And with a fmile of wanton fpite,
He gave Camilla to my fight.
Her eyes their willing captive feize,
Her look, her air, her manner please ;
New beauties please, unfeen before,
Or feen, in her they please me more;
And foon, too foon, alas! I find
The virtues of a nobler kind.
Now chearful fprings the morning ray,
Now chearful finks the clofing day;
For every morn with her I walk'd,
And every eve with her I talk'd;
With her I lik'd the vernal bloom,
With her I lik'd the crowded room;
From her at night I went with pain,
And long'd for morn to meet again.
How quick the smiling moments pass,
Thro' varying fancy's mimick glafs !
While the gay scene is painted o'er,
Where all was one wide blank before :
And sweetly footh'd th' inchanting dream,
Till love infpir'd a bolder scheme.
Camilla, ftung with grief and shame,
Now marks, and fhuns the guilty flame;
Fierce anger lighten'd in her face,
Then cold reserve affum'd its place:
And foon, the wretch's hardest fate,
Contempt fucceeds declining hate,
P 3
No more my presence now fhe flies,
She fees me with unheeding eyes;
Sees me with various paffion burn,
Enrag'd depart, submiss return;
Return with flattering hopes to find
Soft pity move her gentler mind.
But ah! her looks were still the fame,
Unmark'd I went, unmark'd I came ;
Unmark'd were all my hopes and fears,
While Strephon whispers in her ears.
O Jealoufy! distracting guest!
Fly to fome happy lover's breast;
Fitly with joy thou mingleft care,
But why inhabit with defpair?
W AS when the friendly shade of night
Sufpends the bufy cares of light,
And on the various world bestows
Or fprightly joy, or calm repofe..
With gen'rous wine the glafs was crown'd,
And mirth, and talk, and toafts went round.
Clariffa came to bless the feast,
Clariffa dearly welcome guest.
To me the burning kiss impart,
On me impress the humid dart,
For me unlock the nectar'd store,
Then figh, and dream the transport o'er!
Thus with her lov'd idea fraught,
Delufive fancy charms my thought;
And joining in the flatt'ring cheat,
Willing I hug the dear deceit ;
From fiction real blifs receive,
And all I fondly wish believe;
Nor envy to a husband's arms,
The dull fruition of her charms.
But when, regardless of my truth,
She fmiles on fome more favour'd youth;
And while he whispers in her ears,
With more than wonted pleasure hears;
My jealous thought his voice fupplies,
And reads perdition in her eyes.
Then torn with envy, love, and hate,
I wish her with her wedded mate.
Sullen and flow he moves along,
And heavy hums a drowsy fong.
O! drowsy may the monfter lye,
And inftant flumbers feal his eye !
So fhalt thou, beft beloy'd, efcape
The horrors of a legal rape.
Or, fhou'd the brutish instinct goad,
And thou must bear th' unwelcome load
If ftruggle, pray'r, pretence be vain,
To fhun what tyrant-laws ordain;
Ah fparing deal out fcanty dues,
And keep whate'er thou can'ft refuse!
Ah! give no bounding pulfe to beat,
No cheek to glow with genial heat!
No breast to heave in am'rous play,
No limbs to twine, no hands to ftray;
But fluggish prefs the joyless bed,
And lye in cold indiff'rence dead :
Nor let the blafting spoiler fip
The fragrance of thy balmy lip!
To share with him the lover's part,
Were rank adultery of the heart.
But if, in chafter love's despite,
Warm nature catch the known delight;
While fierce defires tumultuous rise,
And rapture melts thy clofing eyes;
Ah! be those joys for me design'd,
And let me rush upon thy mind!
To me the burning kiss impart,
On me impress the humid dart,
For me unlock the nectar'd store,
Then figh, and dream the transport o'er!
Thus with her lov'd idea fraught,
Delufive fancy charms my thought;
And joining in the flatt'ring cheat,
Willing I hug the dear deceit ;
From fiction real blifs receive,
And all I fondly wish believe;
Nor envy to a husband's arms,
The dull fruition of her charms.
But when, regardless of my truth,
She fmiles on fome more favour'd youth;
And while he whispers in her ears,
With more than wonted pleasure hears;
My jealous thought his voice supplies,
And reads perdition in her eyes.
Then torn with envy, love, and hate,
I wish her with her wedded mate.
|