Fear it not Helen; I'll fo work with fame,
I will (alone) be guilty of all blame.
Duke Thefeus was my inftance, and fo were
Your brothers, lady; can I come more near,
To enfample my attempts by? Thefeus hal'd
Helen perforce: your brothers they prevail'd
With the Leucippian fifters; now from thefe,
I'll count myself the fourth (if Helen please.)
Our Trojan navy rides upon the coaft,
Rigg'd, arm'd, and mann'd, and I can proudly boast,
The banks are high, why do you longer stay?
The winds and oars are ready to make way.
You fhall be like a high majeftic queen,
Led thro' the Dardan city, and be seen
By millions, who your ftate having commended,
Will (wond'ring) fwear, fome goddess is defcended.
Where'er you walk the priests fhall incenfe burn,
No way you shall your eye or body turn,
But facrificed beafts the ground fhall beat,
And bright religious fires the welkin heat.
My father, mother, brother, sisters, all
Ilium and Troy in pomp majeftical,
Shall with rich gifts prefent you (but alas!)
Not the leaft part (fo far they do furpass)
Can my epiftle fpeak; you may behold
More than my words or writings can unfold.
No fear the bruit of war, or threatning steel,
When we are fled, to dog us at the heel;
Or that all Græcia will their powers unite;
many ravish'd, can you one recite
Whem war repurchas'd? these be idle fears,
Rough luftering Boreas fair Orithea bears
Unto the land of Thrace, yet Thrace ftill free,
And Athens rais'd no rude hoftility.
In winged Pegasus did Jafon fail;
And from
great Cholcos he Medea ftale:
Yet Theffaly you fee can fhew no fear
Of former wounds in the Theffalian war.
He that first ravith'd you, in fuch a fleet
As ours is, Ariadne brought from Crete.
Yet Minos and duke Thefeus were agreed,
About that quarrel not a breaft did bleed.
Lefs is the danger (truft me) than the fear,
That in thefe vain and idle doubts appear.
But fay, rude war fhould be proclaim'd at length,
Know I am valiant, and have finewy ftrength.
The weapons that I ufe are apt to kill.
Afia befides more fpacious fields can fill
With armed men, than Greece. Amongst us are
More perfect foldiers, more beafts apt for war.
Nor can thy husband Menelaus be
Of an high spirit and magnanimity;
Or fo well prov'd in arms: for Helen I,
Being but a lad, have made my enemies fly; Regain'd the prey from out the hands of thieves, Who had defpoil'd our herds, and ftoln our beeves. By fuch adventures I my name obtain'd,
(Being but a lad) the conqueft I have gain'd
Of young men in their prime, who much could do; Deiphobus, Ilioneus too
I have o'ercome in many fharp contentions;
Nor think these are my vain and forg'd inventions;,
Or that I only hand to hand can fight,
My arrows when I please fhall touch the white;
I am expert i' th' quarry and the bow,
You cannot boaft your heartless hufband fo.
Had you the power in all things to fupply me,
And fhould you nothing in the world deny me;
To give me fuch a Hector to my brother,
You could not, the earth bears not fuch another.
By him alone all Asia is well mann'd;
He like an enemy against Greece shall stand,
Oppos'd to your best fortunes, wherefore strive you?
You do not know his valour that must wive you,
Or what hid worth is in me; but at length
You will confefs when you have prov'd my strength...
Thus either war fhall ftill our steps pursue,
Or Greece fhall fall in Troy's all conquering view...... Nor would I fear for fuch a royal wife,
To fet the univerfal world. at ftrife.
To gain rich prizes, men will venture far,
The hope of purchase makes us bold in war.
If all the world about you fhould contend,
Your name should be eterniz'd without end;..
Only be bold; and fearless may we fail
Into my country, with a profperous gale!
If the gods grant me my expected day,
It to the full fhall all these covenants pay...
No fooner came mine eye unto the fight -
Of thy rude lines, but I must needs re-write,
Dar'ft thou (O fhameless) in such heinous wife,...
The laws of hospitality despise!
And being a stranger, from thy country's reach,
Solicit a chafte wife to wedlock's breach?
Was it for this our free Tænarian port
Receiv'd thee and thy train, in friendly fort?
And when great Neptune nothing could appeafe,
Gave thee fafe harbour from the ftormy feas?
Was it for this, our kingdom's arms fpread wideTo entertain thee from the water-fide?
Yet thou of foreign foil remote from hence,
A ftranger, coming we fcarce knew from whence.
Is perjur'd wrong the recompence of right?
Is all our friendship guerdon'd with despight?
I doubt me then, whether in our court doth tarry
A friendly gueft, or a fierce adversary:
Nor blame me, for if justly you confider,
And these prefumptions well compare together,
So fimple my complaint will not appear,
But you yourself muft needs excufe my fear.
Well, hold me simple, much it matters not,
Whilft Lpreferve my chafte name far from spot ;
For when I feem touch'd with a bashful fhame,
It fhews how highly I regard my fame.
When I seem fad, my countenance is not feigned;
And when I lour, my look is unconstrained.
But fay my brow be cloudy, my name's clear,
And reverently you fhall of Helen hear.
No man from me adulterate fpoils can win ;-
For to this hour I have sported without fin:
Which makes me in my heart the more to wonder,-
What hope you have in time to bring me under:
Or from mine eye what comfort thou canst gather,,
To pity thee, and not despise thee rather.
Because once Thefeus hurry'd me from hence,
And did to me a kind of violence ;
Follows it therefore, I am of such price,
That ravish'd once, I fhould be ravish'd twice?
Was it my fault, because I ftriv'd in vain,
And wanted strength his fury to restrain?
He flatter'd, and fpake fair, I ftruggled ftill;
And what he got was much against my wilk
Of all his toil, he reap'd no wished fruit,
For with my wrangling I withstood his fuit.
At length I was reftor'd, untouch'd, and clear;
In all my Rape, I fuffer'd nought fave fear:
A few untoward kiffes he (God wot)
Of further favours he could never boaft;
Dry, without relifh, by much striving got,
And them with much ado, and to his coft.
I doubt your purpose aims at greater blisses,
And hardly would alone be pleas'd with kiffes.
Thou haft fome further aim, and seek'st to do
What, Jove defend, I fhould confent unto.
He bore not thy bad mind, but did restore me
Unblemish'd to the place from whence he bore me..
The youth was bafhful, and thy boldness lack'd,
And 'tis well known, repented his bold fact.
Thefeus repented, fo fhould Paris do,
Succeed in love and in repentance too,
Nor am I
With him that loves her? if your heart agree
With your kind words, your fuit I could applaud,
So I were fure your lines were void of fraud.
I caft not thefe ftrange doubts, or this difpenfe,
Like one that were bereft all confidence;
Nor that I with myfelf am in difgrace,
Or do not know the beauty of my face:
But because too much truft hath damag'd fuch
As have believ'd men in their loves too much.
And now the general tongue of women faith,
Mens words are full of treafon, void of faith..
Let others fin, and hours of pleasures wafte,
'Tis rare to find the fober matron chaste.
Why? fay it be that fin prevails with fair ones,
May not my name be rank'd among the rare ones?
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