Floras farewell: Or,
The Shepherds Love-passion Song,
Wherein he greatly doth complain,
Because his love was spent in vain.
To a delicate new Tune: or A thousand times my love commend.
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FLora farewel, I needs must go,
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for if with thee I longer stay,
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Thine eyes prevaile over me so,
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I shall be blind and lose my way.
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Fame of thy beauty and thy youth,
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to seek for love me hither brought:
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But when in thee I found no truth,
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it was no boot to stay I thought.
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Now Im ingagd by word and oath
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a servant to anothers will;
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Yet for thy sake would forego both,
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wouldst thou be sure to love me still.
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But what assurance can I have
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of thee, who seeing mine abuse,
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In that which love desires to crave,
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may leave me with a just excuse.
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For thou maist say, twas not thy fault,
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that thou didst so inconstant prove,
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Thou wert by mine example taught
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to break thy oath and leave thy love.
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No Flora no, I will recal
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the former words which I have spoke,
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And thou shalt have no cause at all
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to hamper me in Cupids yoke.
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But since thy humor is to range,
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and that thou bearst a wavering mind
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Like to the Moon with thee Ile change,
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and turn I can with every wind.
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Henceforth blind Fancy Ile remove,
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and cast all sorrows from my heart:
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Young men to dye for doting Love,
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I hold it but a foolish part.
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Why should I to one love be bound,
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and fix my thoughts on none but thee,
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When as a thousand may be found,
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thats far more fair and fit for me.
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Though I am not but a Shepherds Swain,
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my minde to me doth comfort bring,
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Feeding my Flocks upon the Plain,
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I tryumph like a petty King.
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No Female Brat shall me deceive,
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nor catch me by a crafty wilde?
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Though I doe love, yet I can leave,
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and will no longer be begilde.
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Flora, once more farewell, adew,
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I so conclud my passion Song;
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To thy next Love see thou proove true,
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for thou hast done me double wrong.
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The second part, to the same Tune.
Being the Answer of fair Flora to the Shepherds Song:
Wherein she shews that he hath done the wrong.
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Fye, Shepherd fie, thou art to blame
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to rail against me in this sort:
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Thou dost disgrace a Sweet-hearts name,
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To give thy Love a false report.
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There was a Proverb used of old,
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and now I find it is no lye,
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One Tale is good till the others told,
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she that loves most is least set by.
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A brief Description I will tell,
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of thy Favor, love and flattery,
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And how at first thou didst excell
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with cunning tricks and policy.
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But Oh that flattering tongue of thine,
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and tempting eye sought to intice,
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And to insnare the heart of mine,
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and bring me in fools Paradise.
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When thou at first began to woo,
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and with thy skill my patience tryed,
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You thought there was no more to do,
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But presently get up and ride.
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Thou saidst that I was fair and bright,
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and fitting for thy Marriage bed,
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Thou fedst my fancy with delight,
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thinking to have my Maiden-head.
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But when thou sawst thou couldst not gain
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the Jem that thou desirest to have,
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My company thou didst refrain,
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like to a false dissembling Knave.
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Whereby I answered thus, and said,
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to shun the cause of further strife,
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I would contain my self a Maid,
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till such time I was made a wife.
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And since that you my minde have crost,
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you may bestow you as you will:
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Shepherd, farewell, theres nothing lost
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I am resolved to say so still.
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Blinde Cupid with his wounding dart
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could never make me sorrows feel:
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Ile not lay that unto my heart
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as others shake off with the heel.
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