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