An excellent Ballad of the Mercers Son of Midhurst,
AND
The Cloathiers daughter of Guilford.
To the Tune of, Dainty come to me.
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THere was a wealthy man,
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in Sussex he did dwell,
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A Mercer by his trade,
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as many yet can tell:
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He had a youthful Son
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whom fancy did so move,
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He cried night and day
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alack I die for love.
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Alack I die for love,
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beauty disdaineth me,
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The Cloathiers daughter dear
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works my calamity:
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She hath my heart in hold
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that did most cruel prove,
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Thus cried he night and day
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alack, etc.
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Alack I die for love,
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fortune so sore doth frown,
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The jewel of my heart
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dwelleth in Guilford town:
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There lives the lamp of life,
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for whom this pain I prove,
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Fair Phillis pitty me,
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alack, etc.
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Alack I die for love,
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and can no comfort find,
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The Cloathiers daughter dear,
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beareth too high a mind:
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Sweet beauties Paragon,
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fair Venus silver Dove,
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Fair Phillis pitty me,
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alack, etc,
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Alack I die for love,
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whilst thou dost laugh and smile,
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Let not thy pleasure be
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true love for to beguile:
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My life lies in your hand,
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then as it doth behove,
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Slay not the Mercers Son,
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alack, etc.
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If that my beauty bright
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doth grieve thy heart (quoth she)
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Then let the Mercers Son
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turn still his face from me:
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I do no man disdain,
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nor can I cruel prove,
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My heart must still say nay
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where my heart cannot love.
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Where my heart cannot love,
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lovers all must I shun,
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The Clothiers daughter thus
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answered the Mercers Son:
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I bear no lofty mind,
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yet pitty cannot move,
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My mind to fancy him,
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where my heart cannot love.
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Where my heart cannot love,
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I must his love deny,
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Although I laugh and smile,
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yet falshood I defie:
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Thou art too fond a man
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life danger thus to prove,
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Ill not wed good friend John
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where my heart cannot love.
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What good can there befall
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to that new married wife,
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Where goods and wealth is small,
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want causeth deadly strife,
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But where wealth is at will,
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experience oft doth prove,
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Though love at first is small,
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yet goods increaseth love.
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Yet goods increaseth love,
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and I will never wed,
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But where the Key of Gold
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opens the door to bed:
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For she may merry be
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what chance soever hap,
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Where bags of money comes
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tumbling within her lap.
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Tumbling within her lap,
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whilst she her Gold doth tell,
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With such a husband sir
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I do delight to dwell,
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Were he young, were he old,
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deformd or fair in show,
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My pleasure still should be,
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where pleasure still doth flow.
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Where pleasure still doth flow,
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is that your mind (quoth he)
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My father will bestow
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as much as comes to thee:
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Hadst thou five hundred pound,
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five hundred more beside,
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My Father will bestow:
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If thou wilt be my bride.
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If thou wilt be my bride,
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thus much I understand;
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my father will give me,
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his house and eke his land;
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So while that he doth live,
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with us he may remain,
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What says my hearts delight,
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is this a bargain plain?
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This is a bargain plain,
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(quoth she) I am content,
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So he perform this thing
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I give thee my consent,
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And I will merry be
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my mind shall not remove,
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Thou shalt be my Sweet-heart,
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ill be thy own true love.
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Ile be thy own true love,
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then make no more delay,
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I greatly long to see
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our marriage happy day,
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To Midhurst in all haste
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goeth the mercers Son,
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He told his father dear,
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his true love he had won.
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The Old-man hearing this,
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conveyed out of hand,
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Assurance to his Son,
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of all his House and land,
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When he had done this deed
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he wept most bitterly,
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Saying my dearest son
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thou must be good to me:
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Well worth two hundred pound
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this morning was I known,
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But the Cloaths of my back
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now nothing is my own:
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And all this I have done
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dear son to pleasure thee,
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Think on thy Fathers love,
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and deal thou well with me.
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Dear father (quod the Son)
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if I do not do so,
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God pour upon my head
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hot vengeance, grief and woe:
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The Young-man wedded was
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to his fair lovely-bride.
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But wondrous grief and woe:
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therefore there did betide.
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As after you shall hear,
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in the Old mans complaint,
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A tale of greater grief,
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cannot your heart attaint.
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A warning by this thing
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all men may understand,
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Lest they do come to live
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under their Childrens hand.
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