All Trembling in my Arms Aminta lay,
Defending of the Bliss I strove to take;
Raising my Rapture by her kind delay,
Her force so charming was and weak.
The soft resistance did betray the Grant,
While I prest on the Heaven of my desires;
Her rising Breasts with nimbler Motions Pant;
Her dying Eyes assume new Fires.
Now to the height of languishment she grows,
And still her looks new Charms put on;
—Now the last Mystery of Love she knows,
We Sigh, and Kiss: I wak'd, and all was done.
'Twas but a Dream, yet by my Heart I knew,
Which still was Panting, part of it was true:
Oh how I strove the rest to have believ'd;
Asham'd and Angry to be undeceiv'd!
But now LOVE calls me forth; and scarce allows
A moment to the Gods to pay my Vows:
He all Devotion has in disesteem,
But that which we too fondly render him:
LOVE drest me for the day; and both repair,
With an impatient hast to Little Care;
Where many days m' advantage I pursu'd,
But Night returns me to Inquietude;
There suffer'd all that absent Lovers griev'd,
And only knew by what I felt I liv'd;
A thousand little Fears afflict my Heart,
And all its former order quite subvert;
The Beauty's which all day my hope imploy'd,
Seem now too excellent to be enjoy'd.
I number all my RIVALS over now,
Then Raving Mad with Jealousie I grow,
Which does my Flame to that vast height increase;
That here I found, I lov'd to an Excess:
These wild Distractions every Night increase,
But day still reconciles me into Peace;
And I forget amidst their soft Delights,
The unimagin'd torment of the Nights.
'Twas thus a while I liv'd at Little Care,
Without advance of Favour or of fear,
When fair Aminta from that Court departs,
And all her Lovers leave with broken Hearts,
On me alone she does the Grace confer,
In a Permission I shou'd wait on her.
Oh with what eager Joy I did obey!
Joy, which for fear it shou'd my Flame betray,
I Veil'd with Complisance; which Lovers Eyes
Might find transported through the feign'd disguise;
But hers were unconcern'd; or wou'd not see,
The Trophies of their new gain'd Victory:
Aminta now to Good Reception goes;
A place which more of Entertainment shows
Then State or Greatness; where th'Inhabitants,
Are Civil to the height of Complisance;
They Treat all Persons with a chearful Grace,
And show 'em all the pleasures of the Place;
By whose Example bright Aminta too,
Confirm'd her self, and more obliging grew.
Her Smiles and Air more Gracious now appear;
And her Victorious Eyes more sweetness wear:
The wonderous Majesty that drest her Brow,
Becomes less Awful, but more Charming now:
Her Pride abating does my Courage warm,
And promises success from every Charm.
She now permits my Eyes, with timorous Fears,
To tell her of the Wounds she'as made by hers,
Against her Will my Sighs she does approve,
And seems well pleas'd to think they come from Love.
Nothing oppos'd it self to my delight,
But absence from Aminta every Night.
But LOVE, who recompences when he please,
And has for every Cruelty an ease;
Who like to bounteous Heaven, assigns a share
Of future Bliss to those that suffer here:
Led me to HOPE! A City fair and large,
Built with much Beauty, and Adorn'd with Charge.
HOPE.
'Tis wonderous Populous from the excess,
Of Persons from all parts that thither press:
One side of this magnifick City stands,
On a foundation of unfaithful Sands;
Which oftentimes the glorious Load destroys,
Which long designing was with Pomp and Noise;
The other Parts well founded neat and strong,
Less Beautiful, less Business, and less Throng.
'Tis built upon a Rivers Bank, who's clear
And Murmuring Glide delights the Eye and Ear.
The River of PRETENSION.
This River's call'd Pretension; and its source
T' a bordering Mountain owes, from whence with force,
It spreads into the Arms of that calm space,
Where the proud City dayly sees her face;
'Tis treacherously smooth and falsly fair,
Inviting, but undoing to come near;
'Gainst which the Houses there find no defence,
But suffer undermining Violence;
Who while they stand, no Palaces do seem
In all their Glorious Pomp to equal them.
This River's Famous for the fatal Wrecks,
Of Persons most Illustrious of both Sex,
Who to her Bosom with soft Whispers drew,
Then basely smil'd to see their Ruin too.
'Tis there so many Monarchs perisht have,
And seeking Fame alone have found a Grave.
'Twas thither I was tempted too, and LOVE
Maliciously wou'd needs my Conduct prove;
Which Passion now to such a pass had brought,
It gave admittance to the weakest thought,
And with a full carreer to this false Bay
I ran. But met Precaution in my way.
With whom Respect was, who thus gravely said,
Pretension is a River you must Dread:
Fond Youth, decline thy fatal Resolution,
Here unavoidably thou meets Confusion;
Thou fly'st with too much hast to certain Fate,
Follow my Counsel, and be Fortunate.
Asham'd, all Blushing I decline my Eyes,
Yet Bow'd and Thank'd Respect for his advice.
From the bewitching River straight I hy'd,
And hurried to the Cities farthest side
Where lives the Mighty Princess Hope, to whom
The whole Isle as their ORACLE do come;
Tho' little Truth remains in what she says,
Yet all adore her Voice, and her Wise Conduct praise.
The Princess HOPE.
I.