Flora's Farewell: Or,
The Shepherds Love-Passion Song.
Wherein he doth greatly Complain,
Because his Love was spent in vain.
To a Delicate Tune, Or, A thousand times my Love commend.
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FLora farewel, I needs must go,
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for if with thee I longer stay,
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Thine Eyes prevail over me so,
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I shall grow blind and loose my way.
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Fame of thy beauty and thy Youth,
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to seek for Love me hither brought,
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But when in thee I found no truth
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it was no boot too stay I thought.
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Now i'm ingag'd by word and oath,
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a servant to anothers will,
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Yet for thy sake would forgo both,
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wouldst thou besure to love me still.
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But what assurance can I have
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of thee, who seeing my abuse,
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In that which Love desires to crave,
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may leave me with a just excuse.
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For thou must say, 'twas not thy fault,
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that thou didst so unconstant prove,
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Thou wert by mine example taught
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to break thy Oath and leave thy love.
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No Flora, no, I will recall,
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the former words which I have spoke,
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And thou shalt have no cause at all,
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to hamper me in Cupids Yoak.
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But since thy humour is to range,
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and that thou bear'st a wavering mind,
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Like to the Moon with thee i'le change,
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and turn I can with every wind.
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Henceforth blind fancy i'le remove,
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and cast all sorrow from my heart,
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Young men do dye for doting love,
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I hold it but a foolish part,
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The second Part, to the same Tune.
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W Hy should I to one love be bound
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and fix my thoughts on none but thee,
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When as a thousand may be found,
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that's far more fair and fit for me.
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Though I am but a Shepherd Swain,
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my mind to me doth comfort bring,
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Feeding my Flocks upon a Plain,
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I triumph like a petty King.
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No female Rat shall me deceive,
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nor catch me by a crafty wild,
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Though I do love, yet I can leave,
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and will no longer be beguil'd.
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Flora, once more, farewel adieu,
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I so conclude my Passion Song:
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To thy next love see that thou prove true,
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for thou hast done me double wrong.
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Fair Flora's answer to the Shep-
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herds Song
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Wherein she shews that he hath
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done the wrong.
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F Ye Shepherd, fye, thou art to blame
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to rail against me in this sort:
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Thou dost disgrace a sweet-hearts name
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to give thy love a false report.
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There was a Proverb used of old,
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and now I find it is no lye:
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One Tale is good till anothers told
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she that loves most is least set by.
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A brief Description I will tell
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of thy favour, love and flattery:
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And how at first thou didst excell,
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with cunning tricks and pollicy.
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But O that flattering tongue of thine,
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and tempting eye sought to entice,
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And to ensnare the heart of mine,
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and bring me in fools Paradise.
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When thou at first began to wooe,
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and with thy skill my patience try'd:
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You though there was no more to do,
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but presently to up and ride.
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Thou said'st that I was fair and brigh[t]
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and fitting for thy Marriage bed:
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Thou fed'st my fancy with delight,
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thinking to have my Maiden-head.
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But when thou saw'st thou could'st not g[ain]
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the jem that thou desirest to have,
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My company thou didst refrain,
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like to a false dissembling Knave.
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Whereby I answered thus and said,
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to shun the cause o[f] further strife,
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I would contain my self a Maid,
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until such time I was made a Wife.
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And since you my mind have crost,
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you may bestow you as you will
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Shepherd farewell, there's nothing lost,
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I am resolv'd to say so still.
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Blind Cupid with his wounding Dart
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could never make me sorrow feel,
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I'le not lay that unto my heart
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as others shake off with their heel.
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