A New Ballad, shewing how a Prince of England, loved the Kings
Daughter of France, and how the Prince was disasterously slain, and how the aforesaid Princess was afterwards
Married to A Forrester. Tune is, Crimson Velvet.
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IN the day of Old
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when fair France did flourish,
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Stories plainly told,
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Lovers felt annoy;
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The King a Daughter had,
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beautious, fair, and lovely,
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Which made her Father glad,
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she was his only joy:
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A Prince of England came,
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Whose deeds did merit Fame,
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he woo'd her long, and loe at last,
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Look what he did require,
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She granted his desire,
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their hearts in one were linked fast.
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Which when her Father proved,
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Lord how he was moved,
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and tormented in his mind,
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He souuht for to prevent them,
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And to discontent them,
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fortune crossed overs kind.
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When these Princes twain,
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were thus bar'd of pleasure,
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Through the Kings disdain,
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which their joys withstood,
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The Lady lockt up close,
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her jewles and her treasure,
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Having no remorse
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of state and Royal blood:
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In homely poor array,
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She went from Court away,
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to meet her love and hearts delight:
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Who in a Forrest great,
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Had taken up his seat,
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to wait her comming in the night;
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But loe what sudden danger,
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To this Princely stranger,
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chanced as he sat alone;
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By out-laws he was robbed,
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And with poniard stabbed,
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uttering many a dying groan.
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The Princes armed by him,
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and by true desire,
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Wandring all that night,
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without dread at all:
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Still unknown she past,
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in her strange attire,
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Comming at the last,
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within Ecchoes call,
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You fair Wood, quoth she,
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Honoured may you be,
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harbouring my hearts delight,
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Which doth incompass here,
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My joy and only dear,
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my trusty friend and comely Knight.
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Sweet I come unto thee,
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Sweet I come to woe thee,
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that thou mayst not angry be,
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For my long delaying,
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And thy courteous staying,
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amends for all Ile make to thee.
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Passing thus alone,
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through the silent Forrest,
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Many a grievous groan
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sounded in her ear,
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Where she heard a man
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to lament the forest,
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Chance that ever came,
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forc'd by deadly strife.
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Farewel, my dear, quoth he,
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Whom I shall never see,
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for why my life is at an end,
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For thy sweet sake I dye,
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Through Villains cruelty,
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to shew I am a faithful friend:
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Here lye I a bleeding,
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While my thoughts are feeding,
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on the rarest beauty found:
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O hard hap that may be,
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Little knows my Lady,
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my heart blood lies on the ground.
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With that he gave a groan,
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that did break assunder
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All the tender strings
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of his gentle heart:
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She who knew his voice,
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at his tale did wonder,
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All her former joys
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did to grief convert.
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Straight she ran to see,
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who this man should be,
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That so like her love did speak,
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and found when as she came,
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Her lovely Lord lay slain,
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smear'd in blood, which life did break
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Which when that she espyed,
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Lord how sore she cryed,
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her sorrows could not counted be;
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Her eyes like Fountains running,
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While she cry'd out my darling,
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would God that I had dy'd for thee.
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His pale lips alas,
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twenty times she kissed,
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And his face did wash
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with her brinish tears.
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Every bleeding wound,
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her fair face bedewed,
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Wiping off the blood,
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with her golden hair.
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Speak my love (quoth he)
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Speak fair Prince [t]o me,
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one sweet word of Comfort give,
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Lift up thy fair eyes,
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Listen to my cries,
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think in what great grief I live:
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All in vain she sued,
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All in vain she wooed,
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the Princes life was fled and gone:
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There stood she still mourning,
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Till the Suns approaching,
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and bright day was comming on
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The Second Part, To the same Tune.
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IN this great distress,
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quoth this Royal Lady,
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Who can now express,
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what will become of me?
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To my Fathers Court
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never will I wander,
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But some service seek,
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where I may placed be,
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Whilst she thus made her moan,
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Weeping all alone,
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in this deep and deadly fear:
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A Forrester all in green,
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Most comely to be seen,
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ranging the wood did find her there,
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Round beset with sorrow,
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Maid (quoth he) good morrow,
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what hard hap hath brought you here?
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Harder hap did never
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Chance to a Maiden ever,
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here lies slain my brother dear.
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Where might I be plac'd,
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gentle Forrester tell me:
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Where might I procure,
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a service in my need?
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Pains will I not spare,
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but will do my duty,
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Ease me of my care,
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help my extream need.
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The Forrester all amazed,
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On her beauty gazed,
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till his heart was set on fire:
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If fair Maid (quoth he)
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You will go with me,
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you shall have your hearts desire.
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He brought her to his Mother
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And above all other,
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he set forth this Maidens praise,
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Long was his heart inflamed,
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At length her love he gained,
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so fortune did his glory raise.
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Thus unknown he matcht,
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with the Kings fair daughter,
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Children seven he had,
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e're she to him was known.
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But when he understood
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she was a Royal Princess,
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By this me[a]ns at last
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he shewed f[o]rth her fame:
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He cloath'd his children [t]h[e]n
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Not like to other men,
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in party colours strange to see
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The right side cloth of gold,
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The left side to behold,
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of woolen cloath still framed he:
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Men thereat did wonder
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Golden Fame did thunder
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this strange deed [in] every place:
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The King of France came thither,
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Being pleasant weather,
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in these Woods the Hart to Chase.
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The children there did stand
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as their Mother willed
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Where the Royal King
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must of force come by
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Their Mother richly clad
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in fair Crimson Velvet
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Their Father all in Gray,
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most comely to the Eye
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When this famous King,
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Noting every thing,
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did ask how he durst be so bold,
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To let his Wife to wear,
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And deck his Children there,
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in costly Robes of Pearl and Gold;
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The Forrester bold replyed,
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And the cause descryed:
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and to the King he thus did say:
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Well may they by their mother,
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Were rich cloa[t]hs with other,
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being by birth a princess gay:
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The King upon these words
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more heedfully beheld them:
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Till a crimson blush,
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his conceit did cross:
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The more I look (quoth he)
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upon thy Wife and children,
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The more I call to mind,
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my daughter whom I lost.
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I am that child (quoth she)
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Falling on her knee,
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pardon me my Soveraign Liege:
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The King perceiving this,
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His daughter dear did kiss,
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till joyful tears did stop his speech:
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With his train he turned,
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And with her sojourned,
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straight he dub'd her husband Knight
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He made him Earl of Flanders,
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One of his chief Commanders,
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thus was their sorrow put to flight.
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