T. R. Smith, comp. Poetica Erotica: Rare and Curious Amatory Verse. 1921–22.
His Dream
By Sir John Suckling (16091642)(From Poems, 1638) ON a still, silent night, scarce could I number | |
One of the clock, but that a golden slumber | |
Had locked my senses fast, and carried me | |
Into a world of blest felicity, | |
I know not how: first to a garden, where | 5 |
The apricot, the cherry, and the pear, | |
The strawberry and plum, were fairer far | |
Than that eye-pleasing fruit that caused the jar | |
Betwixt the goddesses, and tempted more | |
Than fair Atlanta’s ball, though gilded o’er. | 10 |
I gazed awhile on these, and presently | |
A silver stream ran softly gliding by, | |
Upon whose banks lilies more white than snow, | |
New fallen from heaven, with violets mixed, did grow; | |
Whose scent so chafed the neighbour-air, that you | 15 |
Would softly swear that Arabic spices grew | |
Not far from thence, or that the place had been | |
With musk prepared, to entertain Love’s queen. | |
Whilst I admired, the river passed away, | |
And up a grove did spring, green as in May | 20 |
When April had been moist; upon whose bushes | |
The pretty robins, nightingales, and thrushes | |
Warbled their notes so sweetly, that my ears | |
Did judge at least the music of the spheres. | |
But here my gentle dream conveyed me | 25 |
Into the place where I most longed to see, | |
My mistress’ bed; who, some few blushes past | |
And smiling frowns, contented was at last | |
To let me touch her neck; I, not content | |
With that, slipped to her breast, thence lower went, | 30 |
And then I—awaked. | |