Love

The Expostulation

by Charles Cotton 1630–1687

From Poems on Several Occasions (1689)

Love

Have I lov'd my Fair so long,
Six Olympiads at least,
And to Youth and Beauties wrong,
On Vertues single Interest,
To be at last with ceorn oppress'd?

Have I lov'd that space so true,
Without looking once awry,
Lest I might prove false to you,
To whom I vow'd Fidelity,
To be repay'd with Cruelty?

Was you not, oh sweet! confess,
Willing to be so belov'd?
Favour gave my Flame encrease,
By which it still aspiring mov'd,
And had gone out, if disapprov'd.

Whence then can this change proceed?
Say; or whither does it tend?
That false heart will one day bleed,
When it has brought so true a Friend
To cruel and untimely end.

MLA

Cotton, Charles. “The Expostulation.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/cotton/1/.

Chicago

Cotton, Charles. “The Expostulation.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/cotton/1/.

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