THE NIGHT: A DIALOGUE.

_Chariessa._[27:1] What if Night Should betray us, and reveal To the light All the pleasures that we steal?

_Philocharis._ Fairest! we 5 Safely may this fear despise: How can she See our actions, who wants eyes?

_Chariessa._ Each dim star, And the clearer lights, we know, 10 Night's eyes are: They were blind that thought her so!

_Philocharis._ Those pale fires Only burn to yield a light T' our desires; 15 And, though blind, to give us sight.

_Chariessa._ By this shade That surrounds us, might our flame Be betray'd!

And the day disclose its name. 20

_Philocharis._ Dearest Fair!

These dark witnesses, we find, Silent are: Night is dumb, as well as blind.

_Chorus._

Then whilst these black shades conceal us, 25 We will scorn Th' envious morn, And the sun that would reveal us.

Our flames shall thus their mutual light betray, And night, with these joys crown'd, outshine the day. 30

UNALTER'D BY SICKNESS.

Pale envious Sickness, hence! no more } Possess her breast, too cold before. } In vain, alas, thou dost invade }[28:1]

A beauty that can never fade. } Could all thy malice but impair 5 One o' th' sweets which crown her fair;[28:2]

Or steal the spirits from her eye; Or kiss into a paler dye The blooming[28:3] roses of her cheek; Our suffering[28:4] hopes might justly seek 10 Redress from thee, and thou mightst save Thousands of lovers from the grave.

But such a.s.saults are vain, for she Is too divine to stoop to thee, Blest with a form as much too high 15 For any change, as[28:5] Destiny, Which no attempt can violate: For what's her beauty is our fate.

TO CELIA.

EXCUSE FOR WISHING HER LESS FAIR.[29:1]

Why thy pa.s.sion should it move That I wished thy beauty less?

Fools desire what is above Power of nature to express; And to wish it had been more 5 Had been to outwish her store.

If the flames within thine eye Did not too great heat inspire, Men might languish, yet not die, }[29:2]

At thy less ungentle fire, } 10 And might on thy weaker light Gaze, and yet not lose their sight.

Nor wouldst thou less fair appear, For detraction adds to thee; If some parts less beauteous were, 15 Others would much fairer be; Nor can any part we know Best be styl'd, when all are so.

Thus this great excess of light, Which now dazzles our weak eyes, 20 Would, eclips'd, appear more bright; And the only way to rise, Or to be more fair, for[29:3] thee, Celia! is less fair to be.

CELIA, SLEEPING OR SINGING.[30:1]

Roses, in breathing forth their scent, Or stars their borrowed ornament; Nymphs in the watery sphere that move, Or angels in their orbs above; The winged chariot of the light, 5 Or the slow silent wheels of night; The shade which from the swifter sun Doth in a circular motion run, Or souls that their eternal rest do keep, Make far more[30:2] noise than Celia's breath in sleep. 10

But if the angel which inspires This subtle frame[30:3] with active fires, Should mould this[30:4] breath to words, and those Into a harmony dispose, The music of this heavenly sphere 15 Would steal each soul out at the ear, And into plants and stones infuse A life that cherubim[30:5] would choose, And with new powers[30:6] invert the laws of fate: Kill those that live, and dead things animate. 20

PALINODE.[31:1]

Beauty, thy harsh imperious chains As a scorn'd weight, I here untie, Since thy proud empire those disdains Of reason or philosophy, That would[31:2] within tyrannic laws 5 Confine the power of each free cause.

Forc'd by the potent[31:3] influence Of thy disdain, I back return: Thus with those flames I do dispense Which, though they would not light, did burn, 10 And rather will through cold expire, Than languish at[31:4] a frozen fire.

But whilst I the insulting pride Of thy vain beauty do despise, Who gladly wouldst be deified 15 By making me thy sacrifice, May Love thy heart which to his charm Approach'd, seem'd cold, at distance warm!

THE RETURN.

Beauty, whose soft magnetic chains Nor time nor absence can untie,[32:1]

Thy power the narrow bound[32:2] disdains Of Nature or Philosophy; Thou[32:3] canst by unconfined laws 5 A motion, though at distance, cause.

Drawn by the powerful[32:4] influence Of thy bright eyes, I back return; And since I nowhere can dispense With flames that[32:5] do in absence burn, 10 I rather choose 'twixt[32:6] them t'expire, Than languish by a hidden fire.

But if thou th'[32:7] insulting pride Of vulgar beauties dost despise, Who, by vain triumphs deified, 15 Their votaries do sacrifice, Then let those flames, whose magic charm At distance scorch'd, approach'd, but warm.

CHANG'D, YET CONSTANT.

Wrong me no more In thy complaint, Blam'd for inconstancy: I vow'd t' adore The fairest Saint, 5 Nor chang'd whilst thou wert she: But if another thee outshine, Th' inconstancy is only thine!

To be by such Blind fools admir'd 10 Gives thee but small esteem, By whom as much Thou'dst be desir'd, Didst thou less beauteous seem.

Sure, why they love they know not well, 15 Who why they should not, cannot tell!

Women are by Themselves betray'd, And to their short joys cruel, Who foolishly 20 Themselves persuade Flames can outlast their fuel; None (though platonic their pretence), With reason love, unless by sense.

And he,[33:1] by whose 25 Command to thee I did my heart resign, Now bids me choose A deity Diviner far than thine; 30 No power can Love from Beauty sever: I'm still Love's subject; thine was, never.

The fairest she Whom none surpa.s.s, To love hath only right; 35 And such to me Thy beauty was, Till one I found more bright; But 'twere as impious to adore Thee now, as not to have done 't before. 40

Nor is it just By rules of Love, Thou shouldst deny to quit A heart that must Another's prove 45 Even in thy right to it; Must not thy subjects captives be To her who triumphs over thee?

Cease, then, in vain To blot my name 50 With forg'd apostasy!

Thine is that stain Who dar'st to claim What others ask of thee.

Of lovers they are only true 55 Who pay their hearts where hearts[33:2] are due.

TO CHARIESSA,

_Beholding herself in a Gla.s.s._[34:1]

Cast, Chariessa, cast that gla.s.s away; Not in its crystal face thine own survey.

What can be free from Love's imperious laws, When painted shadows real flames can cause?

The fires may burn thee from this mirror rise, 5 By the reflected beams of thine own eyes; And thus at last fall'n with thyself in love, Thou wilt my rival, thine own[34:2] martyr, prove.