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[Page 157]
The Law of Nature; A SONG set to an Excellent new Tune.
I.
1 WHilst their Flocks were feeding,
2 Near the foot of a flowry Hill,
3 Celladon complaining of his Fate,
4 Thus to Astrea Cry'd:
5 Hear my gentle pleading,
6 Ah cruel Nymph forbear to kill
7 Shepherd with disdain and hate,
8 Whom you have once enjoy'd:
9 here is a sacred pow'r in Love,
10 beyond all Moral Rules,
11 Follow the Laws of Nature,
12 For the Divine Creator
13 Did produce,
14 And for Humane Use
15 Did Beauty choose,
[Page 158]16 Who deny themselves are Fools.
17 Every Heart is pair'd above,
18 And Ingratitude's a Sin
19 To all the Saints so hateful,
20 She that is found ingrateful,
21 May too late,
22 In a wretched State,
23 Knock at Heavens Gate,
24 But shall never enter in.
II.
25 Had our first made Father,
26 Lord of the whole Creation,
27 Done such a Crime as could have dam'd us all,
28 In trespassing on his Wife,
29 Heaven, no doubt, had rather,
30 When it the ill Design had known,
31 Have plac'd his Angel ere the Fall,
32 Guarding the Tree of Life;
33 But he that well knew Adam's Breast,
34 Whom Nature learnt to wooe,
[Page 159]35 Never intended Damming,
36 Nor did the Serpents shamming Edifie:
37 For the Bone of his Side,
38 That was made his Bride,
39 Taught him what he was to do:
40 Nor was the Maker e'er possess'd
41 With Rage that he did enjoy;
42 But the Reflection hated
43 What he with Pains Created,
44 Should be thought,
45 Such a cowardly Sot
46 To be poorly caught
47 In such a sneaking Lye.
Source edition
D'Urfey, Thomas, 1653-1723. New poems, consisting of satyrs, elegies, and odes together with a choice collection of the newest court songs set to musick by the best masters of the age / all written by Mr. D'Urfey. London: Printed for J. Bullord ... and A. Roper ..., 1690, pp. 157-159. [16],207,[1]p. (ESTC R17889) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [Harding C 1197 (1)].)
Editorial principles
Typography, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation have been cautiously modernized. The source of the text is given and all significant editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. 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 Thomas D'Urfey
- Against Free-Will. A SONG. ()
- Another EPILOGUE Intended for the same. ()
- The Author answers his Friend, who blames him for not singing, when desired, he contradict the Third Satyr of Horace, beginning with Omnibus hoc vitium est Cantoribus inter Amicos, &c. He defends Tigellius, and proves that Horace had no actual Skill in Vocal Musick. ()
- A Catch in Three Parts, set by Mr. Hen. Purcel, and taken from the Latin of BUCHANAN. ()
- A CATCH set by Docter BLOW. ()
- A Dialogue between a Town Spark and his Miss. ()
- A Dialogue between PHILANDER and SILVIA, set to an excellent new Scotch Tune. ()
- The DREAM: Or, CELADON's Complaint of MORPHEUS to the Assembly of the GODS. ()
- An ELEGY On the Death of that true Perfection of Beauty and Goodness, the Lady ESSEX SPICKET, who dyed of the Small-Pox, immediately after her Marriage. ()
- An ELEGY on the Death of the Great Duke of ORMOND. ()
- An ELEGY On the late Holy Father Pope INNOCENT the Eleventh. ()
- EPIGRAM On the Sacred Memory of that glorious Patron of POETS, greatest and best of Monarchs, KING CHARLES the Second. ()
- An Epilogue intended for a late COMEDY, and to be spoke by Mr. MONFORD, in a long Presbyterian Cloak. ()
- Epilogue to the Opera of DIDO and AENEAS, ()
- An EPITHALAMIUM on the Marriage of the Lord MORPETH with the Lady ANN CAPELL. ()
- Epithalamy on the Marriage of the Right Honourable the Lady Essex Roberts. ()
- EPSOM-WELLS: A Satyr by way of Dialogue, between Critick and Fame. ()
- The Farmers Daughter, a SONG, set to a Pleasant Scotch Tune. ()
- The HEALTH. A Second Movement. ()
- The KING'S Health: A CATCH Sung in Parts. ()
- A LASH AT ATHEISTS: The POET speaking, as the Ghost of a Quondam Libertine, suppos'd to be the late E. of R. Reflects on that part of Seneca's Troas, beginning atPost Mortem nihil est, Ipsaq; Mors nihilVelocis spatii meta Novissima:Spem ponant avidi seliciti metum.Quaeris quo Iaceas post Obitum locoQuo non Nata Iacent. ()
- A Letter written by the Author for a Friend, to one in Town; being a SATYR, on DINGBOY and a Rampant WIDOW. 1685. ()
- A Letter Written for a LADY in Answer to a Friend. ()
- Loves Revenge. A SONG. ()
- A Mock SONG to, When first AMINTOR su'd for a Kiss, &c. ()
- The MORALIST. A Song. ()
- Mr. HAINES's Second Recantation: A PROLOGUE intended to be spoken by him dress'd in a Turkish habit. ()
- A NEW ESSAY In Defence of VERSE, With a SATYR Upon the Enemies of POETRY. ()
- An ODE TO THE QUEEN. ()
- An ODE, From the Greek of ANACREON. ()
- An ODE. To my much honored Friend Sir THOMAS GARRARD, Baronet, upon his Climacterical YEAR. ()
- The Old Fumbler. A SONG: Set by Mr. Hen. Purcell. ()
- Paid for Peeping: A POEM, Occasion'd by a Peeping hole into a Chamber where a Beautiful and Virtuous young Lady Lodg'd, through which undiscover'd, I could observe all her Actions. ()
- A PARALLEL. ()
- A POEM Panegyrical On His GRACE THE D. of ALBEMARLE; With Remarks on His Voyage for JAMAICA, and the late Treasure brought Home in the JAMES and MARY. ()
- Prologue spoken by Mr. HAINS to TRAPOLIN, or a Duke and no Duke. ()
- A PROLOGUE, By way of SATYR, spoke before King CHARLES II. at New-Market. ()
- The Scotch VIRAGO. A SONG Sung to the Queen at Kensington. ()
- A Second Burlesque LETTER written for a Friend, suppos'd to be a CUCKOLD'S GHOST, coming from Hell, and answering a Satyr of STUM CLARET his Brother Vintner; With a Conjugal Reprimand to SALACIA his late Mournful WIDOW. ()
- A SONG set to a pleasant Scotch Tune. ()
- SONG. ()
- A SONG. ()
- A SONG. ()
- SONG. II. To a young LADY Affronted by an Envious old Woman. ()
- TO A LADY, Twitting him with his being Peevish, and having Ill Humours. ()
- To Chloris: A SONG. ()
- TO CHLORIS: A SONG. ()
- To CLORIS: An ODE set to the New RIGGADON. ()
- To CYNTHIA. ()
- To CYNTHIA. ()
- To Cynthia. A SONG. ()
- To pretty Mrs. H. D. upon the sight of her Picture standing amongst other at Mr. Knellers. ()
- To the KING: An ODE on his Birth Day. ()
- To the Right Honorable the Lady Olympia R. on her Genius in POETRY. ()
- TO THE Right HONOURABLE THE LADY E. R. Vpon her finding a Spider in her BED. ()
- TO THE Right HONOURABLE THE. Earl of RADNOR ON HIS MARRIAGE. ()
- A TRUE TALE OF A True INTRIGUE. ()