He knew obedience pleased his fancy's queen: Awhile he waited, and then cried--"Behold! The year advancing, be no longer cold!" For she had promised--"Let the flowers appear, And I will pass with thee the smiling year:" Then pressing grew the youth; the more he press'd, The less inclined the maid to his request: "Let June arrive." Alas! when April came, It brought a stranger, and the stranger, shame; Nor could the Lover from his house persuade A stubborn lass whom he had mournful made; Angry and weak, by thoughtless vengeance moved, She told her story to the Fair beloved; In strongest words th' unwelcome truth was shown, To blight his prospects, careless of her own. Our heroine grieved, but had too firm a heart For him to soften, when she swore to part; In vain his seeming penitence and pray'r, His vows, his tears; she left him in despair: His mother fondly laid her grief aside, And to the reason of the nymph applied: - "It well becomes thee, lady, to appear, But not to be, in very truth, severe; Although the crime be odious in thy sight, That daring sex is taught such things to slight, His heart is thine, although it once was frail; Think of his grief, and let his love prevail!" "Plead thou no more, "the lofty lass return'd; "Forgiving woman is deceived and spurn'd: Say that the crime is common--shall I take A common man my wedded lord to make? See? a weak woman by his arts betray'd, An infant born his father to upbraid; Shall I forgive his vileness, take his name, Sanction his error, and partake his shame? No! this assent would kindred frailty prove, A love for him would be a vicious love: Can a chaste maiden secret counsel hold With one whose crime by every mouth is told? Forbid it spirit, prudence, virtuous pride; He must despise me, were he not denied: The way from vice the erring mind to win Is with presuming sinners to begin, And show, by scorning them, a just contempt for sin." The youth, repulsed, to one more mild convey'd His heart, and smiled on the remorseless maid; The maid, remorseless, in her pride, the while Despised the insult, and return'd the smile. First to admire, to praise her, and defend, Was (now in years advanced) a virgin-friend: Much she preferr'd, she cried the single state, "It was her choice"--it surely was her fate; And much it pleased her in the train to view A maiden vot'ress, wise and lovely too. Time to the yielding mind his change imparts, He varies notions, and he alters hearts; 'Tis right, 'tis just to feel contempt for vice, But he that shows it may be over-nice: There are who feel, when young, the false sublime, And proudly love to show disdain for crime; To whom the future will new thoughts supply, The pride will soften, and the scorn will die; Nay, where they still the vice itself condemn, They bear the vicious, and consort with them: Young Captain Grove, when one had changed his side, Despised the venal turncoat, and defied; Old Colonel Grove now shakes him by the hand,