THE FORTUNATE COMPLAINT. As Strephon, in a wither'd cypress shade, 6 For anxious thought and sighing lovers made, Revolving lay upon his wretched state, And the hard usage of too partial Fate, Thus the sad youth complain'd: "Once happy swain, Now the most abject shepherd of the plain ! "Where's that harmonious concert of delights, "Those peaceful days and pleasurable nights, "That gen'rous mirth and noble jollity, "Which gaily made the dancing minutes fly? 10 Dispers'd, and banish'd from my troubled breast, "Nor leave me one short interval of rest. "Why do I prosecute a hopeless flame, "And play in torment such a losing game? "All things conspire to make my ruin sure; "When wounds are mortal they admit no cure: "But Heav'n sometimes does a mirac'lous thing, "When our last hope is just upon the wing, "And in a moment drives those clouds away "Whose sullen darkness hid a glorious day. "Why was I born? or why do I survive? "To be made wretched only kept alive? "Fate is too cruel in the harsh decree, "That I must live, yet live in misery. "Are all its pleasing happy moments gone? "Must Strephon be unfortunate alone? 15 20 25 66 "On other swains it lavishly bestows; "On them each nymph neglected favour throws; "And lodge their passions in a kind embrace, 30 Obtaining from the soft incurious maid, 35 "True love for counterfeit, and gold for lead. "Success on Mævius always does attend; "Inconstant Fortune is his constant friend; *He levels blindly, yet the mark does hit, "And owes the victory to chance, not wit: "But let him conquer ere one blow be struck; "I'd not be Mævius to have Mævius' luck: "Proud of my fate, I would not change my chains "For all the trophies purring Mævius gains, 40 "But rather still live Delia's slave, than be "Like Mævius silly, and like Mævius free. "But he is happy, loves the common road, "And pack-horse like, jogs on beneath his load: "If Phillis peevish or unkind does prove, "It ne'er disturbs his grave mechanic love. "A little joy his languid flame contents, "And makes him easy under all events : "But when a passion's noble and sublime, "And higher still would ev'ry moment climb, 50 "If 'tis accepted with a just return, "The fire's immortal, will for ever burn, "And with such raptures fills the lover's breast, 45 55 "Suppose she pities, and believes me true, "What satisfaction can from thence accrue, Unless her pity makes her love me too? "Perhaps she loves, ('tis but perhaps, I fear, 60 "For that's a blessing can't be bought too dear) "If she has scruples that oppose her will, "I must, alas! be miserable still; "Tho', if she loves, those scruples soon will fly "For where Love enters he will rule alone, 69 71 "What method can poor Strephon then propound "To cure the bleeding of his fatal wound, "If she who guided the vexatious dart "Resolves to cherish and increase the smart? "Go, youth, from these unhappy plains remove, "Leave the pursuit of unsuccessful love ; "Go, and to foreign swains thy griefs relate; "Tell 'em the cruelty of frowning Fate ; 75 "Tell 'em the noble charms of Delia's mind; "Tell 'em how fair, but tell 'em how unkind; "And when few years thou hast in sorrow spent, 80 "(For sure they cannot be of large extent) "In pray'rs for her thou lov'st resign thy breath, "And bless the minute gives thee ease and death.” Here paus'd the swain-when Delia, driving by Her bleating flock to some fresh pasture nigh, 85 91 By Love directed, did her steps convey Where Strephon, wrapp'd in silent sorrow, lay. As soon as he perceiv'd the beauteous maid, He rose to meet her, and thus, trembling, said: "When humble suppliants would the gods appease, "And in severe afflictions beg for ease, "With constant importunity they sue, "And their petitions ev'ry day renew. "Grow still more earnest as they are deny'd, "Nor one well-weigh'd expedient leave untry'd, 95 "Till Heav'n those blessings they enjoy'd before "Not only does return, but gives 'em more. "O! do not blame me, Delia, if I press "So much, and with impatience, for redress : "My pond'rous griefs no ease my soul allow, 100 "For they are next t'intolerable now : "How shall I then support 'em when they grow "To an excess, to a distracting woe? "Since you're endow'd with a celestial mind, "Relieve like Heav'n, and, like the gods, be kind. "Did you perceive the torments I endure, "Which you first caus'd, and you alone can cure, They would your virgin soul to pity move, “ And pity may at last be chang'd to love. 106 Some swains, I own, impose upon the fair, 110 "And lead th' incautious maid into a snare; "But let them suffer for their perjury, "And do not punish others' crimes in me. "If there's so many of our sex untrue, "Your's should more kindly use the faithful few; 115 120 125 "Tho' innocence too oft incurs the fate "Of guilt, and clears itself sometimes too late. "Your nature is to tenderness inclin'd; "And why to me, to me alone, unkind? "A common love, by other persons shown, "Meets with a full return, but mine has none; 66 Nay, scarce believ'd, tho' from deceit as free "As angels' flames can for archangels be. "A passion feign'd at no repulse is griev'd, "And values little if it ben't receiv'd; "But love sincere resents the smallest scorn, "And the unkindness does in secret mourn. "Sometimes I please myself, and think you are "Too good to make me wretched by despair; "That tenderness which in your soul is plac'd 130 "Will move you to compassion sure at last : "But when I come to take a second view "Of my own merits, I despond of you; "For what can Delia, beauteous Delia ! see "To raise in her the least esteem for me? "I've nought that can encourage my address ; "My Fortune's little, and my worth is less : "But if a love of the sublimest kind "Can make impression on a gen'rous mind; "If all has real value that's divine, "There cannot be a nobler flame than mine. "Perhaps you pity me; I know you must, "And my affection can no more distrust : "But what, alas! will hapless pity do? "You pity, but you may despise me too. 135 140 145 |