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Home  »  Poetica Erotica  »  The Insatiate Lover

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

The Insatiate Lover

Anonymous
 
(From Merry Drollery, 1661)

COME hither my own sweet duck,
  And sit upon my knee,
That thou and I may truck
  For thy Commodity,
If thou wilt be my honey,        5
  Then I will be thine own,
Thou shalt not want for money
  If thou wilt make it known;
With hey ho my honey,
  My heart shall never rue,        10
For I have been spending money
  And amongst the jovial Crew.
 
I prithee leave thy scorning,
  Which our true love beguiles,
Thy eyes are bright as morning,        15
  The Sun shines in thy smiles,
Thy gesture is so prudent,
  Thy language is so free,
That he is the best Student
  Which can study thee;        20
With hey, ho, etc.
 
The Merchant would refuse
  His Indies and his Gold
If he thy love might chuse,
  And have thy love in hold:        25
Thy beauty yields more pleasure
  Than rich men keep in store,
And he that hath such treasure
  Never can be poor;
With hey ho, etc.        30
 
The Lawyer would forsake
  His wit and pleading strong;
The Ruler and Judge would take
  Thy part wer’t right or wrong;
Should men thy beauty see        35
  Amongst the learned throngs,
Thy very eyes would be
  Too hard for all their tongues;
With hey ho, etc.
 
Thy kisses to thy friend        40
  The Surgeon’s skill out-strips,
For nothing can transcend
  The balsam of thy Lips,
There is such vital power
  Contained in thy breath,        45
That at the latter hour
  ’Twould raise a man from death;
With hey ho, etc.
 
Astronomers would not
  Lie gazing in the skies        50
Had they thy beauty got,
  No Stars shine like thine eyes:
For he that may importune
  Thy love to an embrace,
Can read no better fortune        55
  Than what is in thy face.
With hey ho, etc.
 
The Soldier would throw down
  His Pistols and Carbine,
And freely would be bound        60
  To wear no arms but thine:
If thou wert but engaged
  To meet him in the field,
Though never so much enraged
  Thou couldst make him yield,        65
With hey ho, etc.
 
The seaman would reject
  To sail upon the Sea,
And his good ship neglect
  To be aboard of thee:        70
When thou liest on thy pillows
  He surely could not fail
To make thy breast his billows,
  And to hoist up sail;
With hey ho, etc.        75
 
The greatest Kings alive
  Would wish thou wert their own,
And every one would strive
  To make thy Lap their Throne,
For thou hast all the merit        80
  That love and liking brings;
Besides a nobler spirit,
  Which may conquer Kings;
With hey ho, etc.
 
Were Rosamond on earth        85
  I surely would abhor her,
Though ne’r so great by birth
  I should not change thee for her;
Though Kings and Queens are gallant,
  And bear a royal sway,        90
The poor man hath his Talent,
  And loves as well as they,
With hey ho, etc.
 
Then prithee come and kiss me,
  And say thou art mine own,        95
I vow I would not miss thee
  Not for a Prince’s Throne;
Let Love and I persuade thee
  My gentle suit to hear:
If thou wilt be my Lady,        100
  Then I will be thy dear;
With hey ho, etc.
 
I never will deceive thee,
  But ever will be true,
Till death I shall not leave thee,        105
  Or change thee for a new;
We’ll live as mild as may be,
  If thou wilt but agree,
And get a pretty baby
  With a face like thee,        110
With hey ho, etc.
 
Let these persuasions move thee
  Kindly to comply,
There’s no man that can love thee
  With so much zeal as I;        115
Do thou but yield me pleasure,
  And take from me this pain,
I’ll give thee all the Treasure
  Horse and man can gain;
With hey ho, etc.        120
 
I’ll fight in forty duels
  To obtain thy grace,
I’ll give thee precious jewels
  Shall adorn thy face;
E’er thou for want of money        125
  Be to destruction hurl’d,
For to support my honey
  I’ll plunder all the world;
With hey ho, etc.
 
That smile doth show consenting,        130
  Then prithee let’s be gone,
There shall be no repenting
  When the deed is done;
My blood and my affection,
  My spirits strongly move,        135
Then let us for this action
  Fly to yonder grove,
With hey ho, etc.
 
Let us lie down by those bushes
  That are grown so high,        140
Where I will hide thy blushes;
  Here’s no standers by
This seventh day of July,
  Upon this bank we’ll lie,
Would all were, that love truly,        145
  As close as thou and I;
With hey ho, my honey,
  My heart shall never rue,
For I have been spending money
  Amongst the jovial Crew.        150