Ancient and Modern Pederasty Investigated and Exemplify'd/Amorio

by Thomas Cannon

An antiquated Beau, I shall Call Amorio, who at this day creeps about St. James’s, and the Park, told me an Adventure of his with a Deity of this order; which uncommon Story by his Permission I make publick, averring the Alterations to be only verbal;

At a Masquerade appears a Lady, whose distinguished Air attracts in a particular Manner the Eyes of the young and blooming Amorio: He engages her in Conversation. The Muses have polish’d all her Mind. Prevails upon her to dance. Venus swims in every Motion. At the Sideboard obtains a Sight of her Face. Nature with wonder-working Hand is here. Transported beyond cold Respect, he cries out;

If I see this Beauty, to fix in my Heart an ever-racking Despair of the inestimable Possession, grant, O mercy-loving Power, this Moment be my last; but if there is any Hope for the dyingly fond Amorio, breathe it unrival’d Charmer from thy coral Lips, and revive his languishing Soul.

Here the Lady says with a Sigh;

Cease your Praises, soon will cease your Desire, of the unhappy Woman, who tells you, that what you are pleas’d to exaggerate is meanly barter’d for a poor Subsistence.

Is there, is there, the joy-raving, Amorio exclaims, a Price—

none, she interrupts, at present: indispensable Obligations withhold me. But to shew my real Regard for the Passion, you so ingenuously profess, I will repose in your Breast my Brief and sorrowful Adventures.

The sweet Country Life, which rewards Labour with Strength and Temperance with Chearfulness was allotted me by Kind Nature in Devonshire. But soon the virtuous calm is turn’d to guilty Tumult by the Arrival of a Nobleman whose Estate border’d upon my Father’s little Farm. This flaunting Peer is struck with my Person as simple I am with his Equipage, Dress, and grand Air: Thus gazing drops into the Serpent’s Gorge the fascinated Warbler. Let me omit the oft-describ’d Progress of fine Speeches in a foolish Girl: the blazon’d Coach brings me, a declared Mistress, to London. I don’t know by what Image to represent my Lord’s Fondness of me for a Quarter of a Year, unless by a Suppos’d Continuance of the yearning Transport, with which a Mother holds to her bounding Heart an only Son, reported dead in the Indies. He abandoned his best lov’d Entertainments; shut himself from his dearest Friends, neglected his most urgent Interests, he even hated Sleep, because it took him from me. You may, Sir, be too well acquainted with Nature to wonder, this bank-scorning Torrent had a Reflux. The Peer, after a Fortnight’s hourly encreasing Coldness, goes to his Seat, and the Steward comes scraping into my Room, where lugging out a weighty Purse to qualify his Message, he says;

Madam, my Lord asks your Acceptance of this, and, being to accommodate a new marry’d Relation with his House, begs you will take a Lodging; for it is necessary, you remove in a Week at furthest.

I’ll instantly remove, I cry dashing down the Purse, the Seducer has destroy’d my present Peace; But, if there’s a just God, he has lost his own for ever. Then rush’d from the detested Dwelling.

With about thirty Guineas in my Pocket I hurry along the great unknown Town, govern’d by the sole View of getting to a Distance from my Lord’s. Starers at my Dress, over-rich for the Streets, and at my Face, the finest, they whisper, they ever saw, grow troublesome, and my Feet mighty heavy. I look round for a refuge; and it is not long, before the joyful Sight of Lodgings Ready Furnished strikes my Eyes. In I go, thro’ Anger, and Precipitation, unprovided with a Story: But it occurs to me to say;

My Parents intended compelling me to receive an odious Husband the following Day, and that I took the Opportunity of a fortunate Minute to escape, tho’ with only what was about me.

This Tale, to which my Appearance, and Money, gain Credit, Satisfys the People: We soon agree, and I find no Cause of Dislike, but the being a little troubled with their Company; because I am melancholy. Thirty Guineas have an End: And now an Ocean of Misery without Port extends before me. Can I carry to my incens’d, maybe broken-hearted Father his Debauch’d Child? Impossible. Am I to starve in a strange House, and no dear Friend to close my Eyes, and see me decently interr’d? How cruel a Reflexion!

To relieve the Excess of my Sadness I take a Walk in Somerset Gardens. No doubt my Countenance lively expresses the Distraction of my Thoughts, since it excites a genteel Fellow thus to accost me;

Forgive, Madam, the Boldness of enquiring what Grief the stupid and brutal World suffers the most charming of Women to feel unreliev’d?

My first Motion is to resent this sufficiently free Address; but revolving in Mind the Horror of my Situation, totally helpless, uncomforted, impossible to be worse, I determine not to repulse him; so mildly reply;

The World, Sir, may think my Grief does not merit it’s Compassion, and leave the Sufferer to undergo in Death her just and I flatter myself, speedy Chastisement.

Ah, Madam, he cries, wou’d you impart that Grief to one who will die a thousand Deaths to serve you?

Much importun’d, I frankly tell him my Story. With Transport, he Offers, and even prevails upon me to accept, his Chambers in The Temple. Is any Thing to be rejected in my Circumstances? I only desire to go pay off my Lodging: But he urges, impertinent Curiosity will put the People upon having me follow’d; and insists, a Porter will do the Business as well. I easily perceive, the Spark is afraid, sombody will dissuade me from the Step, I am taking; but, not to oblige imperfectly, since I was to oblige, comply with his earnest Request of accompanying him directly to the Chambers; and thus in a Moment become his.

This Master differs widely from the former, he quarrels with me and himself ten times a Day; but discovers in his Returns to us a Fund of Fondness, I make no Question, is inexhaustible. So generous is he, the first Hour I was in his Apartments, he flung fifty Guineas in my Lap: this, he said, shou’d be renew’d quarterly, while I condescended to make him the happiest of Men. But for all this his Freaks are so hateful, I am determined to leave him upon some Pretence; as of a Reconciliation with my Friends: Honour and Justice oblige me to stay the engag’d Time; which expires in three Weeks. My fondling Tyrant is now in the Country so I can ask the agreeable Amorio to a little Supper at Chambers.

The Sounds, that sheath’d the Tigers Fangs and drew the Animated Woods along, wou’d less enchant our youthful Listener than does this transporting Invitation. With irresistible Ardor he presses to take Coach. They drive like Lightning to the Temple. A delicious Repast, in which yet Elegance prevails over Luxury, inspiring French Wine, and the Ladies Face where every Moment a new Charm is quickening, raise Amorio’s Passion to a Pitch unbrooking Delay; He half pronounces in obstructed Murmurs,

was the Earth mine, I wou’d give it for a Happiness.

Do not solicit me, with scarce less Emotion the fair Entertainer replys, to violate my Obligations.

There are none, rejoins our impatient Lover, which the ill manner’d Keeper does not dissolve.

Now his Lips cleave to the Satten Cheek: more and more inflam’d he crys,

What Indies are the Purchase?

ever love me; says the exquisite Creature ’tis all I ask of you or Heaven.

Here the Glote of her fine Eyes expresses all the melting of her soul. The enraptur’d Amorio, snatching her up, speeds to the Bed, where Incumbrances quickly off, he finds in his Clasp a Body past Imagination delicate; but of Gender masculine. Surprize invades; yet more predominates Desire; which becomes absolute when Hyacinth (so let’s name the guilty Boy) mortify’d at the Deliberation, thus speaks in a Voice, to which every Melody lends its Aid;

My dear Amorio does not enfold a Woman; but one who more than Woman Grasps and Binds.

Penetrating Love takes the Meaning and the most lib-d-nous Fire ever felt by our wondering Glower, seizes his panting Frame. He is quickly piloted into a Streight, whose potent Cling draws all the Man in cl-mmy Streams away. Recovering, he perceives the deeper absorpt P-th-c quite motionless, and thus exclaims;

then do you leave me? do you leave your passionate Lover? O ever beautiful Boy, did I taste the Joys, thou only cou’dst give, to know the Bitterness of their Eternal Absence?

Now he endeavours with a gluing Kiss to infuse his own Spirit into the strongly o’erpowered Hyacinth; then renews the recalling Plaint,

return, fairer Hephestion, to thy fonder Alexander. Open to Love’s Warmth, thou folded Rose, O let me no longer endure the Horror of existing without you.

Hyacinth revives ardently uttering himself;

bounteous Deity, in what a Gulph of Pleasure have I been plung’d;

They vie in Raptures, and, after more, and more Am-ro-s Embraces, drop asleep in one another’s Arms. Amorio wakes late in the Morning, and hugging Hyacinth, crys;

Now let me towzle the dear Creature, who so perfectly imitated a Woman.

And now, Hyacinth says,

let me clasp that charming Amorio, who wou’d touch nothing, but a Woman.

They love away an Hour or two; Then rise and recruit with a long Breakfast. The Lady’s Story is the Subject of much Laughter. Amorio wants a Chair to go dress. But Hyacinth insists upon sending for his Things. Having put themselves in sallying order, they take a Coach; and to Billiards.