 | The Land of Love |  |
The Question.
Say, my fair Charmer, must I fall
A Victim to your Cruelty?
And must I suffer as a Criminal?
Is it to love, Offence enough to die?
Is this the Recompence at last
Of all the restless Hours I've past?
How oft my Awe, and my Respect,
Has fed your Pride and Scorn!
How oft I've suffer'd your Neglect,
Too mighty to be born!
How have I strove to hide the Flame
You seem'd to disapprove!
How careful to avoid the Name
Of Tenderness and Love!
Least at the Word, some guilty Blush should own,
What your bright Eyes forbad me to make known.
A Victim to your Cruelty?
And must I suffer as a Criminal?
Is it to love, Offence enough to die?
Is this the Recompence at last
Of all the restless Hours I've past?
How oft my Awe, and my Respect,
Has fed your Pride and Scorn!
How oft I've suffer'd your Neglect,
Too mighty to be born!
How have I strove to hide the Flame
You seem'd to disapprove!
How careful to avoid the Name
Of Tenderness and Love!
Least at the Word, some guilty Blush should own,
What your bright Eyes forbad me to make known.
Thus fill'd the neighb'ring Desarts with my Cry,
Did nothing but reproach, complain, and die.
Did nothing but reproach, complain, and die.
One Day,—
As hopeless on the River's Brink I stood,
Resolv'd to plunge into the rapid Flood;
That Flood that eases Lovers in Despair,
And puts an End to all their raging Care;
Where swim a thousand Swans, who'n doleful Moan
Sing dying Lovers Requiums with their own.
I gaz'd around, and many Lovers view'd,
Ghastly and pale, who my Design pursu'd:
But most inspir'd with some new Hope, or won
To finish something they had left undone;
Some grand important Business of their Love,
Did from the fatal Precipice remove.
As hopeless on the River's Brink I stood,
Resolv'd to plunge into the rapid Flood;
35
And puts an End to all their raging Care;
Where swim a thousand Swans, who'n doleful Moan
Sing dying Lovers Requiums with their own.
I gaz'd around, and many Lovers view'd,
Ghastly and pale, who my Design pursu'd:
But most inspir'd with some new Hope, or won
To finish something they had left undone;
Some grand important Business of their Love,
Did from the fatal Precipice remove.
For me, no Reasons my Design disswade,
'Till Love, all breathless, hasted to my Aid;
With Force my forward Feet he kindly grasp'd,
And tenderly reproach'd my desp'rate Haste;
Reprov'd my Courage, and condemn'd my Wit,
That meanly could to Woman's Scorn submit;
That could, to feed her Pride, and make her vain,
Destroy an Age of Life, for a short Date of Pain.
Thus rais'd my drooping Head, then did renew
His flatt'ring Tale, us'd all the Arts he knew,
To call my Courage to its wonted Place.
What, cry'd he, (sweetly angry) shall a Face,
Arm'd with the weak Resistance of a Frown,
Force us to lay our Claims and Titles down?
No! rally all thy Vigor, all thy Charms,
And force her from the cruel Tyrant's Arms.
Again let's try the angry Maid t'appease,
Death's in our Pow'r to grasp when-e'er we please.
He said—And I the heav'nly Voice attend,
Whilst tow'rds the Rock our hasty Steps we bend;
Before the Gates with all our Forces lie,
Resolv'd to conquer, or resolv'd to die.
In vain Love all his feeble Engines rears;
His soft Artillery of Sighs and Tears
Were all in vain, against the Winds were sent,
She still was Proof against our Languishment.
Repeated Vows and Tears make no Remorse;
My Pains grow greater, my Condition worse.
'Till Love, all breathless, hasted to my Aid;
With Force my forward Feet he kindly grasp'd,
And tenderly reproach'd my desp'rate Haste;
Reprov'd my Courage, and condemn'd my Wit,
That meanly could to Woman's Scorn submit;
That could, to feed her Pride, and make her vain,
Destroy an Age of Life, for a short Date of Pain.
Thus rais'd my drooping Head, then did renew
His flatt'ring Tale, us'd all the Arts he knew,
To call my Courage to its wonted Place.
What, cry'd he, (sweetly angry) shall a Face,
Arm'd with the weak Resistance of a Frown,
Force us to lay our Claims and Titles down?
No! rally all thy Vigor, all thy Charms,
And force her from the cruel Tyrant's Arms.
Again let's try the angry Maid t'appease,
Death's in our Pow'r to grasp when-e'er we please.
36
Whilst tow'rds the Rock our hasty Steps we bend;
Before the Gates with all our Forces lie,
Resolv'd to conquer, or resolv'd to die.
In vain Love all his feeble Engines rears;
His soft Artillery of Sighs and Tears
Were all in vain, against the Winds were sent,
She still was Proof against our Languishment.
Repeated Vows and Tears make no Remorse;
My Pains grow greater, my Condition worse.
Love in my Anguish bore a mighty Part;
He pity'd, but he could not ease my Heart.
A thousand several Ways he had assay'd
To touch the Heart of the obdurate Maid;
Recoiling all his Arrows still return,
For she was doubly arm'd with Pride and Scorn.
The useless Weapons then away he flung,
Neglected lay his Iv'ry Bow unstrung.
He blush'd to think he could not find a Dart
Of Force enough to wound Aminta's Heart:
Asham'd to think she should her Freedom boast,
Whilst mine, from the first Shaft he sent, was lost.
Thus tir'd with sad Complaints, whilst no Relief
Eas'd my tormented Soul of killing Grief,
We saw a Maid approach, whose lovely Face
Disdain'd the Beauties of the common Race.
In her soft Eyes unfeigned Sorrow dwelt,
And on her Cheeks in pitying Show'rs did melt.
Sweet was her Voice, and tenderly it struck
The list'ning ravish'd Ear, when-e'er she spoke:
But more my Courage rais'd, when I perceiv'd
That for my Sake at present 'twas she griev'd;
And sighing, softly said, Ah! Gods, have you
Beheld the dying Youth, and never found
Compassion for an Heart so true,
Which dies adoring her who gave the Wound?
His Youth, his Passion, and his Constancy,
Merit, ye Gods, a kinder Destiny.
He pity'd, but he could not ease my Heart.
A thousand several Ways he had assay'd
To touch the Heart of the obdurate Maid;
Recoiling all his Arrows still return,
For she was doubly arm'd with Pride and Scorn.
The useless Weapons then away he flung,
Neglected lay his Iv'ry Bow unstrung.
He blush'd to think he could not find a Dart
Of Force enough to wound Aminta's Heart:
Asham'd to think she should her Freedom boast,
Whilst mine, from the first Shaft he sent, was lost.
Thus tir'd with sad Complaints, whilst no Relief
Eas'd my tormented Soul of killing Grief,
We saw a Maid approach, whose lovely Face
Disdain'd the Beauties of the common Race.
In her soft Eyes unfeigned Sorrow dwelt,
And on her Cheeks in pitying Show'rs did melt.
37
The list'ning ravish'd Ear, when-e'er she spoke:
But more my Courage rais'd, when I perceiv'd
That for my Sake at present 'twas she griev'd;
And sighing, softly said, Ah! Gods, have you
Beheld the dying Youth, and never found
Compassion for an Heart so true,
Which dies adoring her who gave the Wound?
His Youth, his Passion, and his Constancy,
Merit, ye Gods, a kinder Destiny.
With Pleasure I attended what she said,
And wonder'd at the Friendship of the Maid.
Of Love I ask'd her Name, who answer'd me,
'Twas Pity, a sworn Foe to Cruelty;
Who often came, endeav'ring to abate
The Languishments of the Unfortunate.
And said, if she would take my injur'd Part,
She soon would soften fair Aminta's Heart:
For she knows all the subtil'st Arts to move,
And teach the tim'rous Virgin how to love.
With Joy I heard, and my Address apply'd,
To gain the courteous Pity on my Side.
Nothing I left untold, that might perswade
The list'ning Goddess to afford her Aid;
I counted all my Sorrows, Pains, and Fears,
And, whilst I spoke, confirm'd them with my Tears.
All which, with pitying Eyes, she did attend,
And kindly said, my Tale had made a Friend,
I bow'd, and thank'd her with a chearful Look,
She softly answer'd, and her Leave she took.
And wonder'd at the Friendship of the Maid.
Of Love I ask'd her Name, who answer'd me,
'Twas Pity, a sworn Foe to Cruelty;
Who often came, endeav'ring to abate
The Languishments of the Unfortunate.
And said, if she would take my injur'd Part,
She soon would soften fair Aminta's Heart:
For she knows all the subtil'st Arts to move,
And teach the tim'rous Virgin how to love.
With Joy I heard, and my Address apply'd,
To gain the courteous Pity on my Side.
Nothing I left untold, that might perswade
The list'ning Goddess to afford her Aid;
I counted all my Sorrows, Pains, and Fears,
And, whilst I spoke, confirm'd them with my Tears.
All which, with pitying Eyes, she did attend,
And kindly said, my Tale had made a Friend,
38
She softly answer'd, and her Leave she took.
Now to Aminta in all Haste she flies,
Whom she assails with Sorrow in her Eyes,
And the sad Story of my Miseries.
Which she with so much Tenderness exprest,
As forc'd some Sighs from the fair Charmer's Breast.
This Pity saw, and hoping to prevail,
Continu'd to repeat her moving Tale;
Until insensibly she did betray
The Maid, where Love and I all trembling lay.
When she beheld th'Effects of her Disdain,
And in my languid Face had read my Pain,
Down her fair Cheeks some pitying Drops did glide,
Which could not be restrain'd by feebler Pride.
Against my Anguish she had no Defence;
Such Charms had Grief, my Tears such Eloquence!
My Sighs and Murmurs she began t'approve,
And listen'd to the Story of my Love.
With Tenderness she did my Suff'rings hear,
And now could even my Reproaches bear.
At last my trembling Hand in her's she took,
And with a pleasing Blush, these melting Words she spoke.
Whom she assails with Sorrow in her Eyes,
And the sad Story of my Miseries.
Which she with so much Tenderness exprest,
As forc'd some Sighs from the fair Charmer's Breast.
This Pity saw, and hoping to prevail,
Continu'd to repeat her moving Tale;
Until insensibly she did betray
The Maid, where Love and I all trembling lay.
When she beheld th'Effects of her Disdain,
And in my languid Face had read my Pain,
Down her fair Cheeks some pitying Drops did glide,
Which could not be restrain'd by feebler Pride.
Against my Anguish she had no Defence;
Such Charms had Grief, my Tears such Eloquence!
My Sighs and Murmurs she began t'approve,
And listen'd to the Story of my Love.
With Tenderness she did my Suff'rings hear,
And now could even my Reproaches bear.
At last my trembling Hand in her's she took,
And with a pleasing Blush, these melting Words she spoke.
| The Land of Love | |