Yet if your pride think such a wife a shame,
I'll sacrifice my honour to my flame,
And meet your love by a less glorious name.
I know the dangers of this stormy coast, How many ships have on our shelves been lost. These winds have driv'n the floating sea-weed so, That your entangled vessel cannot go.
Do not attempt to put to sea in vain,
'Till happier gales have clear'd your way again.
Trust me to watch the calming of the sea,
You shall not then, tho' you desir'd it, stay.
Besides, your weary seamen rest desire,
And your torn fleet new rigging does require.
By all I suffer, all I've done for you,
Some little respite to my love allow.
Time and calm thoughts may teach me how to bear
That loss, which now, alas! 'tis death to hear. 195
But you resolve to force me to my grave,
And are not far from all that you would have.
Your sword before me, whilst I write, does lie,
And by it, if I write in vain, I die.
Already stain'd with many a falling tear,
It shortly shall another colour wear.
You never could an apter present make,
'Twill soon, the life you made uneasy, take.
But this poor breast has felt your wounds before;
Slain by your love, your steel has now no pow'r.
Dear guilty sister, do not you deny
The last kind office to my memory;
But do not on my fun'ral marble join
Much-wrong'd Sichæus' sacred name with mine: "Of false Æneas let the stone complain; 210 "That Dido could not bear his fierce disdain,
"But by his sword, and her own hand, was slain."
IN the war of Troy, Achilles having taken, and sacked Chrynesium, 2 town in the Lernesian country, amongst his other booty he took two very fair women, Chryseis and Briseis: Chryseis he presented to king Agamemnon, and Briseis he reserved for himself. Agamemnon, after some time, was forced by the oracle to restore Chryseis to her father, who was one of the priests of Apollo: Whereupon the king by violence took away Briseis from Achilles; at which Achilles incensed, left the camp of the Grecians, and prepared to sail home; in whose ab. sense the Trojans, prevailing over the Grecians, Agamemnon was compelled to send Ulysses and others to offer him rich presents, and also Briseis, to induce him to reture again to the arey; but Achilles with disdain rejected them all. This letter therefore is written by Briseis, to move him that he would receive her, and return to the Grecian camp.
CAPTIVE Briseis in a foreign tongue,
More by her blots, than words, sets forth her wrong.
And yet these blots which by my tears are made,
Above all words, or writing should persuade.
Subjects (I know) must not their lords accuse;
Yet pray'rs and tears we lawfully may use.
When ravish'd from your arms, I was the
Of Agamemnon's arbitrary sway,
I grant, you must at last have left the field;
But for a lover, you too soon did yield :
A warrior's glory it must needs disgrace,
At the first summons to yield up the place.
The enemies themselves, no less than I,
Stood wond'ring at their easy victory :
I saw their lips in whispers softly move,
Is this the man so fam'd for arms and love?
Alas! Achilles 'tis not so we part
From what we love, and what is near our heart :
No healing kisses to my grief you gave,
You turn'd me off an unregarded slave.
Was it your rage, that did love suppress!
Ah, love Briscis more, and hate Atrides less!
He is not born of a true hero's race,
Who lets his fury of his love take place.
Tigers and wolves can fight, love is the test,
Distinguishing the hero from the beast.
Alas, when I was from your bosom forc'd,
I felt my body from my soul divorc'd;
A deadly paleness overspread my face;
Sleep left my eyes, and to my tears gave place: 30
I tore my hair and did my death decree ;
Ah! learn to part with what you love, from me.
A bold escape I often did essay,
But Greeks and Trojans too block'd up the way:
Yet tho' a tender maid could not break thro',
Methinks Achilles should not be so slow:
Achilles once the thunderbolt of war,
The hope of conqu'ring Greece, and Troy's despair,
Me in his rival's arms can he behold?
And is his courage with his love grown cold?
But I confess, that my neglected charms
Did not deserve the conquest of your arms;
Therefore the gods did, by an easier way,
Our wrongs attone and damages repay :
Ajax with Phoenix and Ulysses bring,
Humble submissions from their haughty king:
The royal penitent rich presents sends,
The strongest cement to piece-broken friends.
When pray'rs well seconded with gifts are sent,
Both mortal and immortal pow'rs relent.
Twenty bright vessels of Corinthian brass,
Their sculpture did the costly mine surpass;
Seven chairs of state, of the same art and mold,
And twice five talents of persuasive gold;
Twelve fiery steeds of the Epirian breed,
Matchless they are for beauty and for speed;
Six Lesbian maids (but these I well could spare)
Their island sack'd, these were the gen'ral's share;
And last a bride, (ah! tell 'em I am thine)
At your own choice out of the royal line :
With these they offer me : But might I chuse,
You should take me, and all their gifts refuse:
But me and those you sullenly reject,
What have I done to merit this neglect?
Is it that you, and fortune jointly vow,
Whom you make wretched, still to keep them so?
Volume II.
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