T. R. Smith, comp. Poetica Erotica: Rare and Curious Amatory Verse. 1921–22.
“As I Travers’d to and fro”
Anonymous(From Academy of Complements, c. 1650; p. 199) |
AS I travers’d to and fro, | |
| And in the fields was walking, | |
| I chanc’d to hear two Sisters | |
| That secretly were talking: | |
| The younger to the elder said, | 5 |
| Prithee why do’st not marry? | |
| In faith, quoth she, I’ll tell to thee, | |
| I mean not long to tarry. | |
| When I was fifteen years of age, | |
| Then I had suitors many: | 10 |
| But, I a wanton peevish wench | |
| Would not sport with any: | |
| Till at the last I sleeping fast, | |
| Cupid came to woo me, | |
| And, like a lad that was stark mad, | 15 |
| He swore he would undo me. | |
| And then he lay down by my side | |
| And spread his arms upon me, | |
| And I, being ’twixt sleep and wake, | |
| Did strive to thrust him from me, | 20 |
| But he with all the power he had, | |
| Did lie the harder on me. | |
| And then he did so play with me, | |
| As I was played with never; | |
| The wanton boy so pleased me, | 25 |
| I would have slept forever. | |
| And then methought the world turn’d round, | |
| And Phoebus fell-a-skipping, | |
| And all the Nymphs and Goddesses | |
| About us two were tripping. | 30 |
| Then seemed Neptune as he had pour’d | |
| His Ocean streams upon us, | |
| But Boreas with his blust’ring blasts | |
| Did strive to keep him from us. | |
| Limping Vulcan he came, | 35 |
| As if he had been jealous, | |
| Venus follow’d after him, | |
| And swore she’d blow the bellows. | |
| Mars called Cupid Jackanapes, | |
| And swore he would him smother, | 40 |
| Quoth Cupid, Said I so to thee | |
| When thou lay’st with my mother? | |
| Juno then, and Jupiter, | |
| Came marching with Apollo; | |
| Pan came in with Mercury, | 45 |
| And then began he hollo; | |
| Cupid ran and hid himself, | |
| And so of joys bereft me: | |
| For suddenly I did awake, | |
| And all these fancies left me. | 50 |