Constance of Cleveland, Or,
A very excellent Sonnet of the most fair Lady Constance of Cleveland, and her disloyal Knight.
To the Tune of, Crimson Velvet.
|
IT was a youthful Knight,
|
lov'd a gallant Lady,
|
Fair she was and bright,
|
and of vertues rare,
|
Her self she did behave
|
so courteously as may be,
|
Wedded they were brave,
|
joy without compare,
|
Here began the grief,
|
Pain without relief,
|
her husband soon her love forsook,
|
To women lewd of mind,
|
Being bad inclin'd,
|
he onely lent a pleasant look:
|
The Lady she sat weeping,
|
While that he was keeping
|
company with others moe,
|
Her words my love believe not,
|
Come to me and grieve not,
|
wantons will thee overthrow.
|
His fair Ladies Words
|
nothing he regarded,
|
Wantonness affords
|
such delightful sport.
|
While they dance and sing,
|
with great mirth prepared,
|
She her hands did wring
|
in most grievous sort.
|
O what hap had I,
|
Thus to wail and cry!
|
unrespected every day,
|
Living in disdain,
|
While that others gain
|
all the right I should enjoy.
|
I am left forsaken,
|
Others they are taken,
|
ah my love why dost thou so?
|
Her flatteries believe not,
|
Come to me and grieve not,
|
wantons will thee overthrow.
|
The Knight with his fair peice,
|
at length the Lady spied,
|
Who did him daily fleece
|
of his wealth and store.
|
Secretly she stood
|
while she her fashions tried,
|
With a patient mind
|
while deep the strumpet swore.
|
O sir Knight, quoth she,
|
So dearly I love thee,
|
my life doth rest at thy dispose.
|
By day and eke by night
|
For thy sweet delight.
|
thou shalt me in thy arms inclose.
|
I am thine forever,
|
Still I will persever
|
true to thee where ere I go.
|
Her flatteries believe not,
|
Come to me and grieve not,
|
wantons will thee overthrow.
|
The vertuous Lady mild,
|
enters then among them,
|
Being big with child,
|
as ever she might be,
|
With distilling tears
|
she looked then upon them,
|
Filled full of fears
|
thus replyed she;
|
Ah my Love and dear,
|
Wherefore stay you here,
|
refusing me your loving Wife,
|
For an Harlots sake,
|
Which each one will take,
|
whose vile deeds provoke much strife.
|
Many can accuse her,
|
O my love refuse her,
|
with thy Lady homeward go,
|
Her flatteries believe not,
|
Come to me and grieve not,
|
wantons will thee overthrow.
|
All in a fury then
|
the angry Knight up started,
|
Very furious when
|
he heard his Ladies speech,
|
With many bitter terms
|
his Wife he ever thwarted,
|
Using hard extreams,
|
while she did him beseech,
|
From her neck so white,
|
He took away in spight,
|
her curious chain of purest gold,
|
Her jewels and her rings,
|
And all such costly things,
|
as he about her did behold.
|
The Harlot in her presence,
|
He did gentle reverence,
|
and to her he gave them all.
|
He sent away his Lady,
|
Full of woe as may be,
|
who in a swound with grief did fall.
|
AT the Ladies wrong,
|
the Harlot fleer'd and laughed,
|
Enticements are so strong,
|
they overcome the wise;
|
The Knight nothing regarded,
|
to see the Lady scoffed,
|
Thus was she regarded
|
for her enterprize.
|
The Harlot all this space,
|
Did him oft imbrace,
|
she flatters him and thus doth say,
|
For thee i'le dye and live,
|
For thee my faith i'le give,
|
no wo shall work my loves decay;
|
Thou shalt be my treasure,
|
Thou shalt be my pleasure,
|
thou shalt be my hearts delight,
|
I will be thy darling,
|
I will be thy Worldling,
|
in dispight of fortunes spight.
|
Thus he did remain,
|
in wastful great expences,
|
Till it bred his pain,
|
and consum'd him quite:
|
When his Lands were spent,
|
troubled in his sences,
|
Then did he repent
|
of his late lewd Life,
|
For relief he hies,
|
For relief he flies,
|
to them on whom he spent his Gold,
|
They do him deny,
|
They do him defie,
|
they will not once his face behold.
|
Being thus distressed,
|
Being thus oppressed,
|
in the fields that night he lay,
|
Which the Harlot knowing,
|
Though her malice growing,
|
sought to take his life away.
|
A young and proper Lad,
|
they had slain in secret,
|
For the Gold he had,
|
whom they did convey,
|
By a Ruffion lude
|
to that place directly
|
Where the youthful Knight
|
fast asleeping lay.
|
The bloody Dagger than
|
Wherewith they kild the Man,
|
hard by the Knight he likewise laid
|
Sprinkling him with blood,
|
As he thought it good,
|
and then no longer there he staid,
|
The Knight being so abused,
|
Was forthwith accused
|
for this murder which was done,
|
And he was condemned,
|
That had not offended,
|
shameful death he might not shun,
|
When the Lady bright,
|
understood the matter,
|
That her weded Knight,
|
was condemn'd to dye:
|
To the King she went,
|
with all the speed that might be,
|
Where she did lament,
|
her hard destiny:
|
Noble King (quoth she)
|
Pitty take on me,
|
and pardon my poor husbands life,
|
Else I am undone,
|
With my little Son,
|
let mercy mittigate this grief:
|
Lady fair content thee,
|
Soon thou wouldst repent thee,
|
if he should be saved so;
|
Sore he hath abus'd thee,
|
Sore he hath misus'd thee,
|
therefore Lady let him go.
|
O my Liege, quoth she,
|
grant your gracious
|
Dear he is to me,
|
though he did me wrong,
|
The King reply'd again,
|
with a stern behaviour,
|
A Subject he hath slain,
|
dye he shall e're long,
|
Except thou canst find,
|
Any one so kind,
|
that will dye and set him free,
|
Noble King she said,
|
Glad am I apaid,
|
that same person will I be.
|
I will suffer duly,
|
I will suffer truly,
|
for my love and husbands sake,
|
The King thereat amazed,
|
Though he her beauty praised,
|
he had from thence they should her take
|
It was the Kings command
|
on the morrow after,
|
She should out of hand
|
to the Scaffold go:
|
Her Husband was
|
to bear the Sword before her,
|
He must eke alass
|
give the deadly blow;
|
He refus'd the deed,
|
She bid him proceed,
|
with a thosand kisses sweet,
|
In this woful case,
|
They did both imbrace,
|
which mov'd the Ruffions in that place
|
Straight for to discover,
|
This concealed murder,
|
whereby the Lady saved was,
|
The Harlot then was hanged,
|
As she well deserved
|
this did vertue bring to pass.
|
|
|
|
|
|