A Woeful Ballad to his Mistresses Eyebrows
‘Why gaze thee not into mine eyes,’ Asked she, ‘but on some point above?’ ‘In truth,’ said I, ‘I’ll tell no lies, Thy brows intrigue me more my love.’ ‘Indeed!’ quoth she, ‘Pray tell me, do, Why so?’ ‘Because,’ did I retort, ‘They have an oddly ginger hue And being burnt seem strangely short.’ ‘’Twas Raleigh bid me try,’ she cried, ‘Tobacco,’ whereon she did cringe, ‘Thus, foolishly to smoke I tried And thereby did my eyebrows singe.’ Despoiled, alas, with both brows burned She forthwith hid them ’neath her hood, And, chastened, said, ‘This have I learned: Nought from America brings good.’
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