An excellent Ballad Intituled the unfortunate love of a Lancashire Gentleman, and the hard for [tune ]
of a fair young Bride. The Tune is, Come follow my Love.
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L Ook you faithful Lovers,
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on my unhappy state,
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See my tears distilling,
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but poured out too late;
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And buy no foolish fancy,
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at too dear a rate,
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Alack for my Love I shall dye.
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My Father is a Gentleman,
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well known of high degree,
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And tender of my welfare
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evermore was he;
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He sought for reputation,
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but all the worse for me,
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alack, etc.
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There was a proper Maiden
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of favour sweet and fair,
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To whom in deep affection,
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I closely did repair:
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In heart I dearly loved her,
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loe thus began my care;
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alack, etc.
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For nature had adorn'd her,
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with qualities divine,
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Prudent in her actions,
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and in behaviour fine
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Upon a sweeter creature,
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the Sun did never shine:
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alack, etc.
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Nothing wanting in her,
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but this the grief of all,
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Of birth she was but lowly,
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of substance very small,
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A simple hired Servant,
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and subject to each call,
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alack, etc.
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Yet she was my pleasure,
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my joy and hearts delight,
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Mo[r]e rich then any treasure
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more precious in my sight,
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At length to one another
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our promise we did plight.
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alack, etc.
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And thus unto my father
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the thing I did reveal
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Desiring [of] his favor,
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nothing I did conceal,
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But he my dear affection
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regarded ne'r a deal:
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alack, etc.
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Quod he thou graceless fellow
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thou art my only heir:
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And for thy own preferment
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hast thou no better care?
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To marry with a begger
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that is both poor and bare:
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alack etc.
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I charge thee on my blessing
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thou do her sight refrain,
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And that into her company
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yo[u] never come again:
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That you should be so married
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I take it in disdain:
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alack, etc.
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Is there so many Gentleman
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of worshipful degree,
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That have most honest daughters
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of beauty fair and free
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and can none but a beggers brat
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content and pleasure thee?
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alack, etc.
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By God that made all creatures,
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this vow to thee I make,
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If thou do not this begger
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refuse and quite forsake,
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From thee thy due inheritance
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I wholly mean to take:
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alack, etc.
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These his bitter speeches
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did sore torment my mind.
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Knowing well how greatly,
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he was to mirth inclin'd,
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My heart was slain with sorrow
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no comfort I could find
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alack, [etc.]
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Then did I write a letter,
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and sent it to my dear,
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Wherein my first affection
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all changed did appear:
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which from her fair eyes forced
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the pearled water clear:
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alack, etc.
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For grief unto the Messenger
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one word she could not speak,
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Those doleful heavy tydings
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her gentle heart did break:
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Yet sought not by her speeches
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on me her heart to wreak.
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alack, etc.
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This deed within my conscience,
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tormented me full sore,
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To think upon the promise
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I made her long before:
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And for the true performance
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how I most deeply swore.
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alack, etc.
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I could not be in quiet
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till I to her did go:
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Who for my sake remained
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in sorrow grief and woe,
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And unto her in secret,
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my full intent to show.
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alack, etc.
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My sight rejoyced greatly
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her sad perplexed heart
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From both her eyes on sudden
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the trickled tears did start,
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And in each others bosome,
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we breathed forth our smart;
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alack, etc.
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Unknown unto my father,
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or any friend beside
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Our selves we closely married,
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she was my only bride
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Yet still within her service
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I caus'd her to abide.
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alack, etc.
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But never had two Lovers
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more sorrow care and grief
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No mean in our extremity
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we found for our relief,
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And now what further hapned
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here followeth in brief,
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al [ack, etc. ]
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N Ow you L[oyall] Lovers,
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a[t]te[n]d unto the rest
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S[e]e b[y] secret Marriage,
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how sore I am opprest,
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For why my foul misfortune
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h[e]rein shall be exprest,
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alack for my love I shall dye.
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My fa[t]her he came unto me
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upon a certain day,
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And w[i]th a merry countenance,
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these words to me did say:
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My Son quod he come hither.
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and marke what I shall say.
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alack, etc.
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S[ee]ing you are disposed
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to lead a wedded life,
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I have unto your credit
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provided you a wife:
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Whe[r]e thou maist ivel delightful
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without all care and strife.
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alack, etc.
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Master Senocks daughter
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most beautiful and wise,
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3 [h]un[d]r[e]d pounds her Portion
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may well thy mind surfice,
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And [by] her friends and kindred,
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t[h]ou maist to credit rise.
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alack, etc.
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This is my Son undoubted
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a match for thee most meet,
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She [i]s a proper Maiden
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mo[st] delicate and sweet.
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Go [w]oe her then and Wed her
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I shall rej[o]yce to see't
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alack, etc.
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Her friends and I have talked,
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and thereon have agree'd,
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Then be not thou abashed,
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but speedily proceed:
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Thou shall be entertained,
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and have no doubt to speed
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alack, etc.
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O pardon me dear father,
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with bashful looks he said,
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To enter into marriage,
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I sorely am afraid,
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A single life is lovely,
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therein my mind is staid.
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alack, etc.
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When he had heard my speeches,
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hid anger did arise,
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He drove me from his presence
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my sight he did despise:
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And straight to disinherit me
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all means he did devise?
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alack etc.
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When I my self perceived
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in that ill case to stand,
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Most lewdly I consented
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unto his fond demand:
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And married with the other
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and all to save my Land:
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alack, etc.
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And at this hapless marriage
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great cost my friends did keep,
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They spared not their Poultrey,
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their Oxen, nor their Sheep;
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Whilst joyfully they danced,
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I did in corners weep.
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alack, etc.
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My conscience was tormented
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which did my joys deprive,
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Yet for to hide my sorrow,
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my thoughts did always strive:
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Quod I what shame will it be
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to have two Wives alive.
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alack, etc.
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O my sweet Margaret
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I did in sorrow say,
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Then knowst not in thy service
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of this my marriage day,
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Though here my body resteth
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with thee my heart doth stay
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alack, etc.
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And in my meditations
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came in my lovely bride,
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With chains and jewels trimed,
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and silken robes beside:
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Saying, why doth my true Love,
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so sadly there abide.
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alack, etc.
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Yea twenty lovely kisses,
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she did on me bestow,
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And forth abroad a walking,
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this lovely maid did go:
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Yea arm in arm most friendly,
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with him that was her foe,
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alack, etc.
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But when that I had brought her
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where no body was near,
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I embraced her most falsley
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with a most feigned chear,
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Unto the heart I stabbed,
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this Maiden fair and clear,
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alack. etc.
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My self in woful manner,
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I wounded with a Knife,
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And laid my self down by her,
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by this my married wife:
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And said that thieves to rob us,
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had wrought this deadly strife
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alack, etc.
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Great wailing and great sorr[ow]
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was then upon each side,
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In woful sort they buried,
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this fair and comely bride,
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And my dissimulation,
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herein was quickly try'd
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alack, etc.
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And for this cruel murther,
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to death that I am brought,
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For this my aged father
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did end his days in nought,
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My Margaret at these tydings,
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her own destruction wrought
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alack. etc.
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Loe here the doleful peril,
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blind fancy brought me in,
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And mark what care and sorro[w],
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forc'd Marriage doth bring,
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All men by me be warned,
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and Lord forgive my Sin.
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alack for my Love I shall Dy [e ]
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