Classic Poem

To Thee, Beginner of Beginnings, who,
First made the World, does it continue too;
To Thee, first Cause of Ingenuity,
In teaching Men, with Art, to Feign and Lye,
Shou'd I have first began, my Poetry;
To Thee, I shou'd have written first, to prove
Some Sense, who first didst me to Writing move;
And not the Love of Honour, or of Fame,
Which, as more sought, but more becomes our Shame,
And are more forfeited, as more our Claim;
But first to Thee, all Mankind ought to Write,
Who giv'st, at once, Instruction and Delight,
And mak'st Men Verse, 'gainst Nature, Sense, indite;
But for whom, yet no Labour cou'd be Wit,
Nor cou'd ev'n Wit, without Thee, pass for It;
Since Wit, Men's Pain, wou'd of their Pleasure prove,
Were't not for Thee, Pleasant Inspirer, Love !
And Wit, more Praise, then only shou'd receive.
But as more Pleasure it does take or give,
More Praise have, as more capable of Thee,
Without whom, none cou'd Wise, or Happy be,
Since but for Thee, nor Sense, nor Pleasure, cou'd
Be Satisfaction, or good Chance be good;
For Beauty, Gold, were Curses, without You,
Wou'd Torments of our Satisfactions grow.

Thou, the Great Law of Nature art, O Love !
By whom, Man first was made, does live, and move;
Great Law of Nature! but for which, in vain,
Religion, Justice, cou'd their own maintain;
Nor Commerce, or Society, wou'd be
Supported, or continu'd Just and Free,
Were it not Love ! but for Thy Pow'r, and Thee:
Great Proof of Reason, which ends all Disputes,
Who, without Reason, rules the wildest Brutes,
And mak'st Men prove their Love more, being Mutes:
The World without Thee, Barbarous wou'd grow;
Each other, Man or Woman, wou'd not know,
Whilst now, the greatest, fiercest Brutes of Men,
To Wedlock's Yoke, are so Submissive seen;
That they from Lords of the Creation, now,
But willing Vassals to Your Empire bow;
And the great Work of the Creation do,
Whether their Reason, Prudence, wou'd or no;
Nay, for Your Yoke, can triumph in their Chains,
And by You, make their Pleasure of their Pains:
But without Love , there wou'd be no Desire,
Without it, Us, our Pleasure, Ease, wou'd tire,
Since, without Love , we nothing long admire.
The Wild, and Barbarous, who know no Law,
Reason, or Pow'r, of Thee, Love ! stand in aw,
Without their Partners of their own ill Fate,
Or good, can ne'r live pleas'd in any State;
Must have, to their Increase of Happiness,
Or to their Pains, or Miseries Decrease,
Sharers in them, Confidents, Witnesses;
Since the Good more, by being shar'd, is made,
As by that more, is lessen'd too, the Bad;
If a Man's Pleasure, his Displeasure grows,
Not shar'd with Friends, nor envy'd by his Foes;
And his Misfortunes, heavy'st are to bear,
When he has none, to bear with him their Share;
Ev'n Thieves, who have for Justice, Love nor Fear,
Who still (as 'twere,) are making War in Peace,
And others rob, are robb'd by Mistresses;
Nay (for them) rob themselves of Wealth, or Ease:
Who, for Religion, keep no Faith (we see,)
With Men, for Love will just to Women be;
Who False, nay Barbarous to Friendship prove,
Yet Just, Human, and Kind, will be to Love ;
Who, tho' no Laws their Passions e'er can bind,
To Reason e'er subject their Heart, or Mind,
By Love'S Chains yet, will freely be confin'd;
Which Out-Laws can reduce, and Mad-Men tame,
And them to Justice, Reason, may reclaim;
Nay sure, the most unruly Libertine,
Not bound by Laws, or Human, or Divine,
Who does renounce all Fear of Pow'rs above,
Or those below, submits to those of Love ;
Without which, Torments Pow'r or Riches were,
One to give Trouble, as the tother Fear:
Then Love for Justice, as 'tis blind, should go,
For Truth, Faith, so for blind Devotion too;
'Tis Faith, Religion, as 'tis Charity,
Ev'n Atheists, Infidels, who Gods deny,
Love , with their Vows, Faith, Service deifie;
Renouncing Honour, Wealth, Pomp, Pow'r, and Praise,
To get that little, Great Man-maker's Grace,
Who first began the World, and keeps it now
In Peace, which no Peace otherwise, cou'd know;
Abolishing all Mercinariness,
Or Fraud in Commerce, the worst Foes to Peace;
By banishing all Int'rest or Design
From Friendship, with those two Words, Thine and Mine;
Which, in this World, but most Division cause,
Make Nature's Law, submit to Human Laws:
But Love sure is Man's Universal Law,
Which, all the World does to Subjection draw,
Cruelty, Fraud, or Av'rice, over-aw;
To whose Pow'r, all unanimously yield,
Whilst Men, to Justice, Faith, must be compell'd;
Tho' no Law can be Just, or Permanent,
To which there is not all Mankind's Assent,
Which Love has, since 'tis Man's Self-punishment:
At once his Punishment, and Pleasure too,
Which (if he cou'd,) he never wou'd forego;
Since Love'S Chains are the sole, were ever known,
To be, by th' Innocent themselves, put on;
Whence Love'S Law, the most absolute appears,
Which makes Men their own Executioners;
Each out of S ELF -Love , only but to grow
A Foe to's Friend, as Friend too to his Foe,
To love She-Foes too, for their Cruelty,
For those who kill them, willingly to die;
So since, Love ! You these Miracles can do,
I dedicate my Sense, as Life to You;
Who, taking but Man's Senses from him, dost
Exert his Good-Will, or Good-Nature most,
Pleasing his Senses at his Reason's Cost;
Dost make the Weakest Men more Able prove,
Either in Acting, or in Writing Love :
Thou Friend to Wit, as Foe to Barrenness,
Who dost the World Support, instruct, and please;
Be Thou my Aid, as Thou my Theme art, Love !
Since but for Thee, by whom all live and move,
Wit wou'd, like Life, but tedious to them prove.
Whence, Love ! my Rhythms address themselves to You,
Who, tho' You make Faults, best can hide 'em too;
Man's Wit, best by his Love of Pleasure, show:
Since none, without Thee, can to Wit pretend,
Who art to Wit, and Nature, the best Friend,
Of best Thoughts, best Beginning, as best End;
Since those Mens Thoughts prove less Wit, which seek less,
Their own dear Selves, than others Thoughts to please;
But Thou, Love ! dost make Men and Women too,
Their Sense, Fame, for their Pleasure, to forego,
By which, their best Sense, best of all they show.