[Page 133]

The ABSENT LOVER.

1 ALEXIS, walking in the Park,
2 Met CHLOE, just before 'twas dark:
3 He ask'd a Kiss, nor she deny'd;
4 I don't know what they did beside:
5 But, as a Child, in Thought, chews o'er
6 The Sweetmeats, which he eat before;
7 So in his Mind ALEXIS keeps
8 The dear Impression of her Lips:
9 He felt it all the foll'wing Day,
10 At Night indulg'd it at the Play;
11 One ling'ring Act he musing stay'd,
12 But knew not what the Actors said;
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13 He thought the Park in Drury-lane,
14 Believ'd the Nymph appear'd again;
15 He seems to view her snowy Neck,
16 Her ruby Lip, and rosy Cheek,
17 Her graceful Smiles, and sparkling Eyes,
18 Her panting Bosom fall and rise:
19 And now he clasp'd her in his Arms,
20 ('Twas all imaginary Charms)
21 When, rising to the Height of Bliss,
22 His Lips essay'd to take a Kiss;
23 An Orange-wench trod on his Foot;
24 And screaming, "Will you have some Fruit?"
25 Surpriz'd, he dropt the pleasing Theme,
26 And found his Joys a waking Dream;
27 He swore, and wept, and kick'd the Wench,
28 Forgot his Hat, and left the Bench.

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About this text

Title (in Source Edition): The ABSENT LOVER.
Author: Stephen Duck
Themes: bawdy humour
Genres: satire

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Source edition

Duck, Stephen, 1705-1756. Poems on several occasions: By Stephen Duck. London: printed for the author, 1736, pp. 133-134. xl,334,[2]p. ; 4⁰. (ESTC T90234; OTA K073280.000)

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The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.

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