ODES, EPIGRAMS, &c.

TOSA CHARISSA,

ON THE AUTHOR'S SUSPECTING HER OF

D

COQUETTING.

I.

ON'T, SACHARISSA, e'er be taught
Th' ungen'rous cruel art,

To feign fond looks, when not a thought
Of love approach'd your heart.

II.

Can it be joy to sport with pain,
Or fee true merit grieve?
Or lure with hope the faithful fwain
You mean not to relieve?

III.

O think! what torture 'tis to pine
For blifs that's still in view;
But ne'er poffefs'd, like joys divine,
Which Hell's fierce pangs renew.

IV.

Thus PHRYGIA's King*, as Bards relate,
For fome unpardon'd fin,

Was doom'd to bear Thirft's ceaseless heat,
Though water lav'd his chin.

B 2

*TANTALUS.

V. Then

ས.

Then ftraight pronounce, or frown me dead;
It would far kinder prove,

Than thus to keep in doubt and dread,
If you, or hate, or love.

O BELINDA,

то

ON HER

IMPUTING TO A COLD AN INFLAMMATION IN HER EYES AFTER CRYING.

B

L

ELINDA, fay, what dims thofe eyes,
Which beam delicious light?

Doft thou in pity part disguise,
Because the whole's too bright ?

II.

Perhaps, the act is not thine own,
Some baleful Northern blast,
Brib'd by the Sun that's jealous grown,
Their luftre has o'ercaft?

III.

Or the vain Moon to make her Night
Outshine the blaze of Day;
Hath borrow'd a new robe of light,
From their more dazzling ray?

IV.

Had this but been, before I gaz'd,

With adoration there;

They might, like eyes lefs bright, have pleas'd;

And I have fhunn'd love's fnare.

V. Yet

V.

Yet rather than they thus remain,
Like * CLYTIA let me lie;
Still gazing on with pleasing pain;
Though loft like her I die.

**

TO SA CHARISSA.

I.

HILE fome for face, and fome for mien,
And fome for wit I've lov'd;

WHI

With each juft pleas'd as long as feen;
How free your STREPHON rov'd!

II.

If this prov'd coy, or that unkind,
Perhaps a third was true;

Were they as fickle as the wind,
Then I was fickle too.

III.

But when I all thofe charms explore,

So eminent in thee;

My vagrant heart can rove no more;
It is no longer free.

* CLYTIA was a nymph whom APOLLO (or the Sun) lov'd; but he forfaking her, fhe lay gazing on him, until, at length pining away, she was chang'd into a Sunflower, which is faid to turn continually towards the Sun.

TO BE LIN D A,

ON HER DESIRING HIM NEVER MORE

TO LOOK AT HER.

FOR

I.

ORBID to look at those dear eyes!
O rigour too fevere !

I could for thee ev'n death despise,

But can't that fentence bear,

II.

I, by fuch fatal arts, but ftrove
To tell my secret pain,

Since thou would'st not of flighted love
Permit me to complain.

III.

Those eyes not leffer transport gave,
Than the light's gladsome ray
Gives to the dungeon-prifon'd flave,

Who wears in dark the day.

IV.

Permit me then, this boon to claim,

That like the hapless fly,

I may still hover round the flame,

By which I'm doom'd to die.

то