An Excellent Ballad of the Mercers son of Midhurst, and
the Clothiers daughter of Guilford. The tune is, Dainty come thou to me.
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THere was a Wealthy man,
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in Sussex he did dwell,
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A Mercer by his Trade,
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as many yet can tell.
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He had a youthfull Son,
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whom fancy did so move.
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He cryed night and day,
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Alack I dye for Love.
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Alack I dye for Love,
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beauty disdaineth me,
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The Clothiers Daughter dear,
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works my extremiy:
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She hath my heart in hold,
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that did most cruell prove,
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Thus cryd he night and day,
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Alack I dye for Love.
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Alack I dye for Love,
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fortune so sore doth frown,
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The jewell of my heart,
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dwelleth in Guilford Town.
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There lies the Lamp of life,
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for whom this pain I prove,
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Fair Phillis pitty me,
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Alack I dye for Love.
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Alack I dye for Love,
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and can no comfort find,
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The Clothiers daughter dear
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beareth too high a mind.
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Sweet beautious P[a]ragone
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fair Venus silve[r] Dove,
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Fair Philiis pitty me,
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Alack I dye for Love.
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Alack I dye for Love,
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while thou dost laugh and smile
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Let not thy pleasure be,
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true Love for to beguile,
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My life lies in thy hand,
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then as it doth behove,
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Slay not the Mercers Son;
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Alack I dye for Love.
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If that my beauty bright,
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doth grieve thy heart quoth she
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Then let the Mercers Son,
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turn still his face from me.
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I no man disdain,
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or can I cruell prove,
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My tongue must still say nay
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where my heart cannot Love.
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Where my heart cannot Love,
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Lovers all must I shun
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The Clothiers daughter thus,
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answerd the Mercers Son.
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I bear no lofty mind,
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yet pity cannot move,
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My mind to fancy him,
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where my heart cannot Love.
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Where my heart cannot love,
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I must his love deny,
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For though I laugh and smile,
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yet falshood I defie.
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Thou art too fond a man,
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life danger thus to prove,
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Ile not wed good frind John,
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where my mind cannot Love.
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What good can there befall,
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to that new married wife,
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Where goods and wealth is small
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want causeth deadly strife.
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But where is wealth at will,
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experience oft doth prove,
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Though love at first be small,
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yet goods increaseth Love.
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Yet goods increaseth Love,
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and I will never wed,
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But where a Key of gold,
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opens the door to bed.
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For she may merry be,
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what chance so ever hap,
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Where bags of mony come,
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tumbling within her lap.
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Tumbling within her lap,
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whilst she her gold doth tell,
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With such a husband sir,
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I should delight to dwell.
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Were he young were he old,
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deformd or fair in show,
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My pleasure still should be,
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where Treasure still doth flow.
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Where Treasure still doth flow,
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is that your mind quoth he,
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My Father will bestow,
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as much as comes to thee.
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Hadst thou five hundred pound,
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five hundred more beside,
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My Father will bestow,
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if thou wilt be my bride.
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If thou wilt be my bride,
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thus much I understand,
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My Father will give me,
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his house and eke his Land.
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So while that he doth live,
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with us he may remain,
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What says my hearts delight,
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is this a bargain plain.
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This is a bargain plain.
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quoth she I am content,
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So he performe this thing,
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I give the my consent.
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And I will merry be,
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my mind shall not remove,
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Thou shalt be my sweet heart,
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Ile be thine own True Love.
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Ile be thine own True Love,
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then make no more delay,
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I greatly long to see,
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our happy marriage day.
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To Midhurst in all hast,
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goeth the Mercers Son,
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He told his Father dear.
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his true Love he had won.
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The old man hearing this,
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conveyed out of hand,
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Assurance to his Son,
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of all his house and Land.
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When he had done this deed,
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he wept most bitterly,
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Saying my own dear Son,
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thou must be good to me.
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Well worth two hundred pound,
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this morning was I known,
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But the cloaths to my back,
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nothing is now mine own.
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And all this have I done,
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dear Son to pleasure thee,
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Think on thy Fathers love,
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and deal thou well with me.
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Dear Father quoth the Son,
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if I do not do so,
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God power upon my head
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hot vengeance grief and wo.
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The young man wedded was,
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to this fair lovely Bride
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But wondrous grief and care,
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thereof their did betide.
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As after you shall hear,
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in the old mans complaint,
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A tale of greater grief,
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cannot your hearts attaint
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A warning by this thing,
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all men may understand,
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Lest they do come to live,
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under their childrens hand.
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