An Excellent New Ballad of Patient Grissel.
To the Tune of, The [Bri]des Good-morrow.
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A Noble Marquess,
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As he did ride a Hunting
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hard by a Forrest side:
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A fair and comely Maiden
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As she did sit a spinning
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his gentle eye espy'd:
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Most fair and lovely,
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And of comely Grace was she,
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although in simple attire,
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She sung full sweetly:
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With pleasant voice melodiously,
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which set the Lords heart on fire,
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The more he lookt the more he might
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Beauty bred his hearts delight,
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And to this Damosel
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then he went with speed:
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God speed (quod he) thou famous flower
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Fair Mistris of this homely Bower,
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Where love and vertue
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dwells with sweet content:
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With comely gesture
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And modest mild behavior
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she bids 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 Marquess
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In's heart felt such a flame,
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which set his sences all at strife,
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Quoth he fair Maiden,
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Shew me soon what is your name,
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I mean to make thee my Wife.
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Grissel is my name (quoth she)
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Far unfit for your degree,
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A silly Maiden
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and of parents poor:
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Nay Grissel thou art rich, he said,
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A vertuous fair and comely maid,
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Grant me thy love,
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and I will ask no more.
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At length she comsented
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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 turn'd to Silk and Velvet,
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as to her state agreed,
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And when that she
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Was trimly tired in the same,
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her beauty shin'd most bright,
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Far staining every other
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Fair and princely dame
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that did appear in sight.
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Many envied her therefore,
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Because she was of Parents poor,
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And twirt her Lord and she
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great strife did raise:
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Some said this, and some said that,
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And some did call her beggers brat
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And to her Lord
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they would her oft dispraise.
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O noble Marquess,
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Quoth they, why dost thou wrong us
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thus basely for to wed,
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Who 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 soon deride
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which shall hereafter be born,
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That are of blood so base
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Born by the mothers side,
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the which shall bring them in scorn
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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 Linage
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may renowned be;
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Thus every day they seemed to prate
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That malic'd Grissels good estate
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Who all this while
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took it patiently.
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When that the Marquess
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Did see that they were bent
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against his faithfull wife
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Whom he most dearly,
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Tenderly and intirely,
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beloved as his life:
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Minding in secret
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For to try her patient heart,
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thereby her foes for to disgrace
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Thinking to shew her
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A hard discourteous part,
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that they might pitty her case.
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Great with child the Lady was,
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And at the last it came to pass,
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Two goodly Children
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at one birth she had
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A Son and daughter God had sent
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which did her mother well content
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And which did make
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their fathers heart full glad.
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Great Royal feasting
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Was at these Childrens Christnings
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and Princely Triumph made,
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Six weeks 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 that all the
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Pleasant sporting quite was done,
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The Marquess a messenger sent
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For his young daughter
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And his pretty smiling son:
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declaring his full intent
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How that the Babes must murdered be
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For so the marquess 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 fair Grissel wept full sore
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She wrong her hands and said no more,
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My Gracious Lord
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shall have his will obey'd.
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She took the Babes
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Even from the Nursing Ladies;
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between her tender arms;
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She often wishes
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With many sorrowful kisses,
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that she might ease their harms
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Farewel, farewel,
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A thousand times my children dear,
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never shall I see you again,
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'Tis long of me
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Your sad and woful mother here
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for whose sake both must be slain
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Had I been born of Royal Race,
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You might have liv'd in happy case,
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But you must dye
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for my unworthiness:
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Come messenger of death, quoth she,
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Take my dearest Babes to thee,
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And to their Father
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my complaints express,
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He took the Children
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And to his Noble Master
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he bore them hence 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 fair Grissel
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With a heavy heart he goes,
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where she sat mildly all alone,
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A pleasant gesture,
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And a lovely look she shows,
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as if no grief she had known.
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Quod he, my children now are slain,
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What thinks fair Grissel of the same
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Sweet Grissel now
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declare thy mind to me;
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Sith you my Lord are pleas'd with it,
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Poor Grissel thinks this 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 murmur
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Fair Grissel at thy honor,
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and I no joy can have
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Till thou be banisht
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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 camest to me
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In homely gray,
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Instead of Biss and purest Pall,
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now all thy cloathing 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 mind:
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A Groat to thee I dare not give,
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Thee to maintain while I do live,
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Against my Grissel
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such great foes I find:
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When gentle Grissel
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Did hear these woful tydings,
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the tears 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 Gown
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Most patiently she striped off,
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her of silk with the same;
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Her Russet Gown
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Was brought again with many a scoff
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to bear them herself she did frame.
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When she was drest in this array
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And ready for to pass 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 kiss,
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With watery eyes
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farewel my dear; said she:
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From Princely Palace
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Unto her Fathers Cottage
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poor Grissel she is gone;
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Full fifteen 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 Marquess should married be,
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Unto a Noble Lady
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& to the same all parties did agre[e]
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The Marquess sent for Grissel fair,
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The Bride 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 Grissel took all this
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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 there was try'd,
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Grissel was charged
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Herself 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 do the same
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the Bride in bravery was drest
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And presently
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The Noble Marquess thither came,
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with all his Lords at his Request
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O Grissel I will ask of thee
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If to this match thou wilt agree
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Methinks thy looks
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are waxed wondrous coy
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With that they all began to smile:
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And Grissel she reply'd 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 distress,
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He stept unto her,
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And by the hand he took her,
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these words he did express:
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Thou art the Bride,
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And all the Brides I mean to [have,]
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these two thine own children [us].
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The youthful Lady
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On her knees did blessing cra[ve],
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her Brother as well as she.
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And you that envy her estate
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Whom I have chosen to my mate
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Now blush for shame
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and honor vertuous life,
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The Chronicles of lasting fame,
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Shall evermore extol the fame,
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Of patient Grissel
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my most constant wife.
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FINIS.
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