THE DAINTY DAMSEL'S DREAM
by: Laurence Price
PART ONE
- S 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, muck 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 coast
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 whilst 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 were but a dream.
-
- Fie upon dreams, and fond delights, which thus disturb the
mind!
- 'Tis better far to be awaked, and exercise by kind.
- When as I dreamed, I had a love, and gold, and pleasure store;
- But when I waked, I saw none such, which makes me grieve
the more.
"The Dainty Damsel's Dream"
is reprinted from Poetica Erotica. Ed. T.R. Smith. New
York: Crown Publishers, 1921. |
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