The LAMENTATION of
Mr. PAGEs Wife of Plymouth.
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UNhappy she whom fortune hath forlorn,
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Despisd of grace that profferd grace did scorn.
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My lawless love has luckless wrought my woe,
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My discontent content did overthrow.
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My loathed life too late I do lament,
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My woeful deeds in heart I do repent.
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A wife I was that wilful went away,
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And for that fault am here prepard to die.
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In blooming years my fathers greedy mind,
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Against my Will a match for me did find;
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Great wealth there was, yea gold and silver store,
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But yet my heart had chosen one before.
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Mine eyes dislikd my fathers liking quite,
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My heart did loath my parents fond delight:
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My childish mind and fancy told to me,
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That with his age my youth could not agree.
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On knees I prayd they would not me constrain,
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With tears I cryd their purpose to refrain.
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With sighs and sobs I did them often move,
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I might not wed with him I could not love.
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But all in vain my speeches still I spent,
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My mothers will my wishes did prevent:
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Tho wealthy Page possessd the outward part,
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George Strangwidge was lodgd within my heart.
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I wedded was, and wrapped all in woe,
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Great discontent within my heart did grow.
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I loathd to live, yet livd in deadly strife,
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Because by force I was made Pages wife.
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My chosen eyes could not his sight abide,
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My tender youth did loath his aged side.
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Scarce could I taste the meat whereon he fed,
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My legs did loath to lodge within his bed.
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Cause I knew none that I should slight him so,
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That such disdain within my heart did grow;
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Save only this, that fancy did me move,
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And told me still George Strangwidge was my love.
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Lo! here began my downfal and decay,
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In mind I musd to make him strait away.
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In that became his discontented wife,
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Contented that he should be rid of life.
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Methinks the Heavens cry vengeance for my fact,
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Methinks the world condemns my monstrous act.
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Methinks within me conscience tells me true,
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That for this deed Hell-fire is my due.
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My pensive soul doth sorrow for my sin,
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For this offence my soul doth bleed within.
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Mercy, Lord, for mercy still I cry:
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Save thou my soul, and let my body die.
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Well could I wish that Page enjoyed his life,
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So that he had some other to his wife.
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But never could I wish of low or high,
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A longer life than see sweet Strangwidge die.
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O woe is me! that had no better grace,
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To stay till he had run out natures race.
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My deeds I rue, but more I do repent
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That to this thing my Strangwidge did consent.
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I married was in much and endless strife,
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But faith before did make me Strangwidges wife.
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Consider well, and rightful judges be,
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And give your doom twixt parents love and me.
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I am their child and bound for to obey,
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But not to love where I no love could lay.
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To parents fond who greedy-minded be,
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And seek to graft upon the golden tree.
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O wretched world! whom cankerd rust doth blind,
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And cursed men, who bear a greedy mind,
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And hapless I, whose parents did force so,
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To end my days in sorrow, grief and woe.
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Ye Devonshire dames and affable Cornwal knights,
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That here are come to visit woeful wights,
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Regard my grief, and mark my woeful end,
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But to your children prove a better friend.
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And thou, my dear, who for my fault must die,
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Be not afraid the sting of death to try;
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Like as we livd and lovd together true,
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So both at once lets bid the world adieu.
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Ulalia, thy friend, does take her last farewel,
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Whose soul with thee in heaven shall ever dwell.
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Sweet Saviour Christ, do thou my soul receive.
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The world I do with all my heart forgive.
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And, parents now, whose greedy minds do show,
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Your hearts desire, and inward mighty woe,
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Mourn ye no more, so now my heart doth tell.
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Ere this days gone my soul will be right well.
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O Plymouth proud! I bid thee now, farewel.
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Take heed, ye wives, let not your hands rebel.
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And farewel life, wherein such sorrom shows,
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And welcome grave, that doth my corps inclose.
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And now, dear Lord, forgive me my misdeeds,
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Repentance calls for a heart that inward bleeds.
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My soul and body I recommend to thee,
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Who with thy blood from death redeemed me.
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Lord bless our king with long and happy life,
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And send true peace twixt each man and his wife.
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And give all parents wisdom to foresee
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The match is spoild where minds do not agree.
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Mrs. PAGEs Complaint for causing her Husband
to be Murdered for Love of GEORGE STRANG-
WIDGE.
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IF ever woe did touch a womans heart,
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Or sin did gall for grief the outward part.
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My conscience then and heavy heart within
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Can witness well the sorrow for my sin.
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When years were young my father made me wed
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Against my will where fancy was not fed.
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I was content his pleasure to obey,
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Altho my heart was linkd another way.
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Great were the gifts they offerd in my sight,
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With wealth they thought to win me to delight,
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But gold nor gifts my mind could not remove,
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For I was linkd whereas I could not love.
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Methought his sight was loathsome to my eye,
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My heart did grudge against him inwardly;
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This discontent did cause me deadly strife,
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And with his wealth did cause a grievous life.
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My constant love was on George Strangwidge set,
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And woe to him who did our pleasure let;
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His love in me so deep a root did take,
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I would have gone a-begging for his sake.
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Wronged he was thro fond desire of gain,
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Wronged he was een thro my parents plain;
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If faith and troth a perfect pledge might be,
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I had been wife unto no man but he.
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Eternal God! forgive my fathers deed,
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And grant all parents may take better heed.
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If I had been but constant to my friend,
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I had not matchd to make so bad an end.
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But wanting grace I sought my own decay,
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And was the cause to make my friend away.
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And he in whom my earthly joys did lie,
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Thro my amiss a shameful death must die.
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Farewel, sweet George, always my loving friend,
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Needs must I laud and love thee to the end,
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And albeit that Page possest thy due,
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In sight of God thou wast my husband true.
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My watery eyes unto the Heavens I bend,
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Praying to Christ his mercies to extend,
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This bloody deed do thou, O Lord! forgive,
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And let my soul within thy kingdom live.
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Farewel, false world, and friends that fickle be,
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All wives farewel, a warning take by me.
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Let not the Devil to murder you entice,
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Seek to escape such foul and sinful vice.
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And now, O Christ! to thee I yield my breath,
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Strengthen my faith in bitter pangs of death,
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Pardon my faults and follies I thee pray,
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And with thy blood wash thou my sins away.
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GEORGE STRANGWIDGES Lamentation for con-
senting to PAGES Death, for Love of ULALIA,
PAGES Wife.
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THE man that sighs and sorrows for his sin,
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The corps which care and woe is trapped in,
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In doleful sort records his swan-like song,
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That waits for death, and loaths to live so long
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O Glansfield! cause of my committed crime,
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Sowed in wealth, as birds in bush of lime,
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What cause hadst thou to bear such spight
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Against my love, and take my hearts delight?
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I would to God thy wisdom had been more,
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Or that I had not entered thy door;
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Or that thou hadst a kinder father been
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Unto thy child, whose years are yet but green.
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The match unmeet which thou for her did make,
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When aged Page thy daughter home did take.
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Well mayst thou rue, with tears that cannot dry,
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Which is the cause that four of us must die.
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Ulalia, more bright than the morning sun,
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Whose beauty hath for ever my heart won.
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My soul sobs more to think of thy disgrace,
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Than to behold my own untimely race.
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This deed late done in heart I do repent,
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But that I lovd I cannot yet repent.
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Thy seemely sight was ever sweet to me,
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Would God my death could her excuser be.
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It was for me, alas! thou didst the same,
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On me by right thou ought to fix the blame;
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My worthless love ha[s] brought thy life to scorn,
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And woe is me, that ever I was born.
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Farewel, my love, whose loyal heart was seen,
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I would thou hadst not half so constant been.
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Farewel, my love, the pride of Plymouth-town,
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Farewel; the fairest flower is cut down.
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For twenty years great was the cost, I know,
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Thy unkind father did on thee bestow.
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Yet afterwards kind fortune was severe,
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He lost his child and joy within an hour.
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Wrong and woe to God I do commit,
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Who was the cause of matching them unfit.
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And yet I cannot so my guilt excuse,
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We gave consent his for to abuse.
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Wretch that I am that my consent did give,
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Had I denyd, Ulalia still should live;
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Blind fancy said, This suit do not deny,
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Live thou in bliss or else in sorrow die.
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O Lord! forgive this cruel deed of mine,
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Upon my soul let beams of mercy shine,
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In justice, Lord, do thou no vengeance take,
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Forgive us both for Jesus Christ his sake.
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