[Page 65]

A Farewel to LOVE.

1 WEll, since in spight of all that Love can do,
2 The dangerous steps of Honour thoul't pursue,
3 I'll just grow Wise and Philosophick too:
4 I'll bid these tender silly things Farewel;
5 And Love, with thy great Antidote, expel:
6 I'll tread the same Ambitious Paths with thee,
7 And Glory too shall be my Deity.
8 And now I'll once release my Train of Fools,
9 In Sheer good Nature to the Loving Souls;
10 For Pity's-sake at last I'll set at rights
11 The vain conceits of the presumptuous Wights:
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12 For tho' I shake off Therons Chains, yet he
13 Is all that e'er deserv'd a Smile from me.
14 But he's unjust, and false; and I a part
15 Would not accept, tho' of a MONARCH's heart.
16 And therefore flattering hopes, and wishes too,
17 With all Loves soft Concomitants, adieu:
18 No more to its Imperious Yoke I'll bow;
19 Pride and Resentment fortify me now.
20 My Inclinations are reverst; nor can
21 I but abhor the Slavery of Man,
22 How e'er the empty Lords of Nature boast
23 O're me, their Fond Prerogative is lost:
24 For, Uncontroul'd, I thus resolve to rove,
25 And hear no more of Hymen, or of Love:
26 No more such Wild Fantastick things shall Charm:
27 My Breast; nor these Serener Thoughts Alarm.
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28 No more for Farce; I'll make a Lover Creep,
29 And look as Scurvy as if he had bit a Sheep.
30 Nor with Dissembled Smiles indulge the Fops,
31 In pure Revenge to their Audacious hopes;
32 Tho' at my Feet a thousand Victims lay,
33 I'd proudly spurn the Whining Slaves away.
34 Deaf, as the Winds, or Theron, would I prove,
35 And hear no more of Hymen, or of Love.
36 Like bright Diana now I'll range the Woods,
37 And haunt the silent Shades and silver Floods
38 I'll find out the Remotest Paths I can,
39 To shun th' Offensive, Hated Face of Man.
40 Where I'll Indulge my Liberty and Bliss,
41 And no Endimyon shall obtain a Kiss.
42 Now, Cupid, Mourn; the inlargement of my fate
43 Thou'st lost a Politician in thy State:
44 I could have taught thee, hadst thou lost thy Arms,
45 To fool the World with more delusive Charms:
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46 I could have made thy Taper burn more bright,
47 And wing thy Shafts with an unerring flight:
48 'Twas I directed that successful dart,
49 That found its way to the Great —'s heart:
50 'Twas I that made the lovely Fl—n bow,
51 A proud contemner of thy Laws, till now;
52 I Sung thy Power, and Inspir'd the Swains,
53 Or thou hadst been no Deity on the Plains,
54 Yet think no more my freedom to surprize,
55 Which nothing can controul but Theron's eyes;
56 And every flattering Smile, and every Grace,
57 With all the Air of that Bewitching Face,
58 My Pride and Resolutions may deface:
59 For from those eyes for ever I'll remove,
60 To shun the Sight of what I would not love:
61 And then, tho every Cyclop stretcht his Art,
62 To form the little angry God a dart,
63 I'll yet defy his rage to touch my Heart:
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64 For tho my years compel me to disdain,
65 Of the false Charmer meanly to complain;
66 'Tis yet some satisfaction to my Mind,
67 I for his sake abandon all Mankind.
68 My Prouder Muse, to love no more a slave,
69 Shall Sing the Gust, the Fortunate and Brave,
70 And twine her Promis'd Wreaths for Theron's Brow,
71 The Hero, not the faithless Lover now.
72 More Blooming Glories mayst thou still acquire,
73 And urge my Breast with a more active fire.
74 May New Successes wait upon thy Sword,
75 And deathless Honour all thy Acts record.
76 May all thou dost thy Character compleat;
77 And, like thy self, be loyal still and great:
78 Whilst in an equal Orb as free I move,
79 And think no more of Hymen, or of Love.

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Title (in Source Edition): A Farewel to LOVE.
Author: Elizabeth Rowe (née Singer)
Themes: hopelessness; love; sadness; melancholy
Genres: heroic couplet; occasional poem

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Rowe, Elizabeth Singer, 1674-1737. Poems on several occasions. Written by Philomela. London: Printed for John Dunton at the Raven in Jewen-street, 1696, pp. 65-69. [24],72,69,[11]p.; 8⁰ (ESTC R7317; OTA A57734)

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The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.

Other works by Elizabeth Rowe (née Singer)