It is no Scandal, or Afperfion,
Upon a Great and Noble Perfon,
To fay, he nat❜rally abhorr'd

Th' old fashion'd Trick, to keep his Word;
Though 'tis Perfidioufnefs and Shame,
In meaner Men, to do the fame.
For to be able to Forget,

Is found more useful, to the Great:
Than Gout, or Deafness, or bad Eyes,
To make 'em pafs for wond'rous Wife.
But though the Law, on Perjurers,
Inflicts the Forfeiture of Ears;
It is not just, that does exempt
The Guilty, and punish th' Innocent;
To make the Ears repair the Wrong,
Committed by th' ungovern'd Tongue;
And when one Member is forfworn,
Another to be cropt or torn.
And if you fhould, as you defign,
By Course of Law recover mine.
You're like, if you confider right,
To gain but little Honour by't.

For

For he that for his Lady's fake

Lays down his Life or Limbs at stäkë,

1

Does not fo much deserve her Favour,
As he that pawns his Soul to have her.
This y' have acknowledg'd I have done,
Altho you now difdain to own;

But fentence, what you rather ought
T'efteem Good Service than a Fault.
"Befides, Oaths are not bound to bear

66

That Literal Sense the Words infer;

"But by the Practice of the Age,

"Are to be judg'd how far th' engage.
"And where the Sense by Custom's checkt;

ic Are found Void, and of None effect.
"For no Man takes or keeps a Vow,
"But juft as he fees others do.
"Nor are th' oblig'd to be fo brittle,
"As not to yield and bow a little;
"For as beft temper'd Blades are found,
"Before they break to bend quite round,
"So trueft Oaths are ftill moft tough,
66 And, tho they bow, are Breaking proof.

N 2

Ther

Then wherefore should they not b' allow'd
In Love a greater Latitude?

For as the Law of Arms approves

All ways to Conqueft, fo fhould Love's;
And not be ty'd to True or Falfe,
But make that jufteft that prevails,

For how can that which is above

All Empire, High and Mighty Love z
Submit it's great Prerogative,

To any other Power alive?

Shall Love, that to no Crown gives place,.
Become the Subject of a Cafe?
The Fundamental Law of Nature,
Be over-rul'd by thofe made after?
Commit the Cenfure of its Caufe
To any but its own great Laws?
Love, that's the World's Prefervative,
That keeps all Souls of things alive?
Controuls the mighty Power of Fate,
And gives Mankind a Longer Date.
The Life of Nature, that reftores,

And, ift as Time and Death, devours,

To

1

To whose Free-Gift, the World does owe
Not only Earth but Heaven too :

For Love's the only Trade that's driven
The Interest of State in Heaven,
Which nothing but the Soul of Man,
Is capable to entertain.

For what can Earth produce, but Love,
To represent the Joys above?

Or who, but Lovers, can converse,
Like Angels, by the Eye-Difcourfe?
Address and complement by Vifion,
Make Love, and court by Intuition?
And burn in am'rous Flames as fierce,
As thofe Celestial Minifters?

Then how can any thing offend
In order to fo great an End?

Or Heav'n it felf a Sin refent,
That for its own Supply was meant?
That merits, in a kind Mistake,
A Pardon for th' Offence's Sake.
Or if it did not, but the Caufe
Were left to th' Injury of Laws,

N 3

་་

What Tyranny can disapprove
There should be Equity in Love?
For Laws, that are inanimate
And feel no Senfe of Love, or Hate:
That have no Paffion of their own,
Nor Pity to be wrought upon,
Are only proper to inflict
Revenge, on Criminals, as ftrict.
But to have Power to forgive,
Is Empire, and Prerogative;
And tis in Crowns, a nobler Gem,
To grant a Pardon, than condemn.
Then fince fo few do what they ought,
'Tis great, t' indulge a well-meant Fault,
For why should he who made Address
All humble ways, without Success;
And met with nothing in return,
But Infolence, Affronts, and Scorn,
Not strive by V Vit to countermine,
And bravely carry his Design;

He who was us'd fo unlike a Soldier,
Blown up with Philters of Love Powder;

And