John Dryden (1631-1700)
Fair Iris I Love and Hourly I Die
1Fair Iris I love and hourly I die,
2But not for a lip nor a languishing eye:
3She's fickle and false, and there I agree;
4For I am as false and as fickle as she:
5We neither believe what either can say;
6And, neither believing, we neither betray.
7'Tis civil to swear and say things, of course;
8We mean not the taking for better or worse.
9When present we love, when absent agree;
10I think not of Iris, nor Iris of me:
11The legend of love no couple can find
12So easy to part, or so equally join'd.
Notes
1] From Act IV, scene i.
Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.
Original text: John Dryden, Amphitryon (London: J. and M. Tonson, 1691). D-10 2918 Fisher Rare Book Library
First publication date:
1690
RPO poem editor: N. J. Endicott
RP edition: 2RP 1.481.
Recent editing: 4:2002/3/21
Rhyme: aabbcc
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