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 |