Poems upon several occasions with, A voyage to the island of love
Behn, Aphra, 1640-1689.
The DREAM.
ALL Trembling in my Arms Aminta lay,
Defending of the Bliss, I strove to take▪
Raising my Rapture by her kind delay,
Her force so charming was and weak.
The soft resistance did betray the Grant,
While I prest on the Heaven of my desires;
Her rising Breasts with nimbler Motions Pant;
Her dying Eyes assume new Fires.
Page 37Now to the height of languishment she grows,
And still her looks new Charms put on;
—Now the last Mystery of Love she knows,
We Sigh, and Kiss: I wak'd, and all was done.
'Twas but a Dream, yet by my Heart I knew,
Which still was Panting, part of it was true:
Oh how I strove the rest to have believ'd;
Asham'd and Angry to be undeceiv'd!
But now LOVE calls me forth; and scarce allows
A Moment to the Gods to pay my Vows:
He all Devotion has in dis-esteem,
But that which we too fondly render him:
LOVE drest me for the day; and both repair,
With an impatient hast to Little Care;
Where many days m' advantage I pursu'd,
But Night returns me to Inquietude;
There suffer'd all that absent Lovers griev'd,
And only knew by what I felt I liv'd;
Page 38A t•••sand little Fears afflict my Heart,
A〈…〉ormer order quite subvert;
T〈…〉 which all day my hope imploy'd,
S〈…〉w too excellent to be enjoy'd.
I number all my RIVALS over now,
Th•n Raving Mad with Jealousie I grow,
Which does my Flame to that vast height increase;
That here I found, I lov'd to an Excess:
These wild Distractions every Night increase,
But day still reconciles me into Peace;
And I forget amidst their soft Delights,
The un-imagin'd torment of the Nights.
'Twas thus a while I liv'd at little Care,
Without advance of Favour or of fear,
When fair Amin•a from that Court departs,
And all her Lovers leave with broken Hearts,
On me alone she does the Grace confer,
In a Permission I shou'd wait on her.
Oh with what eager Joy I did obey!
Joy, which for fear it shou'd my Flame betray,
Page 39I Veil'd with Complisance; which Lovers Eyes
Might find transported through the feign'd disguise;
But hers were unconcern'd; or wou'd not see,
The Trophies of their new gain'd Victory:
Aminta now to Good Reception goes;
A place which more of Entertainment shows
Then State or Greatness; where th'Inhabitants,
Are Civil to the height of Complisance;
They Treat all Persons with a chearful Grace,
And show 'em all the pleasures of the Place;
By whose Example bright Aminta too,
Confirm'd her self, and more obliging grew.
Her Smiles and Air more Gracious now appear;
And her Victorious Eyes more sweetness wear:
The wonderous Majesty that drest her Brow,
Becomes less Awful, but more Charming now:
Her Pride abating does my Courage warm,
And promises success from every Charm.
She now permits my Eyes, with timorous Fears,
To tell her of the Wounds she'as made by hers,
Page 40Against her Will my Sighs she does approve,
And seems well pleas'd to think they come from Love.
Nothing oppos'd it self to my delight,
But absence from Aminta every Night.
But LOVE, who recompences when he please,
And has for every Cruelty an ease;
Who like to bounteous Heaven, assigns a share
Of future Bliss to those that suffer here:
Led me to HOPE! A City fair and large,
Built with much Beauty, and Adorn'd with Charge.
