Parody Anthology Author:Carolyn Wells Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: AFTER WITHER ANSWER TO MASTER WITHER'S SONG, "SHALL I, WASTING IN DESPAIR?" SHALL I, mine affections slack, 'Cause I see a woman's black? Or myself, with ... more »care cast down, 'Cause I see a woman brown ? Be she blacker than the night, Or the blackest jet in sight! If she be not so to me, What care I how black she be ? Shall my foolish heart be burst, 'Cause I see a woman 's curst ? Or a thwarting hoggish nature Joined in as bad a feature ? Be she curst or fiercer than Brutish beast, or savage man ! If she be not so to me, What care I how curst she be ? Shall a woman's vices make Me her vices quite forsake ? Or her faults to me made known, Make me think that I have none ? Be she of the most accurst, And deserve the name of worst! If she be not so to me, What care I how bad she be ? 'Cause her fortunes seem too low, Shall I therefore let her go ? He that bears an humble mind And with riches can be kind, Think how kind a heart he 'd have, If he were some servile slave ! And if that same mind I see What care I how poor she be ? Poor, or bad, or curst, or black, I will ne'er the more be slack ! If she hate me (then believe !) She shall die ere I will grieve! If she like me when I woo I can like and love her too ! If that she be fit for me ! What care I what others be ? Ben Jonson. AFTER HERRICK GATHER Kittens while you may, Time brings only Sorrow ; And the Kittens of To-day Will be Old Cats To-morrow. Oliver Herford. TO JULIA UNDER LOCK AND KEY orm of betrothal gift in America is an anklet secured by a padlock, of which the other party keeps the key) WHEN like a bud my Julia blows In lattice-work of silken hose, Pleasant I deem it is to note How, 'neath the nimble petticoat, Above her fairy shoe is set ...« less