The Choise of Valentines; Or the Merie Ballad of Nash His Dildo

honorable the Lord S.a

Reading edition

honorable the Lord S.^a

ardon, sweete flower of Matchles° poetrie, And fairest bud the red rose euer bare°; Although my Muse, devorst from deeper care°, 4Presents thee with° a wanton Elegie.

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Ne° blame my verse of loose unchastitie For painting forth the things that hidden are°, Since all men acte what I in speache declare, 8Onlie induced with varietie°. Complants and praises° euery one can write, And passion out their pangu's in statlie rimes°; But of loues pleasures none did euer write°, 12That have succeeded in theis latter times°. Accept of it, Deare Lord°, in gentle gree, And better lynes, ere long°, shall honor thee.

NOTES

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Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · a Henry Wriothesley, the Earl of Southampton, and Baron of Titchfield. The dedication is absent in the Rawlinson text: cf. variorum reading Note 2 · Matchles, machles.Note 3 · the red rose euer bare, that euer red rose bare.Note 4 · devorst from deeper care, diuert from deepest care. Nash was notoriously impecunious all through his life, and probably reference is here ma Note 5 · Presents thee with, Presentes you with.Note 6 · "Ne" = Nor, A.S.; unchastitie, inchastitye.Note 7 · painting, paynting; things, thinges; hidden are, hidden be.Note 8 · & 8 In Rawl. MS. these lines are transposed. Since all men act, sith most men marke; speache declare, speech descrie; Onlie, only; varietie,Note 9 · Complants and praises euery one, Complayntes & prayses every man.Note 10 · passion out, passion forth; their pangu's, there loue; statlie rimes, statly rime.Note 11 · pleasures none, pleasure non; euer write, e're indite.Note 12 · theis latter times, this latter time.Note 13 · Deare Lord, deare loue. A significant reading in view of the absence of the dedication in the Rawl. MS. "Accept ... in gentle gree," to take Note 14 · And better lynes ere long, And better farr, ere long (see Introduction).