| William Stanley Braithwaite, ed. The Book of Restoration Verse. 1910. | | | | A Song: ‘Fair, sweet and young, receive a prize’ | | By John Dryden (1631–1700) |
| | | FAIR, sweet and young, receive a prize | |
| Reserved for your victorious eyes: | |
| From crowds, whom at your feet you see, | |
| O pity, and distinguish me! | |
| As I from thousand beauties more | 5 |
| Distinguish you, and only you adore. | |
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| Your face for conquest was designed, | |
| Your every motion charms my mind; | |
| Angels, when you your silence break, | |
| Forget their hymns, to hear you speak; | 10 |
| But when at once they hear and view, | |
| Are loth to mount, and long to stay with you. | |
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| No graces can your form improve, | |
| But all are lost, unless you love; | |
| While that sweet passion you disdain, | 15 |
| Your veil and beauty are in vain; | |
| In pity then prevent my fate, | |
| For after dying all reprieve’s too late. | | | | |
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