"Whilst Alexis lay prest," from Marriage-a-la-Mode. Songs from the Plays. John Dryden. 1913. The Poems of John Dryden

John Dryden (1631–1700). The Poems of John Dryden. 1913.

Songs from the Plays

“Whilst Alexis lay prest,” from Marriage-à-la-Mode


1 WHILST Alexis lay prest
In her Arms he lov’d best,
With his hands round her neck,
And his head on her breast,
He found the fierce pleasure too hasty to stay,	5
And his soul in the tempest just flying away.

2 When Cœlia saw this,
With a sigh, and a kiss,
She cry’d, Oh my dear, I am robb’d of my bliss;
’Tis unkind to your Love, and unfaithfully done,	10
To leave me behind you, and die all alone.

3 The Youth, though in haste,
And breathing his last,
In pity dy’d slowly, while she dy’d more fast;
Till at length she cry’d, Now, my dear, now let us go,	15
Now die, my Alexis, and I will die too.

3 Thus intranc’d they did lie,
Till Alexis did try
To recover new Breath, that again he might die:
Then often they di’d; but the more they did so,	20
The Nymph dy’d more quick, and the Shepherd more slow.