| Seccombe and Arber, comps. Elizabethan Sonnets. 1904. | | | | Fidessa | | Sonnet III. Venus, and young Adonis sitting by her | | Bartholomew Griffin (d. 1602) |
| | | VENUS, and young ADONIS sitting by her, | |
| Under a myrtle shade, began to woo him; | |
| She told the youngling, how god MARS did try her, | |
| And as he fell to her, so fell she to him. | |
| “Even thus,” quoth she, “the wanton god embraced me!” | 5 |
| And then she clasped ADONIS in her arms; | |
| “Even thus,” quoth she, “the warlike god unlaced me!” | |
| As if the boy should use like loving charms. | |
| But he, a wayward boy, refused the offer, | |
| And ran away! the beauteous Queen neglecting; | 10 |
| Showing both folly to abuse her proffer, | |
| And all his sex, of cowardice detecting. | |
| O that I had my Mistress at that bay! | |
| To kiss and clip me, till I ran away! | | | | |
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