Beauty Sat Bathing by a Spring

Beauty Sat Bathing by a Spring

Original Text
England's Helicon, 1600 (Menston: Scolar Press, 1973), facsimile of 1st edn. (London: J. Flasket, 1600). PR 1207 E5 1600a ROBA.
1Beauty sat bathing by a spring,
2    Where fairest shades did hide her;
3The winds blew calm, the birds did sing,
4    The cool streams ran beside her.
5My wanton thoughts enticed mine eye
6    To see what was forbidden:
7But better memory said, fie!
8    So, vain desire was chidden.
9    Hey nonny nonny O!
10    Hey nonny nonny!
11Into a slumber then I fell,
12    When fond imagination
13Seemed to see, but could not tell,
14    Her feature or her fashion.
15But ev'n as babes in dreams do smile,
16    And sometimes fall a-weeping,
17So I awaked, as wise this while
18    As when I fell a-sleeping:-
19    Hey nonny nonny O!
20    Hey nonny nonny!
Publication Start Year
1600
RPO poem Editors
W. J. Alexander; William Hall Clawson
RPO Edition
RP (1916), pp. 46-47; RPO 1997.
Rhyme