Affecting Fury, acts a Madman's Part,
He'll rip the fatal Secret from her Heart!
Bids her confess, calls her ten thousand Names,
In vain she kneels, she weeps, protests, exclaims;
Scarce with her Life she scapes, expos'd to Shame,
In Body tortur'd, murder'd in her Fame,
Rots with a vile Adulteress's Name,
Abandon'd by her Friends, without Defence,
And happy only in her Innocence.
Such is the Vengeance the just Gods provide
For those, who barter Liberty for Pride,
Who impiously invoke the Pow'rs above
To witness to false Vows of mutual Love.
Thousands of poor Cleoras may be found,
Such Husbands and such wretched Wives abound.
Ye Guardian Pow'rs, the Arbiters of Bliss,
Preserve Clarinda from a Fate like this:
You form'd her fair, not any Grace deny'd,
But gave, alas! a Spark too much of Pride;
Reform that Failing, and protect her still,
O save her from the Curse of chusing ill.
Deem it not Envy, or a jealous Care,
That moves these Wishes, or provokes this Pray'r,
Tho' more than Death I dread to see those Charms
Allotted to some happier Mortal's Arms;
Tor-
