T. R. Smith, comp. Poetica Erotica: Rare and Curious Amatory Verse. 1921–22.
Constant, Fair and Fine Betty
Roxburghe BalladsBeing, The Young-man’s Praise of a Curious Creature (Anonymous. From Vol. I)
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NOW of my sweet Betty I must speak in praise; | ||
I never did see such a lass in my days: | ||
She is kind and loving, and constant to me: | ||
Wherefore I will speak of my pretty Betty. | ||
Betty is comely, and Betty is kind; | 5 | |
Besides, she is pretty, and pleaseth my mind: | ||
She is a brave bonny lass, lovely and free; | ||
The best that ere was is my pretty Betty. | ||
Her hair it doth glister like to threads of gold; | ||
All those that do meet her admire to behold: | 10 | |
Her they take for Juno, so glorious seems she, | ||
More brighter than Luna is pretty Betty, | ||
Her eyes they do twinkle like stars in the sky: | ||
She is without wrinkle; her forehead is high: | ||
Fair Venus for beauty the like cannot be; | 15 | |
Thus I show my duty to pretty Betty. | ||
She hath fine cherry cheeks and sweet coral lips: | ||
There is many one seeks, love with kisses and clips; | ||
But she, like Diana, flies their company; | ||
She is my Tytana, my pretty Betty. | 20 | |
Her chin it is dimpled, her visage is fair; | ||
She is finely templed; she is neat and rare; | ||
If Helen were living she could not please me; | ||
I joy in praise giving, my pretty Betty. | ||
Her skin white as snow, her breast soft as down, | 25 | |
All her parts below they are firm and sound; | ||
She’s chaste in affection as Penelope. | ||
Thus ends the complexion of pretty Betty. | ||
THE SECOND PART Now of her conditions something I’ll declare, | ||
For some have suspicions, she’s false, being fair: | 30 | |
But she’s not falsehearted in any degree; | ||
I’m glad I consorted with pretty Betty. | ||
Her words and her actions they are all as one, | ||
And all her affection is on me alone: | ||
She hates such as vary from true constancy; | 35 | |
Long I must not tarry from pretty Betty. | ||
“Well met, my sweet honey, my joy and delight! | ||
Oh how hath my cony dove ere since last night? | ||
Oh what says my dearest,—what sayest to me?” | ||
Of all maids the rarest is pretty Betty. | 40 | |
SHE: | “Kind love, thou art welcome to me day and night; | |
Why came you not home? I did long for your sight: | ||
My joy and my pleasure is only in thee: | ||
Thou art all the treasure of pretty Betty. | ||
“Hadst thou not come quickly I think I should die; | 45 | |
For I was grown sickly, and did not know why. | ||
Now thou art my doctor and physic to me; | ||
In love thou art proctor for pretty Betty. | ||
“Sweet, when shall we marry and lodge in one bed? | ||
Long I cannot carry, not my maidenhead: | 50 | |
And there’s none shall have the same, but only thee; | ||
’Tis thee that I crave to love pretty Betty.” | ||
HE: | “Bess, be thou contented, we’ll quickly be wed; | |
Our friends are consented to all hath been said: | ||
Thou shalt be my wife ere much older I be, | 55 | |
And I’ll lead my life with pretty Betty.” | ||
These lovers were married and immediately; | ||
And all was well carried; they lived lovingly: | ||
Let fair maids prove constant, like pretty Bessy, | ||
Fine Bess hath the praise on’t and worth it is she. | 60 | |