Selected quad for the lemma: city_n
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A27315
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Poems upon several occasions with, A voyage to the island of love / by Mrs. A. Behn.
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Behn, Aphra, 1640-1689.
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1684
(1684)
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Wing B1757; ESTC R15250
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83,722
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308
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Smiles and Air more Gracious now appear And her Victorious Eyes more sweetness wear The wonderous Majesty that drest her Brow Becomes less Awful but more Charming now Her Pride abating does my Courage warm And promises success from every Charm She now permits my Eyes with timorous Fears To tell her of the Wounds she 'as made by hers Against her Will my Sighs she does approve And seems well pleas'd to think they come from Love Nothing oppos'd it self to my delight But absence from Aminta every Night But LOVE who recompences when he please And has for every Cruelty an ease Who like to bounteous Heaven assigns a share Of future Bliss to those that suffer here Led me to HOPE A City fair and large Built with much Beauty and Adorn'd with Charge HOPE 'T IS wonderous Populous from the excess Of Persons from all parts that thither press One side of this magnifick City stands On a foundation of unfaithful Sands Which oftentimes the glorious Load destroys Which long designing was with Pomp and Noise The other Parts well founded neat and strong Less Beautiful less Business and less Throng 'T is built upon a Rivers Bank who 's clear And Murmuring Glide delights the Eye and Ear. The River of PRETENSION THis River 's call'd Pretension and its source T' a bordering Mountain owes from whence with force It spreads into the Arms of that calm space Where the proud City dayly sees her face 'T is treacherously smooth and falsly fair Inviting but undoing to come near 'Gainst which the Houses there find no defence But suffer undermining Violence Who while they stand no Palaces do seem In all their Glorious Pomp to equal them This River's Famous for the fatal Wrecks Of Persons most Illustrious of both Sex Who to her Bosom with soft Whispers drew Then basely smil d to see their Ruin too 'T is there so many Monarch perisht have And seeking Fame alone have sound a Grave 'T was thither I was tempted too and LOVE Maliciously wou'd needs my Conduct prove Which Passion now to such a pass had brought It gave admittance to the weakest thought And with a full carreer to this false Bay I ran But met Precaution in my way With whom Respect was who thus gravely said Pretension is a River you must Dread Fond Youth decline thy fatal Resolution Here unavoidably thou meets Confusion Thou flyst with too much hast to certain Fate Follow my Counsel and be Fortunate Asham'd all Blushing I decline my Eyes Yet Bow'd and Thank'd Respect for his advice From the bewitching River straight I hy'd And hurried to the Cities farthest side Where lives the Mighty Princess Hope to whom The whole Isle as their ORACLE do come Tho'little Truth remains in what she says Yet all adore her Voice and her Wise Conduct praise The Princess HOPE I. SHe blows the Youthful Lovers flame And promises a sure repose Whilst with a Treason void of shame His fancy'd Happiness o're-throws Her Language is all soft and fair But her hid Sense is naught but Air And can no solid reason bear As often as she speaks Her faithless Word she breaks Great in Pretension in Performance small And when she Swears 't is Perjury all Her Promises like those of Princes are Made in Necessity and War Cancell'd without remorse at ease In the voluptuous time of Peace II. These are her qualities but yet She has a Person full of Charms Her Smiles are able to beget Forgiveness for her other harms She 's most divinely shap'd her Eyes are sweet And every Glance to please she does employ With such address she does all persons treat As none are weary of her flattery She still consoles the most afflicted Hearts And makes the Proud vain of his fancy'd Arts. Amongst the rest of those who dayly came T' admire this Princess and oblige their flame Conducted thither by a false report That Happiness resided in her Court Two young successless Lovers did resort One so above his Aim had made pretence That even to Hope for him was Impudence Yet he 'gainst Reasons Arguments makes War And vainly Swore his Love did merit her Boldly Attempted daringly Addrest And with unblushing Confidence his flame confest The other was a Bashful Youth who made His Passion his Devotion not his Trade No fond opiniater who a price Sets on his Titles Equipage or Eyes But one that had a thousand Charms in store Yet did not understand his Conquering Pow'r This Princess with a kind Address receives These Strangers and to both new Courage gives She animates the haughty to go on Say A Town long besieg'd must needs be won Time and Respect remove all obstacles And obstinate Love arrives at Miracles Were she the Heir to an illustrious Crown Those Charms that haughty meen that fam'd renown That wond'rous skill you do in Verse profess That great disdain of common Mistresses Can when you please with aid of Billet Deux The Royal Virgin to your Arms subdue One skill d in all the Arts to please the fair Shou'd be above the Sense of dull despair Go on young noble Warrier then go on Though all the fair are by that Love undone Then turning to the other Sir said she Were the bright Beauty you Adore like me Your silent awful Passion more wou'd move Than all the bold and forward Arts of Love A Heart the softest composition forms And sooner yielde by treaty then by storms A Look a Sigh a Tear is understood And makes more warm dis-orders in the Blood Has more ingaging tender Eloquence Then all the industry of Artful Sense So falling drops with their soft force alone Insinuate kind impressions in obdurate stone But that which most my pity did imploy Was a young Hero full of Smiles and Joy A noble Youth to whom indulgent Heaven Had more of Glory then of Virtue given Conducted thither by a Politick throng The Rabble Shouting as he past along Whilst he vain with the beastly Din they make Which were the same if Bears were going to stake Addresses to this faithless Flatterer Who in return calls him young God of War The Cities Champion and his Countries Hope The Peoples Darling and Religious Prop. Scepters and Crowns does to his view expose And all the Fancied pow'r of Empire shows In vain the Vision he wou'd dis-believe In spight of Sense she does his Soul deceive He Credits all nor ask's which way or how The dazling Circle shall surround his Brow Implicitly attends the slattering Song Gives her his easy Faith and is undone For with one turn of State the Frenzy 's heal'd The Blind recover and the Cheats reveal'd Whilst all his Charms of Youth and Beauty lies The kind reproach of pitying Enemies To me she said and smiling as she spoke Lisander you with Love have Reason took Continue so and from Aminta's Heart Expect what Love and Beauty can impart I knew she flatter'd yet I cou'd not choose But please my Self and credit the Abuse Her charming
Words that Night repos'd me more Then all the grateful Dreams I 'd had before Next day I rose and early with the Sun Love guided me to Declaration A pleasant City built with Artful Care To which the Lovers of the Isle repair In our pursuit Respect dissatisfy'd Did the unreasonable Adventure chide Return unheedy Youth cry'd he return Let my advice th' approaching danger warn Renounce thy Purpose and thy haste decline Or thou wilt ruine all Loves great design Amaz'd I stood and unresolv'd t' obey Cou'd not return durst not pursue my way Whilst LOVE who thought himself concern'd as Guide I' th' Criminal Adventure Thus reply'd LOVE's Resentment MVst we eternal Martyrdom pursue Must we still Love and always suffer too Must we continue still to dye And ne'r declare the cruel Cause Whilst the fair Murdress asks not why But triumphs in her rigorous Laws And grows more mighty in disdain More Peevish Humorous Proud and Vain The more we languish by our Pain And when we Vow Implore and Pray Shall the Inhumane cruel fair Only with nice disdain the sufferer pay Consult her Pride alone in the affair And coldly cry In time perhaps I may Consider and redress the Youth's despair And when she wou'd a Period put to 's Fate Alas her cruel Mercy comes too late But wise Respect obligingly reply'd Amintas Cruelty you need not dread Your Passion by your Eyes will soon be known Without this hast to Declaration 'T is I will guide you where you still shall find Aminta in bâ—st Humour and most kind Strong were his Arguments his Reasonings prove Too pow'rful for the angry God of Love Who by degrees t' his native softness came Yields to Respect and owns his haste a blame Both vow obedience to his judging Wit And to his graver Conduct both submit Who now invites us to a Reverend place An ancient Town whose Governor he was Impregnable with Bastions fortify'd Guarded with fair built Walls on every side The top of which the Eye cou'd scarce discern So strong as well secur'd the Rich concern Silence with Modesty and Secresy Have all committed to their Custody Silence to every questions ask'd reply With apt Grimasses of the Face and Eyes Her Finger on her Mouth and as you 've seen Her Picture Handsom with fantastick mean Her every Motion her Commands express But seldom any the hid Soul confess The Virgin Modesty is wond'rous fair A bashful Motion and a blushing Air With un-assur'd regard her Eyes do move Untaught by affectation or Self-love Her Robes not gaudy were nor loosely ty'd But even concealing more then need be hid For Secresie one rarely sees her Face Whose lone Apartment is some Dark recess From whence unless some great affairs oblige She finds it difficult to dis-ingage Her voice is low but subtilly quick her Ears And answers still by signs to what she hears Led by Respect we did an entrance get Not saying any thing who ere we met The City of DISCRETION THE Houses there retir'd in Gardens are And all is done with little noise One seldom sees Assemblies there Or publick shows for Grief or Ioys One rarely walks but in the Night And most endeavour to avoid the Light There the whole World their bus'ness carry Without or confident or Secretary One still is under great constraint Must always suffer but ne'r make complaint 'T is there the dumb and silent languishes Are predic'd which so well explain the Heart Which without speaking can so much express And secrets to the Soul the nearest way impart Language which prettily perswades belief Who 's silent Eloquence obliges Ioy or Grief This City 's called Discretion being the name Of her that is Lieutenant of the same And Sister to Respect a Lady who Seldom obtains a Conquest at first view But in repeated Visits one shall find Sufficient Charms of Beauty and of Mind Her vigorous piercing Eyes can when they please Make themselves lov'd and understood with Ease Not too severe but yet reserv'd and wise And her Address is full of subtilties Which upon all occasions serves her turn T' express her Kindness and to hide her scorn Dissimulations Arts she useful holds And in good manners sets 'em down for rules T was here Aminta liv'd and here I paid My constant visits to the lovely Maid With mighty force upon my Soul I strove To hide the Sent'ments of my raging Love All thaâ— I spoke did but indifferent seem Or went no higher than a great esteem But 't was not long my Passion I conceal'd My flame in spight of me it self reveal'd The silent Confession AND tho' I do not speak alas My Eyes and Sighs too much do say And pale and languishing my Face The torments of my Soul betray They the sad story do unfold Love cannot his own secrets hold And though Fear ty's my Tongue Respect my Eyes Yet something will disclose the pain Which breaking out throw's all disguise Reproaches her with Cruelties Which she augments by new disdain Where e're she be I still am there What-ere she do I that prefer In spight of all my strength at her approach I tremble with a sight or touch Paleness or Blushes does my Face surprize If mine by chance meet her encountering Eyes T was thus she learn'd my VVeakness and her Pow'r And knew too well she was my Conqueror And now Her Eyes no more their wonted Smiles afford But grew more sierce the more they were ador'd The marks of her esteem which heretofore Rais'd my aspiring flame oblige no more She calls up all her Pride to her defence And as a Crime condemns my just pretence Me from her presence does in Fury chase No supplications can my doom reverse And vainly certain of her Victory Retir'd into the Den of Cruelty The Den of Cruelty A Den where Tygers make the passage good And all attempting Lovers make their Food I' th' hollow of a mighty Rock 't is plac'd VVhich by the angry Sea is still imbrac'd VVhose frightful surface constant Tempest wears VVhich strikes the bold Adventurers with Fears The Elements their rudest VVinds send out VVhich blow continual coldness round about Vpon the Rock eternal VVinters dwells VVhich weeps away in dropping Isicles The barren hardness meets no fruitful Ray Nor bears it Issue to the God of day All bleek and cale th' unshady prospect lieâ— And nothing grateful meets the melancâ—olâ— Eyes To this dire place Aminta goes whilstâ—â— Begg'd her with Prayers and Tears to pass it by All dying on the Ground my self I cast And with my Arms her flying Feet imbrac'd But she from the kind force with Fury flung And on an old deformed Woman hung A Woman frightful with a horrid Frown And o're her angry Eyes her Brows hung down One single Look of hers fails not t' impart A terror and despair to every Heart She fills the Universe with discontents And Torments for poor Lovers still invents This is the mighty Tyrant Cruelty Who with the God