University of Virginia Library

DIOGINES RELATES the three wanton Sisters wanton dreames.

Diogynes.
Over the fyer, once three maydens satt
Vnknowne to them, I ouer heard theire chatt
Eache with hir tuckt-vp cloathes, in pleasing plight
(Pleasing I meane vnto fond younge mens sight)
Satt ore the fyer, soe, as one might see,
From slender foote, to round white nimble knee
As thus they satt, I'me sure thou doest thinke what
(When maydes with maydens bee) wilbe theire chatt
Girles (quoth the eldest sister) what shall's doe?
Smal'es my desire, vnto my bedd to goe
For yet, I never in my couche could fynd
A sportiue mate to please my mayden mind
Alas, alas, what pleasure and delight
Takes one mayde with an other in the night?
But smale god knowes it, for my owne part I
Ne're tooke anie with whom I e're did lie.
For loue, noe revells in that bedd doth keepe
Where one girle, by an others side doth sleepe.
For trulye (sisters) there is none that can
Giue maydes delight in bedd, but a young man
And but in dreame (the more vnhappie I)
I ne're with such a beddfellowe could lie
But yet in dreame (oh matchles sweete delightes!)
Iv'e lyne, and lyne, with one whole wynters nightes
The greater greife (you'l saie) 'twas to my mind
When I did wake, and my selfe single fynd.
Oh girles it was! but sisters I doe see,


It is with eu'rye mayde as 'tis with mee.
Such are our dreames, as wee doe laugh in sleepe
But when wee wake againe, oh then wee weepe.
But what shalls' doe? wee'l not soe soone to bedd
Letts rather tell, howe ne're wee haue beene spedd.
Our merry'st dreames come lett vs nowe relate
Girles gott with girles, their mindes maie freelie prate
What though w'are maides? here are noe men to heare vs
Freelie wee vse to chatt, when th'are not nere vs
W'are by our selues: what ere we talke, is well
Come letts drawe lotts, which first hir dreame shall tell.
At which the youngest, blushing like a rose
Being assignd by lott, firste to disclose
Begynns to tell howe to hir soules delight
Hir sences ravisht' were, the other night.

THE YOVNGEST Sisters dreame.

Qoth shee, on bedds softe downe downe did J lie
And snugd doowne close, to haue sleepe close eache eye
But ere twould bee, I entred in a muse
(I such a muse as all wee maydens vse)
J mus'd (me thought) yf there were sweeter blisse
For maydes, then't lie with men, to clipp and kisse
Me thought, J thought (this thought fetcht out a groane)
It was a hell to lie, all night alone,
At which I sight, and turning me J wept
Desiring, what I knowe not, till J slept
Jn which my sleepe (oh fancies sweete delight?)
Appeard a youth (Pheobus was much lesse bright)
Gold were his lockes, firye sparkles were his eyne
His browes, cheekes, and chynn were as louelie fyne
J'ns shirte was hee, a shirt soe fyne I wynn
As one might see, what was tweene shirt and skynn
His snowe-white armes, in-laide with azurd vaine
(Mixed with crimson dye) one might see plaine
His full-broade manlie some-what downye cheste
Dale-like indented tweene two mounting brestes;


On which two prettie fruiteles teatlinges grewe:
Not milkie sweete, sweete onelie for the veswe.
J saw's soft slender waste; and sisters well nie
I sawe what grewe beneathe his plump-round bellie:
All what I sawe (sweete wenches) J would tell ye
But that sweete loue coniures me (heres' the spight)
Not to discribe, mans sweetly-sportiue spright:
Oh sweet's the dreame, which yeeldeth such delight!
But come girles come; (fye whether doe I roame?)
Me thinkes but coldlie J tooth purpose come:
To me he came, and kiste me too; when J
Me thought did faine, I did a sleeping lie
Me thought, I lett him kisse and kisse agenn
And touche me too (maydes maie be toucht by men.)
I sisters, faythe (me thinkes) that maide's vnwise
That will in private, to hir loue be nice
Two faythfull lovers cannot synn I weene
Soe what they doe, by others is not seene.
Nowe would the wagg, be stroaking of my face
And nowe my pappes, anon another place
Delighting of himselfe, sisters you can
(Better then J) tell what best likes a man
But fayth-la girles, J cannot chuse but smile
I laie, as yf J soundlie slept the while
Permitting him to please the appetite
Of his too too-fond, youth-lust-burning sight
Fayning, J soundest slept, when hee did steale
To vnhill that which maides should cheifst conceale
But, when as hee'd haue come into my bedd
The feare I had to loose my maydenhead
Awaked me: Quoth thother sisters, what?
J hope we maydens least of all feare that
Beleeue me (quoth the elder girle) should J
With my sweete-hart, on my wedding-night lie
And find him drowsie dull, like heauie lead
Hunting but coldlie for a maydenhead:
Twould kill my tender hart: twould murder mee
The blushing morne I nere should liue to see
Oh J should fill the roome with groanes: in morne
With lookes deiected J should seeme forlorne.


But when you wakt (quoth she) chast you not then
Oh noe! in that case maides nere chafe with men
Though wee seeme angry, at there boldest partes
Yet seldome comes, our anger from out hartes
For in loues sporte (this is our sexes wyle)
We'el seeme to frowne when most of all we smile
Yet sisters faith (quoth shee) me thought J wept
When J did wake, cause J noe longer slept
For trath-la girles such pleasure in't tooke J
As in like dreame, twould nere greiue me to die
Had I a world, Jd'e giv't to learne the skyll
Howe J should sleepe and dreame soe at my will.
Had I that arte, that matchles pleasing slyght
Fewe daies Jd'e haue, eache daie Jd'e turne to night:
Lye downe J would, lulling my selfe a sleepe,
Bidding my soule delightfull revells keepe:
Sild would I wake, but alwaies by my will
Jde sleepe, and dreame, and he embracing still.
Nowe second sister wake, J praie (quoth shee)
And in your laste nightes dreame come second me.

THE SECOND SISTERS dreame.

The second sister some what modest bold
Reply'd; my dreame partlie by you is told
Before you slept, me thought, J heard you saie
You in sweete musinge, did a longe tyme laie
You musing sigh'd, and sigh'd till sleepe did steale
Vppon your mayden eyes, their lidds to seale
At length you slept and dreamt you sawe your loue
(A dreame indeed, which much vs maydes doe moue)
You kiste with him but when he'ed with you lie
That made you wake, and out the bedd to flie
But soe (me thought) sweet sister did not I
For I (me thought) did think it was noe synn
To lett a youth betweene my sheetes leape in
But yet for fashions sake oft thus J de crye


Praye gett you hence, seeke some where els to lye
Yet this repulse should still soe faintlie come
As it should feircer whett him on for roome
For coldlie, to denie loues sweete delight
Spurrs to a gallop, the feirce appetite.
And sisters well you knowe, we maydes doe hold
Those youngmen weake which bunt loues chase but cold
What is it to crye, fye, or praye nowe hence?
Why to a resolute mynde, that kinde of fence
Too open lies: oh! men are desprate foes
Vppon advantadge, theile come in, and close,
Ide ne're crye, fye awaie, nor vtter this
But J would closly hugg to him and kisse.
Begone, surcease, y'are rude, forbeare I praie
Of tymes such wordes, J've gone aboute to saie
But er'e those cruell wordes, could haue their birth
Tha'ue smoth'erd bynn, and all has turnd to mirth
Wagges well knowe howe, to quench our angers flame
Sweete kisses, at first kindling, dampe the same
For (sisters) Loue, his schollers this doth teache
Wee ioyne should lippes, to seale our lipp's from speach
And soe it fard with vs; speachles we laie
Giving to pleasures sweetned streame free waie
Soe longe (me thought) we dally'd in the bedd
As allmost J had lost my maydenhead
But (girles) J curse Dreames false deluding guile
As I was loosing it, J wakt the while
Oh girles! oh girles! who knowes what J did misse,
For J awakt, in midst of sweetest blisse
Jf euer mayde, toucht Nectar with hir lipp
Then J (in dreame) of that sweete iuyce did sipp
But oh I wakt! oh then (awakt) my spight
For being wakt, a sleepe fell all delight
Nowe eldest sister you must wake (quoth shee)
Your turne's to tell, the next dreame after me
And reason to the eldest sister sayde
Else let on me, some for feyture be laide
But, J must tell the dreames you haue told twice
Unles J should, some fayned dreame devise
Were here more then five hundred maydes: yet each


Of vs, should in one text and lesson preache
For all we maydes doe dreame alike a nights
Then to our eyes appeareth pleasing sights
And then a smack we taste of loues delights,
Oh that Dame Nature, would but heare my sute
Then should our mayden bodies, beare noe fruite.
Or would it were noe scandall to our liues
To haue our pappes giue sucke, er'e marryed wiues:
Yf with that pleasing graunt, we maydes were blest
Then soner would we yeild to loues requeste
For a my fayth girles were it not for feare
To be with childe, Id'e ne're denie my Deare
Oh then these false dreames fond deluding sightes
Weed ne're care for: we'ed taste loues tr'ust delights
More then tenn thowsand tymes, Jve thought to pyne
This mallenchollie sullen corpes of myne
For sild (alas) we maydes can taste sweet loue
But our owne bellies, doe the tell-tales proue
With sullen puft-vp pride alowde they reade;
Proclayming publikelye our private deed
Happie are wiues, for they are nere afrayde
Of that which terrysyeth moste a maide,
They maie haue boyes and girles, and boies agen?
They maie with husbandes lie, and other men;
Yet nothing noted; but alas poore we
Sild dare doe ought, but what the world maie see,
Eache thinge, it selfe againste vs doth oppose
All thinges are blabbes, our secrets to disclose
For sild we reape loues pleasure in the night
But envious daie (to'ur shames) bringes it to light
Shewing too plaine, at what game we haue beene
Making our sweetlie stolen pleasures seene.
Oh were it not for dreames, I wonder J
Howe we in bedd a nights could brooke to lie
But come, lett these things passe; eyther of you
Your dreames haue told: my dreame beginneth nowe


THE ELDEST SISTERS dreame.

Oh (sisters) knowe you, to my ravisht sight
My loue with's amber locks appeard laste night
Bold boie boldlie hee came as feard of naught,
Shewing in what schoole hee his skill was taught
Scarce speaking ought at all: yf ought twas this
Where's my Gerle? smothring that too with a kisse
Nor with this kissing spent hee all the night
Tutt (girles) our pastime yeelded more delight
I dreamt it did doe soe, for you must knowe
J did but onelie dreame, it did doe soe:
To loues embracementes, wee (me thought) fell then
But loues sweete game is coldlie chaste by men.
Yet our sex, workes loues labor, eu'rye daie
With mindes, as willing, as men goe to plaie
J girles J girles, J speakt in heate of bloude
Men too too soone are ty'rd, with doying good
But oh deare girlis (such is our sexes kind)
One man maie please vs all, except our mind
For yf one man content one woman cann
Then, why should it not be this youthfull man?
His vaines were full, soe stronge a backhee had
As Herculis to him was but a ladd
Yf youth and strength 'tis, quencheth womans fire
Then 'twas in him, as much as Jde desire
But 'tis not Oceans of that liquid stuff
Which lyes in youthfulst men that is enough
To quench the mindes outragious frying flame;
For that once ty'nd age onely dampes the same
Manie a woman' till shee hath tr'yd twoo
Distasteth all, hir firste sweetehart doth doe
From whence praie comss that Luste, that sowre-sweet smart?
Oh th' ead of that same springes, a divelish harte.
But whether from my text am J uowe fled
My dreame was this, J loste my maydenhead


To that let me retourne: oh tis delight
Unto vs maides, to think but on that night.
Him t'weene my armes one while J did infold
Another while, he me, 'tweene his would hold.
Entwindinge leggs (me thought) with me he laie
While J, withs curled locks, did sporte and plaie
Soe longe plaide we as sisters well J wisse
Our sportes extended further then to kisse
Soe longe J kiste, soe longe on's looks J fedd
As sure in dreame I loste my maydenhead.
But (sisters) was it in my pow're to choose
Then such a losse J d'e eu'ry mynute loose
For when we maydes doe lose our mayden treasure
Oh by that losse we wynn a world of pleasure
Fayth Girles, Maydes cannot think what sweet delight
Two louers take which warr in loues feirce fight:
To them loath som's the daie, ouer the night
But nowe I sighe, nowe doe I greiue to thinke
That, that night my eye-lides did euer wynke
For when J wakt (oh dreames! oh dreames y'are theeues
And mist my loue, Judge then (girles) of my greeues
Oh had J had tenn worldes J would haue than
Gev'n all those worldes (sweete girles) for halfs a man
Men stuffs their chestes as full as they can hold
With cramb'd-trust bagges of aungell-winged gold:
But what to doe? for sooth to by this land:
Oh would I had that dust of Tagus strand
Ide not buy land or howses with it: J
For other merchandize Jde make it flie:
Had J such laden truncks this Ide doe than
For enry night ith' yeare Ide buy a man
For, sisters, J maie speake to you my mind
When J awakt, and lookt my loue to find
Feeling for's neck to claspe that neck of his
For's ruddy lipp, hoping that lipp to kisse
For's wanton legg, for myne with that t'yntwind
And sisters for ------ oh girles you knowe my mind
When for these louelie thinges I searcht to see


But could not find, where those sweet things might be
With bitter passion, I burst out and cryd
Wishinge, with in my mothers wombe Jd'e dy'd
Oh sisters! oh sweete sisters, then did I
Wishe, fatall Death attache me instauntlie.
Nowe did J stare aboute; nowe did I call
But when noe aunswere J could heare at all
Up in my smock J rose and searcht each place
(Oh girles extreames our sex in loues sweete case)
Groping behind eache trunck, feeling vnder bedd
Me thought for him which had my maydenhead
And oft Ide crye sweete wagg, thy selfe disclose
For Jv'e another maydenhead to loose
But when noe answere J could heare, oh then
Weeping, I sigh'd and went to bedd agen
Wher'e one while tumbling that waie; other this:
Nowe should I sighe; nowe my poore pillowe kisse
Entwinding it betweene my armes embrace
Jde hugg't as yf my deare duck were in place
Fayning (in that my frying passions flame)
I hottlie chaste loues sweetst, delightfull game
But when J found my sence deluded soe
My passions heate, to coldnes then did growe
For myssing him J grewe more cold then stone;
Oh't paynes my heart to telt; come lett's be gone.
Soe vp they rose, but er'e they went I rusht
From where J stood, at which the wantons blusht.
Nowe sir I hope you see what modest chatt
Young maydes will haue when by themselues theire gott.
Graues swallowe them: were all dead I'de be gladd
The best of wiues, or maides, are worse then badd.