Classic Poem

THE UNREWARDED LOVER .

Let the dull merchant curse his angry fate,
And from the winds and waves his fortune wait;
Let the loud lawyer break his brains, and be
A slave to wrangling coxcombs for a fee:
Let the rough soldier fight his prince's foes,
And for a livelihood his life expose:
I wage no war, I plead no cause but Love's;
I fear no storms but what Celinda moves.
And what grave censor can my choice despise?
But here, fair charmer, here the diff'rence lies;
The merchant, after all his hazards past,
Enjoys the fruit of his long toils at last;
The soldier high in his king's favour stands,
And after having long obey'd, commands;
The lawyer, to reward his tedious care,
Roars on the bench, that babbled at the bar:
While I take pains to meet a fate more hard,
And reap no fruit, no favour, no reward.