First line: ‘I said to my heart betwixt sleeping and waking’.
——————
Transcript
I said to my heart betwixt sleeping & waking
Thou wild thing that art always leaping & aking
For the black, for the fair, in what Clime or nation
Hast thou not felt a pit-a-pat-tation?
2
Thus Accused the Wild thing gave this sober reply,
See the heart without motion, tho’ Celia {1} pass by,
Nor the beauty she has, nor the wit that she borrows
Gives the eyes any Joy, or the heart any sorrow
3
When our Sapho {2} appears, whose wit’s so refin’d,
I am forc’d to applaud with the rest of mankind,
Her charms are confess’d her Spirits & fire,
Every word I attend; but I only admire.
4
Prudentia {3} as vainly doth put in her claim,
Ever gazing at Heaven, yet man is her aim.
’Tis love not Devotion, that turns up her eyes,
Those Starrs of this world are too good for the skies.
5
But my Cloe’s so easy so lively so fair,
Her wit so genteel, without art without Care,
When she comes in my way, Oh! the motion & pain
The leaping and aking, they return all again.
6
Thou Wonderful Creature, a woman of reason,
Never grave out of pride, never gay out of season,
When so easy to Guess who this Angel should be,
Would one think Mrs Howard ne’re thought, it was she
——————
{1} In the margin: 'Mrs Harvey'.
{2} In the margin: 'Lady Mary Wortley'.
{3} In the margin: 'Mrs Meadows'.
