Love without Measure.
OR, The Young-mans Delight, and the Maidens Joy.
This young man woo'd a Damosel fair,
And call'd her his joy and dear,
But she was coy, as Maids will be,
And said he came with flattery.
But he did protest it was not so,
And at last brought her unto his bow:
Now they live in love, in peace, and joy,
And she very fain would have a boy.
To a rare new tune, called, Du-Vals Delight
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LAte in the Country as I was walking
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Viewing the Meadows so fresh and green
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There I was aware of two Lovers atalking
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Under a bush, but could hardly be seen,
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I laid me down and I listen'd a while,
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To hear if the man could the maiden beguile:
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But the maid she was crafty, witty and loyal
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Although many times he put her to th' tryal,
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And in the conclusion thus he did her wooe:
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My dear love, my joy, and my honey,
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No tongue can express how dear I love thee
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Thou shalt never want for love nor money
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If thou wilt but set thy affection on me,
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For all the fair beauties that ever I saw
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I still must submit and yield to thy Law;
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Then unto thy dearest friend be not so cruel,
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For thou art my comfort, my joy, & my jewel,
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And so I shall count thee until I dye.
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Maid.
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The Damosel unto him straightway reply'd,
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Is it for this you hither me brought?
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Your suit at this time it must be deny'd,
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I am not a bird that's so easily caught:
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For marriage I see is a costly name;
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Besides (quoth she) i'm too young to marry,
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This seven years I may very well tarry,
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For sorrow and troubles come fast enough on.
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A maiden (quoth she) knows but little sorrow,
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Before that in wedlock band she is tyed;
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She has very little to buy or to borrow,
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& many times meets with a cross man beside:
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Which is the worst grief a woman can have,
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She'd better to be set quick in her grave
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Than to have a man that is pevish & froward,
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For men now a daies do prove so untoward,
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'Tis hard for a maiden in them to put trust.
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Man.
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THese words my dearest that you have spoken
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Pierces the tender sick heart of mine,
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Oh let true love by you be known,
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Though I am the bark, and you are the vine,
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Altho' I am poor and thou art rich,
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Slight me not I thee beseech:
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No woman yet that ever was gained
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Shall be more brave and better maintained:
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What I speak to thee I will perform.
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You say that marriage is a hard matter,
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And those that are single live best at ease;
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But with you I do scorn to cog or yet flatter,
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I will speak my mind then say what you please:
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She that is single I know she'd be wed,
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For it is an honour to obtain marriage-bed
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Therefore my dearest do not abhor me,
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Thy mother did yield to a man before thee,
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Then why wilt thou not do as she has done?
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Maid.
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What though my mother did make an adventure
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It was a great hazard the which she did run,
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She had her fortune which God he had sent her,
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And he unto her prov'd a right honest man:
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But such nowadays are hard for to find,
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Men can so dissemble and turn with the wind,
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They'l speak a maid fair and vow they love her:
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So i'm resolved a maiden to dye.
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Some men now a days have sweethearts a dozen
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And in the conclusion they'l marry with none,
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They make it their trade poor Girls to cozen,
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For ought I know you may be such a one:
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Your tongue is so tipt & your words are so fair
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Your countenance plainly shews what you are;
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That you have been trading with girls i' th City
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And wrong'd many maids, the more is the pitty,
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If you be a Batchellor I am mista'en.
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Man.
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Oh! you'r mistaken much in this matter,
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The words you speak I know you can't prove,
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But with you I do scorn to cog or yet flatter,
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Nor never did try if any could love,
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But any but thee I vow and do swear,
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Then prithee be merry and cast away care:
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Be not so fickle, but look on me blithly,
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For I am a Lad that is lusty and lively.
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I'le hug thee and kiss thee ten times of a night
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i'le promise no riches nor yet no great treasure,
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But all that I have thou shalt it command,
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Altho' i've but little my love's beyond measure,
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Then prithee dear grant me thy heart & hand:
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Then why should we make any longer delay,
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But unto the Church now let us away;
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The Bridemen and maids they for us do tarry,
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Therefore my dear tell me when thou[']lt marry,
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if I go without thee I surely shall die.
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Maid.
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If that I thought you did not dissemble
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I quickly should yield to what you request,
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But mens tongues I see can run so nimble,
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it's hard to trust any I do protest:
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They can so cologue both flatter and lie,
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With fair pretences a maiden to try,
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They'l kiss them & hug them until they've won um
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And then they'l forsake um when they've undone um
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So 'tis good to be careful who they do trust
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Man.
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My fairest and dearest, if e're I forsake thee,
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I wish that nothing may ever thrive with me,
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Come wealth or woe, no sorrow shall make me,
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Or cause me once to prove disloyal to thee:
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Then prithee look cheerful and take a sweet kiss
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In token of love, no harm is in this:
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Let not fickle fortune no longer you hinder,
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From a good motion to keep us asunder,
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But let our hearts be joyned in one.
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The maiden she hearing what he had spoken,
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She had no power to say him nay,
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But gave him a kiss in love as a token,
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As he unto Church should take her away.
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Where they was married I after did hear;
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Now she calls him honey, he calls her dear,
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Tho' long, at last this Youngman did gain her,
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Now in civil habit he bravely maintaines her,
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Let this be a pattern for Lovers so true.
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