THE
Famous Flower of Serving-Men;
Or, The Lady turned Serving-Man.
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YOU beauteous ladies great and small,
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I write unto you one and all;
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Whereby that you may understand,
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What I have suffered in this land.
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I was by birth a Lady fair,
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My fathers chief and only heir;
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But when my good old father dyd-
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Then I was made a young Knights bride
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And then my love built me a bower,
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Bedeckd with many a fragrant Flower,
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A braver bower you neer did see;
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Than what my love did build for me.
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But there came thieves late in the night,
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Who robd my bower and slew my knight
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And after that my Knight was slain,
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I could no longer there remain.
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My servants all did from me fly,
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In the midst of my extremity,
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And left me by myself alone,
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With a heart more cold than any stone.
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Yet tho my heart was full of care,
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Heaven would not suffer me to despair;
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When in haste I changd my name,
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From fair Eliza to Sweet William.
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And hereupon I curld my hair,
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And drest myself in mans attire;
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My doublet, hose, and beaver hat,
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And a golden band about my neck.
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With a silver rapier by my side,
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Much like a gallant I did ride;
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The thing that I delighted in,
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It was to be a Serving Man.
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Thus cloathd in sumptuous mans array
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I nobly rid along the highway,
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And at last it chanced so,
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That I to the Kings court did go.
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Then I to the King bowd most low,
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My love and duty for to show;
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And so much favor I did crave,
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That I a Serving mans place might have.
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Stand up brave youth, the King replyd,
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Thy service shall not be denyd,
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But tell me first what thou canst do?
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Thou shalt be fitted thereunto.
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Wilt thou be usher of my hall,
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To wait upon my Nobles all,
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Or wilt thou be tapster of my wine,
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To wait on me when I do dine?
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Or wilt thou be my chamberlain,
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To make my bed so soft and fine?
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Or wilt thou be one of my guard,
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And Ill give thee a great reward.
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Sweet William with a smiling face,
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Said to the king, May it please your Grace
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To shew such favor unto me,
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Your chamberlain I fain would be.
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The King did then his Nobles call,
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For to ask council of them all,
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Who gave consent Sweet William he,
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The Kings own-chamberlain should be.
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Now mark what strange things came to pass
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As the king one day a hunting was
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With his Lords and noble train,
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Sweet William did at home remain.
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Sweet William had no company then,
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With him at home but an old man,
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And when he found the house was clear
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He took a flute that he had near.
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Upon the flute Sweet William playd,
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And to the same he sung and said,
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With a sweet melodious voice,
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Which made the old man to rejoice,
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My father was as brave a Lord,
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As ever England did afford,
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My mother was a Lady bright,
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My husband was a valiant Knight.
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And I myself a Lady gay,
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Bedeckd in glorious rich array,
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The bravest Lady in the Land,
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Had no more pleasure at command.
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I had my musick every day,
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Harmonious lessons for to play;
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I had my virgins fair and free,
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Continually to wait on me.
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But now alas, my husbands dead,
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And all my friends are from me fled,
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My former Joys are past and gone
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For now I am a Serving Man.
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At last the King from hunting came,
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And presently upon the same,
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He called for his good old man,
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And thus to speak the king began:
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What news, what news, old man, said he?
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What news hast thou to tell to me?
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Brave news, the old man he did say,
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Sweet William is a Lady gay.
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If this be true thou tellst to me,
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Ill make thee a Lord of high degree;
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But if thy words do prove a lie,
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Thou shalt be hangd up presently.
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But when the King the truth he found,
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His Joys did more and more abound;
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According as the old man did say,
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Sweet William was a Lady gay.
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Therefore the King without delay,
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Put on her gallant rich array,
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And on her head a crown of gold,
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Which was most famous to behold.
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And then for fear of farther strife,
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He took Sweet William for his wife,
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The like before was never seen,
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A Serving-Man to become a Quen.
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