A PATTERN of true LOVE to you I will recitr,
Between a Beautiful Lady and a Courtious Knight.
To the Tune of, Dainty come thou to me, etc.
Licensd and Entred according to Order.
|
DEar Love regard my grief,
|
do not my suit disdain,
|
O yield me some relief,
|
that am with sorrow slain:
|
These long seven years and more
|
have I still loved thee;
|
Do thou my joys restore,
|
fair Lady pity me.
|
Pity my grievous pain,
|
long suffered for thy sake,
|
Do not my suit disdain,
|
that no time rest can take;
|
These seven long years and more,
|
have I still loved thee:
|
Do thou my joys restore
|
fair Lady pity me.
|
How should I pity thee?
|
this Lady then replyd,
|
Thou art no match for me,
|
thy suit must be denyd:
|
I am of noble blood,
|
you but of mean degree,
|
It stands not for my good
|
fondly to match with thee.
|
This answer had he most,
|
which cut his heart so deep,
|
That on his bed full oft
|
would he lye down and weep,
|
With tears he did lament
|
his froward destiny;
|
With sights yet would he say,
|
Fair Lady pitty me.
|
While I live, I must love,
|
so fancy urgeth me,
|
My mind cannot remove,
|
such is my constancy:
|
My mind is nobly bent
|
though I of low degree,
|
Sweet Lady give consent
|
to love and pity me.
|
The Lady hearing now
|
the moan that he did make,
|
Did of his suit allow,
|
and thus to him she spak,
|
Ser Knight, mourn thou no more,
|
my faith I plight to thee,
|
May this thy joys restore,
|
thou stast thy wish of me.
|
But first sweet Love (quoth she)
|
what shift then wilt thou make,
|
With speed to marry me,
|
and thy delight to take:
|
It were a bargain bad
|
to get a wanton Wife,
|
And lose with sorrow great
|
thy sweet distressed life.
|
If that my Father knew
|
the love I bear to thee,
|
We both the same should rue,
|
therefore be ruld by me:
|
When my Father is in bed
|
and all his waiting-men,
|
Throught the window will I get
|
see that you meet me then.
|
Content Lady, (he said)
|
hes but a Coward knight
|
Whom ought shall make afraid
|
to win a Lady bright:
|
Thus then they went away
|
but by the master-cook
|
Coming throuht the window wide,
|
was this fair Lady took.
|
O gentle cook, (quoth she)
|
do not my deed bewray,
|
Some favour to me show
|
and let me pass away:
|
Love that doth conquer Kings
|
forcd me to do this deed,
|
Wilst others sits and sings
|
make not my heart to bleed
|
Not so, (then said the cook)
|
fair Lady pardon me,
|
Who can this trespass brook,
|
committed thus by thee?
|
My Lord, your Father shall
|
the matter understand,
|
For false I will not be,
|
neither for house nor land.
|
Then from the Ladys face,
|
fell down the tears amain
|
She was in wofull case
|
and thus she made her moan:
|
Ah, my own dear Love,
|
little knowst thou my grief,
|
Great sorrows must we prove,
|
hope yielding no relief.
|
Her Father in a spleen,
|
lockd up his Daughter bright
|
And sent forth armed men
|
to take this worthy Knight.
|
Who then was judgd to be
|
quite banishd from the land
|
Never his Love to see,
|
so strict was the command.
|
And at the sessions next,
|
after the Knight was gone,
|
To his Daughter, full of woe,
|
they brought a hanged man,
|
Whose head was smitten off,
|
the Maidens truth to prove,
|
Quoth her Father, Wanton Dame
|
now take thee here thy Love.
|
Her tears fell down again,
|
when this sight she did see
|
And sorely did complain
|
of Fathers cruelty,
|
His body she did wash
|
with tears that she did shed,
|
An hundree times she kist
|
his body being dead.
|
Alas, my Love, (she said)
|
dear hast thou paid for me,
|
Would God in heavens bliss,
|
my soul were onw with this
|
But whilst that I do live,
|
a vow I here do make,
|
Seven years to live unwed
|
for my true Lovers sake
|
Her Father hearing this,
|
was grieved inwardly,
|
He pardond her amiss,
|
and praisd her constancy:
|
And to this courteous Knight,
|
her Father did her wed.
|
God grant the like success:
|
where perfect love is breed.
|
|
|
|
|
|