The Letters Three:
A young-man walking forth in this merry Month of
May, finding his True Love was gone astray, all his desire was to speak with her,
before that he was gone to Sea.
To a pleasant new Tune; Or, Letters Three.
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WIth Letters three, I do begin,
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my mind to write, and then to try,
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The first is B, for she and me,
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the second D, the third a Y.
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But if to me,
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She will prove true,
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Ile never change, ile never change,
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Ile never change her for a new.
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As I was walking in a Grove,
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three pretty birds all in a Spring,
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One pretty bird did in that place,
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unto my thought most sweetly sing,
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and in her song,
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she told me so,
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whom I love best, whom I love best,
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whom I Love best I must forgo;
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Standing a while amazd thereat,
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musing from whence this eccho came,
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Feeding my flocks upon the plain,
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thinking it had been but a dream.
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But in her Song,
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she told me so,
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whom I Love best, whom I Love best,
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whom I Love best, I must forgo.
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Quoth he, I will to her again,
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and hear what she will some say,
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Perhaps she will more constant prove,
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although at first she said me nay.
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but if to me,
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she will prove true,
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Ile never change, Ile never change,
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Ile never change her for a new.
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The second part, to the same Tune.
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I Beg and crave, with cap in hand,
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falling upon my bended knee,
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I vow to be at her command,
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if she will grant her love to me:
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but all my labour
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is but in vain,
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She will not yield, ive Lost the field,
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And am requited with disdain.
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Now will I leave off loving quite,
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until a more constant friend I find,
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Of one that will more constant prove,
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and will not waver with the wind,
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the cause of this
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that I complain,
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Is to seek relief, to admit my grief,
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I Loved; and was not Loved again.
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You Lovers all, where ere you be,
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give ear unto my doleful note:
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With letters three perhaps you might,
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and so you may give in your vote:
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the Proverbs true
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which now I find,
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Once out of sight, once out of sight,
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Once out of sight, quite out of mind.
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My story pend, I now will end,
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praying unto the Gods above:
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Wishing the next true love she have,
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may prove as constant in his love:
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one thing more,
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I had to indite:
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But for the tears, but for the tears,
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Fell on the paper, I could not write.
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