The Two Unfortunate LOVERS.
Or, A true Relation of the lamentable end of John True and Susan Mease. Their lives this Ditty doth relate.
And how they dyd unfortunate. The tune is, the Brides Burial.
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ATtend you Lovers and give ear,
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unto my mournful Song,
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Of two that loved faithfully,
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yet did each other wrong.
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At Coventry in Warwickshire
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this young man he did dwell,
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His Name John True a shooemaker
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and livd of it full well.
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At Corly did this Maiden dwell,
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three miles from Coventry,
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Yet for the love he bore to her,
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he would her often see.
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And coming to her on a day,
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he told to her his mind,
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Susan (quoth he) I love thee dear,
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be not to me unkind.
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If thou canst love and fancy me,
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in heart and eke in mind,
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I will prove loving unto thee,
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be not to me unkind.
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Thy chearful looks rejoyce my heart,
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and merry make my mind,
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Sweet Susan then love me again,
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be not to me unkind.
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Good John I thank you for your love,
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and with you at home to tarry,
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I am too young for you to wed,
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and have no mind to marry.
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Where you do dwell are Maidens store
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of beauty fair and free,
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Set not thy love upon me then,
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for I cannot love thee.
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This answer struck him to the heart,
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as cold as any stone,
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And homewards strait he did return
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with many a sigh and groan.
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Wishing that he had ner been born,
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or in his cradle dyd,
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Unhappy man to love so true,
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and yet to be denyd.
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Quoth he, I will to her again,
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and hear what she doth say,
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It may be she may be more kind,
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though first she said me nay.
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Then coming to the Town again,
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he sent for her strait way,
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Desiring her to speak with him,
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but still she said him nay.
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Then did he sigh lament and grieve,
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and knew not what to say,
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Then he did take his pen in hand,
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and writ these words strait way.
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My hearts delight and only joy,
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kill me not with disdain,
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Vouchsafe that I may speak with thee
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to rid me out of pain.
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Resolve me sweetest I thee pray,
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why is thy harred such?
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I know no cause unless it be,
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for loving thee too much.
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As is my name, so is my love,
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sweet Susan unto thee,
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True is my name, True is my love,
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and ever so shall be.
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My love is Loyal, Just, and good,
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kill me not with disdain,
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Rather do me the courtesie
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to love for love again.
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When she had read and understood
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his mind and his intent,
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She then began to like and love,
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and yields him hearts content.
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John I am thine, if thou beest mine,
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for ever and for aye:
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It was to try thy constancy
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that I did say thee nay.
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But heres my hand, my heart & love,
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Ile ner thee more deny,
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My love is constant firm and true,
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and shall be till I Dye.
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Then they imbracd each others love,
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and joynd in heart and voice,
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That she of him, and he of her
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had made so sweet a choice.
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BUt fortune that doth often frown,
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where she before did smile,
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The mans delight, the Maidens joy,
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full soon she did beguile.
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When she was setled in her love,
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then he would change his mind,
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And for to try her constancy,
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would be to her unkind.
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And thus resolved in his mind,
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hed come to her no more,
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But went and wooed another Maid,
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which grievd her heart full sore.
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Quoth he, she proved unto me,
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hard-hearted and unkind:
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But now her true love I have won,
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Ile bear the self same mind.
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When she perceivd his love to her,
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not as twas wont to be,
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She did lament, sigh, weep and grieve,
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and then these words said she.
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False-hearted wretch adieu, quoth she,
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disloyal and unkind,
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And if I dye for love of thee,
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thou shalt not know my mind.
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Woe to the time I did believe,
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that flattering tongue of thine,
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Would God that I had never seen
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the tears of thy false eyn.
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Hard hap had I to set my love,
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on one that mocked me,
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Sure all the Country did not yeild
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a man so false as he.
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Thus was she brought to mean estate
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all comfort from her fled,
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She did desire to speak with him.
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before that she was dead.
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Her friends did seek to chear her up,
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and to make glad her mind,
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But she was kild with loving him,
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who provd to her unkind.
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False-hearted man, may never Maid,
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love thee as I have done,
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But may my death remembered be,
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to time that is to come.
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But may all Maids example take,
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by this my mournful death,
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And now O Lord receive my soul,
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to thee I yield my breath.
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Thus Dyd the pattern of true love,
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thus dyd a vertuous Maid,
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Thus dyd as good a harmless Lass,
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as ever love betrayd.
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Six Maids in white as, custom is,
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did bear her to the grave,
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Her Parents grieve lament and more
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no child at all they have.
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When as her lover understood,
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for truth that she was Dead,
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He ragd and ready was to tear
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the Hair from off his head.
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But when he came into the place,
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where his true lover lay,
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He strait way ran unto the grave,
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and there these words did say.
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Susan (quoth he) ile Kiss thy grave,
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upon my bended Knee,
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Whereby ile shew to all the world,
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how dear I loved thee.
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And as he lay upon the ground,
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he heard a voice to say,
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John True if ere thou lovedst me dear
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make hast and come away.
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Then started he up from the grave,
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and stood like one struck Dumb,
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And when he had regaind his speech
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he said, I come, I come.
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And thus like one out of his wits,
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he ragd in pitious sort,
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That all the Neighbours presently
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were grievd at his report.
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And thus with sorrow and grief of heart,
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he lay a whole fortnight,
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And when he had confest his fault
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he yielded up his spirit.
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According to his hearts Desire,
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and as he did request,
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They Digd his grave, & laid him down
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by her whom he lovd best.
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you young men all that have true loves
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be sure unto your friend,
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And if you love, be sure your love,
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be true unto the end.
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And thus I end my story true,
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so full of grief and woe,
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May never any seek again,
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to wrong each other so.
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