by William Congreve (1670 - 1729)
Love's but the frailty of the mind
Language: English
Love's but the frailty of the mind When 'tis not with ambition joined; A sickly flame, which, if not fed, expires, And feeding, wastes in self-consuming fires. 'Tis not to wound a wanton boy Or amorous youth, that gives the joy; But 'tis the glory to have pierced a swain, For whom inferior beauties sighed in vain. Then I alone the conquest prize When I insult a rival's eyes; If there's delight in love, 'tis when I see That heart, which others bleed for, bleed for me.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with The Best Plays of the Old Dramatists. William Congreve., Unexpurgated Edition, London : Vizetelly & Co., 1888, page 363.
Authorship:
- by William Congreve (1670 - 1729), "Song", appears in The Way of the World, Act III, Scene 3 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Humphrey Procter-Gregg (1895 - 1980), "Love’s but the frailty of the mind" [ voice and piano ] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Mike Pearson
This text was added to the website: 2016-06-14
Line count: 12
Word count: 88