"Then let not, dearest Sweet! our abfence part "Our loves, but each breast keep the other's heart; "Give warmth to one another, till there rife "From all our labours and our induftries 454 "The long-expected fruits. Have patience, Sweet! "There's no man whom the fummer-pleasures greet "Before he taste the winter; none can say, "Ere night was gone, he saw the rising day. "So when we once have wafted Sorrow's night, "The fun of comfort then shall give us light." 460 LXXV. PHILETUS. This when Conftantia read, she thought her state And perfect love: she thanks her flatt'ring fate, The welcome characters doth dull and stain, CONSTANTIA TO PHILETUS. 470 "YOUR abfence, Sir, tho' it be long, yet I "Neither forget, nor doubt your conftancy : "Nor need you fear that I should yield unto "Another what to your true love is due. 66 My heart is your's; it is not in my claim, "Nor have I pow'r to take it back again. "There's nought but death can part our fouls: no time, Or angry friends, shall make my love decline: "But for the harvest of our hopes I'll stay, "Unless Death cut it, ere 'tis ripe, away." 475 CONSTANTIA. LXXVI. Oh! how this letter seem'd to raise his pride! LXXVII. But ere the autumn, which fair Ceres crown'd, 480 Had paid the sweating ploughman's greediest prayer, And by the fall difrob'd the gaudy ground Of all thofe ornaments it us'd to wear, Them kind Phil'crates to each other brought, 485 Where they this means t* enjoy their freedom wrought. LXXVIII. "Sweet fair one!" said Philetus, " fince the time "Favours our wish, and does afford us leave "That may too foon the wings of Love outfly: "For when your father, as his custom is, "For pleasure doth pursue the tim❜rous hare, 490 495 LII. "But counsel," said his friend, "a remedy .. Affwage your torment, and procure some rest; 310 "But there is no physician can apply "A med'cine ere he know the malady." LIII. "Then hear me," faid Philetus." But why? ftay, "I will not toil thee with my history; "For to remember forrows past away, "Is to renew an old calamity. 315 "He who acquainteth others with his moan, "Adds to his friend's grief, but not cures his own." LIV. "But," faid Philocrates, "'tis beft in woe LV. 320 What fhall he do? or with what language frame 325 But open his close thoughts and inward flame. He figh'd, as if they'd cool his torment's ire, 330 LVI. "When years first styl'd me twenty, I began "To sport with catching fnare that Love had fet, "Like birds that flutter round the gin till ta'en, "Or the poor fly caught in Arachne's net : "Ev'n fo I fported with her beauties light, "Till I at last grew blind with too much sight. LVII. "First it came stealing on me, whilst I thought " 'Twas easy to repel it; but as fire, 335 "Tho' but a spark, foon into flames is brought, 339 "So mine grew great, and quickly mounted high'r; "Which so has scorch'd my love-struck foul, that I "Still live in torment, yet each minute die.". LVIII. 345 "Who is it," faid Philocrates, "can move "Nay," faid Philetus, "oft' my eyes do flow "Yet all the watry plenty I bestow "Is to my flame an oil that feeds it more. LX. "But being you defire to know her, she 355 360 To which his noble friend did thus reply: "And was this all! whate'er your grief would case, "Tho' a far greater task, believe 't for thee "It should be foon done by Philocrates; "Think all you wish perform'd; but see,the day, 365 Home from the filent woods Night bids them go, What in the day he fears of future woe, At night in dreams, like truth, affrights his mind. 370 Why dost thou vex him, Love? couldst thou but see, Thou wouldst thyself Philetus' rival be. LXIII. Philocrates, pitying his doleful moan, And wounded with the forrows of his friend, 375 Or by her liking his wifh'd joys attain. |