Contents -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

T. R. Smith, comp. Poetica Erotica: Rare and Curious Amatory Verse. 1921–22.

“Celemene, Pray Tell Me”

Anonymous

(From Pills to Purge Melancholy [1719], with music; set by Mr. Henry Purcell, sung by a Boy and Girl at the Playhouse)

He.	Celemene, pray tell me,
	Pray, pray tell me, Celemene,
	When those pretty, pretty, pretty Eyes I see,
	Why my Heart beats, beats, beats, beats in my Breast,
	Why, why it will not, it will not, why, why, it will not let me rest:	5
	Why this trembling, why this trembling too all o’er?
	Pains I never, pains I never, never, never felt before:
	And when thus I touch, when thus I touch your hand,
	Why I wish, I wish, I wish, I was a Man?
She.	How should I know more than you?	10
	Yet would be a Woman too.
	When you wash your self and play,
	I methinks could look all day;
	Nay, just now, nay, just now am pleased, am pleased so well,
	Should you, should you kiss me, I won’t tell,	15
	Should you, should you kiss me, I won’t tell.
	No, no I won’t tell, no, no I won’t tell, no, no I won’t tell.
	Should you kiss me I won’t tell.
He.	Tho’ I could do that all day,
	And desire no better play:	20
	Sure, sure in Love there’s something more,
	Which makes Mamma so big, so big before.
She.	Once by chance I heard it named,
	Don’t ask what, don’t ask what, for I’m ashamed:
	Stay but till you’re past Fifteen,	25
	Then you’ll know, then, then you’ll know what ’tis I mean,
	Then you’ll know what, then you’ll know what ’tis I mean.
He.	However, lose not present bliss,
	But now we’re alone, let’s kiss:
	But now we’re alone let’s kiss, let’s kiss.	30
She.	My breasts do so heave, so heave, so heave,
He.	My Heart does so pant, pant, pant;
She.	There’s Something, something, something more we want,
	There’s Something, something, something more we want.