To The Lady D[Ormer].[9:1]

Madam! the blushes I betray, When at your feet I humbly lay These papers, beg you would excuse Th' obedience of a bashful Muse, Who, bowing to your strict command, Trusts her own errors to your hand, Hasty abortives, which, laid by, She meant, ere they were born, should die: But since the soft power of your breath Hath call'd them back again from death, To your sharp judgement now made known, She dares for hers no longer own; The worst she must not: these resign'd She hath to th' fire; and where you find Those your kind charity admir'd, She writ but what your eyes inspir'd.

TO MR. W[ILLIAM] HAMMOND.

Thou best of Friendship, Knowledge, and of Art! The charm of whose lov'd name preserves my heart From female vanities, (thy name, which there Till time dissolves the fabric, I must wear!) Forgive a crime which long my soul oppress'd, And crept by chance in my unwary breast, So great, as for thy pardon were unfit, And to forgive were worse than to commit, But that the fault and pain were so much one, The very act did expiate what was done. I, who so often sported with the flame, Play'd with the Boy, and laugh'd at both as tame, Betray'd by idleness and beauty, fell At last in love, love both the sin and hell: No punishment great as my fault esteem'd, But to be that which I so long had seem'd. Behold me such: a face, a voice, a lute; The sentence in a minute execute. I yield, recant; the faith which I before Deny'd, profess; the power I scorn'd, implore. Alas, in vain! no prayers, no vows can bow Her stubborn heart, who neither will allow. But see how strangely what was meant no less Than torment, prov'd my greatest happiness; Delay, that should have sharpen'd, starv'd Desire, And Cruelty not fann'd, but quench'd my fire. Love bound me; now, by kind Disdain set free, I can despise that Love as well as she. That sin to friendship I away have thrown! My heart thou may'st without a rival own,[10:1] While such as willingly themselves beguile, And sell away their freedoms for a smile, Blush to confess our joys as far above Their hopes, as friendship's longer-liv'd than love.