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

The Dainty Damsel’s Dream

By Laurence Price (fl. 1625–1680?)

(Roxburgh Ballads, iii. 226)

Or, Cupid’s Visions

	The Maid saw such strange Visions in her sleep,
	When she awaked it forced her for to weep:
	She dreaming lay, and thought her Love lay by,
	But he, alas! was not at that time nigh.
	Then list and you shall hear the Damsel’s Dream,
	And afterwards what followed the same.

PART ONE

AS I lay on my lovely bed, I fell into a dream,

God Cupid he attended me, and straight upon the same,

The Chamber where I lodged in, methought was all on fire,

Then Mars and Jupiter came in, with wrath and furious ire.

After came Venus with her train of Nymphs most fair and bright,

And prickt my heart in every vein, much like to kill me quite;

I knew no reason why their rage and anger should be so,

“Why then,” quoth Venus, “to thyself, thou art a mortal foe.

“There is a young man loves thee dear, and now is like to die,

Because for him thou dost not care; that is the reason why,

That thou art punished so sore, here in thy naked bed,

And if thou wilt not yield to love, we mean to kill thee dead.”

“Fair Queen,” quoth I, “grant me this boon I may so happy be,

For to present him to my view that I the man may see:

And if that I can fancy him, there is no more to do,

But I will yield to be his love, and kiss and hug him too.”

With that the flames all quenched was, and all the coasts was clear,

And then a proper handsome youth did in my sight appear;

Like young Adonis in his prime this gallant seem’d to be,

Of courage bold, and valour brave, and fortitude, was he.

PART TWO

His face like an Angel’s was, his eyes like stars did shine,

In every part from top to toe, he seemed a Saint divine,

His sweet perfumèd honied breath did bear so rare a smell,

The richest odours in the world for scent it did excel.

With courtly words and compliments he did me kindly greet,

Crossing my lips ten thousand times with kisses soft and sweet;

In his right hand a purse of gold he had, and did me give,

And told me I should never want such Coin whilest I did live.

It ravished my senses all, and set my heart on fire,

His countenance for to behold it made me to admire!

So that I much desired then to have his company,

His comely person to embrace as I in bed did lie.

His hose and doublet he stript off, and came into my bed,

Saying that he must master be, and have my maidenhead;

Good lack! how willing then was I his love to entertain:

The thought of action moved me in every limb and vein.

When all my vitals thus were rais’d, and ready for the sport,

Cupid and Venus stole away and so broke up the sport.

Even so departed all the Nymphs, and straight upon the same

I wak’d and wept, because I saw all things was but a dream.

Fie upon dreams, and fond delights, which thus disturbs the mind!

’Tis better far to be awak’d, and exercise by kind.

When as I dream’d, I had a love, and gold, and pleasure store;

But when I wak’d, I saw none such, which makes me grieve the more.

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