The TRAGICAL BALLAD:
OR THE
Lady who fell in Love with her Serving-Man.
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GOOD people pray attend.
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Unto these lines Ive pennd,
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Which to the world I send,
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Therefore draw near:
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And hear what I do say.
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Alack-and-a-well-a-day,
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Unto loves sad decay,
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Provd most severe.
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There was a servant-man,
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Who lived near the Strand,
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As I do understand,
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He was so fair:
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So the young lady bright,
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Could not rest day nor night,
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He was her souls delight,
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She lovd him so dear.
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Now this young lady cryd,
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I cant be satisfyd
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I wish I was his bride,
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To cure my smart.
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Young Cupid bend the bow,
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And wound my lover so,
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That in short time hell know,
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A love-sick heart.
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Why should I thus complain,
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He knoweth not my pain,
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He being my servant-man,
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And I so great.
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Could I unclose my mind,
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Great comfort shall I find,
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But fortune proves unkind,
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Oh! cruel fate.
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Why was I born so high,
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To live in misery?
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Or Cupids dart to fly
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Into my breast;
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I wish I was as poor,
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As the Man whom I adore,
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Then should I evermore
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Enjoy my dear.
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Then the young lady said.
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Why should I be afraid?
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Ill bring my servant-maid
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To tell my mind.
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Betty, Betty, said she,
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Pray come here to me,
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You must my council be,
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Then I will prove kind.
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I love our servant-man,
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You know our honest John,
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Let me do what I can,
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I cant get free.
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Love has ensnard my heart,
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As I do feel the smart.
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Cupid with his keen dart
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Has wounded me.
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Then said the damsel fair,
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Madam, since you declare
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Your mind, I cant forbear
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But let you know.
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I am in the same case,
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I love his charming face,
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My heart within his breast,
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Is placd also.
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In sorrow discontent,
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Away this damsel went,
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Her heart with mischeif bent,
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As you shall find.
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Tho shes my lady fair,
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Her secret Ill declare,
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Or I shall lose my dear,
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In a short time.
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GOOD people lend an ear,
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Im sure youll shed a tear,
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When you this story hear,
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A second part
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How Cupid bent his bow,
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Wounded three lovers so,
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Great troubles they did know,
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By his keen dart.
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The damsel thus begun,
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And said I am undone:
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I shall distracted run,
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I am afraid.
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Could I draw back my mind,
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From love to be inclind,
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Great comfort shall I find,
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In grief she said.
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We leave the damsel here,
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Entangld in loves snare,
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To treat of the young fair
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Lady so bright.
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As she set sighing then,
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Came in the servant-man.
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As we do understand,
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That very night.
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She did unlose her mind,
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Within short time we find,
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Saying to him most kind,
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You have my heart.
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The young man stood amazd,
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And on his lady gazd,
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Sure these are happy days,
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The young man said.
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Young madam, do forbear,
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Draw me not in a snare,
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If my master should hear,
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We are ruind.
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Rather than that should be
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Id go along with thee,
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Either by land or sea,
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Or where you please.
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You are my hearts delight,
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I can travel day and night
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So they consented strait
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To cross the seas.
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Then said the lady bright,
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To morrow when tis light,
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Ill marry my delight.
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Then straitway I will go
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Along with thee, my dear,
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And mans apparel wear,
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No one can us ensnare,
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Nor can us know.
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OBSERVE this part the third,
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The servant-maid she stood,
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And heard them every word.
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Then strait she run.
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Master, master, said she,
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Alas! youll ruind be,
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Your daughter doth agree
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To marry John.
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To morrow is the day,
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As I do hear them say,
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That they would go away,
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And married be.
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She doth him so adore,
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Of danger thinks no more
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She quits her native shore
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To cross the sea.
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When she did thus declare,
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He calld his daughter fair,
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Madam, what are you there?
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Her father cryd.
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Pray call John also,
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The truth I mean to know,
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And if I find it so,
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I will provide.
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A place you need not fear,
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Both for you and your dear,
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And I will prove severe
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Unto you both.
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Father, your will be done
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Hes like to be your son,
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Or else I will have none,
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Upon my troth.
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Daughter since you say so,
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He shall to prison go,
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And Ill confine also
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You to yourt room.
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Father, faher, forbear,
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Do not punish my dear,
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Let me the burden bear,
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Or Im undone.
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She to her chamber sent
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And he to prison went,
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In grief and discontent,
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There to remain.
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He sent him over to sea,
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A soldier there to be,
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Against the enemy
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To fight in Spain
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Now said the servant maid,
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Alas! Twas I betrayd,
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Your love and mine, she said,
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What have I done?
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With that she tore her hair,
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And fell into dispair,
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And as I do declare,
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To Bedlams gone.
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That very self same night,
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This youthful lady bright,
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In dark and doleseme night
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Got clear away.
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Out of a window high
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She got her liberty.
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Travelling she did come nigh
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Unto the sea.
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And in short time we hear,
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She crossd the ocean fair
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In mans apparel there
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She met her dear:
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A soldier was he also,
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Yet his love did not know,
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She being his comforter too,
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As we do hear,
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In Spain they were not long,
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Before they both were drawn
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Into a party strong,
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To fight the foe.
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The first that wounded were,
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Was this young lady fair,
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Dying she did declare
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Her grief and woe.
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As she was on the ground,
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He suckd her bloody wound,
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Crying, My dear is gone,
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With her sweet charms:
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Shall I live longer too,
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No, no that neer will do,
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Piercing his body thro
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Dyd in her arms.
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Now came this news, we hear,
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Unto her father dear:
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He stampt and tore his hair,
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Grieving he said,
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Alas! my daughter dear,
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I provd to thee severe,
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Now thou art dead I fear,
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So Ill end my days.
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