A CONSTANCY in love Ill prize,
And be to beauty true:
And doat on all the lovely eyes,
That are but fair and new.
On Cloris charms to day Ill feed,
To-morrow Daphne move;
For bright Lucinda next Ill bleed,
And still be true to love.
But glory only and renown
My serious hours shall claim;
My nobler minutes those shall crown,
My looser hours, my flame.
All the fatigues of love Ill hate.
And Philliss new charms
That hopeless fire shall dissipate,
My heart for Cloe warms.
The easy nymph I once enjoyd
Neglected now shall pass,
Possession, that has love destroyd,
Shall make me pitiless.
In vain she now attracts and mourns,
Her moving power is gone,
Too late (when once enjoyd) she burns,
And yielding, is undone.
My friend, the little charming boy,
Conforms to my desires,
And tis but to augment my joy
He pains me with his fires;
All thats in happy love Ill taste,
And rifle all his store,
And for one joy that will not last,
He brings a thousand more.
