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1 BENEATH a Myrtle shade | |
| Which Love for none but happy Lovers made, | |
| I slept, and straight my Love before me brought | |
| Phillis the object of my waking thought; | |
| Undres’d she came my flames to meet, | 5 |
| While Love strow’d flow’rs beneath her feet; | |
| Flow’rs, which so press’d by her, became more sweet. | |
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2 From the bright Visions Head | |
| A careless vail of Lawn was loosely spread: | |
| From her white temples fell her shaded hair, | 10 |
| Like cloudy sunshine not too brown nor fair: | |
| Her hands, her lips did love inspire; | |
| Her ev’ry grace my heart did fire: | |
| But most her eyes which languish’d with desire. | |
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3 Ah, Charming fair, said I, | 15 |
| How long can you my bliss and yours deny? | |
| By Nature and by love this lonely shade | |
| Was for revenge of suffring Lovers made: | |
| Silence and shades with love agree: | |
| Both shelter you and favour me; | 20 |
| You cannot blush because I cannot see. | |
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4 No, let me dye, she said, | |
| Rather than loose the spotless name of Maid: | |
| Faintly methought she spoke, for all the while | |
| She bid me not believe her, with a smile. | 25 |
| Then dye, said I, she still deny’d: | |
| And is it thus, thus, thus she cry’d | |
| You use a harmless Maid, and so she dy’d! | |
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5 I wak’d, and straight I knew | |
| I lov’d so well it made my dream prove true: | 30 |
| Fancy, the kinder Mistress of the two, | |
| Fancy had done what Phillis wou’d not do! | |
| Ah, Cruel Nymph, cease your disdain, | |
| While I can dream you scorn in vain; | |
| Asleep or waking you must ease my pain. | 35 |
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