I will not faith or love accuse (James Oswald)
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- (Posted 2023-10-04) CPDL #76043:
- Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2023-10-04). Score information: A4, 3 pages, 329 kB Copyright: CC BY SA
- Edition notes: Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download.
General Information
Title: I will not faith or love accuse
Composer: James Oswald
Lyricist: Alexander Pope
Number of voices: 1v Voicing: solo high
Genre: Secular, Aria
Language: English
Instruments: Basso continuo,violin
First published: 1758
Description: Titled The Bold Attempt. Written for performance at Ranelagh pleasure gardens and sung by Catherine (Kitty) Fourmantel.
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
I will not faith or love accuse,
Altho' my mistress me refuse,
But blame my own unworthiness,
That dar'd attempt so high a bliss.
Too much it was for me to love
One who was like the blest above;
An angel's face, a syren's voice,
Much too divine for human choice.
Had I but wisely giv'n my heart,
And only lov'd her but in part,
Her hand, her lip, her cheek or eye,
I might have liv'd, when now I die.
But I, presuming all to choose,
Am now condemn'd the whole to lose;
Like Phaeton, I have soar'd too high,
For which, alas, I fall, I die.