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| BEST of thy sex! if sacred friendship can | |
| Dwell in the bosom of inconstant man, | |
| As cold and clear as ice, as snow unstained, | |
| With Love’s loose crimes unsullied, unprofaned, | |
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| Or you a woman with that name dare trust, | 5 |
| And think to friendship’s ties we can be just, | |
| In a strict league together we’ll combine, | |
| And [ ] friendship’s bright example shine. | |
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| We will forget the difference of sex, | |
| Nor shall the world’s rude censure us perplex | 10 |
| Think me all man: my soul is masculine, | |
| And capable of as great things as thine. | |
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| I can be generous, just and brave, | |
| Secret and silent as the grave, | |
| And if I cannot yield relief, | 15 |
| I’ll sympathise in all thy grief. | |
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| I will not have a thought from thee I’ll hide, | |
| In all my actions thou shalt be my guide; | |
| In every joy of mine thou shalt have share, | |
| And I will bear a part in all thy care. | 20 |
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| Why do I vainly talk of what we’ll do? | |
| We’ll mix our souls, you shall be me, I you; | |
| And both so one it shall be hard to say | |
| Which is Phylocles, which Ephelia. | |
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| Our ties shall be as strong as the chains of Fate, | 25 |
| Conquerors and kings our joys shall emulate; | |
| Forgotten friendship, held at first divine, | |
| To its native purity we will refine. | |
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