The West-Country Damosels Complaint:
OR,
The Faithful Lovers last Farewel.
Being the Relation of a Young Maid who Pined herself to death, for the Love of a Young-man,
who after he had notice of it, dyed likewise for Grief.
Careless Young-men, by this a warning take,
How you kind Virgins (when they Love) forsake;
Least the same fate ore-take you, and you dye
For breach of Vows, and Infidelity.
Be kind, but Swear not more then what you mean,
Least Comick Jests become a Trajeck Scean.
To the Tune of, Johnny Armstrong.
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WHen will you Marry me William,
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and make me your wedded wife?
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Or take you your keen bright Sword,
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and rid me out of my Life.
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Will.
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Say no more so then Lady,
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say you no more then so,
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For you shall into the wild Forrest,
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and amongst the Buck and Doe.
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Where thou shalt eat of the Hips & Haws,
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and the Roots that are so sweet,
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And thou shalt drink of the cold water,
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that runs underneath feet.
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Now she had not been in the wild Forrest,
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passing three months and a day,
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But with hunger and cold she had her fill,
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till she was quite worn away.
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At last she saw a fair Tyld House,
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and there she swore by the Rood,
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That she would to that fair Tyld house,
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there for to get her some Food.
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But when she came unto the Gates,
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aloud aloud she cryd,
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An Alms, an Alms, my own Sister,
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I ask you for no Pride.
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Her Sister calld up her merry men all,
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by one, by two, and by three,
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And bid them hunt away that wild Doe,
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as far as ere they could see.
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They hunted her ore Hill and Dale,
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and they hunted her so sore,
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That they hunted her into the Forrest,
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where her sorrows grew more and more.
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She laid a Stone all at her head,
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and another all at her feet,
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And down she lay between these two,
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till death had lulld her asleep.
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When sweet Will came & stood at her head,
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and likewise stood at her feet,
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A thousadd times he kist her cold Lips,
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her body being fast asleep.
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Yea, seaven times he stood at her feet,
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and seaven times at her head,
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A thousand times he shook her hand,
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although her body was dead,
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Ah wretched me! he loudly cryd,
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what is it that I have done,
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O woud to the powers above Ide dyd,
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when thus I left her alone.
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Come, come you gentle Red-breast now,
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and prepare for us a Tomb,
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Whilst unto cruel Death I bow,
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and sing like a Swan my Doom.
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Why! could I ever cruel be
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unto so fair a Creature?
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Alas she dyd for love of me,
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the loveliest she in nature.
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For me she left her home so fair,
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to wander in this wild Grove,
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And there with sighs and pensive care,
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she ended her Life for Love.
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O Constancy in her thourt lost,
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now let Women boast no more,
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Shes fled to the Elizium Coast,
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and with her carryd the Store.
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O break my heart with sorrow filld,
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come swell you strong Tides of g[rief,]
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You that my dear Love have killd,
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come yield in death to me relief.
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Cruel her Sister, wast for me
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that to her she was unkind?
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Her Husband I will never be,
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but with this my Love be joynd.
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Grim death shall tye the Marriage b[and]
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which Jealousie shant divide,
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Together shall tye our cold hands,
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whilst here we lye side by side.
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Witness ye Groves, and Chrystial str[eams]
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how Faithless I late have been,
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But do repent with dying Leaves,
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of that my ungrateful Sin.
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And wish a thousand times that I
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had been but to her more kind,
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And not have let a Virgin dye,
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whose equal theres none can find.
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Now heaps of sorrow press my Soul,
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now, now tis she takes her way,
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I come my Love without Controule,
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nor from thee will longer stay.
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With that he fetchd a heavy Groan,
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which rent his tender Breast,
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And then by her he laid him down,
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when as Death did give him rest.
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Whilst mournful birds, with leavy bou[ghs]
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to them a kind Burial gave,
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And warbled out their Love-sick vows[,]
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whilst they both slept in their Grave.
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