A most sweet Song of an English Merchant,
borne at Chichester.
To an excellent new Tune.
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A Rich Merchant man,
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That was both grave and wise,
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Did kill a man at Emden Towne,
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Through quarrels that did rise.
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Through quarrels that did rise,
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The German hee was dead,
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And for this fact the Merchant man
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was judgd to lose his head.
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A sweet thing is love,
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It rules both heart and mind;
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There is no comfort in the world
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to women that are kind.
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A Scaffold builded was,
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Within the Market-place,
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And all the people farre and neere,
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Did thither flocke apace.
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Did thither flocke apace,
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This dolefull sight to see,
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Who, all in velvet blacke as Jet,
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unto the place came hee.
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A sweet thing is love, etc.
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Bare-headed was hee brought,
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His hands were bound before,
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A Cambricke Ruffe about his necke,
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As white as milke hee wore:
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His Stockings were of silke,
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As fine as fine might be
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Of person, and of countenance,
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a proper man was hee.
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A sweet thing is love, etc.
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When hee was mounted up,
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Upon the Scaffold high,
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All women said great pity twas,
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So sweet a man should die.
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The Merchants of the Towne,
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From death to set him free,
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Did proffer there two thousand pound,
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but yet it would not be.
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A sweet thing is love,
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It rules both heart and mind;
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There is no comfort in the world
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to women that are kind.
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The Prisoner hereupon,
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Began to speake his mind,
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Quoth hee, I have deserved death,
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In conscience I doe find:
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Yet sore against my will,
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This man I kild, quoth hee,
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As Christ doth know, which of my soule
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must onely Saviour be.
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A sweet thing is love, etc.
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With heart I doe repent
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This most unhappy deed;
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And for his wife and children small,
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My very soule doth bleed:
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This deed is done and past,
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My hope of life is vaine,
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And yet the losse of this my life,
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to them is little gaine.
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A sweet thing is love, etc.
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Unto the widow poore,
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And her two Babes therefore,
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I give a hundred pound a piece,
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Their comfort to restore:
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Desiring at their hands,
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No one request but this,
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They will speake well of Englishm[en]
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though I have done amisse.
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A sweet thing is love, etc.
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This was no sooner spoke,
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But that to stint his griefe,
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Ten goodly Maids did proffer him,
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For love to beg his life:
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This is our law, quoth they,
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We may your death remove,
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If you in lieu of our good will,
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will grant to us your love.
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A sweet thing is love, etc.
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Brave Englishman, quoth one,
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Tis I will beg thy life:
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Nay, quoth the second, it is I,
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If I must be thy wife:
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Tis I, the third did say;
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Nay, quoth the fourth, tis I:
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So each one after other said,
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still waiting his reply.
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A sweet thing is love,
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It rules both heart and mind;
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There is no comfort in the world
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to women that are kind.
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The second Part, To the same tune.
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FAire Maidens all, quoth hee,
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I must confesse and say,
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That each of you full worthy is,
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To be a Lady gay:
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And I unworthy farre,
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The worst of you to have,
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Though you have offered willingly
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my loathed life to save.
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A sweet thing is love,
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It rules both heart and mind;
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There is no comfort in the world
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to women that are kind.
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Then take a thousand thanks
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Of mee a dying man:
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But speake no more of love nor life,
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For why, my life is gone.
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To Christ my love I give,
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My body unto death:
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For none of you my heart can love,
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though I doe lose my breath.
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A sweet thing is love, etc.
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Faire Maids lament no more,
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Your Country Law is such,
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It takes but hold upon my life,
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My goods it cannot touch:
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Within one chest I have
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In gold a thousand pound,
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I give it equall to you all,
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for love which I have found.
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A sweet thing is love, etc.
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And now deare friends farewell,
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Sweet England eake adieu,
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And Chicester where I was borne,
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Where first this breath I drew.
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And now thou man of death,
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Unto thy weapon stand:
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Ah nay another Damsell cryd,
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sweet Headsman hold thy hand.
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A sweet thing is love, etc.
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Now heare a Maidens plaint,
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Brave Englishman, quoth shee,
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And grant her love for love againe,
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That craves but love of thee:
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I wooe and sue for love,
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That have beene wooed ere this,
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Then grant mee love, and therewithall
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shee proffers him a kisse.
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A sweet thing is love,
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It rules both heart and mind;
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There is no comfort in the world
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to women that are kind.
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And die within mine armes,
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If thou wilt die, quoth shee;
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Yea live or die sweet Englishman,
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Ile live and die with thee.
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But can it be, hee said,
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That thou dost love mee so:
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Tis not by long acquaintance sir,
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whereby true love doth grow.
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A sweet thing is love, etc.
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Then beg my life, quoth hee,
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And I will be thine owne;
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If I should seeke the world for love,
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More love cannot be showne.
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The people on that word,
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Did give a joyfull cry,
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And said, it had great pitie been,
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so sweet a man should die
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A sweet thing is love, etc.
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I goe my Love, shee said,
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I run, I flye for thee;
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And gentle Headsman spare a while,
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My Lovers life for mee:
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Unto the Duke shee went,
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Who did her griefe remove;
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And with an hundred Maidens more,
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shee went to fetch her Love.
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A sweet thing is love, etc.
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With musicke sounding sweet,
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The formost of the traine,
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This gallant Maiden like a Bride,
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Did fetch him backe againe:
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Yea hand in hand they went
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Unto the Church that day,
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And they were married presently
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in sumptuous rich array.
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A sweet thing is love, etc.
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To England came hee then,
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With this his lovely Bride,
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A fairer woman never lay
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By any Merchants side:
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Where I must leave them now,
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In pleasure and delight;
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But of their name and dwelling place,
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I must not here recite.
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A sweet thing is love,
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It rules both heart and mind;
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There is no comfor[t] in the world
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to women that are kind.
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