A most excellent and vertuous Ballad of the Patient Grissell.
To the tune of The Brides good morrow.
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A Noble Marquesse,
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As he did ride a hunting
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hard by a Forrest side,
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A faire and comely Maiden,
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As she did sit a spinning,
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his gentle eye espide:
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Most faire and lovely,
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And of comely grace was she,
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although in simple attire;
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She sung full sweetly,
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With pleasant voyce melodiously,
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which set the Lords heart on fire;
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The more he lookt, the more he might,
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Beauty bred his hearts delight,
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And to this Damsell
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then he went.
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God speed (quoth he) thou famous flower,
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Faire Mistris of this homely Bower,
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Where love and vertue
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dwels with sweet content.
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With comely gesture,
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And modest mild behaviour
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she bade him welcome then,
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She entertaind him
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In faithfull friendly manner,
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and all his Gentlemen.
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The Noble Marquesse
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Ins heart felt such a flame,
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which set his senses at strife,
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Quoth he, faire Maiden,
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Shew me soone what is thy name,
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I meane to make thee my wife.
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Grissell is my name quoth she,
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Farre unfit for your degree,
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silly Maiden,
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and of Parents poore.
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Nay, Grissell, thou art rich, he said,
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A vertuous, faire, and comely Maid,
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Grant me thy love,
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and I will aske no more.
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At length she consented,
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And being both contented,
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they married were with speed:
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Her Countrey Russet
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Was changd to Silke and Velvet,
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as to her state agreed:
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And when that she
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Was trimly tired in the same,
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her beauty shined bright,
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Farre staining every
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Other faire and Princely Dame
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that did appeare in her sight.
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Many envied her therefore,
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Because she was of Parents poore,
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And twixt her Lord and she
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great strife did raise:
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Some said this, and some said that,
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And some did call her Beggers brat,
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And to her Lord
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they would her oft dispraise.
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O Noble Marquesse,
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Quoth they, why dost thou wrong us,
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thus basely for to wed,
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That might have gotten
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An honorable Lady
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into your Princely bed?
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Who will not now
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Your Noble Issue still deride,
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which shall hereafter be borne,
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That are of bloud so base,
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Borne by the Mothers side,
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the which will bring them in scorne.
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Put her therefore quite away,
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And take to you a Lady gay,
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Whereby your Linage
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may renowned be.
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Thus every day they seemd to prate,
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That malicd Grissells good estate,
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Who all this while
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tooke it most patiently.
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When that the Marquesse
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Did see that they were bent thus
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against his faithfull Wife,
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Whom he most dearely,
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Tenderly, and intirely,
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beloved as his life,
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Minding in secret
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For to prove her patient heart
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thereby her foes to disgrace,
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Thinking to shew her
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A hard discourteous part,
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that men might pitty her case:
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Great with child this Lady was,
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And at last it came to passe,
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Two goodly children
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at one birth she had,
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A Son and Daughter God had sent,
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Which did their Father well content,
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And which did make
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their Mothers heart full glad,
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Great royall Feasting
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Was at these Childrens Christning,
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and Princely triumph made,
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Sixe weekes together,
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All Nobles that came thither
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were entertaind and staid,
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And when all these pleasant
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Sportings quite were done,
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the Marquesse a Messenger sent
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For his young Daughter,
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And his pretty smiling Son,
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declaring his full intent,
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How that the Babes must murdred be,
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For so the Marquesse did decree:
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Come, let me have
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the Children, then he said.
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With that faire Grissel wept full sore,
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She wrung her hands & said no more,
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My gracious Lord
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must have his will obeyd.
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The second part To the same tune.
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SHe tooke the Babies,
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Even from the nursing Ladies,
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betweene her tender armes,
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She often wishes
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With many sorrowfull kisses,
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that she might ease their harmes:
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Farewell, farewell
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A thousand times my children deare,
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never shall I see you againe;
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Tis long of me
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Your sad and wofull mother here,
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for whose sake both must be slaine;
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Had I beene borne of Royall race,
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You might have beene in happy case,
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But you must dye
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for my unworthinesse.
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Come messenger of death (quoth she)
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Take my dearest Babes to thee,
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And to their Father
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my complaints expresse.
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He tooke the Children,
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And to his Noble Master
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he brought them both with speed,
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Who in secret sent them
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Unto a Noble Lady
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to be brought up indeed.
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Then to faire Grissell
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With a heavy heart he goes
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where she sate mildly all alone,
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A pleasant gesture,
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And a lovely looke she shewes,
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as if no griefe she had knowne.
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(Quod he) my children now are slaine,
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What thinks faire Grissell of the same,
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Sweet Grissell now
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declare thy mind to me.
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Sith you, my Lord are pleasd with it,
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Poore Grissell thinks the action fit,
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Both I and mine
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at your command will be.
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My Nobles murmur,
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Faire Grissell at thy honour,
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and I no joy can have
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Till thou be banisht
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Both from my Court and presence,
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as they unjustly crave;
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Thou must be stript
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Out of thy stately garments all,
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and as thou camst to me
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In homely gray
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In stead of Bisse and purest Pall,
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now all thy clothing must be.
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My Lady thou must be no more,
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Nor I thy Lord, which grieves me sore,
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The poorest life
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must now content thy mind.
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A groat to thee I must not give,
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Thee to maintaine while I doe live,
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Against my Grissell
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such great foes I find.
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When gentle Grissell
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Did heare these wofull tidings,
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the teares stood in her eyes,
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Nothing she answered,
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No words of discontentment
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did from her lips arise;
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Her Velvet Gowne
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Most patiently she slipped off,
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her Kirtle of Silke with the same,
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Her Russet Gowne
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Was brought againe with many a scoffe
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to beare them her selfe she did frame,
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When she was drest in this array,
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And was ready to part away,
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God send long life
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unto my Lord (quoth she)
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Let no offence be found in this,
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To give my Lord a parting kisse,
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With watry eyes,
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farewell my deare, he said.
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From Princely Palace,
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Unto her Fathers Cottage,
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poore Grissell now is gone:
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Full sixteene Winters
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She lived there contented,
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no wrong she thought upon:
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And at that time through
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All the Land the speeches went,
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the Marquesse should married be,
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Unto a Noble Lady great,
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Of high discent,
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and to the same all parties did agr[ee]
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The Marquesse sent for Grissell faire
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The Brides bed-chamber to prepare
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That nothing therein
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might be found awry;
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The Bride was with her Brother com[e]
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Which was great joy to all and som[e]
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But Grissell tooke
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all this most patiently.
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And in the morning,
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When as they should be wedded,
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her patience then was tride;
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Grissell was charged,
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Her selfe in friendly manner;
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for to attire the Bride,
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Most willingly
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She gave consent to doe the same,
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the Bride in her bravery was dres[t]
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And presently
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The Noble Marquesse thither came
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with all his Lords at his request,
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O Grissell, I would aske of thee,
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If to this match thou wilt agree,
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Me thinks thy lookes
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are waxed wondrous coy.
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With that they all began to smile,
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And Grissell she replide the while,
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God send Lord Marquesse
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many yeares of joy.
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The Marquesse was moved
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To see his best beloved
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thus patient in distresse,
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He stept unto her,
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And by the hand he tooke her,
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these words he did expresse,
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Thou art my Bride,
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And all the Brides I meane to have,
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these two thine owne children be.
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The youthfull Lady
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On her knees did blessing crave,
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her brother as well as she.
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And you that envied her estate,
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Whom I have made my loving Mate
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Now blush for shame,
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and honour vertuous life.
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The Chronicles of lasting fame
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Shall evermore extoll the name
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Of Patient Grissell
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my most constant Wife.
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