| |
| WITH 1 inauspicious love, a wretched Swain | |
| Pursu’d the fairest Nimph of all the Plain; | |
| Fairest indeed, but prouder far than fair, | |
| She plung’d him hopeless in a deep despair: | |
| Her heav’nly form too haughtily she priz’d, | 5 |
| His person hated, and his Gifts despis’d; | |
| Nor knew the force of Cupids cruel darts, | |
| Nor fear’d his awful power on human hearts; | |
| But either from her hopeless Lover fled, | |
| Or with disdainful glances shot him dead. | 10 |
| No kiss, no look, to cheer the drooping Boy; | |
| No word she spoke, she scorn’d ev’n to deny. | |
| But, as a hunted Panther casts about | |
| Her glaring eyes, and pricks her list’ning ears to scout, | |
| So she, to shun his Toyls, her cares imploy’d, | 15 |
| And fiercely in her savage freedom joy’d. | |
| Her mouth she writh’d, her forehead taught to frown, | |
| Her eyes to sparkle fires to Love unknown: | |
| Her sallow Cheeks her envious mind did show, | |
| And every feature spoke aloud the curstness of a Shrew. | 20 |
| Yet cou’d not he his obvious Fate escape; | |
| His love still drest her in a pleasing shape; | |
| And every sullen frown, and bitter scorn, | |
| But fann’d the fuel that too fast did burn. | |
| Long time, unequal to his mighty pain, | 25 |
| He strove to curb it, but he strove in vain: | |
| At last his woes broke out, and begg’d relief | |
| With tears, the dumb petitioners of grief: | |
| With Tears so tender, as adorn’d his Love, | |
| And any heart, but only hers, wou’d move. | 30 |
| Trembling before her bolted doors he stood, | |
| And there pour’d out th’ unprofitable flood: | |
| Staring his eyes, and haggard was his look; | |
| Then, kissing first the threshold, thus he spoke. | |
| Ah Nymph more cruel than of humane Race, | 35 |
| Thy Tygress heart belies thy Angel Face: | |
| Too well thou show’st thy Pedigree from Stone: | |
| Thy Grandames was the first by Pyrrha thrown: | |
| Unworthy thou to be so long desir’d; | |
| But so my Love, and so my Fate requir’d. | 40 |
| I beg not now (for ’tis in vain) to live; | |
| But take this gift, the last that I can give. | |
| This friendly Cord shall soon decide the strife | |
| Betwixt my ling’ring Love and loathsome life: | |
| This moment puts an end to all my pain; | 45 |
| I shall no more despair, nor thou disdain. | |
| Farewel, ungrateful and unkind! I go | |
| Condemn’d by thee to those sad shades below. | |
| I go th’ extreamest remedy to prove, | |
| To drink Oblivion, and to drench my Love: | 50 |
| There happily to lose my long desires: | |
| But ah, what draught so deep to quench my Fires? | |
| Farewell, ye never-opening Gates, ye Stones, | |
| And Threshold guilty of my Midnight Moans: | |
| What I have suffer’d here ye know too well; | 55 |
| What I shall do the gods and I can tell. | |
| The Rose is fragrant, but it fades in time: | |
| The Violet sweet, but quickly past the prime; | |
| White Lillies hang their heads, and soon decay, | |
| And whiter Snow in minutes melts away: | 60 |
| Such is your blooming youth, and withering so: | |
| The time will come, it will, when you shall know | |
| The rage of Love; your haughty heart shall burn | |
| In Flames like mine, and meet a like return. | |
| Obdurate as you are, oh! hear at least | 65 |
| My dying prayers, and grant my last request. | |
| When first you ope your doors, and, passing by, | |
| The sad ill Omend Object meets your Eye, | |
| Think it not lost, a moment if you stay; | |
| The breathless wretch, so made by you, survey: | 70 |
| Some cruel pleasure will from thence arise, | |
| To view the mighty ravage of your Eyes. | |
| I wish (but oh! my wish is vain I fear) | |
| The kind Oblation of a falling Tear: | |
| Then loose the knot, and take me from the place, | 75 |
| And spread your Mantle o’er my grizly Face; | |
| Upon my livid Lips bestow a kiss | |
| O envy not the dead, they feel not bliss! | |
| Nor fear your kisses can restore my breath; | |
| E’en you are not more pittiless than death | 80 |
| Then for my Corps a homely Grave provide, | |
| Which Love and me from publick Scorn may hide, | |
| Thrice call upon my Name, thrice beat your Breast, | |
| And hayl me thrice to everlasting rest: | |
| Last let my Tomb this sad Inscription bear: | 85 |
| A wretch whom Love has kill’d lies buried here; | |
| Oh, Passengers, Amintas Eyes beware. | |
| Thus having said, and furious with his Love, | |
| He heav’d with more than humane force to move | |
| A weighty Stone (the labour of a Team) | 90 |
| And rais’d from thence he reach’d the Neighbouring Beam: | |
| Around its bulk a sliding knot he throws, | |
| And fitted to his Neck the fatal noose: | |
| Then spurning backward, took a swing, ’till death | |
| Crept up, and stopp’d the passage of his Breath. | 95 |
| The bounce burst ope the door; the Scornful Fair | |
| Relentless lookt, and saw him beat his quivering feet in Air, | |
| Nor wept his fate, nor cast a pitying eye, | |
| Nor took him down, but brusht regardless by: | |
| And, as she pass’d, her chance or fate was such, | 100 |
| Her Garments toucht the dead, polluted by the touch. | |
| Next to the dance, thence to the Bath did move; | |
| The bath was sacred to the God of Love; | |
| Whose injur’d Image, with a wrathful Eye, | |
| Stood threatning from a Pedestal on high: | 105 |
| Nodding a while, and watchful of his blow, | |
| He fell; and falling crusht th’ ungrateful Nymph below: | |
| Her gushing Blood the Pavement all besmear’d; | |
| And this her last expiring Voice was heard; | |
| Lovers, farewell, revenge has reacht my scorn; | 110 |
| Thus warn’d, be wise, and love for love return. | |
