Live, and love on; you will be true, I know; "But live then, and come back to tell me fo; "For tho' I blush at this last guilty breath, "I can endure that better than your death." Tormenting kindnefs! barbarous reprieve! Condemn'd to die, and yet compell'd to live!. 8 85 This tender fcene my dream repeated o'er, Juft as it pafs'd in real truth before. Methought I then fell grovelling to the ground, Till, on a fudden rais'd, I, wond'ring, found A ftrange appearance all in taintless white; His form gave reverence, and his face delight; Goodness and greatness in his eyes were seen, Gentle his look, and affable his mien. A kindly notice of me thus he took; "What mean these flowing eyes, this ghaftly look, "Thefe trembling joints, this loofe difhevell'd hair, "And this cold dew, the drops of deep despair?” With grief and wonder firft my spirits faint, 96 But thus at last I vented my complaint: Behold a wretch whom cruel Fate has found, But, cloy'd with charms of fuch a marriage-bed, 105 But to inferior beauty proftrate lies, And courts her love in fcorn of Flavia's eyes. "All this I knew, (the form divine reply'd) "And did but afk to have thy temper try'd, "Which prove fincere. Of both I know the mind; "She is too fcrupulous, and thou too kind: "But fince thy fatal love 's for ever fix'd, "Whatever time or abfence come betwixt; III 120 "Since thy fond heart ev'n her difdain prefers "And therefore lefs excus'd to range elsewhere. } 131 "No obligation after that remains: 135 "Yet decency requires the wonted cares "Of int'reft, children, and remote affairs; "But in her love, that dear concern of life, "She all the while may be another's wife: "Heav'n,that beholds her wrong'd and widow'dbed, "Permits a lover in her husband's ftead." 140 145 I flung me at his feet, his robes would kifs, And cry'd-Ev'n our base world is just in this; Amidst our cenfures love we gently blame, And love fometimes preferves a female fame. What tie less strong can woman's will reftrain? When honour checks, and confcience pleads in vain; When parents' threats and friends' perfuafions fail, When int'reft and ambition scarce prevail, To bound that fex when nothing elfe can move, 150 They'll live referv'd to please the man they love! "She may be kind, but not till thou art dead; Amaz'd, I wak'd in haste, All trembling at my doom; Dreams oft' repeat adventures past, And tell our ills to come. 153 160 162 E THE RAPTURE. I YIELD, I yield, and can no longer ftay My eager thoughts, that force themselves away. The Mufe, who raises me from humble ground, I value earth no more, and far below Airy Ambition, ever soaring high, Stands first expos'd to my cenforious eye. Where, tho' arriv'd, they must be toiling still; ΤΟ 15 20 25 Some with unfteady feet just fall'n to ground, The Mufe inspires me now to look again, 30 35 40 Who creep thro' filth a thousand crooked ways, 45 Loaded with guilt, they still pursue their course, To gain the means, and then to lose the end; For mistreffes that yield them no delight. |