HE that hath no mistress must not wear a favour,
He that wooes a mistress must serve before he have her;
He that hath no bedfellow must [learn to] lie alone,
And he that hath no lady must be content with Joan:
And so must I, for why, alas! my love and I am parted:
False Cupid, I will have thee whipped and have thy mother carted!
From The Marrow of Compliments, 1655.
HER dainty palm I gently prest
And with her lip I play'd;
My cheek upon her panting breast
And on her neck I laid:
And yet we had no sense of wanton lust,
Nor did we then mistrust.
With pleasant toil we breathless grew,
And kiss'd in warmer blood;
Upon her lips the honey-dew
Like drops on roses' stood:
And on those flowers play'd I the busy bee,
Whose sweets were such to me.
But kissing and embracing we
So long together lay,
Her touches all inflamed me
And I began to stray;
My hands presumed too far, they were too bold,
My tongue unwisely told.
From Thomas Greaves' Songs, 1604.
I PRAY thee, sweet John, away!
I cannot tell how to love thee!"
"Pish, phew, in faith all this will not move me."
"O me, I dare not before our marriage-day:
If this will not move thee, gentle John,
Come quickly kiss me and let me be gone.
(Down a down!)
"Nay, will ye, faith? this is more than needs,
This fooling I cannot abide;
Leave off! or in faith I must chide.
See now, faith, here are proper deeds:
Have done, have done then! I now bewail my hap,
Repentance follows with an after-clap.
Ay me, my joys are murdered with a frown,
And sorrow pulls untimely pleasure down."
(Down a down!)