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Home  »  The Oxford Book of English Verse  »  424. Song

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.

Matthew Prior. 1664–1721

424. Song

THE merchant, to secure his treasure, 
  Conveys it in a borrow’d name: 
Euphelia serves to grace my measure; 
  But Chloe is my real flame. 
 
My softest verse, my darling lyre,         5
  Upon Euphelia’s toilet lay; 
When Chloe noted her desire 
  That I should sing, that I should play. 
 
My lyre I tune, my voice I raise; 
  But with my numbers mix my sighs:  10
And while I sing Euphelia’s praise, 
  I fix my soul on Chloe’s eyes. 
 
Fair Chloe blush’d: Euphelia frown’d: 
  I sung, and gazed: I play’d, and trembled: 
And Venus to the Loves around  15
  Remark’d, how ill we all dissembled.