John Wilmot, Earl Of Rochester(1647–1680)
The Imperfect Enjoyment
Naked she lay, clasped in my longing arms,
I filled with love, and she all over charms;
Both equally inspired with eager fire,
Melting through kindness, flaming in desire.
With arms, legs, lips close clinging to embrace,
She clips 0 me to her breast, and sucks me to her face.hugs
Her nimble tongue, love's lesser lightning, played
Within my mouth, and to my thoughts conveyed
Swift orders that I should prepare to throw
The all-dissolving thunderbolt below.
My fluttering soul, sprung with the pointed kiss,
Hangs hovering o'er her balmy brinks of bliss.
But whilst her busy hand would guide that part
Which should convey my soul up to her heart,
In liquid raptures I dissolve all o'er,
Melt into sperm, and spend at every pore.
A touch from any part of her had done't:
Her hand, her foot, her very look's a cunt.
Smiling, she chides in a kind murmuring noise,
And from her body wipes the clammy joys,
When, with a thousand kisses wandering o'er
My panting bosom, "Is there then no more
She cries. "All this to love and rapture's due;
Must we not pay a debt to pleasure too
But I, the most forlorn, lost man alive,
To show my wished obedience vainly strive:
I sigh, alas! and kiss, but cannot swive.screw
Eager desires confound my first intent,
Succeeding shame does more success prevent,
And rage at last confirms me impotent.
Ev'n her fair hand, which might bid heat return
To frozen age, and make cold hermits burn,
Applied to my dead cinder,7 warms no more
Than fire to ashes could past flames restore.
Trembling, confused, despairing, limber, dry,slack, limp
A wishing, weak, u n m o v i n g l u m p I lie.
This dart of love, w h o s e piercing point, oft tried,
W i t h virgin b l o o d ten t h o u s a n d m a i d s h a s dyed,
W h i c h n a t u r e still directed with s u c h art
T h a t it t h r o u g h every c u n t r e a c h e d every h e a r t —
Stiffly resolved, 'twould carelessly invade
W o m a n or m a n , nor o u g h t 0 its fury stayed:anything / kept hack
W h e r e ' e r it pierced, a c u n t it f o u n d or m a d e —
N o w languid lies in this u n h a p p y hour,
S h r u n k up a n d s a p l e s s like a withered flower.
Thou treacherous, base deserter of my flame,
False to my passion, fatal to my fame,
T h r o u g h what m i s t a k e n m a g i c dost thou prove
So true to lewdness, so u n t r u e to love
W h a t o y s t e r - c i n d e r - b e g g a r - c o m m o n w h o r e 8
Didst thou e'er fail in all thy life b e f o r e ?
W h e n vice, d i s e a s e , a n d s c a n d a l lead the way,
W i t h w h a t officious h a s t e doest thou obey!
Like a rude, roaring hector 0 in the streetsblustery I bully
W h o scuffles, cuffs, and justles all he meets,
But if his king or country claim his aid,
T h e rakehell villain shrinks a n d hides his h e a d ;
Ev'n so thy brutal valor is displayed,
B r e a k s every strew,9 does e a c h small whore invade,
B u t w h e n great L o v e the onset does c o m m a n d ,
B a s e recreant to thy prince, thou dar'st not stand.
Worst part of m e , a n d h e n c e f o r t h h a t e d m o s t ,
T h r o u g h all the town a c o m m o n f u c k i n g post,
O n w h o m e a c h w h o r e relieves her tingling c u n t
As h o g s on gates do rub t h e m s e l v e s a n d grunt,
M a y s t thou to ravenous c h a n c r e s 0 be a prey,venereal ulcers
Or in c o n s u m i n g w e e p i n g s w a s t e away;
M a y strangury a n d stone1 they days attend;
May'st thou never piss, w h o didst r e f u s e to s p e n d
W h e n all my joys did on f a l s e thee d e p e n d .
A n d m a y ten t h o u s a n d abler pricks agree
To do the w r o n g e d C o r i n n a right for thee.