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Home  »  Poetica Erotica  »  Of a Puritan

T. R. Smith, comp. Poetica Erotica: Rare and Curious Amatory Verse. 1921–22.

Of a Puritan

Percy’s Folio Manuscript
 
(Anonymous, c. 1620–50)

IT was a puritanical lad
  that was called Mathyas,
And he would go to Amsterdam
  to speak with Ananyas.
He had not gone past half a mile,        5
  but he met his holy sister;
He laid his bible under her breech,
  and merrily he kist her.
 
“Alas! what would they wicked say?”
  quoth she, “if they had seen it!        10
My Buttocks they lye too low: I wisht
  apocrypha were in it!”
“But peace, Sweetheart, or ere we part,—
  I speak it out of pure devotion,—
By yea and nay I’ll not away        15
  till thou feel my spirits motion.”
 
They huft and puft with many heaves,
  till that they both were tired,
“Alas!” quoth she, “you’ll spoil the leaves;
  my petticoats all Mired!        20
If we professors should be known
  to the English congregation
Either at Leyden or Amsterdam,
  it would disgrace our nation;
 
“But since it is, that part we must,        25
  tho I am much unwilling,
Good brother, lets have the t’other thrust,
  and take thee this fine shilling
To bear thy charges as thou goes,
  and passage o’er the ocean.”        30
Then down she Laid, and since ’tis said,
  she quencht his spirits motion.