The Woeful Lamentation of Jane Shore.
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IF Rosamond, that was so fair,
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Had cause her sorrow to declare;
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Then let Jane Shore with sorrow sing,
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Who was beloved by a king.
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Then wanton wives in time amend,
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For love and beauty will have end.
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In maiden years my beauty bright
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Was loved dear by lord and knight,
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But yet the Love as they requird
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It was not as my friends desird.
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My parent they for thirst of gain,
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A husband did for me obtain;
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And I their pleasure to fulfil.
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Was forcd to wed against my will.
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To Matthew Shore I was a wife,
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Till lust brought ruin to my Life,
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And then my Life so lewdly spent,
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Which makes my soul for to lament.
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In Lombard-street I once did dwell,
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As London yet can witness well,
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Where many gallants did behold
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My beauty in a shop of gold.
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I spread my plumes as wantons do,
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Some sweet and secret friend to wooe,
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Because my friend I could not find
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Agreeing to my wanton mind.
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At last my name at court did ring,
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Into the ears of Englands king.
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Who came and likd and Love requird,
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But I made coy what he desird.
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Yea, Mrs. Blague, a neighbout near,
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Whose friendship I esteemed dear,
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Did say, it is a gallant thing
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For to be loved by a king.
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By her persuasions I was led,
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For to defile my marriage bed,
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And wrong my loving husband Shore,
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Whom I had lovd ten years before,
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In heart and mind I then rejoice,
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That I had made so good a choice.
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And therefore then my state resign,
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For to be king Edwards concubine.
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From city then to court I went.
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For to reap the pleasures of content.
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And had the joys that Love could bring,
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And knew the secrets of a king.
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When I was thus advancd on high,
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Commanding Edward with my eye,
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For Mrs. Blague I in short space
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Obtain[]d a living from his grace,
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No friend I had, but in short time
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Did all unto promotion climb.
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But yet for all this costly pride,
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My husband could not me abide.
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His bed tho wronged by a king,
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His heart with grief did vastly sting,
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From England then he goes away,
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For to end his Life upon the sea;
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He could not live to see his name,
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Impaired by my wanton shame.
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Although a prince of peerless might
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Did take the pleasures of his right,
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Long time I lived in the court,
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With lords and laides of great sort:
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For when I smild all men were glad,
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But when I wept my prince grew sad.
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But yet an honest mind I bore,
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Unto helpless people being poor.
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I still supplyd the orphans cry,
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And savd their Lives condemnd to die.
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I still had truth on widows tears,
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And helped babes of infant years.
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And never lookd for other gain,
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But love and thanks for all my pains.
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At last my royal king did die,
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And then my days of woe drew nigh:
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When crook back Richard got the crown,
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King Edwards friends were soon put down
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I then was punishd for my sin,
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Which I long time had lived in.
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Yea every one that was his friend,
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This tyrant brought to shameful end,
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Then for my lewd and wanton Life
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That was a strumpet of a wife,
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I pennance did in Lombard street,
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In shameful manner in a sheet,
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Where many thousands did me view,
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Who late in court my value knew.
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As made the tears run down my face,
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For to think on my foul disgrace.
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Not thus cotent they took from me
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My goods, my livings, and my fee.
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And vowd that none might me relieve,
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Or any succour to me give.
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Then unto Mrs Blague I went,
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Unto whom my jewels I had lent.
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In hopes thereby to ease my want,
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When riches faild, and Love was scant,
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But she denyd to me the same,
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When in my need for them I came.
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To recompence me for my former Love,
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Out of doors she did me shove.
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So Love did vanish with my State,
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Which now my soul repents too late.
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Therefore example take by me,
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For friendship parts in poverty.
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But yet one friend among the rest,
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Whom once I had seen distrest,
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And savd his Life condemnd to die,
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Did give some food to succour me.
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For which by Law it was decreed
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That he was hanged for the deed.
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His death did grieve me so much more,
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Than had I dyd my-self therefore,
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So those to whom I had done good,
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Durst not restore me any food.
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Whereby in vain I beggd all day,
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And all the night still secret lay.
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My gown beset with pearl and gold
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Is turnd to simple garments old.
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My chains and gems and golden rings,
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Unto filthy rags and loathsome things.
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So was I scornd by man and wife,
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For leading such a wicked Life,
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Both sucking babes and children small
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Did make a pastime at my fall.
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I could not get one bit of bread,
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Whereby my hunger might be fed.
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No drink but such as channels yeild,
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Or stinking ditches in the field.
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Thus weary of my Life, at Length,
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I yeilded up my vital strength.
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Within a ditch of loathsome scent,
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Where carion dogs do oft frequent.
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The which now since my dying day,
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Is shoreditch call-d unto this day,
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Which is a witness of my sin,
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For being a concubine to a king.
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You wanton wives that fall to Lust.
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Be you assurd that God is just;
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Whoredom will not escape his hand,
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Nor pride unpunishd in this Land.
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If God to me such shame did bring,
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Who yeilded only to a king.
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How shall they escape who daily run
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With every man to practise sin.
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You husbands match not but for Love
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Lest you disliking after prove,
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Women be warnd when ye be wives,
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Such plagues attend on sinful Lives.
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So maids and wives in time amend,
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For Love and Beauty will have end.
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PART II.
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IF that was fair Londons pride,
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For beauty famed far and wide,
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With swan-like song, for so tis told
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Her deed distresses manifold.
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Kind Matthew shore men called me,
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A goldsmith once of good degree,
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And might have lived long therein
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Had not my wife been wed to sin.
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Ah! gentle Jane, thy wanton race
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Hath brougth me to this foul disgrace,
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Thou had all things at wish and will,
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Thy wanton fancy to fulfill,
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No London dame nor merchants wife
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Did lead so sweet and pleasant Life.
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Then gentle Jane to me report
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Why you left me to live in court.
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Thou had both gold and silver store,
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No wife in London then had more.
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And oftentimes to walk in Field,
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For to see what pleasures it doth yeild.
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But woe to me! that Liberty
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Hath brought me to that misery.
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I marryd thee whilst thou wast young,
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Before tho knewest what did belong
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Unto husbands Love or marriage state,
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But now my heart repents too late.
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This wanton Pride made thee unjust,
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And so deceived was my trust;
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But when the king possessd my room,
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And cropt my rosie gallant bloom,
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Fair Londons [blossom] and my joy,
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My heart was crownd in deep annoy.
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For to think how to public shame,
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Thy wicked Life brought my good name.
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And then I thought each man and wife
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In jesting sort accusd my Life.
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And every one to the other said
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How Shores wife had the wanton playd.
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Hereby in mind I thought to change
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My dwelling in some country strange.
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My Lands and Goods I sold away.
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And from England I went to sea,
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Opprest with grief and woeful mind,
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But left the cause of grief behind.
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My loving wife whom I thought
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Would never be to lewdness brought.
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But women now I well espy,
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Are subject to inconstancy.
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And few there be so true to Love,
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But by long suit will wanton prove:
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For flesh is frail, and woman weak.
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When kings for love long suit do m[ake]
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But yet from England my depart
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Was with a sad and heavy heart,
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Whereat when as my leave I took,
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I sent back many a grevious look,
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Desiring God, if it might be,
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To send one sigh sweet Jane to thee.
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For if thou hadst but constant been,
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Such times of woe I neer had seen,
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But still I mourn and grieve full sore,
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Because great plagues are left in store.
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For such as careless tread awry
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In modest paths of constancy.
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Ah! gentle Jane if thou didst know,
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The uncouth paths I daily go.
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And woeful tears for the I shed,
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For wronging of the marriage bed,
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So sure I am you must confess
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I loved true, tho in distress.
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Both Flanders, France and Spain I past
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And came to Turkey at the last.
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And there within that mighty cours
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I lived long in honest sort,
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Desiring God that sits in Heaven,
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That all thy sins might be forgiven.
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And there advancd thy loving name,
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Of living Whites the fairest dame,
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The praise of Englands beauty stain,
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All which your husband did maintain,
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And set thy picture there in gold,
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For kings and princes to behold.
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But when I though upon the sin
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Your wanton thoughts delighted in,
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I grievd at such a beauteous face
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Should hold true honour in disgrace;
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And counted it a luckless day,
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When as thou first didst go astray,
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Desiring then some news to hear,
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Of her my soul did love so dear,
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My Secrets then I did impart
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To one well skilld in magick art,
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Who in a glass did truly shew,
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Such things as I desird to know.
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I there did see the courtly state,
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The pomp, the pride the glory great,
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And likewise there I did behold
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My Jane in Edwards arms enfold.
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Your secret Love I did espy,
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And how miserable you did die.
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Your naked body in the street
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I saw d?d pennance in a sheet:
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Bare-footed before the beadles wand,
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With burning taper in thy hand,
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And babes not having use of tongues,
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Stood pointing as you went along.
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Thus ended was the shame of thine,
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But still God gave no end to mine.
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When I supposd I was forgot,
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And time had washd away my blot,
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And in another princes reign.
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I came to England back again,
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But staying there, my friends decayd,
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My princes Laws I disobeyd,
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And by true justice judgd to die,
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For clipping gold in secresy
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By gold was my best living made,
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And so by gold I was betrayd.
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Thus have you heard the woful strife,
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That came by an unconstant wife:
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Her fall, my death, werein is shewd
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The story of a strumpet lewd.
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In hopes thereby some women may
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Take heed how they the wanton play.
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