THOU best of friendship, knowledge, and of art! The charm of whose lov'd name preserves my heart From female vanities (thy name, which there, Till Time dissolves the fabric, I must wear), Forgive a crime which long my soul opprest, And crept by chance in my unwary breast, So great, as for thy pardon were unfit, And to forgive were worse than to commit, But that the fault and pain were so much one, The very act did expiate what was done. I, who so often sported with the flame, Play'd with the Boy, and laugh'd at both as tame, Betray'd by Idleness and Beauty, fell At last in love, love, both the sin and hell: No punishment great as my fault esteem'd, But to be that which I so long had seem'd. Behold me such, a face, a voice, a lute, The sentence in a minute execute! I yield; recant; the faith which I before Denied, profess; the power I scorn'd, implore. Alas, in vain! no prayers, no vows can bow Her stubborn heart, who neither will allow. But see how strangely what was meant no less Than torment, prov'd my greatest happiness: Delay, that should have sharpen'd, starv'd Desire, And Cruelty not fann'd, but quench'd my fire; Love bound me: now by kind Disdain set free, I can despise that Love as well as she. That sin to friendship I away have thrown: My heart thou mayst without a rival own, While such as willingly themselves beguile, And sell away their freedoms for a smile, Blush to confess our joys as far above Their hopes, as Friendship's longer liv'd than Love. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...DEDICATIONS AND INSCRIPTIONS: 6. GRUACH by GORDON BOTTOMLEY THIRD BOOK OF AIRS: SONG 26. FIRST LOVE by THOMAS CAMPION AFTERNOON ON A HILL by EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY SONNET: 78 by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE THE DALLIANCE OF THE EAGLES by WALT WHITMAN THE BRITISH PHILIPPIC by MARK AKENSIDE POPULARITY by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH |