Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, CLITOPHON AND LEUCIPPE TRANSLATED; TO THE LADIES, by RICHARD LOVELACE



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

CLITOPHON AND LEUCIPPE TRANSLATED; TO THE LADIES, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Pray ladies, breathe, awhile lay by
Last Line: In english meet to wait on you.


PRAY ladies, breathe, awhile lay by
Celestial Sidney's Arcady;
Here 's a story that doth claim
A little respite from his flame:
Then with a quick dissolving look
Unfold the smoothness of this book,
To which no art, except your sight,
Can reach a worthy epithite;
'Tis an abstract of all volumes,
A pilaster of all columns
Fancy e'er rear'd to Wit, to be
The smallest god's epitome,
And so compactedly express
All lovers' pleasing wretchedness.

Gallant Pamela's majesty,
And her sweet sister's modesty
Are fix'd in each of you; you are,
Distinct, what these together were;
Divinest that are really
What Chariclea 's feign'd to be;
That are ev'ry one the Nine,
And brighter here Astræas shine;
View our Leucippe, and remain
In her these beauties o'er again.

Amazement! Noble Clitophon
Ev'n now look'd somewhat colder on
His cooler mistress, and she too
Smil'd not as she us'd to do.
See! the individual pair
Are at sad odds, and parted are;
They quarrel, emulate, and stand
At strife who first shall kiss your hand.

A new dispute there lately rose
Betwixt the Greeks and Latins, whose
Temples should be bound with glory
In best languaging this story.
Ye heirs of love, that with one smile
A ten-years' war can reconcile,
Peaceful Helens, virtuous, see!
The jarring languages agree,
And here all arms laid by, they do
In English meet to wait on you.





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