Og! conceal that charming creature From my wond’ring wishing eyes! Ev'ry motion, ev'ry feature, Does some ravish'd heart surprise; But, oh! I sighing, fighing, fee The happy swain! she ne'er can be False to him or kind to me.
Yet if I could humbly show her, Ah! how wretched I remain, "Tis not, sure, a thing below her Still to pity so much pain. The gods some pleasure, pleasure, take, Happy as themselves to make Those who suffer for their fake.
Since your hand alone was given To a wretch not worth your care, Like fome angel sent from heaven, Come and raise me from despair : Your heart I cannot, cannot, miss, And I desire no other bliss; Let all the world besides be his.
SONG III. THE RECONCILEMENT.
Come, let us now resolve at last To live and love in quiet; We'll tie the knot so very fast That Time shall ne'er untie it.
The truest joys they seldom prove Who free from quarrels live; 'Tis the most tender part of love Each other to forgive.
When least I feem'd concern'd, I took No pleasure nor no rest, And when I feign’d an angry look, Alas! I lov'd you best.
Own but the same to me, you 'll find How bless'd will be our fate: Oh! to be happy, to be kind, Sure never is too late,
From all uneasy paflions free, Revenge, ambition, jealousy, Contented, I had been too bleft If love and you had let me reft :- Yet that dull life I now despise; Safe from your eyes, 1 fear'd no griefs, but then I found no joys.
Amidst a thousand kind desires Which beauty moves and love inspires, Such pangs I feel of tender fear, No heart fo foft as mine can bear; Yet I'll defy the worst of harms: Such are your charms, ”Tis worth a life to die within your arms.
TO THE ALTERATION OF JULIUS CÆSAR. Hope to mend Shakespeare! or to match his style! "Tis such a jest would make a Stoic smile. Too fond of fame, our poet soars too high, Yet freely owns he wants the wings to fly: So sensible of his presumptuous thought,
5 That he confesses while he does the fault: "This to the fair will no great wonder prove,' Who oft' in blushes yield to what they love.
Of greatest actions and of noblest men This story most deserves a poet's pen; For who can with a scene more justly fam'd, When Rome and mighty Julius are but nam'd! That state of heroes who the world had brav'd! That wondrous man who such a state enflay'd! Yet loath he was to take so rough a way, 15 And after govern'd with so mild a fway. At distance now of seventeen hundred years, Methinks a lovely ravisher appears, Whom, tho' forbid by virtue to excuse, A nymph might pardon, and could scarce refufe. 20
TO MARCUS BRUTUS. Our scene is Athens; and, great Athens nam'd, What soul so dull as not to be inflam'd ? Methinks at mentioning that sacred place A rev'rend awe appears in ev'ry face For men so fam’d, of fuch prodigious parts, As taught the world all sciences and arts.
Amidst all these ye shall behold a man The most applauded since mankind began, Outshining ev'n those Greeks who most excel, Whose life was one fix'd course of doing well. Oh! who can therefore without tears attend On such a life, and such a fatal end?
But here our author, besides other faults Of ill expressions and of vulgar thoughts, Commits one crime that needs an act of grace, And breaks the law of unity of place : Yet to such noble patriots, overcome By factious violence, and banish'd Rome, Athens alone a fit retreat could yield; And where can Brutus fall but in Philippi field? 20
Some critics judge ev'n love itself too mean A care to mix in such a lofty scene, And with those ancient bards of Greece believe Friendship has stronger charmıs to please or grieve 3
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