T. R. Smith, comp. Poetica Erotica: Rare and Curious Amatory Verse. 1921–22.
State and Ambition, Alas! Will Deceive Ye
Anonymous(A Song set to a New Playhouse Tune, 1719) |
STATE and Ambition, alas! will deceive ye, | |
| There’s no solid Joy but the Blessing of Love; | |
| Scorn does of Pleasure fair Sylvia bereave ye, | |
| Your Fame is not perfect till that you remove: | |
| Monarchs that sway the vast Globe in their Glory, | 5 |
| Know Love is their brightest Jewel of Power; | |
| Poor Philemon’s Heart was ordained to adore ye, | |
| Ah! then disdain his Passion no more. | |
| Jove on his Throne was the Victim of Beauty, | |
| His thunder laid by, he from Heaven came down; | 10 |
| Shaped like a Swan, to fair Leda paid Duty, | |
| And prized her far more than his Heavenly crown: | |
| She too was pleased with her beautiful Lover, | |
| And stroak’d his white Plumes, and feasted her Eye; | |
| His cunning in Loving knew well how to move her, | 15 |
| By Billing begins the business of Joy. | |
| Since Divine Powers Examples have given, | |
| If we should not follow their Precepts, we sin: | |
| Sure ’twill appear an Affront to their Heaven, | |
| If when the Gate opens we enter not in. | 20 |
| Beauty, my Dearest, was from the beginning, | |
| Created to calm our Amorous Rage; | |
| And she that against that Decree will be sinning, | |
| In Youth still will find the Curse of old Age. | |