Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. III. The Eighteenth Century: Addison to Blake
William Walsh (16631708)The Despairing Lover
D
For Phyllis the fair,
Since nothing could move her,
Poor Damon, her lover,
Resolves in despair
No longer to languish,
Nor bear so much anguish,
But, mad with his love,
To a precipice goes,
Where a leap from above
Would finish his woes.
Beholding how steep
The sides did appear,
And the bottom how deep,
His torments projecting,
And sadly reflecting
That a lover forsaken
A new love may get,
But a neck when once broken
Can never be set,
And, that he could die
Whenever he would,
Whereas he could live
But as long as he could,
How grievous soever
The torment might grow,
He scorned to endeavour
To finish it so,
But, bold, unconcerned
At thoughts of the pain,
He calmly returned
To his cottage again.