The Unhappy LOVERS Garland.
In THREE PARTS.
PART I.
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HARD by a sweet delightful green,
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Where shepherds and their nymphs serene,
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A lady beautiful and fair,
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Did walk that way to take the air.
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A certain shepherd in the field,
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Young Cupid made his heart to yield,
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To love the charming beauty bright,
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The swain was wounded at her sight.
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The shepherd cry'd what's come to me
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That I must thus entangled be,
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Oh! is it for that beauty fair,
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That I this burning torture bear.
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If it be so I love in vain,
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I know she[']ll scorn me with disdain,
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If I should court her for my dove,
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For she'll not be a shepherd's love.
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She is a lady of much might,
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And fit for some great lord or knight,
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Therefore my hopes are all in vain,
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She will not love a shepherd's swain.
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Alas! could I no other see,
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According to my own degree,
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But I must fix my fond delight,
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Upon a lady of such might
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Why am I of this foolish mind,
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To be in love so strong confin'd,
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With a great lady of renown,
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Hard fortunes does upon me frown.
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O that I might her servant be,
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To wait on her that I might see,
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Each day her charming pretty face,
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That does appear with so much grace.
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But oh! the fates are most unkind,
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I dare not for to tell my mind,
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Because I am unworthy sure,
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Come death and be my perfect cure.
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If I by writing should explain,
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My mind, she'll take it in disdain,
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And certainly make a scoff at me,
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Because I am of a mean degree.
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She is an heitess that I know,
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Therefore her father will bestow,
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Her on some wealthy man of fame,
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For which I well may blush for shame.
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To think of my unhappy fate,
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To love a woman that's so great,
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But yet I must do all I can,
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Yet now I am a ruin[']d man.
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My fortune sure is very hard,
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To love and for to be debarr'd,
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From her whom I so fain wou'd have,
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I die, I die her captive slave.
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I am not the first that dy'd for love,
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So in this lonesome shady grove,
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I mean to end my mournful days,
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But while I live her charms I'll praise.
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PART II.
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NOW in the second part I write,
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Concerning of this beauty bright,
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And in few words I'll briefly show,
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How she his love came for to know.
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One certain night then as it seems,
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This lady haunted was with dreams,
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And in her thoughts fancy'd a voice,
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A shepherd said would be her choice.
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He's all alone in yonder grove,
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With your sweet charms wrapp'd in love
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On that poor swain some pity take,
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Or else for you his heart will break.
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Next morning when she wak'd we find
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The lady ponder'd in her mind,
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And then she was resolv'd to go,
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To see if it was so or no.
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According to her dream she found,
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The shepherd lying on the ground,
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She was amaz'd the sight to view,
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And said, I find some dreams are true.
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He looks to be but mean and poor,
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And I am blest with riches store,
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Therefore he is no man for me,
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I must have one of high degree.
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I pity him that loves in vain,
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So thought to wander back again,
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With that young Cupid sent a dart,
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Which fairly shot her to the heart.
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With that she chang'd her tune and said
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I find my yielding heart betray'd,
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What sudden change is come to me,
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Methinks I love him tenderly.
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Not knowing that she was so near,
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He often cry'd, my love, my dear,
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My thoughts are tortur'd by your charms,
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I should be happy in your arms.
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And so thou shalt my love she cry'd,
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Then lovingly she sat by his side,
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And in her lap she plac'd his head,
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He could not speak but lay for dead.
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With over joy he swooned then,
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She soon revived him again,
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With some choice comfortable thing,
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Which she that time with her did bring.
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Being reviv'd these words he spoke,
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Lady, my heart is almost broke,
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Altho' I am unworthy sure,
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Your words afford a perfect cure.
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The lady said, sweet lovely swain,
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Thou shalt no longer love in vain,
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I w[i]ll not slight thee no not I,
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But strait into thy arms I'll fly.
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Altho' thou art but mean and poor,
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Thou shalt be master of my store,
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Since thou hast such love for me,
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I'll die before I'll part with thee.
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Oft times they did appoint to meet,
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With compliments and kisses sweet,
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They often did their joys renew,
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As constant lovers ought to do.
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But many crosses fall in love,
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To those that do constant prove,
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Give me but leave and I shall write,
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How all their joys were blasted quite.
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PART III.
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told her father out of spite,
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A shepher'd was her whole delight
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Which put him into such a rage,
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That nothing could his wrath asswage.
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So sending for his daughter strait,
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Between them was a great debate,
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He used yet great arguments,
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That he would shew great violence.
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You may have noblemen, I know,
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And now would you disgrace us so,
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The love of the shepherd's crew,
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I mean to punish him and you.
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Father, if you in scripture look,
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King David had a shepherd's crook,
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And was a shepherd too I know,
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Then don't despise a shepherd so.
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Her father said with spleen in heart,
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I will confine you for your part,
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And him I will to prison send,
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A gallows soon shall be his end,
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She to her chamber was confin'd,
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Like one distracted in her mind,
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Hearing he was to prison sent,
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She tore her hair and did lament.
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This passed on, at length one day,
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Her father mildly thus did say,
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You must with me to London go,
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And for what reason you shall know.
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A noble baron there doth dwell.
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I am assured loves you well.
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If you will yield to be his wife,
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Then will I save the shepherd's life.
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And set him at his liberty,
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But otherwise he sure shall die,
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To save his life she was so kind,
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To yield, tho' much against her mind.
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So then up to London came
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To see this baron of great fame,
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The marriage rites they did fulfil,
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Altho' it was against her will.
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The shepherd did his freedom gain,
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But was in sad tormenting pain,
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To lose his love that was so kind,
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He could no rest or comfort find.
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The shepherd said this vow I make,
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Never to marry for her sake,
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But will go single to the grave,
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That loving lady's captive slave.
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And the poor lady for her part,
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Lamented still with heavy heart,
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Her husband prov'd a villain too,
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And did resort with wicked crew.
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For he was so extravagant,
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That all her substance soon was spent,
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And then left her in sad distress,
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Poor lady, she was comfortless.
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This is the truth we know full well,
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The lady quite distracted fell,
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In raving manner day and night,
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She said, my joys are blasted quite.
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O bring my shepherd unto me,
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That I his pretty face might see,
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And I will be his loving bride,
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So raving mad the lady dy'd.
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This caus'd the father to lament,
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So then he for the shepherd sent,
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And settled on him as we hear,
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The sum of fifty pounds a year.
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Her father to him thus did say,
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Chear up good shepherd now I pray,
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Some care of thee I mean to take,
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For my dear loving daughter's sake.
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The shepherd still no rest could find,
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But was tormented in his mind,
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In little time he broke his heart,
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Which put an end to all his smarts.
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