The STRAND Garland.
In FOUR PARTS.
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PART I.
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YOU young men and maidens that to love belong,
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Come draw near, and listen awhile to my song,
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And I make no question but this ditty
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Must please many persons both in town and city.
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It is of a nobleman that I do write,
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No less than a duke, at the play-house one night,
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A charming fair creature he happend to spy.
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Who much like an angel appeard in his eye.
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He went for diversion to pleasure his mind,
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That he was so smitten, and Cupid we find
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Was the chief actor, and such anticks playd,
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That this noble person unto his man said.
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Follow this fair lady wherever she doth go,
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And where she houses come and let me know;
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And upon my honour to-morrow Ill see
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Whose daughter she is, and if my bride shell be.
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The play being over, away went the man,
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And found that this lady livd in the Strand;
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Then strait to his master he went, and did tell,
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Where she did live, which pleased him well.
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With his coach and six, and attendants next day,
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Unto this here house he rattled away;
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And found twas a draper, there I protest,
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Who gazd at the star that appeard on his breast.
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The duke said, Old father, tell unto me,
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How many you have in your family;
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The draper replyd, a kind loving wife,
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A maid, and a daughter I love as my life.
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The duke said, Last night I saw at the play,
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A creature, whose beauty my eyes did betray;
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Im told tis your daughter, whose beauty so shind,
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Now let me see her, sir, pray be so kind.
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She came to his presence. When he saw her face,
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With these kind words he did her embrace:
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Fair lady, Your beauty so charmeth me,
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Without your consent unhappy I be.
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Like a modest creature to blush she was seen,
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And made him this answer, My birth is too mean
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For your noble person; I must be content
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With some meaner fortune. Then away she went.
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He said to her father, I am apt to think
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Tradesmen are so taxed that you may want chink;
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I look for no fortune, if she can love me,
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A lady of honour she quickly shall be.
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Her father said, Gain her love, as I live
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Ten thousand pounds with her I will give.
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He said, Never fear but her love I can gain,
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Then adieu, my father, till I come again.
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The duke being gone, her father did say,
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To bring you to honour, dear, this is the way;
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This man is a person of honour and fame,
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And if you refuse him, you are much to blame.
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She said, Loving father, I needs must tell you,
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This is a hard thing you request me to do:
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And as she spoke, her eyes did overflow,
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The cause of her weeping you soon shall know.
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At last with much courting, and presents beside,
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Persuading, she promised to be his bride;
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And great preparations were made for the day,
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But there was a stumbling block in the way.
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PART II.
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THey went to the church the marriage to embrace,
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But as they were marrying conscience in her face
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Flew in such a manner, that strait on the ground
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This beautiful damsel dropt into a swoon.
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This caused confusion, at last we hear,
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She fetchd a sigh, and some sense did appear;
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Then up she was raised the knot for to tie,
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But she dropt again, and said she should die.
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The minister said, this is some private thing,
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This maid hath acted, her conscience doth sting;
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Surely she is engaged to some other man,
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Or else for the honour of marriage shed stand.
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She fetchd a deep sigh, saying, What shall I do?
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The minister then took her into a pew;
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And then did ask her what made her grieve:
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With tears in her eyes an account she did give.
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Unto my fathers prentice wedded I be,
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And for that reason conscience wont let me
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Be wedded to another, since I am with-child.
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In being so hasty my fortune is spoild.
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The duke said, By me you have done very ill,
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To hold me so long. Thy husband Ill kill:
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He soon might have ended this terrible strife,
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By saying, Desist, she is my wedded wife,
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Then in a great passion away he did go,
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Unto her father, with sorrow and woe.
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In tears she returned, and when she came in.
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Her mother to check her thus did begin:
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O fie on you daughter! why did you thus run
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So into destruction, now you are undone;
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In being so hasty for to be a wife,
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You surely are ruind all the days of your life.
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The father said, Strumpet, pray hear what I say,
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Had you been prudent this self-same day
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You had been a lady to a noble peer,
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Now instead of honour poverty is here.
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One farthing of portion, as I am a man,
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I never will give you, so shift as you can;
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For this private thing I will never own thee more,
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So to her grief she was turnd out of door.
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PART III.
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THEN instead of pleasure and mirth that day,
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Vexation and sorrow bore all the sway;
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The duke he was vexed, and her parents dear,
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Instead of good wine drank many a tear.
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For making his daughter his wedded wife,
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For his part the prentice doth lead a sad life;
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He could not be at quiet; so for to have ease,
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In the Royal Sovereign he went on the seas.
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She had a rich uncle that livd in Pall-Mall.
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Her griefs and sorrows to him she did tell:
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Saying, Loving uncle, do entertain me,
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Till my angry parents reconciled be.
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He said, To entertain thee, that will not I;
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As you have made your bed, so in it you may lie;
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For those that cross parents with love are not blest.
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So out she was turnd, then her sorrows encreasd.
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Her grief was searching and inwardly great,
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Her child lay panting and daily did beat;
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When the time was expired, she had a young son,
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And when deliverd her sorrows begun.
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In time of her weakness this woman indeed,
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Herself and poor innocent babe then to feed,
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A very rich locket, and a watch of gold,
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Six rings, and some trinkets she had then sold.
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Threescore and two guineas she had for the things,
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Tis an old saying that Riches have Wings.
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Threescore of the guineas the nurse away took
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And while she lay sleeping she her forsook.
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Being now among stranger[s] and small substance left,
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She said, Of all comforts and joy Im bereft;
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Never did young flower meet with such a blast;
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Im cropt in my bud and my pleasures are past.
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In pleasing my fancy, when I chose to wed,
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A world of sorrows Ive brought upon my head,
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Were my parents tender, and loving indeed,
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They would have pity and ease me with speed.
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I thought no offence, to my parents, or God,
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When I chose my flower, but I find the rod
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Of the Great Almighty is sore upon me;
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Alas! my dear infant, we starved shall be.
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As she sat lamenting: In the shape of a man
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The Devil appeard, as some witness can,
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And said, thy great sorrow we very well know,
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Tis thro unkind parents that you suffer so.
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I came from thy father, he sent me to thee,
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I tell thee he never will reconcild be;
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Thus instead of better the case must be worse,
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And such unkind parents Id have thee to curse.
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A blot in their scutcheons Id have thee to make,
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The trade of a town miss Id have thee to take;
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Your beauty is tempting, and if thou canst crack,
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Good fellows and guineas thou needst not to lack.
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Theres none lives a life like a miss of the town
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Like ladies in pleasure they walk up and down:
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At the school of Venus they take their degree,
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Which would become such a beauty as thee.
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To lead such a life, and to suffer the while,
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Is a piece of nonsense; and as for the child,
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Which may hinder pleasure, the brat you may kill
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And then for diversion take pleasure at will.
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To hear this bad council she jealous did grow,
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She guessd him no man, and she found it so;
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She said, Thou deceiver, thy words I defy.
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Ere I will turn harlot Ill instantly die.
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Tho it is my hard fortune thus to be poor,
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Ill not kill the child, nor will I turn whore;
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Tis best to be honest, tho poor here on earth,
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Than wicked in place, and burn after death.
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Like a roaring lion you seek day and hour,
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Mankind to hurt, and them to devour;
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Then with the infant she fell down to pray,
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Which made the deceiver to vanish away.
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When he was gone, she said, Hard fates on me
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And seeing my parents thus hard-hearted be;
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Unto a foreign country away I will go,
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As they of my lamentable end may not know.
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PART IV.
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SHE went to the change, and herself did sell,
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Unto a captain who knew her father well;
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And when he had bought her, this captain indeed
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Did send for her father, who came with speed,
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And seeing his face she fell on her knees,
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And said, Dear honoured sir, if you please
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To give me your blessing, it is all I crave;
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Im sold to the captain, and am going his slave.
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This made his old eyes with tears to flow,
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He said unto her, I hope its not so:
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It neer shall be said, Thy fathers cruelty,
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Did prove his childs ruin, thou shalt go with me.
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One night thy mother was haunted with dream
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And thought she saw thee floating on the thames;
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And where to find thee none of us could tell:
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Come hither to me, and all shall be well.
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Being thus invited, she home did retire,
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When her mother saw her, she said, my desire
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I have obtained. Then with a smile
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She did embrace her, and likewise the child.
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The mother said, Daughter, you look most sad
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Where is the locket and jewels you had?
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A true account of her griefs they took,
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And having heard at both their heads shook.
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For staying away they both did her check,
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And put a gold locket about her neck;
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Rich rings on her fingers, and a watch by her side,
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Now she that was banishd does with parents abide
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For her sake young people may well be content
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In that thing calld marriage, when friends content
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Such things done in private may great honour blast
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And instea do f joy bring destruction at last.
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