Of Youth, and Beauty: I another faw
Fairer, and Younger: yielding to the Law
Of our all-ruling Mother, I pursu’d
More Youth, more Beauty: Bleft Viciffitude!
My active Heart still keeps it's pristine Flame;
The Object alter'd, the Defire the fame.
This Younger Fairer pleads her rightful Charms:
With present Power compels me to her Arms.
And much I fear, from my subjected Mind
(If Beauty's Force to conftant Love can bind)
That Years may roll, e'er in Her turn the Maid
Shall weep the Fury of my Love decay'd;
And weeping follow Me, as Thou dost now,
With idle Clamours of a broken Vow.
Nor can the wildness of thy Wishes err
So wide, to hope that Thou may'ft live with Her.
Love, well Thou know'ft, no Partnership allows:
CUPID averfe rejects divided Vows.
Then from thy foolish Heart, vain Maid, remove
A useless Sorrow, and an ill-ftarr'd Love;
And leave me, with the Fair, at large in Woods to rove.
Are we in Life thro' one great Error led?
Is each Man perjur'd, and each Nymph betray'd?
Of the Superior Sex art Thou the worft?
Am I of Mine the most compleatly Curst?
Yet let me go with Thee; and going prove,
From what I will endure, how much I love.
This potent Beauty, this Triumphant Fair,
This happy Object of our diff'rent Care,
Her let me follow; Her let me attend,
A Servant: (She may fcorn the Name of Friend.)
What She demands, inceffant I'll prepare:
I'll weave Her Garlands; and I'll pleat Her Hair:
My busie Diligence fhall deck Her Board;
(For there, at least, I may approach my Lord.)
And when Her HENRY's fofter Hours advise
His Servant's Abfence; with dejected Eyes
Far I'll recede, and Sighs forbid to rise.
Yet when encreasing Grief brings flow Disease; And ebbing Life, on Terms fevere as these, Will have it's little Lamp no longer fed; When HENRY's Miftrefs fhows him EMMA dead; Rescue my poor Remains from vile Neglect: With Virgin Honors let my Herfe be deckt, And decent Emblem; and at least perfuade This happy Nymph, that EMMA may be laid, Where Thou, dear Author of my Death, where She With frequent Eye my Sepulchre may see. The Nymph amidst her Joys may haply breath One pious Sigh, reflecting on my Death, And the fad Fate which She may one Day prove, Who hopes from HENRY'S Vows Eternal Love.
And Thou forfworn, Thou cruel, as Thou art,
If EMMA'S Image ever touch'd thy Heart;
Thou sure must give one Thought, and drop one Tear
To Her, whom Love abandon'd to Despair;
To Her, who dying, on the wounded Stone
Bid it in lasting Characters be known,
That, of Mankind, She lov'd but Thee alone.
Hear, folemn JOVE; and, confcious VENUS, hear; And Thou, bright Maid, believe Me, whilft I fwear; No Time, no Change, no future Flame fhall move The well-plac'd Basis of my lasting Love.
O Powerful Virtue! O Victorious Fair!
At least excufe a Tryal too fevere:
Receive the Triumph, and forget the War.
No banifh'd Man, condemn'd in Woods to rove,
Intreats thy Pardon, and implores thy Love:
No perjur'd Knight defires to quit thy Arms,
Fairest Collection of thy Sexe's Charms,
Crown of my Love, and Honor of my Youth:
HENRY, thy HENRY with Eternal Truth,
As Thou may'st wish, fhall all his Life imploy,
And found his Glory in his EMMA'S Joy.
In Me behold the Potent EDGAR's Heir,
Illuftrious Earl: Him terrible in War
Let LOYRE Confefs; for She has felt His Sword,
And trembling fled before the BRITISH Lord.
Him great in Peace and Wealth fair DBV A knows;
For fhe amidst his fpacious Meadows flows;
Inclines her Urn upon his fatten'd Lands;
And fees his num'rous Herd imprint her Sands.
And Thou, my Fair, my Dove, fhalt raise thy Thought To Greatness next to Empire; fhalt be brought With folemn Pomp to my Paternal Seat; Where Peace and Plenty on Thy Word fhall wait. Mufic and Song shall wake the Marriage-Day: And while the Priests accuse the Bride's Delay ; Myrtles and Roses fhall obftruct Her Way.
Friendship shall still Thy Evening Feasts adorn;
And blooming Peace fhall ever bless Thy Morn.
Succeeding Years their happy Race fhall run;
And Age unheeded by Delight come on;
While yet Superior Love fhall mock his Pow'r:
And when old Time fhall turn the fated Hour,
Which only can our well-ty'd Knot unfold,
What refts of Both, One Sepulchre fhall hold.
Hence then, for ever, from my EMMA'S Breaft
(That Heav'n of Softnefs, and that Seat of Reft)
Ye Doubts and Fears, and All that know to move
Tormenting Grief, and All that trouble Love,
Scatter'd by Winds recede, and wild in Forests rove.
O Day the faireft fure that ever rose!
Period and End of anxious EMMA'S Woes!
Sire of her Joy, and Source of her Delight;
O! wing'd with Pleasure take thy happy Flight,
And give each future Morn a Tincture' of thy White.
Yet tell thy Votary, potent Queen of Love,
HENRY, my HENRY, will He never rove?
Will He be ever Kind, and Juft, and Good?
And is there yet no Mistress in the Wood?
None, none there is: The Thought was rafh and vain ;
A falfe Idea, and a fancy'd Pain.
Doubt fhall for ever quit my ftrengthen'd Heart,
And anxious Jealoufie's corroding Smart;
Nor other Inmate fhall inhabit there,
But foft Belief, young Joy, and pleasing Care.
Hence let the Tides of Plenty ebb and flow,
And FORTUNE's various Gale unheeded blow.
If at my Feet the Suppliant Goddefs ftands,
And sheds her Treafure with unweary'd Hands;
Her prefent Favor cautious I'll embrace, v
And not unthankful use the proffer'd Grace:
If She reclaims the Temporary Boon,
And tries her Pinions, flutt'ring to be gone.
Secure of Mind I'll obviate her Intent, wod) al
And unconcern'd return the Goods She lent.y
Nor Happiness can I, nor Mifery feel, !'I dans mai
From any Turn of her Fantastic Wheel T
Friendship's great Laws, and Love's fuperior Pow'rs
Must mark the Colour of my future Hours.
From the Events which Thy Commands create
I must my Bleffings or my Sorrows date;
And HENRY'S Will muft dictate EMMA's Fate.
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