To a Coy, Cruel Mistress, Who Yet Did Forbid Her Lover to Complain of Her, or to Her
Why cause my Trouble, yet forbid my Grief?
Since to cry out in Pain, is some Relief;
Blocks weep i'th' Fire, and heated Boards will groan,
Why give me Pain, and yet forbid my Moan?
Why me still in Love's Flames your Martyr keep?
And yet forbid me to complain, or weep;
Ev'n Oak, i'th' Fire, as stubborn as it is,
Will weep, will sigh, will flie, will groan, or hiss;
Why wou'd you have my Heart of Oak for you
Burn out, yet of Love's Flame no Sense to show;
Since Flames have Pow'r, by Virtue of their Heat,
To give some Sense to things Inanimate;
Why wou'd you have us in your Flames to lie?
Without some Proof of Sensibility;
Me yet, you doubly cruel, will ordain
To suffer, yet not to you to complain,
But silently must undergo my Pain;
So like a cruel Thief with me you do,
You rob me of my Freedom, gag me too,
Will neither kill me quite, nor let me go;
Yet, if without a Hearing I must be
O cruel Princess! thus condemn'd by thee,
The Privilege of all Condemn'd I pray,
That e'er I hang my self for Love, I may
Procure but of you to hear what I say;
Complaints in Love, as in the Gout, give Ease,
Since you'll not free my Heart, my Tongue release;
I've worn your Fetters willingly thus long,
But wou'd not have you put 'em on my Tongue;
Since 'tis, (at least, as we think) Ease to Pain,
Only to have Leave of it to complain;
Me, to condemn me justly, shou'd you hear,
Least you your self most guilty shou'd declare,
Of taking most unjustly, before Death,
From me, without a Hearing, so, my Breath;
If that my Mouth or Tongue, with yours you wou'd
Fain stop, I am contented that you shou'd;
Then without more Words, I'd acknowledge, you,
To me, nay my Love, wou'd more Reason do;
But if that me you still will keep in Pain,
Yet not permit me to you to complain,
But make me sue for Justice, still in vain;
Justice by Force, I to my self must do,
And to my Love, by forcing yours, and you,
Against your Will, to do your Pleasure so;
Then willingly, I'd by my Silence prove,
To you the Faith, and Honour of my Love,
Thee to thine, not by Words, but Action move.
Since to cry out in Pain, is some Relief;
Blocks weep i'th' Fire, and heated Boards will groan,
Why give me Pain, and yet forbid my Moan?
Why me still in Love's Flames your Martyr keep?
And yet forbid me to complain, or weep;
Ev'n Oak, i'th' Fire, as stubborn as it is,
Will weep, will sigh, will flie, will groan, or hiss;
Why wou'd you have my Heart of Oak for you
Burn out, yet of Love's Flame no Sense to show;
Since Flames have Pow'r, by Virtue of their Heat,
To give some Sense to things Inanimate;
Why wou'd you have us in your Flames to lie?
Without some Proof of Sensibility;
Me yet, you doubly cruel, will ordain
To suffer, yet not to you to complain,
But silently must undergo my Pain;
So like a cruel Thief with me you do,
You rob me of my Freedom, gag me too,
Will neither kill me quite, nor let me go;
Yet, if without a Hearing I must be
O cruel Princess! thus condemn'd by thee,
The Privilege of all Condemn'd I pray,
That e'er I hang my self for Love, I may
Procure but of you to hear what I say;
Complaints in Love, as in the Gout, give Ease,
Since you'll not free my Heart, my Tongue release;
I've worn your Fetters willingly thus long,
But wou'd not have you put 'em on my Tongue;
Since 'tis, (at least, as we think) Ease to Pain,
Only to have Leave of it to complain;
Me, to condemn me justly, shou'd you hear,
Least you your self most guilty shou'd declare,
Of taking most unjustly, before Death,
From me, without a Hearing, so, my Breath;
If that my Mouth or Tongue, with yours you wou'd
Fain stop, I am contented that you shou'd;
Then without more Words, I'd acknowledge, you,
To me, nay my Love, wou'd more Reason do;
But if that me you still will keep in Pain,
Yet not permit me to you to complain,
But make me sue for Justice, still in vain;
Justice by Force, I to my self must do,
And to my Love, by forcing yours, and you,
Against your Will, to do your Pleasure so;
Then willingly, I'd by my Silence prove,
To you the Faith, and Honour of my Love,
Thee to thine, not by Words, but Action move.
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