A new Ballad shewing how a Prince of England loved the
Kings Daughter of France, and how the prince was disastrously slain and how the aforesaid prin-
cesse was after married to a Forrester. The Tune is Crimson Velvet
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IN the dayes of old,
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when fair France did flourish,
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[S]toryes plainly told
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Lovers felt annoy.
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[Th]e King a daughter had,
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[be]autious bright and lovely,
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[Whi]ch made her Father glad,
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[she]was his onely joy.
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[A Prince] from England came,
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[Whose deeds d]id merit fame,
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[he woo'd her]long and lo at last,
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[Look what he d]id require,
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[She granted] his desire
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[their heart]s in one was linked fast
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[Which] when her Father proved,
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[Lord h]ow he was moved,
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[an]d tormented in his mind.
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[He] fought for to prevent them
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And to discontent them,
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fortune crossed Lovers kind.
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When as these princes twain,
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were thus bar'd of pleasure,
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Through th Kings disdain,
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which their joyes withstood,
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The Lady lockt up close,
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her Jewels and her treasure,
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[Ha]ving no remorce,
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of state or Rayall blood.
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[In] homely poor array,
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[Sh]e got from Court away.
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[to] meet her love and hearts delight
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[W]ho in a Fo[r]rest great,
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Had taken up his Seat,
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to watch her coming in the night
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But lo what sudden danger,
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To this p[r]incely stranger,
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chanced as he sat alone.
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By Out laws was he robbed,
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And with ponia[r]ds stabbed
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uttering many a dying groan.
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The Princesse armed by him,
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and by true desire,
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Wandring all that night,
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without dread at all.
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Still unknown she past,
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in her strange attire,
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Coming at the last,
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wichn Eecho's call.
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You fair woods quoth she.
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Honoured may you be,
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harboring my hearts delight.
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Which doth incompasse her,
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My joy and only dear,
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my trusty friend and comly knight
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Sweet I come unto thee,
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Sweet I come to woo thee,
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that thou mayst not angry be.
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For my long delaying,
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And thy courteous staying
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amends for all Ile make to thee.
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Passing thus alone,
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through the silent Forrest,
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Many a grievous groan
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sounded in her ear.
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Where she heard a man,
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to lament the forest,
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Chance that ever came,
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forc'd by deadly strife,
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Farewell my dear quoth he,
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Whom I shall never see,
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for who my life is at an end,
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For thy sweet sake I dye,
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Through Villains cruelty
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to shew I am a faithfull Friend,
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Here lye I a bleeding,
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While my thoughts are feeding,
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on the rarest beauty found,
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O hard hap that may be,
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Little knows my Lady,
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my heart blood lye on the ground.
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With that he gave a gro[?]n,
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that did break in sunder,
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All the tender strings,
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of his gentle heart.
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She who knew his voyce,
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at his tale did wonder,
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All her former joys,
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did to grief convert,
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Straight she ran to see,
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Who this man should be,
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that so like her Lord did speak,
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And found when as she came,
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Her lovely Lord lay slain,
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smeard in blood which life did break
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Which when she had espyed,
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Lord how sore she cryed,
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her sorrows cannot counted be,
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Her eyes like Fountains running,
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While she cry'd out my Darling,
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would God that I had dy'd for thee.
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His pale lips alas
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twenty times she kissed,
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And his face did wash,
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with her brinish tears,
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Every bleeding wound,
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her fair eyes bedewen,
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Wiping off his blood,
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with her golden hair,
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Speak my love quoth she
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Speak fair Prince to me,
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one sweet word of comfort give.
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Lift up thy fair eyes
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Listen to my cryes,
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think in what great grief I live,
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All in vain she sued
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All in vain she wooed,
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the Princes life was fled and gone
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There stood she still mourning,
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Till the Suns approaching,
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and bright day was coming on.
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The second part, To the same tune,
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IN this great distresse,
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quoth the Royall Lady,
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Who can now express,
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what will become of me,
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To my Fathers Court,
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never will I wander,
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But some service seek,
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where I may placed be,
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While thus she made her moan,
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Weeping all alone,
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in this deep and deadly fear,
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A Forrester all in green,
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Most comely to be seen,
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ranging the wood did find her there,
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Round beset with sorrow.
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Maid quoth he good Morrow,
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what hard hap hath brought you here
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Harder hap did never,
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Chance to a maiden ever,
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here lyes slain my brother dear.
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Where might I be placed.
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gentle Forrester tell me,
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Where should I procure,
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a service in my need,
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Pains I will not spare,
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but will do my duty,
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Ease me of my care,
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help my extream need,
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The Forrester all amazed,
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On her beauty gazed,
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till his heart was set on fire,
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If fair Maid quoth he,
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You will go with me,
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you shall have your hearts desire,
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He brought her to his mother.
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And above all other
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he set forth this Maidens praise,
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Long was his heart inflamed,
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At length her love he gained,
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so fortune did his glory raise.
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Thus unknown he matcht
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with the Kings fair daughter,
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Children seven he had,
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ere she to him was known,
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But when he understood,
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she was a Royall Princesse,
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By this means at last,
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he shewed forth her fame.
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He cloath'd his children then,
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Not like to other men,
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in party colours strange to see,
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The Right side cloath of gold,
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The left side to behold,
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of woollen cloth still framed he,
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Men thereat did wonder,
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Golden fame did thunder,
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this strange deed in every place,
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The King of France came thither,
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B[e]ing pleasant weather,
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in those woods the Hart to Chase.
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The children they did stand,
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as their mother willed,
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Where the Royall King,
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must of force come by,
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Their Mother Richly clad,
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in fair Crimson Velvet.
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Their Father all in gray,
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most comely to the eye.
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When this famous King,
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Noted every thing,
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did ask how he durst be so bold,
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To let his wife to wear,
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And deck his children there,
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in costly Robes with cloth of gold,
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The Forrester bold replyed,
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And the cause descryed,
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and eo the King he thus did say,
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Well may they by their Mother,
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Wear rich gold with other,
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being by birth a princesse gay.
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The King upon these words,
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more heedfully beheld them.
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Till a crimson blush,
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his conceit did crosse.
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The more I look quoth he,
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upon thy wife and children,
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The more I call to mind,
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my daughter whom I lost,
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I am that child quoth she,
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Falling on her knee
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pardon me my Soveraign liege,
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The King perceiving this,
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His daughter dear did kisse,
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till joyfull tears did stop his speech,
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With his train he turned,
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And with her sojourned,
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straight he dub'd her husband knigt
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He made him Earl of Flanders,
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One of his chief Commanders,
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thus was their sorrow put to flight
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