John Davies of Hereford

If there were, oh! an Hellespont of cream
Between us, milk-white Mistress, I would swim
To you, to show to both my love’s extreme,
Leander-like, — yea! dive from brim to brim.
But met I with a butter’d pippin-pie
Floating upon’t, that would I make my boat,
To waft me to you without jeopardy:
Though sea-sick I might be while it did float.
Yet if a storm should rise, by night or day,
Of sugar snows and hail of care-aways,
Then, if I found a pancake in my way,
It like a plank should bring me to your kays,
    Which having found, if they tobacco kept,
    The smoke should dry me well before I slept.   


Early 17th century