John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester. "The Fall."

The Fall.
by Earl of Rochester

How blest was the created state
    Of man and woman, ere they fell,
Compared to our unhappy fate;
    We need not fear another hell.

Naked beneath cool shades they lay,
    Enjoyment waited on desire;
Each member did their wills obey,
    Nor could a wish set pleasure higher.

But we, poor slaves to hope and fear,
    Are never of our joys secure;
They lessen still as they draw near
    And none but dull delights endure.

Then Chloris, while I duly pay
    The nobler tribute of my heart;
Be not you so severe to say,
    You love me for a frailer part.

Restoration Literature. Paul Hammond, ed.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. 255-256.