Selected quad for the lemma: love_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A34566
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Corinna, or, Humane frailty a poem : with an answer to the E. of R--'s satyr against man.
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Rochester, John Wilmot, Earl of, 1647-1680. Satyr against mankind.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing C6297; ESTC R3629
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6,381
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24
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Fruit upon the fertile Ground And for the mighty bliss Heav'n did ordaine That I as many Sorrow's should sustaine One Night as I without appointment came Prompted by Fate and an impatient flame I saw a Man whome she I thought carest With all the Love and passion cou'd b'exprest Saying and doing those things ore and ore Which she so oft had done with me before So Lais entertain'd the Grecian Youth And gave to ev'ry wise Man bliss enough Fruition was the only joy they sought Not those vain pleasures in the Fancy wrought For when Enjoyment's past all other Bliss Is but jmaginary Happiness Not the intelligence of Lovers Eyes Nor the shot lightning from the blazing Skies Is half so quick as was the jealous Fire A sight so unexpected did inspire Reason by Rage and Madness overcome With my drawn Sword I flew into the Room And this unhappy Rival gave his doom But Gods the astonishment which seis'd my Brain When I perceiv'd 't was Drusus I had slain Drusus my Friend whom I had early Lov'd And in a thousand Tryals honest prov'd Drusus tho' rough yet gen'rous brave and wise Bred up together from our infancies The constant Partner of my tender care And in all Fortunes had an equal share Our sports when Young and studies were the same Together in the Warr we fought for equal fame From whom I ne're wou'd any secret hide But in his Breast did all my thoughts confi'de To him the Stories of my Love wou'd tell What my Corinna and my self befel Describe the Beauties of her Face and Mind How innocent she was how just and kind Which he reproving me wou'd never hear But his aversenss to the Sex declare 'T was his beleife no Woman cou'd be true Or if they were less passion was their due That her fair Face my Sences did beguile False was her Love and treacherous her Smile Besides it did emasculate my mind And take my thoughts from things of higher kind Which friendly libercy I near took ill But with a Smile wou'd contradict him still Love one and seem complying to his will Thinking no greater blessing Heav'n cou'd send Then such a constant Mistriss such a Friend But soon the Scene was shifted and I found Horror and dismal ruine all around With what relenting pitty was I stroke How with amazement fill'd when thus he spake Forgive me Friend that I this Tryal made Which has my life and your content betray'd When I succesless found all means did prove To wean you from the dotage of your Love Thinking no Woman without magick Art So wholy cou'd possess a Wisemans Heart I did resolve to see this tempting Fair And break those spells which did your Soul ensnare But ah how frail are the resolves of Man How little able Loves pow'r to withstand By my own policie I was undone And taken by those charmes I shou'd have shun Her crafty Maid that cursed Implement Subtle as the first Serpent to invent By such as whom all Virgin 's are seduc'd Matrons debauch'd all Innocence abus'd And without such no Woman can be won Tho' e're so lew'd or in her Nature prone Gain'd by my Man and Brib'd with pow'rful Gold Th' intrusted Secrets of her Mistris told Brought me acquainted with the charming Fair At certain times she knew you 'd not be there Where under a false Name I did pursue The mad design to prove if she was true Declar'd I Lov'd her better then bright Armes Then Victory or Fame which Souldiers warmes That to win her wou'd much more pleasure yeild Then all the Trophies of the conquer'd Field Kingdomes and Empire woud despise for her And thought her Slave a happier Man by far Something in my rough way there was did Please 'T was new and so succeeded with more Ease Cunning Letitia too did never Faile To use such Elogies as woud Prevaile My shape and unaffected Sence to Praise And every Vertue might her Passion raise Mov'd by the feirceness of my Warme Adress The Merits of my Person did Confess And had she no Engagement she did owne I 'd been Preferd to all she ere had known With such a Grace and Charming Modesty To every thing I said she did Replie A tender Pitty in my Breast did Rise And Love began to Kindle at her Eyes I did Repent that I so far had gon Fore saw the Dangers I was Running on Endeavour'd to Retreat but all in Vain With too much force she did my Heart Detain And thought to Die was a much lesser Pain Her Friendship or at most Platonick Love Was all that I Durst Hope or she Approve And more I Fear'd then you wou'd think was Just To be Enjoy'd without a Breach of Trust. But my Desire was grown too Violent Only with her Esteem to be Content My Feirce Tempestuous Flame began to Rage With that Fury no Reason coud Aswage In all she did such Melting Charmes appear'd That my own Faith was Justly to be Fear'd At last with many Struglings in my Breast With Agonies of Love and Conscience Prest To Fly this Fair Inchanter did intend This Wretched Life in Painful Travel end Rather then Wrong so Generous a Friend I just was Taking of my last Adieu Concealing still my Selfe and Love from you Her Eyes all Bath'd in Tears and I half Dead More of her Yeilding then my Death Afraid The Moment we were Tenderly Imbrac'd Sighing as tho' that Moment was our Last Then you Rush'd in and Freed me from my Pain And by my Death that quiet I Attain Which in my Life I should have Sought in Vain Forgive Corinna Since it was my Crime Let her not Suffer for the Fault of Mine My Friend Forgive me too Was all he Said A Ghastly Paleness ore his Face was Spread And his Life Issu'd with the Crimson'd Flood Unhappy Youth I with Lowd Sorrow Cry'd I wish to Heav'n that I for the had Dy'd Ah! Why Corinna new Friends did you make When I Forsoke the whole Sex for your sake Thou thinkst because thou never did'st Consent In deed to Wronge my Love thou' rt Innocent But thy Minds Adulterate and no more Shall I Enjoy such Pleasures as before Now do I prove the Ills I was forewarnd Whom no Example or advice alarm'd Far from thy Sight I will my Selfe Convey Least to more Ruin thou shoud'st me betray False as Bewitching Syrens are thy Smiles The Men more Curs'd are taken by thy Wiles Amazeing as a Bright Consuming Fire Safe only at a Distance to Admire For all you Touch with Anguish do Expire Beauteous as the Destroying Angels are Noxious your power as a Malignant Star To some Lone Village I will Far Remove Far from the Fatal Sor'cry of your Love For ever Mourn my Friend Untimely Slain And never Venture in the World again Let my unhappy Fate an instance be Of this Worlds change and Mutability That no Man on his Fortune may relie Be Proud and Vain or things forbidden Try. Nor led away by
CORINNA OR Humane FRAILTY A POEM With an Answer to the E. of R 's Satyr against Man Virtus est vitium fugere et Sapientia prima Stultitia caruisse Hor. ep lib. 1. At bona pars Hominum decepta cupidine falso Hor. ser. lib. 1. Qui color albus erat nunc est contrarius albo Ovid. LONDON Printed by I. W. and Sold by I. Nutt 1699. CORINNA OR Humane Frailty c. NOT all the Precepts of Philosophy The Sages Rules or sad Catastrophe Of perverse Men who like Mon'ments are set To warne the erring World t' avoid their Fate Can keep in Reasons Bounds th' ungovern'd Will Of heedless Youth inquisitive of ill The middle Road of Safety they despise And only by Experience will be wise This juv'nile Age with soareing Fancies blest In all their Limbs Beauty and Strength 's exprest An elate Pride in what they say or doe Disdain of all but of themselves does shew Not a young pamper'd Steeds unbridl'd Rage More Mischief or Destruction does presage But sooner much their Feirceness may be rein'd Then stubborn Youth from follies be reclaim'd There 's no example no advice can win Them from experimenting untryd Sin A secret pleasure's thought in what 's unknown Which they 'l attempt tho' sure to be undone Nor only Youth but all Mankind is led By this fond itch which in our Natures bred Not all the Shipwrecks on the treach'rous Seas Can hinder Man from vent'ring of his ease And happy quiet in a safe retreat To purchase Wealth to make his heires live great Th' ambitious Man on the last Statesmans fall Raises himself the Favorite of all Where for a while he like a meator Shines Forgetting there must be a change of times Untill another envious Fool does come And plot his ruine to supplie his roome The Tradesman with his callings not content But to the War his rigid purpose bent Leaving his Wife and Family behind Honour and Riches in big hopes to sind At last returns with loss of Limbs and Blood The wretched pitty of his Neighbourhood But if succesful in some things Men prove How restless and uneasy 't is they move Until some other project they 've begun Some new Invention to loose what they'v won The chastest Wife that never cou'd be brought In deed to wrong her Husband will in thought And many Cuckolds made with an intent Only to try a new experiment Whether a Lover can more pleasure give Then what from Spouse they lawfully receive Tho' no temptation in the Man there be There is enough in the variety Venture for change divorce and civil broile As Men for Honour sweat aspire and toile So longing Virgins yeild to Men they hate Only to be informd o' th' Marriage State But why should I all others faults cry down Who have as great a Number of my own Of 't I 've by Friends by Books been told in vain Loves pleasures were not equal to its pain The many ills which by the Fair were wrought And what destructions they on Men have brought Of Cittys sack'd Countries made desolate By plighted Vowes which they did violate Of Jealous pangs of Murders and the train Of all their mischeifs but 't was all in vain For bright Corinna drove my fears away Like frighted Spirits at approach of Day A thousand Beauties charm'd my willing Sight Her every touch gave fancy new delight Nor cou'd a wish raise joy to greater height What suddain raptures fill'd my swelling breast When in my longing Armes she Love confest Convulsive tremblings sei'sd my Limbs all ore And vital Spirits flew from every pore Such modest Coyness she at first did use As ripen'd Maides unwilling to refuse And beg'd I 'd not her easiness abuse Such faint resistence made my feirce Desire But rage the more like Winds oppos'd to Fire She cry'd to see if any help was nigh No I reply'd nor any wittness by Secure within this shady lonely Grove We may enjoy the blessings of our Love She sigh'd and blush'd and yielded as she Srove Wrapt in each others Armes entranc'd we lay As if our hovering Souls were fled away A pointed pleasure thro' our Bodies run And Life with joy was allmost overcome Ah Heav'n as I recover'd breath I cry'd How has the World and Friends this Sex bely'd Can there in Nature be a higher Bliss Or Heav'n afford a greater happyness Speechless She lay with languid Eyes half clos'd Her naked Beauties to my view exspos'd Nothing was ever form'd so wond'rous Faire As her white Thighs and bright dissheveld haire Such glories did my dazeld Sences charme As wou'd the blood of an old Hermit warme And Priests decay'd with new desires alarme I took her to my trembling Armes again More willing now to ease my am'rous pain In various Shapes her Beauteous Limbs did twine She claspt me with a rage as great as mine Millions of mutual kisses gave 'till we Breathless and fainting lay with exstasie As two feirce warriours who with equal bent Had fought 'till all their mighty Strength was spent Rest by consent their Spirits to refresh Panting and gasping on the bloody Grass So we our softer combat did renew And did the genial work of Fate pursue Often we met and solem Vows wou'd take That no strange Love or interest shou'd break The dear Ingagements which we then did make Often we walkt into that silent Grove Where first we made a Sacrifice to Love Where of 't she 'd call to mind the happy Hour In which she yeilded first to Loves soft power Point to the mossy place where first we laid More blest then Kings on beds of Purple made Nor was her Wit less charming then her Face In all she said or did there was a Grace An aire such as in Shining Courts is seen And Innocent as Nymphs upon the Green How wou'd she chide me if I chanc'd to stay Tho' gainst my will beyond the promis'd Day Go cruel Man some other shares your Heart Whom you 'll betray no doubt to equal smart If that her passion can compare with mine Such will her torture be for your base crime Good God! that I shou'd think you cou'd be true Whose charming Tongue the whole Sex can subdue Whome ev'ry Woman must doat on like me And all be ruin'd by your perjury While I the most transported Man alive For false evasions do not meanly strive But flying to her Arms by vigour prove And manly strength my constancie in Love With strict imbrace melting in rapt'rous Joyes The extream bliss her causless feares destroys Confesses my wrong'd Faith she had abus'd And that it was a Jealous trick she us'd In this blest State I thought to live and die Nor wou'd have chang'd to gain a Monarchy But lasting happiness to Mans deny'd Least pleasure flowing with a constant tyde Shou'd make him forget Heav'n by too much pride So my Feirce Joyes a period quickly found When I least though't receiv'd ' its mortal wound Like blasted