The Lovers Fancy.
Or
True Love requited with Constancy:
Being a Civil Discourse between John and Anne.
The Young man he was constant unto the end,
The Maid at last she provd his loving friend:
Young Men and Maids that stand to hear this Song,
Then mind it well, do not each other wrong:
Young Men, prove constant, faithful, true and just,
And then the Maids may better to you trust.
To the tune of Loves Fancy.
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AS lately abroad I was walking,
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it was in the prime of the spring,
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I spied two Lovers were talking
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the birds they did sweetly sing:
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I listned a while unto them
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to hear what these Lovers did say:
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The young man he kindly wood her
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and calld her his Love and his joy,
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And often he said sweet Nancy
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I love thee as dear as my life
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And constant ile prove unto thee
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if thou wilt but be my wife.
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The young man was handsome & pretty
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the maid she was wondrous fair
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There is not two more in the City
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I think, that can with them compare,
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Then listen a while you Lovers
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to what in my Ditty is pend,
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And see that you prove as constant
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and faithful unto the end:
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And he began to woo her
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to tell her some part of his mind
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And often he said unto her
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I prethee sweet Nancy be kind.
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Come hither my amorous Girl,
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I prethee come sit down by me;
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I love thee far better than Pearl,
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if that we two can but agree:
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Long time I have truly lovd thee,
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but never till now could I find
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A place that was more convenient
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to tell thee some part of my mind:
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Then prethee sit down, sweet Nancy,
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I love thee as dear as my life,
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And constan ile prove unto thee,
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if thou wilt but be my wife.
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Maid.
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O sir! you have been a stranger,
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I have not seen you a great while,
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What fortune had I for to meet thee
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thou makest my worship to smile:
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Surely you do come for to wooe me
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your tongue it so nimbly doth run,
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But if that you should dissemble,
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then surely I were undone
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For young men will cog & dissemble
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also they will flatter & lie
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And speak much in praise of maids beauty
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only their humors to try.
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Man.
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TO spak Love in praise of thy Beauty
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it is but a needlesse thing
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For it is for pure love that I woo thee
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and Love it will conquer a King:
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Brave Lords they submit unto it
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and Ladies are forcd to obey.
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Then prethee love, prove not cruel
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nor cast not a man away
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Then prethee sit down sweet Nancy
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I love thee as dear as my life,
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And constant ile prove unto thee
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if thou wilt but be my wife.
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Maid.
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To tell me of love is but folly
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for which I do plainly see
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When as a young couple are married
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and fall into Poverty;
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Then Love it is quickly fading
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my true love it falls to decay,
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Then prethee do not dissemble
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nor seek a maid to betray:
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For my mother hath often told me,
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and sometimes hath beaten me
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And swears she will never abide me
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if that I should marry with thee.
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Man.
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I fear not thy friends displeasure
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nor yet if thy mother do frown
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For thou art my chiefest treasure
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of [a]ll the maids in the town:
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I pri[z]e thee far better then Rubies
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or Pearl that is placed in Gold,
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Thy sight it doth so rejoyce me
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when as I thy person behold
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Then prethee sit down sweet Nancy
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I love thee as dear as my life
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and constant I will prove to thee
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if thou wilt but be my wife.
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Maid.
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You say you will prove constant
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and love me as dear as your life
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Also you do vow to be faithful
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if that I will but be thy wife:
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But what hast thou for to maintain me
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thats a thing to be considerd on?
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Come tell me & do not dissemble
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or else prethee let me be gon.
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For young men will proffer great matters
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when as they a woing do go
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But when that they once are married,
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maids find it is nothing so.
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Man,
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To tell the of Lands or livings,
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I need not the same to repeat
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For truly love I have none for thee
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but what with my hands I must get
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Yet labour I will to maintain thee,
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and work till my fingers are sore:
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Then prethee love do not disdain me
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why canst thou desire more?
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Then turn to me Nancy & kisse me
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and grant me a loving reply,
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For if that thou prove cruel
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surely for love I shall dye.
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I scorn for to cog or to flatter,
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or promise thee more then I have
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Yet truly Ile do my endeavour love,
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all that I c[a]n get for to save,
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Ile give it to thee my Hony
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to buy the what ere thou dost lack
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Provision to nourish thy body
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and cloaths to put on thy back:
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Then turn to me Nancy & kisse me
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and grant me a loving reply
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For if that thou provest cruel
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surely for love, etc.
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Maid.
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You speak very honest and civi[l]
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but yet I am loath for to yield;
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But many a stout-hearted Souldier
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is forct for to give up the field,
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And if I should yield unto thee
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to marry thee and be thy wife,
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And that I should not live in quiet
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and peace all the days of my life,
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Then sure my heart would be broken;
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nay, Maidens would laugh and would say
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That there goes as harmless a Girl,
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as ever Young man did betray.
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Man.
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No Woman that lives in the City
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shall live a more peaceable life,
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Ile do my endeavour to please thee too,
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if thou wilt but be my Wife:
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Thou nere shalt have cause to be angry
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with any thing that I do say,
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Then prethee, Love, prove not cruel,
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nor cast not a man away,
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Then turn to me, Nancy, and kiss me,
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I love thee as dear as my life,
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And constant I will prove to thee,
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if thou wilt but be my Wife.
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Maid.
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Well, seeing thou wilt prove constant,
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as faithful i[]le prove unto thee;
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Lets point a day then for certain
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when as our Wedding shall be:
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Then prethee, Love, cast away sorrow,
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to morrow shall be the day,
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On Thursday we mean to be married,
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on Fryday we mean for to play,
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On Saturday go to the Market,
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and on Sunday wel go to the Church,
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And on Monday wel fall to our labour
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to put the young Children to Nurse.
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Man.
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And these two Lovers departed,
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and homeward they went with all spee[d]
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Whereafter I hear of their Neighbou[r]
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this couple they lovingly agreed:
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I wish them much joy together,
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a long and a peaceable life,
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That he prove a careful Husband,
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and she prove a loving Wife.
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Then all You that hear my Ditty,
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come buy it and hear it away,
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The price of it is but a penny,
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then take it home with You, I pray
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