms you cast,
“When (touch'd with something that foretold my Pain)
“My Heart the heavy Grief could scarce sustain;
“Your melting Words subdu'd my rising Fears,
“And your deluding Kisses stop'd my Tears;
“With promis'd Faith you charm'd me into Joy,
“Ah then I thought no Swain so blest as I!
“But O the dismal Change! my Joys are fled,
“And sullen, now I wander thro' the Glade.
“In vain, each friendly Shepherd would divert,
“With Songs, the sad Disorder of my Heart;
“Without Delight, their tuneful Lays I hear,
“The warbling Flute as idly strikes mine Ear;
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“And Roses blow, and Lillies spring in vain:
“From Songs, from Flowers, and ev'ry Thing to bless,
“I sickly fly, and seek this lone Recess;
“Where rocky Caverns, frightful yawn around,
“And Shades combining, darken all the Ground.
“Forever here, forsaken, I'll complain,
“Tho' all my Wailings and my Moans be vain;
“For ne'er another Mistress can remove
“My Heart from you, or change my faithful Love.
“For you, I all the Sex besides forgo,
“Tho' by that Deed I run on certain woe:
“And never shall my Mem'ry lose that Time,
“When clasp'd within your Arms, and you in mine,
“I took the last adieu, and all my Breast,
“Throbs, Thrillings, Pangs, and Agonies possest;
“My Heart destracted 'midst a thousand Fears,
“Swell'd to my Eyes, and melted out in Tears;
“My trembling Limbs could scarce my Weight sustain,
“And Life surpriz'd, stood pausing with the Pain.
“Think then, O False! how in that sad adieu,
“You grasp'd with me, and promis'd to be true!
“Heav'n heard your Vows, as from your Lips they past,
“And Heav'n will certainly be just at last.
“Tho' all my Wailings and my Moans be vain;
“For ne'er another Mistress can remove
“My Heart from you, or change my faithful Love.
“For you, I all the Sex besides forgo,
“Tho' by that Deed I run on certain woe:
“And never shall my Mem'ry lose that Time,
“When clasp'd within your Arms, and you in mine,
“I took the last adieu, and all my Breast,
“Throbs, Thrillings, Pangs, and Agonies possest;
“My Heart destracted 'midst a thousand Fears,
“Swell'd to my Eyes, and melted out in Tears;
“My trembling Limbs could scarce my Weight sustain,
“And Life surpriz'd, stood pausing with the Pain.
“Think then, O False! how in that sad adieu,
“You grasp'd with me, and promis'd to be true!
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“And Heav'n will certainly be just at last.
| A Collection of Poems | |