No longer man of woman shall complain,
That he may love and not be lov'd again:
That we in vain the fickle fex pursue,
Who change the constant lover for the new.
Whatever has been writ, whatever said,
Of female paffion feign'd, or faith decay'd:
Henceforth fhall in my verse refuted stand,
Be faid to winds, or writ upon the fand.
And, while my notes to future times proclaim
Unconquer'd love and ever-during flame;
O fairest of the fex! be thou my Mufe:
Deign on my work thy influence to diffuse:
Let me partake the bleffings I rehearse,
And grant me love, the juft reward of verse.

As beauty's potent queen, with ev'ry grace,
That once was Emma's, has adorn'd thy face;
And as her fon has to my bosom dealt

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That conftant flame, which faithful Henry felt; 30 O let the story with thy life agree:

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Let men once more the bright example fee;
What Emma was to him, be thou to me.
Nor fend me by thy frown from her I love,
Distant and fad, a banish'd man to rove.
But oh! with pity long-intreated crown
My pains and hopes; and, when thou say'st that one
Of all mankind thou lov'ft, oh! think on me alone.
WHERE beauteous Ifis and her husband Tame
With mingl'd waves, for ever flow, the fame, 40

In times of yore an ancient baron liv'd;

Great gifts bestow'd, and great respect receiv'd.

When dreadful Edward with fuccessful care

Led his free Britons to the Gallic war;
This lord had headed his appointed bands,
In firm allegiance to the king's commands;
And (all due honors faithfully discharg'd)
Had brought back his paternal coat, inlarg'd
With a new mark, the witness of his toil,
And no inglorious part of foreign spoil.

From the loud camp retir'd and noisy court,
In honorable ease and rural sport,

The remnant of his days he fafely past;

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Nor found they lagg'd too flow, nor flew too fast.
He made his wifh with his eftate comply,
Joyful to live, yet not afraid to die.

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One child he had, a daughter chast and fair, His age's comfort, and his fortune's heir. They call'd her Emma; for the beauteous dame, Who gave the virgin birth, had born the name : The name th' indulgent father doubly lov'd; 61 For in the child the mothers charms improv'd. Yet, as when little, round his knees the play'd, He call'd her oft, in fport, his Nut-brown Maid: The friends and tenants took the fondling word (As still they please, who imitate their lord); 66 Ufage confirm'd what fancy had begun; The mutual terms around the lands were known; And Emma and the Nut-brown Maid were one.

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As with her ftature, ftill her charms encreas'd; Thro' all the isle her beauty was confefs'd. Oh! what perfections must that virgin share, Who fairest is efteem'd, where all are fair! From diftant fhires repair the noble youth, And find report, for once, had leffen'd truth. By wonder first, and then by paffion mov'd, They came; they faw; they marvell'd; and they lov'd.

By public praises, and by fecret fighs,

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Each own'd the genʼral power of Emma's eyes.
In tilts and turnaments the valiant ftrove,
By glorious deeds to purchase Emma's love.
In gentle verse, the witty told their flame,
And grac'd their choicest songs with Emma's name.
In vain they combated, in vain they writ:
Useless their strength, and impotent their wit. 85
Great Venus only must direct the dart,

Which else will never reach the fair-one's heart,
Spight of th' attempts of force, and foft effects of

art.

Great Venus muft prefer the happy one:

In Henry's cause her favour must be shown:
And Emma, of mankind, must love but him alone.

While these in public to the castle came, And by their grandeur justify'd their flame; More fecret ways the careful Henry takes ; His fquires, his arms, and equipage forfakes: 95

In borrow'd name and false attire array'd,
Oft he finds means to fee the beauteous maid.

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When Emma hunts in huntsman's habit dreft, Henry on foot pursues the bounding beaft. In his right hand his beechen pole he bears: And graceful at his fide his horn he wears. Still to the glade, where she has bent her way, With knowing skill he drives the future prey; Bids her decline the hill, and fhun the brake; And shows the path her steed may safest take; 105 Directs her spear to fix the glorious wound; Pleas'd, in his toils, to have her triumph crown'd; And blows her praises with no common found.

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A falc'ner Henry is, when Emma hawks :
With her of tarfels, and of lures he talks.
Upon his wrift the tow'ring merlin stands,
Practis'd to rife, and stoop, at her commands.
And when fuperior now the bird has flown,
And headlong brought the tumbling quarry down;
With humble reverence he accosts the fair.

And with the honor'd feather decks her hair.
Yet ftill, as from the fportive field he goes,
His downcaft eye reveals his inward woes;
And by his look and forrow is exprest,
A nobler game pursued than bird or beast.

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A fhepherd now along the plain he roves; And, with his jolly pipe, delights the groves. The neighb'ring fwains around the stranger throng, Or to admire or emulate his fong:

While, with foft forrow, he renews his lays, 125

Nor heedful of their envy, nor their praise.
But, foon as Emma's eyes adorn the plain,
His notes he raises to a nobler ftrain;
With dutiful refpect, and ftudious fear,
Left any careless found offend her ear.

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A frantick gipfey, now the house he haunts,
And in wild phrafes, fpeaks diffembled wants.
• With the fond maids in palmistry he deals:
They tell the fecret firft, which he reveals:
Says who fhall wed, and who shall be beguil'd;
What groom shall get, and fquire maintain the child.
But when bright Emma would her fortune know,
A fofter look unbends his op'ning brow;

With trembling awe he
gazes on her eye,
And in foft accents forms the kind reply;

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That she shall prove as fortunate as fair,

And Hymen's choiceft gifts are all referv'd for her.

Now oft had Henry chang'd his fly disguise,
Unmark'd by all but beauteous Emma's eyes;
Oft had found means alone to fee the dame,
And at her feet to breath his am'rous flame;

And oft, the pangs of absence to remove
By letters, foft interpreters of love:
Till time and induftry (the mighty two
That bring our wishes nearer to our view)
Made him perceive, that the inclining fair
Receiv'd his vows with no reluctant ear;

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