 | The Land of Love |  |
9
Love's Power.
I.
Love, when he shoots abroad his Darts,Regards not where they light;
The Aged to the youthful Hearts
At random they unite.
The soft unbearded Youth, who never found
The Charms in any blooming Face,
From one of fifty takes the Wound,
And eagerly pursues the Chace.
Whilst she an artful Youth puts on,
Softens her Voice, and languishes her Eyes,
Affects the Dress, the Mien, the Tone,
Assumes the noisy Wit, and ceases to be wise.
The tender Maid to the rough Warrior yields,
Unfrighted at his Wounds and Scars,
Pursues him thro' the Camps and Fields,
And courts the Story of his dang'rous Wars;
With Pleasure hears his 'Scapes, and doth not fail
To pay him with a Joy for ev'ry Tale.
II.
The fair young Bigot, full of Love and Pray'r,Doats on the vicious Libertine;
The thinking Statesman courts a flutt'ring Play'r,
And dearly buys the pleasing Sin.
The Peer, with some mean Dam'sel of the Trade,
Expensive, common, and decay'd,
And the brisk Chaplain with the Chamber-Maid.
10
Love gives his Pow'r unto;
Tho' under diff'rent Objects, they
Alike obey and bow.
Sometimes to be reveng'd on those
Whose Beauty makes them proudly nice,
He does a Flame on them impose
To some unworthy Choice.
Thus rarely equal Hearts in Love you'll find,
Which makes them still present the God as blind.
Whist thus he spake, my wond'ring Eyes were stay'd
With pleasing Raptures on a lovely Maid;
Upon whose Smiles the Graces all did wait,
Each heav'nly Beauty round about her sat;
Officious Cupids did her Eyes obey,
Sharp'ning their Darts at ev'ry conqu'ring Ray.
With pleasing Raptures on a lovely Maid;
Upon whose Smiles the Graces all did wait,
Each heav'nly Beauty round about her sat;
Officious Cupids did her Eyes obey,
Sharp'ning their Darts at ev'ry conqu'ring Ray.
| The Land of Love | |