T. R. Smith, comp. Poetica Erotica: Rare and Curious Amatory Verse. 1921–22.
The Bunch of Rushes
Anonymous(Date unknown) IT was on a summer’s morning, | |
As I walked forth to take the air, | |
Down by a shady arbour, | |
Where seldom strangers do appear | |
I espied a comely fair maid, | 5 |
Who I thought was going astray, | |
With a bunch of rushes in her hand, | |
Which she had pulled on the way. | |
I cast my eyes around me, | |
To see if the coast was clear or no; | 10 |
And seeing no one near me, | |
Straight way to her I then did go, | |
Says I, my loving fair one, | |
What are you doing here alone? | |
I came to pull green rushes, | 15 |
But now I’m going home. | |
I clasp’d my arms around her, | |
And embraced her most tenderly, | |
She modestly rebuk’d me, saying, | |
Kind sir, you make too free; | 20 |
Do you mean to undo me, | |
Because I look both poor and low, | |
I beg you for to excuse me, | |
Pray, loose me, sir, and let me go. | |
I says, my lovely charmer, | 25 |
To you I mean no injury; | |
But come and sit beside me, | |
Beneath yon wide and shady tree, | |
Where the lofty lark and linnet, | |
Shall witness our mutual love, | 30 |
And I shall never deceive you, | |
By all the powers above. | |
She then modestly consented, | |
And on the grass we both sat down, | |
And for fear of any moisture, | 35 |
Beneath she spread her new silk gown | |
She says, young man, be easy, | |
Her cheeks were red with blushes, O | |
I beg you will not tease me, | |
Don’t touch my bunch of rushes, O. | 40 |
But now, sir, you are going, | |
Pray, when shall we meet again, | |
I answered in a few words, | |
When the clerk shall say, amen. | |
So make yourself quite easy, | 45 |
And merry be while I’m away, | |
And bless the happy hour, | |
You came to pull green rushes, O. | |