Poems upon several occasions with, A voyage to the island of love
Behn, Aphra, 1640-1689.
Page 29
The REFLECTION.
I.
WHat differing Passions from what once I felt,
My yielding Heart do melt,
And all my Blood as in a Feaver burns,
Yet shivering Cold by turns.
What new variety of hopes and fears?
What suddain fits of Smiles and Tears?
Hope! Why dost thou sometimes my Soul imploy
With Prospects of approaching Ioy?
Why dost thou make me pleas'd and vain,
And quite forget last minutes pain:
What Sleep wou'd calm, Aminta keeps awake;
And I all Night soft Vows and Wishes make.
Page 30VVhen to the Gods I would my Prayers address,
And sue to be forgiven,
Aminta's name, I still express,
And Love is all that I confess,
Love and Aminta! Ever out Rival Heaven!
II.
Books give me no content at all;
Vnless soft Cowly entertain my Mind,
Then every pair in Love I find;
Lysander him, Aminta her, I call:
Till the bewitching Fewel raise the fire;
VVhich was design'd but to divert,
Then to cool Shades I ragingly retire,
To ease my hopeless panting Heart,
Yet thereto every thing begets desire.
Each flowry Bed, and every loanly Grove,
Inspires new VVishes, new impatient Love.
Page 31Thus all the Night in vain I sought repose,
And early with the Sun next day, I rose;
Still more impatient grew my new desires,
To see again the Author of my Fires,
Love leads me forth, to little * CARES we pass,
Where Love instructed me Aminta was;
Far from Inquietude this Village stands,
And for its Beauty all the rest commands;
In all the Isle of Love, not one appears,
So ravishingly Gay as Little Cares.
