T. R. Smith, comp. Poetica Erotica: Rare and Curious Amatory Verse. 1921–22.
In the Sprightly Month of May
By Sir John Vanbrugh (16641726)(From Aesop, a Comedy) IN the sprightly month of May, | |
When males and females sport and play, | |
And kiss and toy away the day; | |
An eager sparrow and his mate | |
Chirping on a tree were sate, | 5 |
Full of love—and full of prate. | |
They talk’d of nothing but their fires, | |
Of raging heats and strong desires, | |
Of eternal constancy: | |
How true and faithful they would be, | 10 |
Of this and that, and endless joys, | |
And a thousand more such toys: | |
The only thing they apprehended, | |
Was that their lives would be so short, | |
They could not finish half their sport | 15 |
Before their days were ended. | |
But as from bough to bough they rove, | |
They chanced at last | |
In furious haste, | |
On a twig with birdlime spread, | 20 |
(Want of a more downy bed) | |
To act a scene of love. | |
Fatal it proved to both their fires. | |
For though at length they broke away, | |
And balk’d the schoolboy of his prey, | 25 |
Which made him weep the livelong day, | |
The bridegroom in the hasty strife, | |
Was stuck so fast to his dear wife, | |
That though he used his utmost art, | |
He quickly found it was in vain, | 30 |
To put himself to further pain, | |
They never more must part. | |
A gloomy shade o’creast his brow; | |
He found himself—I know not how: | |
He look’d—as husbands often do. | 35 |
Where’er he moved he felt her still, | |
She kiss’d him oft against his will: | |
Abroad, at home, at bed and board, | |
With favours she o’erwhelmed her lord. | |
Oft he turn’d his head away, | 40 |
And seldom had a word to say. | |
Which absolutely spoil’d her play, | |
For she was better stored. | |
Howe’er at length her stock was spent, | |
(For female fires sometimes may be | 45 |
Subject to mortality;) | |
So back to back they sit and sullenly repent. | |
But the mute scene was quickly ended, | |
The lady, for her share, pretended | |
The want of love lay at his door; | 50 |
For her part she had still in store | |
Enough for him and twenty more, | |
Which could not be contented. | |
He answer’d her in homely words, | |
(For sparrows are but ill-bred birds,) | 55 |
That he already had enjoy’d | |
So much, that truly he was cloy’d. | |
Which so provoked her spleen, | |
That after some good hearty prayers, | |
A jostle, and some spiteful tears, | 60 |
They fell together by the ears, | |
And ne’er were fond again. | |