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Oh! had you then upon our Coafts been brought,
My Virgin Love when thousand Rivals fought,
You had I feen, you should have had my Voice; r
Nor cou'd my Husband juftly blame my Choice.
For both our Hopes, alas! you come too late;
Another now is Mafter of my Fate ;

More to my Wish I cou'd have liv'd with you,

And yet my present Lot can undergo.

Ceafe to follicit a weak Woman's Will,

And urge not her you love, to fo much Ill:
But let me live contented as I may,

And make not my unspotted Fame your Prey.
Some Right you claim, fince naked to your Eyes
Three Goddeffes difputed Beauty's Prize;

One offer'd Valour, t'other Crowns, but the
Obtain'd her Cause who smiling promis'd me.

But first I am not of Belief fo light,

To think fuch Nymphs wou'd fhew you such a Sight. Yet granting this, the other part is feign'd ;

A Bribe fo mean, your Sentence had not gain'd.

With partial Eyes I should my self regard,
To think that VENUS made me her Reward:

I humbly am content with human Praise;
A Goddess's Applaufe wou'd Envy raise:
But be it as you fay, for 'tis confest,

The Men, who flatter higheft, please us beft:
That I fufpect it, ought not to displease ;
For Miracles are not believ'd with eafe.
One Joy I have, that I had VENUS' Voice;
A greater yet, that you confirm'd her Choice;
That proffer'd Laurels, promis'd Sov'reignty,
JUNO and PALLAS you contemn'd for me.
Am I your Empire then, and your Renown?
What Heart of Rock but muft by this be won?
And yet bear witnefs, O you Pow'rs above,
How rude I am in all the Arts of Love!

My Hand is yet untaught to write to Men;
This is th' Effay of my unpractis'd Pen:

Happy thofe Nymphs, whom Use has perfect made;

I think all Crime, and tremble at a Shade.

Ev'n while I write, my fearful conscious Eyes
Look often back, misdoubting a Surprize.
For now the Rumor fpreads among the Croud,
At Court in Whispers, but in Town aloud:
whate'er you hear 'em fay:

Diffemble you,

To leave off Loving, were your better Way;

Yet if you will diffemble it, you may.
Love fecretly the Absence of my Lord
More Freedom gives, but does not all afford.
Long is his Journey, long will be his Stay;
Call'd by Affairs of Confequence away.
To go or not, when unrefolv'd he stood,

I bid him make what fwift return he cou'd:
Then kifling me, he faid, I recommend

All to thy Care, but moft my Trojan Friend.
I fmil'd at what he innocently faid,

And only answer'd, You fhall be obey'd.

Propitious Winds have born him far from hence,
But let not this fecure your Confidence.

VOL. I.

H

Abfent

Absent he is, yet abfent he commands:

You know the Proverb, Princes have long Hands.
My Fame's my Burthen; for the more I'm prais'd,
A jufter Ground of Jealousy is rais'd.

Were I lefs fair, I might have been more bleft,
Great Beauty through great Danger is poffeft.
To leave me here, his Venture was not hard,
Because he thought my Virtue was my Guard.
He fear'd my Face, but trufted to my Life,
The Beauty doubted, but believ'd the Wife.
You bid me ufe th' Occafion while I can,
Put in our Hands by the good eafy Man.
I wou'd, and yet I doubt, 'twixt Love and Fear,
One draws me from you, and one brings me near.
Our Flames are mutual, and my Husband's gone:
The Nights are long; I fear to lie alone :

One House contains us, and weak Walls divide,
And you're too preffing to be long deny'd.
Let me not live, but ev'ry thing confpires

To join our Loves, and yet my Fear retires.

You court with Words, when you fhou'd Force em

ploy,

A Rape is requifite to fhame-fac'd Joy:

Indulgent to the Wrongs which we receive,

Our Sex can fuffer what we dare not give.

What have I faid! for both of us 'twere beft,
Our kindling Fire if each of us fuppreft.

The Faith of Strangers is too prone to change,
And, like themselves, their wand'ring Paffions range.
HYPSIPYLE, and the fond Minoian Maid,

Were both by trufting of their Gueft betray'd.
How can I doubt that other Men deceive,
When you your self did fair OENONE leave?
But left I fhou'd upbraid your Treachery,
You make a Merit of that Crime to me.
Yet grant you were to faithful Love inclin❜d,
Your weary Trojans wait but for a Wind.
Should you prevail, while I affign the Night
Your Sails are hoifted, and you take your Flight;

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