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Home  »  Poetica Erotica  »  Celamina of My Heart

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

Celamina of My Heart

By John Dryden (1631–1700)
 
(From An Evening’s Love)

DAMON.  Celamina, of my heart,
    None shall e’re bereave you:
If by your good leave I may
Quarrel with you once a day
    I will never leave you.        5
 
CELAMINA.  Passion’s but an empty name,
    Where respect is wanting;
Damon, you mistake your aim,
Hang your heart, and burn your flame,
    If you must be ranting.        10
 
DAMON.  Love as dull and muddy is,
    As decaying Liquor:
Anger sets it on the Lees,
And refines it by degrees,
    Till it works it quicker.        15
 
CELAMINA.  Love by Quarrels to beget,
    Wisely you endeavour,
With a grave Physician’s wit,
Who to cure an ague fit,
    Puts me in a Fevor.        20
 
DAMON.  Anger rouseth Love to fight,
    And his only bait is,
’Tis the spur to dull delight,
And is but an eager bite
    When desire at height is.        25
 
CELAMINA.  If such drops of heat can fall
    In our wooing weather,
If such drops of heat can fall,
We shall have the Devil and all
    When we come together.        30