T. R. Smith, comp. Poetica Erotica: Rare and Curious Amatory Verse. 1921–22.
The Sparrow and His Mate
By Sir John Vanbrugh (1664–1726)(From Aesop, 1697) 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 talked 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 balked 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’ercast his brow; | |
| He found himself—I know not how: | |
| He looked—as husbands often do. | 35 |
| Where’er he moved, he felt her still, | |
| She kissed him oft against his will: | |
| Abroad, at home, at bed and board, | |
| With favours she o’erwhelmed her lord. | |
| Oft he turned his head away, | 40 |
| And seldom had a word to say, | |
| Which absolutely spoiled 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 suddenly 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 answered her in homely words, | |
| (For sparrows are but ill-bred birds,) | 55 |
| That he already had enjoyed | |
| So much, that truly he was cloyed. | |
| 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 found again. | |