The Riddle - "Kitty a Fair but Frozen Maid"

[Stephen]

When reading Emma I was curious about this riddle (only partly recalled by Mr. Woodhouse) and did a Google search. Turns out it was credited to a 1771 riddle by David Garrick. The full thing is as follows

Kitty, a fair, but frozen maid,
Kindled a flame I still deplore;
The hood-wink'd boy I call'd in aid,
Much of his near approach afraid,
So fatal to my suit before.

At length, propitious to my pray'r,
The little urchin came;
At once he sought the midway air,
And soon he clear'd, with dextrous care,
The bitter relicks of my flame.

To Kitty, Fanny now succeeds,
and kindles slow, but lasting fires:
With care my appetite Fanny feeds;
Each day some willing victim bleeds,
To satisfy my strange desires.

Say, by what title, or what name,
Must I this youth address?
Cupid and he are not the same,
Tho' both can raise, or quench a flame --
I'll kiss you, if you guess.

Of course the "official" answer is a chimney sweep but I can see some homoerotic double entendre as well... (particularly if kitty:pussy::fanny:bum)

Others suggest that it might be about a venereal disease... What do YOU think?

[Danine]

Oh I don't recall seeing the entire poem before! Isn't that the only riddle Mr Woodhouse can recall? Just as well he doesn't. Looks like it should be filed with the Rowlandson and Gilray etchings. Must bring that to our book group as Emma is scheduled for January.

[[deleted user]]

Having read all of Miss Austen's books and many of her letters, I can't imagine Jane Austen subscribing to homoerotic riddles or venereal diseases. Can you?