Evander to Emillia

Yes, my EMILLIA, I can say with truth, Had EMMA’s HENRY really stain’d his youth With those dark crimes his jealousy assumed, By murder branded, and to exile doom’d, Passion sincere had forced him to dissuade From sharing fate so dire, the noble maid; Prompted each plea he urges to remove The dread resolve of such disastrous love, Short of the base reproach, the Cynic sneer, And boasted fondness for a lovelier fair, Closing the trial, needless and severe.

Too well I know thy heart, which fate inspires With EMMA’s softness, ELOISA’s fires, Has deem’d my rack’d affection’s guardian fear To snatch thee, from thy calm, and sunny sphere, Down to the clime, where clouds and whirlwinds spread, A faithless scruple, and a coward dread; That thou for me would’st every ill endure, When, drear as Winter, as its tempests sure, Reproach and penury, around us flow, And quench our marriage torch in floods of woe.

Thou dar’st remind me, in a covert threat, Of the proud scorn devoted HAMMOND met, Who, when he own’d his terrors to involve Her he adored in selfish love’s resolve, Till the depriving frowns of Fate should cease, And his walls glow with competence and peace, Heard her impute to dull indifference’ power The generous scruple of that ill-starr’d hour; Saw her their long-twined bands of fondness tear, Rush to another’s arms, and leave him to despair.

Me thou remindest of that cruel scorn, Of female pride, and causeless vengeance born. I feel the latent meaning most unkind, And thee, injurious maid, in turn, remind, That poor, forsaken, ruin’d HAMMOND died The victim of his DELIA’s faithless pride.

And let thy rage, with fancied wrongs insane, Steel every thought with DELIA’s proud disdain, The instant thou shalt feel thy heart can bear The doom congenial of my last despair; Feel that remorse no pang’d regret shall raise, To blast the quiet of thy future days. (j.)