The LAMENTATION of Mr. PAGEs WIFE of PLIMOUTH,
who being forcd to Wed him, Consented to his Murder, f[o]r the Love of G. Strangwidge;
for which they suffered at Barnstable, in Devonshire. The Tune, Fortune my Foe, etc.
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UNhappy she whom fortune hath forlorn,
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Despisd of grace, that profferd grace did scorn,
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My lawless love hath luckless wrought my woe,
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My discontent, content did overthrow.
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My loathed life too late I do lament,
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My woful deeds in heart I do repent:
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A wife I was that wilful went awry,
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And for that fault am here prepard to dye.
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In blooming years my fathers greedy mind,
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Against my will a match for me did find,
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Great wealth there was, yea, gold and silver store,
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But yet my heart had chosen one before.
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Mine eyes dislikd my fathers liking quite,
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My heart did loath my parents fond delight:
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My greedy mind and fancy told to me,
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That with his age my youth could not agree.
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On knees I prayd they would not me constrain,
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With tears I cryd, their purpose to refrain;
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With sighs and sobs I did them often move,
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I might not wed whereas I could not love.
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But all in vain my speeches still I spent,
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My mothers will my wishes did prevent.
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Though wealthy Page possest the outward part,
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George Strangwidge still was lodged in my heart.
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I wedded was and wraped all in woe,
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Great discontent within my heart did grow;
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I loathd to live, yet livd in deadly strife,
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Because perforce I was made Pages wife.
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My chosen eyes could not his sight abide,
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My tender youth did loath his aged side,
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Scant could I tast the meat whereon he fed,
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My legs did loath to lodge within his bed.
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Cause knew I none, I should despise him so,
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That such disdain within my heart did grow,
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Save onely this, that fancy did me move,
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And told me still, George Strangwidge was my love.
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Lo, here began my downfal and decay,
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In mind I musd to make him straight away:
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I that became his discontented wife,
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Contented was he should be rid of life.
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Methinks the heavens cry vengeance for my fact,
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Methinks the world condemns my monstrous act,
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Methinks within my conscience tells me true,
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That for that deed hell-fire is my due.
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My pensive soul doth sorrow for my sin,
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For which offence my soul doth bleed within,
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But mercy Lord, for mercy still I cry,
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Save thou my soul and let my body dye.
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Well could I wish that Page enjoyd his life,
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So that he had some other to his wife:
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But never could I wish of low or high,
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A longer life then see sweet Strangwidge dye.
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O woe is me that had no greater grace,
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To stay till he had run out natures race;
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My deeds I rue, but more I do repent,
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That to the same my Strangwidge gave consent.
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You parents fond that greedy minded be,
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And seek to graft upon the golden tree;
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Consider well, and rightful judges be,
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And give your doom, twixt parents love and me.
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I was their child, and bound for to obey,
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Yet not to love where I no love could lay,
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I married was in muck and endless strife,
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But faith before had made me Strangwidges wife.
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O wretched world, whom cankerd rust doth blind,
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And cursed men who bear a greedy mind:
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And hapless I, whom parents did force so,
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To end my days in sorrow, shame and woe.
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You Devonshire-dames, & courteous Cornwal-knights,
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That here are come to visit woful wights,
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Regard my grief, and mark my woful end,
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But to your children be a better friend.
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And thou my dear, which for my fault must dye,
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Be not afraid the sting of death to try;
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Like as we livd and lovd together true,
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So both at once lets bid the world adieu.
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Ulalia thy friend doth take her last farewel,
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Whose soul with thee in heaven shall ever dwell;
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Sweet Saviour Christ do thou my soul receive,
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The world I do with all my heart forgive.
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And parents now whose greedy mind doth show,
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Your hearts desire, and inward heavy woe.
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Mourn you no more, for now my heart doth tell,
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Ery day be done, my soul shall be full well.
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And Plimouth proud I bid thee now farewel,
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Take heed you wives, let not your hands rebel,
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And farewel life wherein such sorrow shows,
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And welcome death that doth my corpse inclose.
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And now sweet Lord forgive me my misdeeds,
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Repentance crys for soul that inward bleeds,
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My soul and body I commend to thee,
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That with thy blood from death redeemed me.
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Lord bless our King with long and happy life,
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And send true peace betwixt each man and wife:
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And give all parents wisdom to foresee,
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The match is marrd where minds do not agree.
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Mrs. PAGEs COMPLAINT
for Causing her Husband to be Murthered
for the Love of George Strangwidge.
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IF ever woe did touch a womans heart,
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Or grief d[i]d gall for sin the outward part;
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My conscience then and heavy heart within,
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Can witness well the sorrow for my sin.
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When years were young, my father forcd me wed,
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Against my will, where fancy was not fed;
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I was content their pleasure to obey,
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Although my heart was linkt another way.
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Great were the gifts they proffered in my sight,
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With wealth they thought to win me to delight;
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But gold nor gifts my mind could not remove,
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For I was linkt whereas I could not love.
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Methought his sight was loathsome to my eye,
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My heart did grudge against him inwardly:
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This discontent did cause my deadly strife,
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And with his wealth did cause a grievous life.
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My constant love was on young Strangwidge set,
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And woe to him that did our welfare let;
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His love so deep a root in me did take,
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I would have gone a begging for his sake.
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Wronged he was through fond desire of gain,
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Wronged he was even through my parents plain:
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If faith and troth a perfect pledge might be,
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I had been wife unto no man but he.
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Eternal God forgive my fathers deed,
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And grant all parents may take better heed;
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If I had been but constant to my friend,
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I had not matcht to make so bad an end.
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But wanting grace I sought my own decay,
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And was the cause to make my friend away;
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And he on whom my earthly joys did lye,
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Through my amiss a shameful death must die.
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Farewel, sweet George, always my loving friend,
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Needs must I laud and love thee to the end:
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And albeit that Page possest thy due,
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In sight of God thou wast my husband true.
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My watery eyes unto the heavens I bend,
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Craving of Christ his mercy to extend,
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My bloody deed do me, O Lord, forgive,
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And let my soul within thy kingdom live.
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Farewel false world, and friends that fickle be,
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All wives farewel, example take by me;
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Let not the Devil to murder you entice,
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Seek to escape such foul and sinful vice.
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And now, O Christ, to thee I yield my breath,
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Strengthen my faith in bitter pangs of death,
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Pardon my faults and follies, I thee pray,
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And with thy blood wash thou my sins away.
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GEORGE STRANGWIDGEs
LAMENTATION for Consenting to Pages
Death for the Love Ulalia, Pages Wife.
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THe man that sighs and sorrows for his sin,
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The corpse which care and woe hath wraped in,
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In doleful sort records her swan like song,
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That waits for death, and loaths to live so long:
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O Glansfield, cause of my committed crime,
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So wed in wealth as birds in bush of lime:
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What cause hadst thou to bear such wicked spight
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Against my love and eke my hearts delight?
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I would to God thy wisdom had been more,
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Or that I had not entred in thy door;
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Or that thou hadst a kinder father been
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Unto thy child, whose years are yet but green.
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The match unmeet which thou for me didst make,
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When aged Page thy daughter home did take;
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Well mayst thou rue with tears that cannot dry,
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Which is the cause that four of us must die.
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Ulalia more brighter then the summers sun,
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Whose beauty hath forever my love won;
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My soul more sobs to think of thy disgrace,
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Then to behold my own untimely race.
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The deed late done in heart I do repent,
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But that I lovd, I cannot yet relent:
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Thy seemly sight was ever sweet to me,
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Would God my death could thy excuser be.
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It was for me, alas, thou didst the same,
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On me by right they ought to lay the blame:
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My worthless love hath brought my life in scorn,
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And woe is me that ever I was born.
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Farewel my love, whose loyal heart was seen,
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I would thou hadst not half so constant been:
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Farewel my love, the pride of Plimouth town,
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Farewel the flower whose beauty is cut down.
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For twenty years great was the cost I know,
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Thy unkind father did on thee bestow;
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Yet afterwards so sowre did fortune lowre,
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He lost his joy and child within an hour.
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My wrong and woe to God I do commit,
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Who was the cause of matching them unfit:
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And yet I cannot so my guilt excuse,
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We gave consent his life for to abuse.
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Wretch that I am, that my consent did give,
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Had I denyd, Ulalia still should live:
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Blind fancy said, This suit do not deny,
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Live thou in bliss, or else in sorrow dye.
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O Lord, forgive this cruel deed of mine,
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Upon my soul let beams of mercy shine:
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In justice Lord do thou no vengeance take,
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Forgive us both, for Jesus Christ his sake.
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