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ah why thefe long delays?

259

If you return
Poor Sappho dies while careless Phaon stays.
O launch thy bark, nor fear the wat'ry plain;
Venus for thee fhall finooth her native main.
O launch thy bark, fecure of profp'rous gales:
Cupid for thee fhall fpread the fwelling fails.
If you will fly (yet ah! what caufe can be,
Too cruel youth, that you fhould fly from me?) 255
If not from Phaon I muft hope for eafe,
Ah let me feek it from the raging feas:
To raging feas unpity'd I'll remove,

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And either ceafe to live or ceafe to love!

ELOISA

ΤΟ

A BELARD.

ARGUMENT.

ABIL

BELARD and Eloifa flourished in the tweifth Century; they were two of the most diftinguifhed perfons of their age in lear ning and beauty, but for nothing more famous than for their unfortunate passion. After a long courfe of calamities, they retired each to a feveral Convent, and confecrated the remainder of their days to religion. It was many years after this feparation; that a letter of Abelard's to a Friend, which contained the hiftory of his misfortune, fell into the hands of Eloifa. This awakening all her tenderness, occafioned thofe celebrated letters (out of which the following is partly extracted) which give fo lively a picture of the struggles of grace and nature, virtue and paffion. P.

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Ah Wretch belierd the Spouse of God in vain Conferd within the Slave of Love and Man.

Elto ab:

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