first they came Trust not your Passion with the Man you love He 'll be the first your Int'rest to remove Yet Brave Patroclus was to Friendship just And some few more perhaps have kept their Trust But whoe'r hopes the like to find May hope as well to sail against the Wind. Baseness alone we act with Appetite And no man looks beyond his own Delight W' are so ill-natur'd in the base Offence Another's Pain commends it to our Sense In Love an Open Enemy neglect Fear only those whom you could least suspect A Kinsman Brother or a Confident May make your Easie Faith too late repent And now to close up all I shall produce One Constant Rule of Universal Use A Thousand diff'rent Humours you shall meet A Thousand Arts those diff'rent Humours hit One spot of Ground shall luscious Grapes supply The next to Olives only shall agree The Skilful Lover must with Care allot The Vine or Olive to their proper spot Like Proteus must a Thousand Faces wear A Tree an Horse a Lyon or a Bear Be pleasant airy stately or severe Nor the same Snares for diff'rent Ages set The Experienc'd Hunted Hind will spy the Net If to the Bashful Wild Great to the Mean Courtly and Gay to the Ill-bred you seem Each soon of such Accomplishments despairs And lest she should be quickly nauceous fears Hence 't is the Flutt'ring Spark goes often home Out-rivall'd by the duller Brawny Groom THE END Hero and Leander OF MUSAEUS From the GREEK SIng gentle Muse the Torch well-known to Fame The silent Witness of a Nobler Flame And Him who thro th' divided Waves did haste Tides of stoln Joys and Midnight Bliss to taste Methinks I hear Leander on his way The Am'rous Waves about his Body play The Faithful Torch almost consum'd I hear That flaring tells glad Hero he is near The Torch a proper Emblem of their Love Whose well-known Service merits a remove To shine for ever ' mongst the Stars above And conscious of these Lover's Vows dispence On us below a gentler Influence Long was it Confident to their Amours And told th'approach of their kind melting hours Till the rough Winds a fatal War did move Unequal Foes for the soft sighs of Love At once destroying in an envious strife The Torch the Flame of Love Leander's Life Two Neighbours Sestus and Abydus stand Viewing each other from the opp'site Strand But Love whose Will the Seas in vain oppose Whose Boundless Power no Contradiction knows At once reach'd both with one unerring Dart. Here struck a Careless Youth and touch'd his Heart There made a Nymph unwillingly complain What they too rarely do of equal Pain Abydus's Glory young Leander came And Hero Flower of Sestus met his Flame If Chance or Bus'ness call ye out that way You still the Ruins of the Tower may see Where anxious Hero with the Taper stood To guide her Lover thro th'opposing Flood May stand concern'd your self upon the Shore And hear the Melancholy Waters roar That seem Leander's Death still to deplore The Lovely Hero sprung of Noble Blood Priestess all Day in Venus Temple stood All Night from Friends upon the Neighb'ring Sea In a lone Tower that other Venus lay She ne'r with other Ladies us'd t' engage Censure the Wits and Beauties of the Age. Nor in wild Masques or Wanton Balls delight With Chosen Youths to spend the am'rous Night But with rich Gums and costly Spices strove To keep propitious the Dread Queen of Love Would sometimes Hyacinths and Roses bring And sometimes Odes on her Adonis sing And willing too to make Blind Love her own The hov'ring Cupids she would often Crown In vain she strove to bribe him to be kind He 's Deaf to Promises t'Oblations Blind It was the Time they Yearly Honours pay When Venus and Adonis name the Day A Time by Sestians honour'd above all An Ancient and much Reverenc'd Festival The Neighb'ring Youth heard an uncertain Fame And flocking all from Thrace and Cyprus came The softer Sex Cythera empty left Abydus was of all her Men bereft They to the Altar Costly Presents pay But their Devotion lies another way Beauty the Toy fond Lovers deifie Beauty draws in the Crowding Votary A Power in Charming Smiles and Killing Eyes Requires the Bleeding Heart for Sacrifice But now Fair Hero thro the Fane made way Dress'd to perform the Duties of the Day An Air Majestique reign'd thro out her Face Sweetn'd by many a Complying Grace The Ancient Lovers but Three Graces found And by that Test was Perfect Beauty crown'd But Hero's Beauty more Divine than that With ev'ry Look new Graces did Create And wantonly about each careless Eye An hundred hov'ring Graces seem'd to play Oh Priestess worthy of the Queen of Love Worthy next her to Rule the Gods above She who all Beauties do's excel like you At once may Priestess seem and Goddess too The Youths around burn with unhallow'd Fires Love Blazes out and dwindling Zeal Expires In vain the Wretches turn their Eyes away The Killing Species on their Fancy prey Too late do's their prepost'rous Care begin Who shut the Gates when th'Enemy's got in Where-e'r she went or whatsoe'r was done Her Lovely Motion and sweet Mien drew on The Eyes the Heart the Soul of ev'ry one But One of all the rest to ease his pain Thus gave his Passion vent Oft have I seen the Place they Sparta call Where Beauty's Empire is the Prize of all But ne'r did yet so fair a Creature meet So young so sweet so ev'ry way compleat Long have I gaz'd 'twixt Trouble and Delight While the Bright Object dazzl's my Dull Sight Yet still I gaze and find with weary Eyes The Sight of Her like Heav'n ne'r satisfies Oh I could smile and Thousand Deaths defie Might I enjoying Thee Blest Hero die Would'st Thou but favour my Ambitious Love I 'd envy not the Mighty Bliss of Jove No I would scorn his Pageantry and Show And here enjoy a Real Heaven below But thou who do'st my tender Passion see Great Venus hear thy Humble Votary If from thy Priestess I must find Despair Grant me at least a Nymph resembling Her Thus spoke the Youth and ev'ry Stander by Joyn'd in his Wishes with an Hearty Sigh And now another in his lab'ring Brest Attempts to stifle the Outragious Guest But the Close Room frustrates his fond Desire Augmenting while it hides the Raging Fire At last Leander the Infection took Disguis'd by Love under a Gentle Look He had been told Love was a Killing Pain And vow'd he would not die and not complain He vow'd he could not without Hero live And She should cure the Wounds her Eyes did give Thus for a while he brav'd but Busie Love About his Heart did now too active prove And now the Symptoms on his Face begin To shew the sad Disorders are within There Fear and Shame Amaze and Boldness move The Dire Ingredients of the Poison Love Now Hope and Joy
his ravisht Breast possess With Thousand pleasing Images of Bliss Like little Tastes of Future Happiness Thro ev'ry Vein flows in a Liquid Fire A full Spring Tide of Vehement Desire Ah! Happy Youth could'st thou thus ever burn But thy Cold Fit alas do's soon return While with her Beauty he his Merit weighs This pale Despair Confusion that conveys At last with Seeming Boldness in his Face For Fear and Shame still linger'd on the Place Thro Crowds of Gazing Rivals he made way Till his Deportment could not scape her Eye And now with folded Arms and lifted Eyes With wishing Glances and Expressive Sighs The Rhetorique by Nature first design'd He strove to move the Lady's gentle mind Leander's meaning she did soon perceive And for the Conquest secret Joy conceive Women are Riddles no man can unfold Whom baffled Contradictions cannot hold Concern'd they read the Cheats of Errantry And weep when the Chimaera-Lovers die But when true Sighs of Death require their Tears When Love in all his Ghastly Shapes appears No more that Female Softness they retain Their Tyrant Eyes Enjoy the Real Pain They cry out Fire at ev'ry Painted Flame Unmov'd when Burning Towns their Pity claim Yet Signs of Kindness she would oft betray And turn th'Obliging Lovely Sight that way Then suddenly away her Eyes would snatch As if She fear'd he had observ'd too much Such Cruel Kindness does the Flash of Light That shews the Way and leaves us in the Night Yet the fond Youth can scarce his joy contain Pleas'd with the Hopes he has not sigh'd in vain But now the long-wish'd Evening came on When all the Bus'ness of the Day was done His Courage with the Darkness do's increase And boldly now he ventures an Address At first her lovely Hand he gently prest Then in a tender Sigh his Mind exprest Without Reply she took her Hand away But then a Kind inviting Look bids stay Willing the feign'd Resentment to betray No sooner he perceiv'd her wav'ring Mind Half angry now now willing to be kind But strait a Hated Rudeness he put on To salve her Honour forfeiting his own By Force he leads her to a close Recess By Force to Her but to Himself no less With faint Resistance She his Force withstood And fain would seem unwilling if She cou'd At last What means this Rudeness Sir She said This Salvage Usage to a spotless Maid Unhand me and be gone without Reply The Fury of my Injur'd Kinsmen fly Are not my Office and this Holy Place Sufficient Guards against Designs so base At least if you regard not Innocence My Shrieks shall call in some to my Defence She threatn'd highly but Leander knew Spight of this Heat a Conquest would ensue For Women like Distressed Souldiers are When an hard Siege has drove 'em on Despair Here Drums they beat and Trumpets there are blown And all their Strength upon the Walls is shown But if this fail they strait resign the Town My Goddess then says he for Form like thine And such Perfection needs must be Divine Hear the hard measure to me dealt by Fate And let me have your Pity or your Hate But sure you 'll pity the Unfortunate Who e'r that Face those Fatal Eyes does see Is forc'd to Love of strong necessity And whate'r Out-rages Love may commit Are Irresible Effects of It. And certainly such Goodness never can First cause the Sin and then condemn the Man Your Office too pleads strongly in my Cause For Venus Priestess should perform her Laws Virgin and Priestess here so ill agree They seem a Contradiction to me But since for Venus you such Honour have For her lov'd sake admit me for your Slave Of fair At'lanta you must needs have read By what dire means she shunn'd the Marriage Bed And vow'd her Virgin Honour to retain Which like true Honour must be kept with Pain Till angry Venus not enduring more Made her love him she fanci'd least before If not to me to your dear Self be kind You may provoke your Goddess in this mind These Artful Words his Argument made good With fixed looks upon the ground she stood A Conscious Blush o'r-ran her beauteous Face A Blush that spoke the Conquest of the Place The Charming Accents ran thro ev'ry Vein Conveying gentle Heat and pleasing Pain But Vertue warm'd by the new Heat of Love The Frozen Snake within began to move And now with Rage th' Intestine Wars begin While meeting Heat and Cold ferment within The Dire Extreams of Both by turns prevail The Intermitting Love and Fear make Hell One while on Points of Honour she reflects And all th'Evasions of fond Love rejects Then on Leander's goodly Shape would look Saw his Sweet Strength and was with wonder struck That silent Rhetorique renews her Pain Whispers soft Love and fans the Fire again Thus Love and Vertue struggle in her Brest Loth to resign unable to resist Nor stood the Youth unmov'd or idly by He saw the War and pray'd for Victory When cruel Modesty with drew from 's sight The Source of endless ravishing Delight His eager Eyes would on new Pleasures feast The Epicures devour'd her Neck and Breast Like Gods they dwelt on those soft Hills of Snow Unmov'd with little Accidents below But oh how fast did the Short Ever flow At last all Bars her Swelling Passion broke And quite o'rcome in kinder words she spoke Your words the roughest hardest Rock might move Might warm a Statue with the Sense of Love Where could you learn this base destroying Art With such slight Toils to take a careless Heart Or what ill Fate Why were you hither brought Where I alas must hazard being caught But yet in vain you spread your subtile snare A wandring Stranger ne'r my Heart shall share Or if I would my Parents have design'd I never shall in Marriage Bonds be joyn'd Parents like Gods cause they our Being give Claim o'r our Wills a hard Prerogative Their Creatures they dispose of at their Will Nor must we question whether well or ill My Virgin Honour and Unspotted Fame To treat on baser Articles disclaim Honour and Fame which on our weaker side Heav'n has ordain'd our feeble Reasons Guid. No blast me Heavens if e'r this Breast consent To wrong the blessed Guardians you have lent Suppose you should a Stranger here remain Not that I 'd have you feed on Hope so vain And I your Passion kindly entertain How long alas could we each other bless Some soon would trace out our stoln Happiness Men love to talk and what was never done Has oft been buzz'd thro this Censorious Town Howe'r your Name and Countrey I would know So I may Pity tho not Love allow To yonder Tower confin'd with Tales I strive The Entertainment my Old Nurse can give To drive the Melancholy Hours away Hours that return with ev'ry tedious day The dreadful Waves too often thither press No other Visitants can gain access 'T is all the kindness
Thus they a while in stoll'n Embraces live ' Midst all the Sweets successful Love can give Th' Inconstant Moon oft chang'd her Face and came Yet always found their faithful Love the same The Flowing Sea embrac'd the naked Shore And left the Mistriss which he kiss'd before But still no Ebb was in their Passion found The growing Sea of Love got daily Ground But the short Date cheapen's all humane Things The Winter hast's with Storms upon its Wings Impetuous Blasts the swelling Surges raise Unheard of Fury rages on the Seas In vain the Lovers wish for Halcyon Days The Saylors fear such Hazards to endure Their Ships ev'n in the Port are scarce secure No noise of Hazards can Leander move No Storms affright the Vent'rous Barque of Love Desire imposes on his cred'lous Eye And shews the Danger less the Tower more nigh The Torch Invites and he must away Spight of the threatning Fury of the Sea Hero should grant a gentle Respite now And Grievous Absence for a while forgoe Not still the fatal tempting Torch prepare When not one Star i' th' Heavens durst appear The Ladys Heart to pity was inclin'd But Love and Fate had harsher things design'd The Cloudy Night did double Darkness shew Mourning the black Decrees it seem'd to know But oft from bursting Clouds broke forth a Light Height'ning the horrour of the dismal Night Loud Peals of Thunder roul along the Skie The Seas roar louder and those threats defie And now the Winds begin the fatal War The cruel Winds their fiercest Blasts prepare While poor Leander strove but strove in vain Through all their Rage the Sestian shoar to gain Here swelling Waters in vast Mountains rise There dreadful Vallies gape before his Eyes In vain the Youth his fruitless Pray'rs directs And from his Sea-born Goddess help expects In vain with Crys and Vows on Neptune calls Promising Trophies to his Temple Walls Yet stubborn Boreas he did almost move So well he pleaded for his Faithful Love The blust'ring Wind more gentle oft became Pleas'd with the sound of Orithya's Name But no Complaints can the deaf Seas asswage Complaints and Sighs seem to encrease their Rage The wonted strength fails his forsaken Feet No more his weary'd Hands the Waters beat No more thro meeting Waves he breaks away They bear in Triumph now the wretched Prey And now the Winds but who thy Fate can tell And not one sigh for thee poor Youth let fall The cruel Winds their utmost Malice shew Compleating with one cursed Blast thy Wo A cursed Blast put out th' unlucky Light And with the Light Leanders Life took flight Hero mean-while wakeful and listning lay Dreading the cause of his unusual stay Her fear too soon the fatal cause presents But willing Hope a fond pretence invents That he would never venture thro that Night Should new Delights and unknown Joys invite But then a Noise below she seem'd to hear And rose and cry'd Then are you come my Dear But soon of Speech and Senses was bereft Such ill Effects the Disappointment left And now Sick Fancy shews Him to her Eyes What will not Fancy help'd by Night devise Beside her Bed the dropping Lover stood Breathless and panting from the toilsom Flood In vain she tempts him with a thousand Charms The pleasing Image fly's her Empty Arms. By such Delusions wreck'd she pass'd the Night Till Day return'd wth Conscious Mournful Light She rose all sad and clouded as the Day And view's with Causcious Fear the dreadful Sea But Fancy willing to deceive her Fear Now shew's him wandring there now ev'ry where Fancy no longer can abuse her eyes It shew's False Things but cannot true disguise She finds at last the bruis'd torn Body lay'd Beneath the Tower by some kind Wave convey'd She saw the Killing Sight and rent her Gown And with a sudden shriek leap'd headlong down ' Thus liv'd the Faithful Pair thus faithful Dy'd Nor could harsh Death the Loving Flame divide No Love so true e'r found so hard a Fate None e'r so ill deserv'd so short a Date THE END
my haâ—d Friends express The Ladies fly the Inauspicious Ground No Gentle Youths there dance to Musick 's sound The only Musick that e'r reaches me Is the harsh Roaring of the neighb'ring Sea This said again she hid her Heav'nly Face For Crowding Blushes now came on apace And half relaps'd do's her ill Conduct blame That she should trust a Stranger with her Fame Each word the tender Lover almost kills His Thoughts are bent how to redress these Ills. How they might Double Bliss stoln Love enjoy And all the Spight of Place or Friends defie Madam at last the gentle Youth replies But first le ts fall some deep prevailing Sighs Shall empty Nothings this Delight oppose Who scorns the Malice of all Real Foes Honour and Fame are nothing unto me Who for your Love dare venture thro the Sea Tho swoln with Dangers dreadful Tempests roar And shipwrackt Barks lie scatter'd on the Shoar The Face of Danger I can never fear While to those happy Arms my Course I steer 'T will raise the Price of all our future Joys If ought the Price of Joys Immortal raise To think with how much Danger they were got Not cheaply purchast at the Common Rate Yes I will leave Abydus ev'ry Night And cross the Seas as Love and you invite You on the Tower a lighted Torch provide Your Messenger of Love your Lovers Guide Thus I will be the little Bark of Love Your Torch the Star by which the Bark does move Yet one thing sits on my ill-boding Mind Beware Fair Maid the flatt'ring faithless Wind Lest I on unseen Dangers should be tost And your poor little Barque should so be lost My Cautions rise not from a sense of fear But who so soon would lose a Love so dear And Dearest Maid since you would know my Name Leander I your Blest Adorer am Ambition could no greater Titles claim This and much more the loving Pleader said Gaining by slow degrees the Charming Maid Upon these Terms at last they both agree She to provide the Torch He cross the Sea Thrice by the Goddess of the Place they swore Thrice with close Kisses ratifi'd the Amour After such Earnest of their future Joy To the next Night Sh'adjourn'd th' unwilling Boy Oft they agreed upon the parting Look Yet after many a last Kiss he took With much ado he parts and as he went The ills of future Errors to prevent Oft times he stopt and oft Remarques he made Which thro the Night might to her Lodgings lead The Following Morn creeps lazily away Each Minute seems to him a tedious Day Both Wine and Wit their boasted Vertue lose And time stands still to him which flys to those The helpless Lover wanders up and down And hopes in vain to lose it in the Town What e'r he does or wheresoe'r he goes Th' appointed Hour Th' appointed Hour pursues But now the welcome Night brought all Things Rest A Stranger only to Leander's Breast Already He was at the Water's side Waiting with pain the Rising of his Guide The Star of Love which might to humane Eyes Like others seem out of the Sea to rise Hero no less Impatient of Delay Sets up the Torch to call the Youth away The grateful Object quickly reacht his Sight But Planet-like shot Heat as well as Light Heat that renew'd his Extasie of Pain Doubling the rage of ev'ry boiling Vein Whate'r in other Things the Stars dispence 'T is plain the Stars of Love do Influence Fearful at first he saw the threat'ning Waves Roul by in horrid Scenes of gasping Graves But soon those Childish Fancies disappear And Love confutes his Superstitious Fear An hopeless Choice said He is left to me The Rage of Love or Fury of the Sea On hard Extreams the hopeless Wretch is thrown Whose Fatal Liberty is Burn or Drown Who can the Outragious Flames of Love endure Yet those dire Flames are gentler than their Cure Their Cure had been a calm obliging Sea But that 's as deaf and merciless as they Yet I will in and all it's threat'nings brave The Waters shall this Burning Structure save By Birth to Venus they Allegiance owe Venus the Witness of our Midnight Vow This said He strait his lovely Body stript And boldly on the foaming Billows leapt His Manly Strength th' opposing Waves divides In stately Pride like some Sea-god he rides Himself at once the Barque and Mariner Himself the Pilot and the Passenger Hero mean-while all pale and trembling stood With fruitless crys invoking the deaf Flood She watch'd from whence each envious Blast took flight And held her Mantle to defend the Light Thus having reach'd the welcome Sestian Shore The Weary'd Youth stood shivering at her Door The drops still fell from his rich Auborn Hair When she with silent Joy embrac'd him there Then to her richly furnish'd Chamber led Furnisht with Works her own fair hand had made There they sweet Oyls and Essences provide To stanch th' offensive Odour of the Tide Scarce yet recover'd on her Bed he lies While she with eager Joy his Limbs survey's Then all o'r Love she clasp's him in her Arms Let 's fall soft words endear'd with Thousand Charms My Joy for me what Dangers hast thou known What generous Wonders ha's thy Passion shown My Joy What Deaths hast thou embrac'd for me Thy Love as full and boundless as the Sea No Lover yet this Noble Height e'r flew This mighty Paradox was kept for you Thy weary'd Spirits on this Breast relieve If Hero's Breast any Relief can give Hero At which he stopt her with a Kiss Impatient grown for more Substantial Bliss The Flames within peep thro their Glowing Eyes And shoot by turns fresh Vigour as they rise With ill experienc'd and untimely Hast They urge those Joys which flew themselves too fast Till quite o'rwhelm'd in meeting Tides of Fire The weary'd Lovers languish and expire Then in kind wishing Looks and fainting Sighs Away the envious short-liv'd Blessing flyes But quickly they renew the am'rous Heat Pursuing Death so exquisitely Sweet And then agen with furious Hast they Love Practice new Charms each Wanton Art improve As if they meant the fleeting Hours t'o'rtake To pay with Int'rest past Enjoyments back But still at Heaven arriv'd they faint and die Unable to support th' Excess of Joy Thus flow'd the gentlest dearest kindest Night Each Minute meas'ring Ages of Delight No Dance or Musick or Untimely Rites Defer'd their Bliss those crowd the Marriage Nights When Fools their loathsom Jesting can't refrain But Barb'rously make Sport whith those in Pain And while the Man lies tortur'd by her side Impertinently kill the Longing Bride A silent Lamp help'd to compleat the Joy Which glaring Nuptial Torches would destroy The Nights alone to these Stealths conscious were The hasty Morn ne'r found Leander there Still with regret her dearest Arms he left Of ready Love unwillingly bereft She with Loose Gown suspicion do's avoid Virgin by day by night more bless'd than Bride