In November (1)
July 5, 2023On the Death of the late Earl of Rochester
July 5, 2023The Libertine
A THOUSAND martyrs I have made,
All sacrificed to my desire,
A thousand beauties have betray’d
That languish in resistless fire:
The untamed heart to hand I brought,
And fix’d the wild and wand’ring thought.
I never vow’d nor sigh’d in vain,
But both, tho’ false, were well received;
The fair are pleased to give us pain,
And what they wish is soon believed:
And tho’ I talk’d of wounds and smart,
Love’s pleasures only touch’d my heart.
Alone the glory and the spoil
I always laughing bore away;
The triumphs without pain or toil,
Without the hell the heaven of joy;
And while I thus at random rove
Despise the fools that whine for love.
Aphra Behn
Aphra Behn (1640-1689) was an English playwright, poet, and novelist. She was one of the first English women to earn her living through writing and is best known for her plays, which were performed during the Restoration period. Some of her notable works include "The Rover" (1677), "Oroonoko" (1688), and "The Lucky Chance" (1687).