'Tis Honour shall his Bus'ness be,
And Love his noblest Play:
Those two should never disagree,
For both make either gay.
Love without Honour were too mean
For any gallant Heart;
And Honour singly, but a Dream,
Where Love must have no Part.
A Flame like this you cannot fear,
Where Glory claims an equal Share.
Such a Passion, Damon, can never make you quit any Part of your Duty to your Prince. And the Monarch you serve is so gallant a Master, that the Inclination you have to his Person obliges you to serve him, as much as your Duty; for Damon's loyal Soul loves the Man, and adores the Monarch: for he is certainly all that compels both, by a charming Force and Goodness, from all Mankind.
The KING.
Darling of Mars! Bellona's Care!
The second Deity of War!
Delight of Heaven, and Joy of Earth!
Born for great and wondrous things,
Destin'd at his auspicious Birth
T' out-do the num'rous Race of long-past Kings.
Best Representative of Heaven,
To whom its chiefest Attributes are given!
Great, Pious, Stedfast, Just, and Brave!
To Vengeance slow, but swift to save!
Dispensing Mercy all abroad!
Soft and forgiving as a God!
Thou saving Angel who preserv'st the Land
From the just Rage of the avenging Hand;
Stopt the dire Plague, that o'er the Earth was hurl'd,
And sheathing thy Almighty Sword,
Calm'd the wild Fears of a distracted World,
(As Heaven first made it) with a sacred Word!
But I will stop the low Flight of my humble Muse, who when she is upon the wing, on this glorious Subject, knows no Bounds. And all the World has agreed to say so much of the Virtues and Wonders of this great Monarch, that they have left me nothing new to say; tho' indeed he every Day gives us new Themes of his growing Greatness, and we see nothing that equals him in our Age. Oh! how happy are we to obey his Laws; for he is the greatest of Kings, and the best of Men!
You will be very unjust, Damon, if you do not confess I have acquitted my self like a Maid of Honour, of all the Obligations I owe you, upon the account of the Discretion I lost to you. If it be not valuable enough, I am generous enough to make it good: And since I am so willing to be just, you ought to esteem me, and to make it your chiefest Care to preserve me yours; for I believe I shall deserve it, and wish you should believe so too. Remember me, write to me, and observe punctually all the Motions of my Watch: The more you regard it, the better you will like it; and whatever you think of it at first sight, 'tis no ill Present. The Invention is soft and gallant; and Germany, so celebrated for rare Watches, can produce nothing to equal this.
Damon, my Watch is just and new; }
And all a Lover ought to do, }
My Cupid faithfully will shew. }
And ev'ry Hour he renders there,
Except l'heure du Bergere.