Love In Disguise

Unscathed through Beauty's thorny ways
  Be mine, I said, henceforth to rove;
  Too long hath Love consumed my days,
  But now I shut my heart to love.
  The Godhead heard—and "Ah!—not so"—
  With gay malicious glance, he cries,
  "Who thinks to foil my fairer blow,
  By wile, a surer victim, dies."
  And soon in Friendship's shape he came,—
  Ah! how might I the cheat divine?
  No fear had I of Friendship's flame,—
  And led me to that bower of thine
 
  And o'er us slipped a silken band,—
  Friendship's it seemed to be—no more;
  And yet, I own, mere Friendship's hand
  Had never thrilled me so before.
  Anon—in critic Taste's disguise,
  He bade me scan each outward charm;
  I scanned them with admiring eyes,
  And all without one thought of harm.
  Last—aged Wisdom's form he wore;—
  With Wisdom what had Love to do?—
  "Mind—temper—heart"—he said—"explore;"
  I found them sage, and kind and true.
  In Friendship's—Taste's—and Wisdom's guise,
  'Twas so Love came my heart to move;
  What blindness—never to surmise
  That each was but a mask for Love!