Classic Poem

I.

P HILLIS .

You to another give me now,
Who gave my self to you before;
So more unjust to me you grow,
My Freedom to me to restore;
That Freedom which by Force you strove to take,
But which you now by Force would give me back.

II.

S TREPHON .

To force you to Variety,
Shou'd not my Want of Kindness shew,
Since Women love Inconstancy,
My leaving you for Love shou'd go:
For since I find you weary grown of me,
My Love I prove most when I set you free.

III.

P HILLIS .

Must you then leave me, do you say,
But more my Pleasure to fulfil?
My Love and yours you so betray,
To gratify your changing Will;
To make unkind Compliance the Pretence
To cloak your Falshood, and your Negligence.

IV.

S TREPHON .

'Tis true, my Phillis , hard our Fate,
I must my Rival's Bliss procure;
Make Love to Thee for him I hate;
My future Claim in Thee t' ensure:
Thy Beauties must t' another's Arms resign,
And make Thee his, to make Thee sooner mine!

V.

P HILLIS .

Can any one to Love pretend,
In parting with the Nymph he loves?
Who to his Rival, quits his Friend,
Unkindness, more than Passion, proves.
To leave the Friend, he owns, he loves, that he
Sooner possess'd might of her Kindness be.

VI.

S TREPHON .

If that I cannot gain your Love,
But by my giving you away,
My Love, I parting with you prove,
Who else unblest might longer stay;
Since you have sworn, 'till you my Rival wed,
You will not bless your longing Strephon 's Bed.

VII.

P HILLIS .

Then to be grateful to thy Love,
I thy Request must disobey,
My Kindness to thee best to prove,
Must thy Desire to me gainsay;
Justly thy ardent Love to satisfie,
In Gratitude must thy Desires deny.

VIII.

S TREPHON .

No, if your Love you'd to me show,
Wed my rich Rival, with Me lie;
Then you to both will Justice do,
He wants a Wife, a Mistress I;
As kind as just, in this one Act, you'll prove,
He'd have an Heir, and I the Sweets of Love.

IX.

P HILLIS .

Can that be Love, wou'd me defame,
And wrong the Master of my Bed?
'Twere my Dishonour, tho' your Blame,
Were I to so much Guilt betray'd;
Most disobliging Swain, to love me so,
Provoke my Ruin, and procure my Woe!

X.

S TREPHON .

Since He no fitting Spouse can prove,
Nor give the Joys on Wedlock wait;
I but the Scandal would remove,
And plant Thee in a happier State:
For think, unless my Love the Shame prevent,
You'll be thought Barren, or He Impotent.