A most excellent and vertuous Ballad of the patient Grissell:
To the tune of the Brides good morrow.
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A Noble Marquesse,
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As he did ride a hunting,
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hard by a Forrest side,
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A faire and comely Mayden,
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As she did sit [a] spinning,
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his gentle e[y]e espide;
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Most faire and lovely,
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And of comely grace was she,
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although in simp[l]e attire:
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She sung [full] sweetly,
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With pleasant voyce melodiously,
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which set the [L]ords heart on fire:
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The more he lookt the more he might,
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Beautie bred his hearts delight,
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And to this Damsell
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then he went:
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God speed (quoth he) thou famous flower
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Faire Mistris of this homely bower,
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Where love and vertue
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dwels with sweet content.
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With comely gesture,
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And modest milde behaviour,
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she bade him welcome then,
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She entertain'd him
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In faithfull friendly manner,
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and all his Gentlemen:
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The Noble Ma[r]quesse
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In's heart felt such a flame,
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which set his senses at strife:
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Quoth he, faire Mayden,
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Shew me soone what is thy name,
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I meane to make thee my wife.
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Grissell is my name quoth she,
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Farre unfit for your degree,
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A silly Mayden,
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and of parents poore.
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Nay Grissell thou art rich, he said,
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A ver[t]ous faire and comely Mayd,
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Grant me thy love,
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and I will aske no more.
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At length she consented,
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And being both contented,
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they married were with speed:
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Her country Russet
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Was chang'd to silke and velvet,
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as to her state agreed:
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And when t[h]at shee
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Was trimly tyred in the same,
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her beautie shined bright,
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Farre stayning every
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Other faire and princely Dame
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that did appeare in her sight.
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Many envied her therefore,
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Because she was of parents poore,
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And twixt her Lord and she
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great strife did rayse:
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Some said this and some said that,
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And some did call her beggars brat,
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And to her Lord
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they would her oft dispraise.
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Oh Noble Marquesse,
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Quoth they, why dost thou wrong us,
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thus basely for to wed,
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That might have gotten
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An honourable Lady
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into your Princely bed?
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Who will not now
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Your Noble issue still deride,
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which shall hereafter be borne:
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That are of blood so base
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Borne by the mothers side,
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the which will bring them in scorne?
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Put her therefore quite away,
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And take to you a Lady gay,
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Whereby your image
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may renowned be.
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Thus every day they seem'd to prate,
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That malic'd Grissels good estate,
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Who all this while
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tooke it most patiently:
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When that the Marquesse
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Did see that they were bent thus
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against his faithfull wife,
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Whom he most dear[i]ly,
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Tenderly and entirely
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beloved as his life:
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Minding in secret
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For to prove her patient heart,
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thereby her foes to disgrace,
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Thinking to shew her
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A hard discourtieous part,
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that men might pittie her case:
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Great with child this Lady was,
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And at the last it came to passe,
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Two goodly children
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at one birth she had,
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A sonne and daughter God had sent,
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Which did their father well content,
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And which did make
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their Mothers heart full glad.
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Great royall feasting
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Was at this childrens Christning,
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and Princely triumph made,
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Sixe weekes together,
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All Nobles that came thither,
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were entertain'd and staid:
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And when all these pleasant
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Sportings quite were done,
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the Marquesse a messenger sent,
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For his young daughter,
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And his pretty smiling sonne,
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declaring his full intent,
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Now that the babes must murthered be,
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For so the Marquesse did decree:
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Come let me have
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the children, then he said.
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With that faire Grissell wept full sore
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She wrung her hands, & said no more
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My gracious Lord
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must have his will obey'd.
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The second part, To the same tune.
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SHe took the Babes
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Even from the nursing Ladies,
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betweene her tender armes:
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She often wishes,
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With many sorrowful kisses,
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that she might ease their harmes,
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Farewell, farewell,
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A thousand times, my children deare,
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never shall I see you againe:
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Tis long of me,
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Your sad and wofull mother here,
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for whose sake both must be slaine:
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Had I beene borne of royall race,
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You might have liv'd in happy case,
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But you must die
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for my unworthinesse.
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Come messenger of death [(]quoth shee)
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Take my dearest Babes to thee.
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And to their Father
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my complaints expresse.
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He tooke the children,
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And to his Noble Master
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he brought them both with speed,
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Who in secret sent them
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Unto a Noble Lady,
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to be brought up indeed:
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Then to faire Grissell,
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With a heavie heart he goes,
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where she sate mildely all alone,
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A pleasant gesture,
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And a lovely looke she shewes,
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as if no griefe she had knowne.
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(Quoth he) my children now are slaine,
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What thinkes fair Grissell of the same
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Sweet Grisell now
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declare thy minde to me.
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Sith you my Lord are pleased with it
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Poore Grissell thinkes the action fit,
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Both I and mine
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at your command will be.
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My Nobles murmure,
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Faire Grissell at thy honour,
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and I no joy can have,
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Till thou be ban[i]sht
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Both from my Court and presence,
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as they unjustly crave:
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Thou must be stript
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Out of thy stately garments all,
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and as thou cam'st to me,
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In homely gray,
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Instead of Bysse and purest Pall,
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now all thy clothing must be.
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My Lady thou must be no more,
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Nor [I] thy Lord which grieves me sore
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The poorest life
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must now content thy minde.
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A groat to thee I must not give,
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Thee to maintaine while I doe live,
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Against my Grissell
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such great foes I finde.
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When gentle Grissell
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Did heare these wofull tydings,
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the teares stood in her eyes,
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Nothing she answered,
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No words of discontentment
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did from her lips arise;
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Her velvet Gowne
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Most patiently she slipped off,
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her keritle of silke with the same,
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Her Russet Gowne
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Was brought againe with many a scoffe,
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to beare them her selfe she did frame
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When she was drest in this array,
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And was ready for part away,
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God send long life
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unto my Lord (quoth she)
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Let no offence be found in this,
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To give my Lord a parting kisse,
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With watery eyes,
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farewell my deare he said.
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From Princely Palace,
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Unto her fathers Cottage,
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poore Grissell now is gone:
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Full sixteene winters
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She lived there contented,
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no wrong she thought upon:
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And at this time through
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All the Land the speeches went,
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the Marquesse should married be
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Unto a Noble Lady great,
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Of high descent,
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and to the same all parties did agree,
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The Marquess sent for Grissell faire,
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The Brides bed-chamber to prepare,
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That nothing therein
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might be found awry:
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The Bride was with her brother come,
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Which was great joy to all and some,
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But Grissell tooke
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all this most patiently.
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And in the morning,
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When as they should be wedded,
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her patience then was tride,
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Grissell was charged,
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Her selfe in friendly manner,
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for to attire the Bride,
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Most willingly
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She gave consent to doe the same,
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the Bride in her braverie was drest,
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And presently
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The Noble Marquesse thither came,
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with all his Lords at his request,
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O Grissell, I would aske of thee,
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If to this match thou wilt agree,
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Me thinkes thy lookes
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are waxed wondrous coy.
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With that they all began to smile,
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And Grissell she replide the while,
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God send Lord Marquess
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many years of joy.
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The Marquess was moved,
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To see his best beloved
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thus patient in distresse,
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He stept unto her,
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And by the hand he tooke her,
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these words he did expresse,
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Thou art my Bride,
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And all the Brides I meane to have,
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these two thine owne children be.
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The youthfull Lady
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On her knees did blessing crave,
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her brother as well as she
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And you that envyed her estate,
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Whom I have made my loving mate
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Now blush for shame,
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and honour vertuous life.
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The Chronicles of lasting fame
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Shall evermore extoll the name
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Of patient Grissell
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my most constant wife.
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