THE
GOODHURST Garland.
In THREE PARTS.
PART I.
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A Sailor courted a Farmer's Daughter,
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whose Living was in the wild of Kent,
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But mark, I pray, what follow'd after,
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He waited long e'er she gave Consent.
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By constant courting, and strange reporting,
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Strange Things concerning the Ocean wide,
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Said he, my Sweeting, at this bless'd Meeting,
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O give Consent to be my Bride.
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I must acknowledge I do adore thee,
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with all the tender Respects of Love;
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None ever conquer'd my Heart before thee,
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whom I admire, and prize above
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The richest Jewel; then be not cruel,
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But lay that angry Frown aside.
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And my dear Sweeting, etc.
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She said, a Sailor I don't admire;
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because they travel to foreign Parts.
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The more our Company they desire,
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the more they leave us with aching Hearts.
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And we lament with sad Vexation,
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wherefore I beg you'll be satisfy'd.
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But my dear Sweeting, etc.
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Be not disturb'd at that vain Notion;
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for I'll not often afflict thee so:
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Once more I count to sail the Ocean;
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because, my Love, I'm oblig'd to go;
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For to serve the Nation, in this my Station,
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which e'er 'tis long I will lay aside.
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But my dear Sweeting, etc.
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After the Death of my loving Mother
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I shall be bless'd with a fair Estate;
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And thee, dear Jewel, above all other,
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I have made Choice of to be my Mate.
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Let me but gain thee, and I'll maintain thee,
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with Joy and Pleasure on every Side.
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And now my Sweeting, etc.
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Tho' I look like a private Sailor,
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yet ne'ertheless I declare, my Dear,
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My Father was a Merchant-Taylor,
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and left me Sevenscore Pounds a Year.
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A fair Beginning; Silks, Lace and Linnen,
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for thee, my Jewel, I will provide.
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And now my Sweeting, etc.
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When once I come to the Possession
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of my Inheritance, never fear,
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But I'll account it best Discretion,
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in staying at Home with you, my Dear.
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With Peace and Pleasure, in mid'st of Treasure,
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taking Leave of the Ocean wide.
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And now my Sweeting, etc.
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When he had told her this pleasing Story,
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she had no Power to say him nay;
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Thinking herself in the Height of Glory,
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she to the Sailor thus did say,
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Thou'st gain'd my Favour and Love forever,
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therefore, Dearest, be satisfy'd.
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But my dear, etc.
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Quoth he, my Promise shall not be broken,
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as long as I have a Day to live;
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And take this Ring as a faithful Token,
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which as a faithful Pledge I give.
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I'll wed thee fairly, and love thee dearly,
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when I return from the Ocean wide.
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To thee, dear, etc.
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PART II.
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UNto his Mother it was reported,
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before he could get on Board,
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That he a Farmer's Daughter courted,
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whose Parents could not afford
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To give a Portion. At this strange Notion
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his Mother to him in a Passion run;
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Saying, forsake her, if wife you make her,
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I'll never own you to be my Son.
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What, will you take one with never a Penny,
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a Farmer's Daughter, as I am told;
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Tho' you have got the Choice of many,
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both Birth, and Breeding, and Store of Gold.
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In London City, methinks 'tis Pity
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my Riches should thus to Ruin run.
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I pray, forsake her, etc.
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There's Mrs. Susan, of charming Beauty,
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who has Five Hundred Pound, I know:
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I charge you, therefore, upon your Duty,
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that you a wooing to her go.
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Please you your Mother, and quit the other;
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why should my treasure to Ruin go?
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I pray, forsake her, etc.
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You may have Nancy, Williams Cousin,
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a youthful Damsel, of Beauty bright:
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Nay, I could mention at least a Dozen
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who in your Company take Delight.
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Cannot these please you? does Madness seize you?
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How! Are you willing to be undone?
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I pray, forsake her, if wife you make her,
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I'll never own you to be my Son.
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What makes you in a Passion, Mother?
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I needs must own you're come too late:
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I love my Jewel above all other
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who can be brought, altho' ne'er so great;
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For she's a Jewel, a Fig for Riches,
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she has my kind Affections won;
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Ill ne'er forsake her, but a wife make her,
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tho' you disown me, etc.
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I ever honour'd my tender Parents;
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and this I hope that I can prove;
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Then do not threaten to be at Variance,
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because I'd marry the girl I love.
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Altho' you flout, abhor, and hate me,
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I'll finish what I so well begun;
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I'll ne'er forsake her, but a wife make her,
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tho' you disown me, etc.
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Fair youthful Beauties are often winning,
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and Mens fond Hearts are soon betray'd.
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Dear Mother, think of your beginning,
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my father took you a Servant-Maid.
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Then don't despise her, I mean to raise her,
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as my Father you before has done;
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I'll ne'er forsake her, but my wife make her,
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tho' you disown me, etc.
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These eight long Years I've sail'd the Ocean,
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and then for Love to her did go:
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I never ask'd after her Fortune,
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she may have Riches for ought I know;
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But have or have not, she is my Lot,
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I joy to think her Love I've won;
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I'll ne'er forsake her, but my wife make her,
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tho' you disown me, etc.
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The Farmer's Daughter I've been courting,
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tho' I should wed her out of Hand:
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You can [?] hinder me of my Fortune,
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as being Heir to my Father's Land.
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When I that Blessing shall have in possessing,
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I will never travel, as I have done;
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With her I'll tarry, and soon will marry,
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tho' you disown me, etc.
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The Sailor's Mother, like one distracted,
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she smote her Breast, and tore her Hair:
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Saying, since he hath such Love contracted,
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she'd never be in his Presence more,
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He said, dear Mdther, your Passion smother,
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since I cannot from my Promise run;
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I'll ne'er forsake her, but a wife make her,
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tho' you disown me to be your Son.
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PART III.
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THE Farmer hearing of this Confusion,
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And that his Daughter's was slighted so
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By his rash Mother, then in Conclusion
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he let this jolly Sailor know,
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That if he'd tarry at home and marry,
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a spacious Farm he'd give him free;
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For Plouging, Sowing, Reaping, Mowing.
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he had no Child in the world but she.
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The noble Sailor soon consented,
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to quit the troubled Ocean wide:
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Her Friends and he were well contented,
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she should in Pomp to his Mother's ride
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With rich Attires, like Lords and Squires,
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they made a tearing and splendid Show.
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He told his Mother, he'd brought another:
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the Farmer's Daughter she did not know.
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Amongst a thousand of charming Faces,
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sure the like of her you ne'er did know;
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Her Garb was Sattin, with rich Laces,
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and round her Neck a Chain of Gold.
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Transparent Beauty. My Son thy Duty
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thou hast observ'd, I needs must say:
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Still as she view'd her, she did conclude her,
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for to be no less than a Lady gay.
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Next Day as soon as they were marry'd,
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his Mother said, with a chearful Voice,
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I'm glad all Things are so fairly carry'd.
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I never lik'd your Farmer's Choice.
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It would have been your Ruin, and your undoing.
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if you had took her, I make bold to say,
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Come, Love and Treasure brings Joy and Pleasure;
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I am glad you wedded a Lady gay.
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With that the brave old Farmer told her,
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this Lady sprung from the painful Plough;
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Altho' in Silks you do behold her,
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yet what can you say against her now?
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So make no Fraction, nor cause Distraction,
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but love them both, as they may agree;
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And do not harm her, as I am a Farmer,
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and have no other Child but she.
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That very Minute upon the Table
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out of a Bag he forthwith did pour
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Two Hundred Guineas, and said, I am able
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for to give my Daughter as many more.
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Which pleas'd the Mother, above all other,
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said she, I'm glad the Knot is ty'd:
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When first he sought her, I never thought her
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for to be so beautiful a Bride.
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Nothing but Joy was there between them,
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and the Musick play'd such a chearful Sound,
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You would have laugh'd had you seen but
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the old wife trotting the Cheshire-Round.
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The Farmer's Treasure brought Joy and Pleasure
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all Grief and Sorrow they bid adieu:
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His Mother kiss'd her, and often bless'd her,
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you see what Silver and Gold can do.
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