So what was her 'velvet glass'--?

[bellatrys]

Revisiting and visiting John Donne's verse brought more than one not usually anthologized to my awareness, but the most stunning to date, I think, would have to be his second Elegy, aka "The Anagram", which starts in something of the vein of a more Xtreme "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun"* and rapidly goes downhill - or somewhere, into

Comments

[fledgist]

My first thought was that 'velvet glass' was an allusion to the female pudend, but that wouldn't make sense. Velvet-backed hand-mirror might.

However, on the 'marmosit'. The OED notes that of a man it could (inter alia) be derogatory or mean a favourite or minion, but it could also be " Applied to a woman or child (as a term of endearment or playful reproach). Obs."

If only there were IRC transcripts from the 1600s...

[bellatrys]

BenJ: Yo, jd, WTF is a veluet glasse?

jd: u know, one of those [fancy imported sex toys]/[hand mirrors with the plush backs from a bedroom set]/[who knows what]

BenJ: whoa dude, nobodyes gonna know what that is. Y not just say candlestick???

jd: cos EVERYBODIE says candlestick, its not fuNE NE moore

BenJ: k but i still think tis teh stooopit

poetchris: u online jack? just got this Flavia thinge, whats te deal w the marmosit? like, is that a LITERAL monkey (and, just, ew) or is it meant 2 B some trusted friend of the family, to juxtapose with thys poor jolthead's enemies, right B4 it?

Re: If only there were IRC transcripts from the 1600s...

[fledgist]

I thinke BenJ woulde haue sayde 'candelsticke', but thatte is jvst mee.

[bellatrys]

[snerk]

[fledgist]

In verry sooth, ladye.