The Poems of Charles Sackville Sixth Earl of Dorset: Edited by Brice Harris |
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Knotting
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| 1 | | VI. |
| VII. |
 | The Poems of Charles Sackville |  |
72
Knotting
At noon in a sunshiny day
The brightest lady of the May,
Young Chloris innocent and gay,
Sat knotting in a shade.
The brightest lady of the May,
Young Chloris innocent and gay,
Sat knotting in a shade.
Each slender finger play'd its part
With such activity and art
As would inflame a youthful heart
And warm the most decay'd.
With such activity and art
As would inflame a youthful heart
And warm the most decay'd.
Her favorite swain by chance came by
No sight could better please her eye;
Yet when the bashful boy drew nigh,
She wou'd have seem'd afraid.
No sight could better please her eye;
Yet when the bashful boy drew nigh,
She wou'd have seem'd afraid.
73
She let her ivory needle fall,
And hurl'd away the twisted ball,
But straight gave Strephon such a call,
As wou'd have rais'd the dead.
And hurl'd away the twisted ball,
But straight gave Strephon such a call,
As wou'd have rais'd the dead.
“Dear gentle youth, is't none but thee?
With innocence I dare be free;
By so much trust and modesty,
No nymph was e'er betray'd.
With innocence I dare be free;
By so much trust and modesty,
No nymph was e'er betray'd.
Come lean they head upon my lap,
While thy smooth cheeks I stroke and clap;
Thou may'st securely take a nap”:
Which he, poor fool, obey'd.
While thy smooth cheeks I stroke and clap;
Thou may'st securely take a nap”:
Which he, poor fool, obey'd.
She saw him yawn and heard him snore,
And found him fast asleep all o'er.
She sigh'd, and cou'd endure no more,
But starting up she said,
And found him fast asleep all o'er.
She sigh'd, and cou'd endure no more,
But starting up she said,
“Such virtue shall rewarded be:
For this thy dull fidelity,
I'll trust thee with my flocks, not me,
Pursue thy grazing trade.
For this thy dull fidelity,
I'll trust thee with my flocks, not me,
Pursue thy grazing trade.
Go milk thy goats, and shear thy sheep,
And watch all night thy flocks to keep;
Thou shalt no more be lull'd asleep
By me, mistaken maid.”
And watch all night thy flocks to keep;
Thou shalt no more be lull'd asleep
By me, mistaken maid.”
| The Poems of Charles Sackville | |