Love

A Song: Give me leave to rail at you

by John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester 1647–1680

From Works (1718)

Love

Give me leave to rail at you,
I ask nothing but my due;
To call you false, and then to say
You shall not keep my Heart a Day:
But, alas! against my Will,
I must be your Captive still.
Ah! be kinder then; for I
Cannot change, and would not die.

Kindness has resistless Charms,
All besides but weakly move;
Fiercest Anger it disarms,
And clips the Wings of flying Love.
Beauty does the Heart invade,
Kindness only can persuade;
It gilds the Lover's servile Chain,
And makes the Slaves grow pleas'd again.

MLA

Wilmot, John, Earl of Rochester. “A Song: Give me leave to rail at you.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/rochester/25/.

Chicago

Wilmot, John, Earl of Rochester. “A Song: Give me leave to rail at you.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/rochester/25/.

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