Your pardon my friend,
If my rhymes did offend,
Your pardon a thousand times o'er,
From friendship I strove,
Your pangs to remove,
But I swear I will do so no more.
2.
Since your _beautiful_ maid
Your flame has repaid,
No more I your folly regret;
She's now most divine,
And I bow at the shrine,
Of this quickly reformed coquette.
3.
But still I must own,
I should never have known,
From _your verses_ what else she deserv'd,
Your pain seem'd so great,
I pitied your fate,
As your fair was so dev'lish reserv'd.
4.
But since the chaste kiss,
Of this magical Miss,
Such wonderful transports produce,
Since the "_world you forget,"
"When your lips once have met_,"
My Counsel will get but abuse.
5.
You say "when I rove"
"I know nothing of love,"
'Tis true I am given to range,
If I rightly remember,
I've kiss'd a good number,
But there's pleasure at least in a change.
6.
I ne'er will advance,
By the rules of romance,
To humour a whimsical fair,
Though a smile may delight,
Yet a _frown_ wont _affright_,
Or drive me to dreadful despair.
7.
Whilst my blood is thus warm,
I ne'er shall reform,
To mix in the Platonist's school;
Of this I am sure,
Was my passion so pure,
_My mistress_ must think me _a fool_.
8.
Though the kisses are sweet,
Which voluptuously meet,
Of kissing I ne'er was so fond,
As to make me forget,
Though our lips oft have met,
That still there was _something beyond_.
9.
And if I should shun,
Every _woman_ for _one_,
Whose _image_ must fill my whole breast;
Whom I must _prefer_,
And _sigh_ but for _her_,
What an _insult_ 'twould be to the _rest_!
10.
Now, Strephon, good bye,
I cannot deny,
_Your passion_ appears most absurd,
Such _love_ as you plead,
Is _pure_ love indeed,
For it _only_ consists in the _word_.
* * * * *