A Pattern of true Love to you I will recite,
Between a Fair young Lady, and a Courteous Knight.
The Tune is, Dainty come thou to me.
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DEar Love regard my grief,
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do not my suit disdain,
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O yield me some releif,
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that am with sorrow slain:
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These long seven years & more
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have I still loved thee;
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Do thou my joys restore
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fair Lady pitty me.
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Pitty my grievous pain,
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long suffered for thy sake,
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Do not my suit disdain
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that no time rest can take:
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These seven long years & more,
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have I still loved thee:
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Do thou my joys restore
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fair Lady pitty me.
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How should I pitty thee?
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this Lady then reply'd,
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Thou art no match for me,
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thy suit must be deny'd:
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I am of Noble blood,
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you but of mean degree,
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It stands not for my good
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fondly to match with thee.
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This answer had he most,
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which cut his heart so deep,
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That on his bed full oft
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would he lie down and weep,
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With tears he did lament
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his forward destiny;
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With sighs yet would he say,
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fair Lady pitty me:
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While I live, I must Love
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so fancy urgeth me,
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My mind cannot remove,
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such is my constancy:
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My mind is nobly bent
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though I of low degree
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Sweet Lady give consent
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to love and pitty me.
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The Lady hearing now
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the moan that he did make,
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Did of his suit allow
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and thus to him she spake:
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Sir Knight mourn thou no more
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my faith I plight to thee,
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May [th]is thy joys restore,
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thou hast thy wish of me.
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But first sweet Love (quoth she)
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what shift then wilt thou make
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With speed to Marry me,
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and thy delight to take:
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It were a bargain bad
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to get a wanton wife,
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And lose with sorrow great
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thy sweet desired life.
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If that my Father knew
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the love I bear to thee,
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We both the same should rue,
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therefore be rul'd by me:
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When my Father is in bed,
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and all his waiting men,
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Through the window will I get
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see that you meet me then.
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Content Lady (he said)
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he's but a Coward Knight
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Whom ought shall make afraid
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to win a Lady bright:
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Thus then they went away,
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but by the Master Cook
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Coming through ye window wide
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was this fair Lady took.
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O gentle Cook (quoth she)
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do not my deed bewray
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Some favour to me shew
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and let me pass away:
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Love that doth conquer Kings
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forc'd me to do this deed,
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Whilst others sits and sings
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make not my heart to bleed
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Not so (then said the Cook)
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fair Lady pardon me,
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Who can this trespass brook
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committed thus by thee?
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My Lord your Father shall
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the matter understa[?]nd,
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For false I will not be,
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neither for House nor Land.
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Then from the Ladies face,
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fell down the tears amain,
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She was in woful case,
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and thus she made her moan:
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Was my own dear Love,
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little know'st thou my grief,
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Great sorrows must we prove,
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hope yielding no relief.
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HEr Father in a spleen,
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lock'd up his daughter brite
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And sent forth Armed men
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to take this worthy Knight.
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Who then was judg'd to be
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quite banis[h]'d from the Land,
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Never his Love to see,
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so strict was the command.
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And at the Sessions next
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after the Knight was gone
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To his daughter full of woe
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they brought a hanged man:
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Whose head was smitten off,
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the Maidens truth to prove,
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Quoth her father) wanton dame
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now take thee here thy Love.
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Her tears fell down amain,
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when this sight she did see,
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And sorely did complain
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of Fathers cruelty:
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His body she did wash
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with tears that she did shed,
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An hundred times she kist
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his body being dead.
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Alas my Love (she said)
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dear hast thou paid for me,
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Would God in Heavens bliss,
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my soul were now with thee
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But whilst that I do live,
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a vow I here do make
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Seven years to live unwed
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for my true Lovers sake.
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Her Father hearing this,
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was grieved inwardly,
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He pardon'd her amiss
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and prais'd her constancy.
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And to this courteous Knight
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her Father did her wed;
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God grant the like success
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where perfect love is bred.
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