The Lamentation of Mr. Pages Wife of Plimouth,
Who being forced to Wed against her will, did consent to his Murder, for th[e] love of George Stringwidge.
for which fact they suffered Death at Barnstable in Devonshire.
The Tune is, Fortune my Foe.
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U Nhappy she whom Fortune hath forlorn,
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Despis'd of grace, that proffer'd grace did scorn,
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My lawless love hath luckless wrought my woe,
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My discontent, content did overthrow.
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My loathed life too late I do lament,
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My woful deeds in heart I do repent:
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A Wife I was that wilful went awry,
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And for that fault am here prepar'd to dye:
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In blooming years my Fathers greedy mind,
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Against my will a match for me did find,
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Great wealth there was, yes, gold and silver store,
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But yet my heard had chosen one before.
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Mine eyes dislik't my Fathers likeing quite,
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My heart did loath my Parents fond delight:
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My greedy mind and fancy told to me,
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That with his Age my Youth could not agree.
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On knees I pray'd they would not me constrain,
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With tears I cry'd, their purpose to refrain:
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With sighs and sobs I did them often move:
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I might not Wed whereas I could not Love.
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But all in vain my speeches still I spent,
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My Mothers will my wishes did prevent,
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Though wealthy page possest the outward part,
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George Strangwidge still was lodged in my heart.
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I Wedded was and wraped all in woe,
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Great discontent within my heart did grow:
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I loath'd to live, yet liv'd in deadly strife,
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Because perforce I was made pages Wife.
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My chosen eyes could not his sight abide,
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My tender Youth did loath his aged side,
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Scant could I tast the meat whereon I fed,
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My Legs did loath to lodge within his bed.
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Cause knew I none, I should despise him so,
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That such disdain within my heart did grow:
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Save onely this, that fancy did me move,
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And told me still George Strangwidge was my love.
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Lo here began my downfal and decay,
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In mind I mus'd to make him straight away:
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I that became his Discontented Wife,
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Contented was he should be rid of Life.
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Methinks the Heavens cry vengeance for my fact,
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Methinks the World condemns my monstrous act,
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Methinks within my conscience tells me true,
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That for that Deed Hell fire is my due.
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My pensive Soul doth sorrow for my Sin,
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For which offence my soul doth Bleed within,
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But mercy Lord, for mercy still I cry,
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Save thou my soul, and let my body dye.
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Well could I with that page enjoy'd his life,
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So that he had some other to his Wife:
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But never could I wish of low or high,
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A longer life than see sweet Strangwidge Dye.
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O woe is me that had no greater grace,
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To stay till he had run out natures race:
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My Deeds I rue, but more I do Repent,
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That to the same my Strangwidge gave consent.
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You Parents fond that greedy minded be,
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And seek to graft upon the Golden tree:
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Consider well, and rightful judges be,
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And give your Doom, 'twixt parents love & me.
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I was their Child, and bound for to obey,
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Yet not to love where I no love could lay,
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I married was in muck and endless strife,
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But faith before had made me Strangwidge Wife.
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O wretched world whom canker'd rust doth blind
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And cursed men who bear a greedy mind:
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And hapless I whom Parents did force so,
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To end my Days in sorrow, shame, and woe.
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You Devonshire dames, & courteous Cornwal Knights,
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That here are come to visit woful wights,
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Regard my grief, and mark my woful end,
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But to your Children be a better friend.
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And thou my Dear which for my fault must Dye,
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Be not afraid the sting of Death to try:
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Like as we liv'd and lov'd together true,
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So both at once let's bid the World adieu.
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Ulalia thy friend doth take her last farewel
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Whose soul with thee in Heaven shall ever dwell,
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Sweet Saviour Christ do thou my soul receive,
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The World I do with all my heart forgive.
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And Parents now whose greedy mind doth show,
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Your hearts desire, and inward heavy woe:
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Mourn you no more, for now my heart doth tell,
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E're Day be done, my Soul shall be full well.
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And Plimouth proud I bid thee now farewel,
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Take heed you Wives, let not your hands Rebel,
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And farewel life wherein such sorrow shows,
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And welcome Death that doth my Corps inclose.
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And now sweet Lord forgive me my misdeeds,
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Repentance crys for Soul that inward bleeds,
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My Soul and Body I commend to thee,
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That with thy Blood from Death redeemed me.
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Lord bless our King with long and happy life,
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And send true Peace betwixt each Man and Wife:
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And give all Parents Wisdom to foresee,
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The match is marr'd where minds do not agree.
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The lamentation of George Strang-
widge, who for consenting to the Death of Mr.
Page of Plimouth, suffered Death at
Barnstable .
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T He Man that sighs end sorrows for his sin,
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The Corps which care & woe hath wraped in:
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In doleful sort records her Swan-like Song,
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That waits for death, and loaths to live so long.
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O Glansfield cause of my commited Crime,
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So wed in Wealth as Birds in Bush of Lime:
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What cause had'st thou to hear such wicked spight
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Against my Love and eke my hearts delight.
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I would to God thy wisdom had been more,
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Or that I had not entred in thy door:
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Or that thou hadst a kinder Father been
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Unto thy child, whose Years are yet but green.
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The match unmet which thou for me didst make,
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When aged page thy Daughter home did take;
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Well may'st thou cue with tears that cannot dry,
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Which is the cause that four of us must die.
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Ulalia more brighter than the Summers Sun,
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Whose beauty has for ever my Love won:
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My soul more sobs to think of thy disgrace,
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Then to behold my own untimely race.
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The deed late done in heart I do repent,
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But that I lov'd I cannot yet relent:
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Thy seemly sight was ever sweet to me,
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Would God my Death could thy excuser be.
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It was for me alas thou didst the same,
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On me by right they ought to lay the blame:
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My worthless love hath brought my life in scorn,
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And woe is me that ever I was born.
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Farewel my love, whose Royal heart was seen,
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I would thou hadst not half so constant been:
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Farewel my Love, the pride of plimouth Town,
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Farewel the Flower whose beauty is cut down.
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For twenty Years great was the cost I know,
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Thy unkind Father did on thee bestow:
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Yet afterwards so sowre did Fortune lowre,
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He lost his joy and Child within an hour.
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By wrong and woe to God I do commit,
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Who was the cause of matching them unfit:
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And yet I cannot so my guilt excuse,
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We gave consent his life for to abuse.
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Wretch that I am, that my consent did give,
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Had I deny'd, Ulalia still should live:
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Blind fancy said, this suit do not deny:
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Live thou in bliss, or else in sorrow dye.
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O Lord forgive this cruel deed of mine,
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Upon my soul let beams of mercy shine:
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I n justice Lord do thou no vengeance take,
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F orgive us both, for Jesus Christ his sake.
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The Complaint of Mrs. Page for
causing her Husband to be Murthered, for the love
of George Strangwidge , who were execu-
ted together.
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I F ever woe did touch a womans heart,
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Or grief did gall for sin the outward part:
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My conscience then and heavy heart within,
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Can witness well the sorrow for my sin.
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When Years were Young, my father forc'd me wed
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Against my will, where fancy was not fed:
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I was content their pleasure to obey,
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Although my heart was linkt another way.
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Great were the gifts they proffered in my sight,
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With wealth they thought to win me to delight,
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But Gold nor gifts my mind could not remove
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For I was linkt whereas I could not love.
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Methought his sight was loathsome to my Eye,
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My heart did grudge against him inwardly :
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This discontent did cause my deadly strife,
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And with his wealth did cause a grievous life.
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My constant love was on Young Strangwidge set,
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And woe to him that did our welfare let:
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His love so deep a root in me did take,
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I would have gone a beging for his sake.
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Wronged he was through fond desire of gain,
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Wronged he was even through my Parents plain:
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If faith and troth a perfect pledge might be,
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I had been Wife unto no man but he.
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Eternal God forgive my Fathers Deed,
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And grant all Parents may take better heed.
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If I had been but constant to my friend,
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I had not matcht to make so bad an end.
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But wanting Grace I sought my own decay,
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And was the cause to make my Friend away;
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And he on whom my earthly joys did lye,
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Through my amiss a shameful Death must die.
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Farewel sweet George, always my loving friend
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Needs must I laud and love thee to the end:
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And albeit that Page possest thy due,
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In sight of God thou wast my Husbandtrue.
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My watry eyes into the Heavens I bend,
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Craving of Christ his mercy to extend
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My bloody deed do me O Lord forgive,
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And let my Soul within thy Kingdom live.
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Farewel false world, and friends that fickle be,
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All Wives farewel, example take by me.
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Let not the Devil to murder you entice,
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Seek to escape such foul and sinful vice.
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And now, O Christ to thee I yield my breath,
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Strengthen my faith in bitter pangs of Death:
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Pardon my faults and follies I thee pray,
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And with thy blood wash thou my sins away.
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