Classic Poem

My late Great Loss at Cards, (I must confess)
Made my Bad Fortune more my Good Success,
Ill Luck, which gain'd your Good Will, Happiness;
If Fortune, cruel to me, had not been,
My Lucy 's Kindness I had never seen;
Who, to th' Unhappy, proves a Friend alone,
So, my Bad Luck is my Good Fortune grown,
I'd ne'er been made, had I not been undone;
Thus, Losing Lodam , was my Play to me,
Since, my self Happy, by my Loss, I see,
Which Since it made me Poor, your Pity gain'd,
Which, my Good Luck, ne'er for me, yet obtain'd;
So, parting with our Gold, does often prove
The Means, of our ensuring more our Love;
Since none for true, can their Friend's Kindness know,
Till Fortune does Unkindness to them show;
Yet for the Favour I had froMyour Hand,
Your Eyes my Freedom, in return, demand;
And I for Money, which you lent to me,
In Love's Chains, must, for Life, your Pris'ner be,
Who was of Gold, to bind me to you, free;
Me to you so, you bound effectually,
I'd not be (tho' I cou'd) at Liberty;
My Fortune then, is by my Ruine made,
I'd had less Good Luck, had I had less Bad;
Who had not of your Friendship else, been sure,
Which my Misfortune, for me, did procure;
A Sign that 'twill, in spight of Fate, endure;
Since it began by that, which Friendship ends,
By lending Money, which makes Foes of Friends;
But, least the Debt I ne'r shou'd satisfie,
My Body take into thy Custody,
Bankrupts repay Debts with their Liberty;
So mine, I'm ready to give up to thee,
Accepting which, more Gen'rous wou'd you be,
Than in your lending first your Gold to me;
My Loss then, more my Gain is, I must own,
By which, your Pity, and your Faith, I won;
Since in my Loss, I was most Prosperous,
Which you, my Good Friend, by my Bad Luck, shows;
Whilst Happy Men, their True Friends cannot know,
Which all th' Unlucky, in Misfortunes do;
And I, more Happy, think my self, to find,
You rather, than Dame Fortune, to me kind,
Since you Discerning are, whilst she is Blind;
Since she proves kindest but to Fools, when you
To Fools (you say,) cou'd ne'r your Kindness show;
Then, for my Debt, still let me wear your Chains,
My Losses so, will more become my Gains;
Pay your self my Debt, with my Liberty,
My Body take into your Custody,
At once your self, and me to satisfie.