Classic Poem

Love lost a while, like Health, becomes more dear,
When it returns, to its Recoverer;
Thus is thy Love more Pleasure to me grown,
Than if it ne'r had Alteration known,
The Distance thou so long hast kept with me,
Now joys, and gratifies me more to see,
This late Return of thy despair'd-of Love,
Which makes thy past Rage now, more Kindness prove;
A happy Quarrel then, was ours, (I find,)
Which made us fall out, to be made more kind,
To disagree, to be more of a mind;
I, but a bare Acquaintance, lost in you,
But I regain a lost Friend in you now;
I lost a Foe, who kept me once in Pain,
But I a Friend, that eases it, regain;
Your Faith, for breaking of your Word, now more
I value, than for keeping it before;
For, had you kept the rash Oath, which you swore,
And me no more (as once you vow'd,) had seen,
Keeping your Oath, you had Unfaithful been;
False to thy Love, true to thy Word, to be,
Had been sure, but more Want of Faith in Thee,
Thou, to thy Word True, hadst been False to me;
Not she, who keeps a rash Oath, 'gainst a Friend,
Which must her Love, to keep her Faith offend,
Can e'er to Truth, or Honour more pretend;
But she, who breaks her Vow, to save her Love,
Her Honour, Faith, by Breach of it, does prove;
Who, for her Friend, her Soul, and Body too,
Does venture, for the best Friend ought to go;
Your Oath, so you, more honourably break,
Since it you took first, but on a Mistake;
So you, your Truth, and Honour justifie,
By your relenting, faithful Perjury;
Then satisfy'd, (since I am so,) now be,
Who, for my Satisfaction, had from Thee,
Now, can't be sorry you fell out with me;
My first Loss of you, like the Gamesters, so,
Makes my Loss then, more my Advantage now,
Who, more am pleas'd, by my regaining you;
Lost Friends regain'd, like lost Gold, please us more,
Than gaining either, we ne'r had before;
Like broken Bones, our broken Friendship now,
But stronger does, (for being broken,) grow;
Knit again, is more hard again to break,
Had it not broken, had been now more weak;
So, for its breaking, will it last the more,
Had been to break, had it not broke before.