A most sweet Song of an English Merchant-man, born in Chichester.
To an Excellent New Tune.
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A Rich merchant-man there was,
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that was both grave and wise,
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Did kill a man at Embden town,
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through quarrels that did rise,
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Through quarrels that did rise;
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the German being dead,
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And for that fact the merchant-man
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was judg'd to lose his head:
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A sweet thing is love,
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it rules both heart and mind,
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There is no comfort in the world
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to women that are kind.
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A scaffold builded was,
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within the market-place,
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And all the people far and near,
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did thither flock apace:
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Did thither flock apace,
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this doleful sight to see.
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Who all in velvet black as jet,
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unto the place came he:
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A sweet, etc.
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Bear-headed as he was,
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his hands was bound before,
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A cambrick ruff about his neck,
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as white as milk he wore:
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His stockings were of silk,
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as fine as fine might be,
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Of person and of countenance,
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a proper man was he:
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A sweet, etc.
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When he was mounted up
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upon the scaffold high,
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All women said, Great pity it was
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so sweet a Man should dye:
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The merchants of the town,
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from death to set him free,
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Did proffer there a thousand pound,
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but yet all would not be:
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A sweet thing is love,
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it rules both heart and mind,
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There is no comfort in the world,
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to women that are kind.
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The prisoner hereupon,
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began to speak his mind,
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Quoth he, I have deserved death,
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in conscience I do find:
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Yet sore against my will,
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this man I kill'd, quoth he,
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As Christ doth know, which of my soul
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must only Saviour be:
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A sweet, etc.
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With heart I do repent
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this most unhappy deed,
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And for his wife and children small,
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my very heart doth bleed:
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The deed is done and past,
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my hope of life is vain,
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And yet the loss of this my life,
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to them is little gain:
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A sweet, etc.
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Unto the widow poor,
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and to the babes therefore,
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I give a hundred pound apiece,
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their comfort to restore:
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Desiring at their hands,
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no one request but this,
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They will speak well of English-men,
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though I have done amiss:
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A sweet thing is love,
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it rules both heart and mind,
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There is no comfort in this world,
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like women that are kind.
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This was no sooner done,
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but that to stint the strife,
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Four goodly maids did proffer him,
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for love to save his life:
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This is our law, quoth they,
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we may your death remove,
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So you in lieu of our good will,
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will grant to us your love:
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A sweet, etc.
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Brave Englishman, quoth one,
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I will save thy life;
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Nay, quoth the second, it is I,
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so I may be thy Wife;
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'Tis I, the third did say;
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Nay, quoth the fourth, 'tis I,
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So each one after the other said,
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still waiting his reply:
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A sweet, etc.
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Fair maidens, every one,
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I must confess and say,
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That each of you well worthy is
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to be a lady gay:
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And I unworthy far,
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the worst of you to have,
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Though you have proffer'd willingly
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my loathed life to save:
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A sweet thing is love,
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it rules both heart and mind.
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There is no comfort in this world,
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to women that are kind.
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Then take a thousand thanks,
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of me a dying man,
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But speak no more of love or life,
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for why my life is gone:
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To Christ my soul I give,
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my body unto death,
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For none of you my heart can have,
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sith I must leave my breath:
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A sweet, etc.
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Fair maids, lament no more,
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your country law is such,
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It takes but hold upon my life,
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my goods it cannot touch:
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Within one chest I have
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in gold a thousand pound,
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I give it equal to you all,
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for love that I have found;
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A sweet, etc.
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And now dear Friends farewel,
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sweet England now adieu,
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And Chicester where I was born,
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where first this breath I drew:
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And now thou man of death,
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unto thy weapon stand.
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O nay, another damsel said,
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sweet Headsman hold thy hand:
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A sweet, etc.
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Now hear a maiden's plain,
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brave Englishman, quoth she,
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And grant me love for love again,
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that craves but love of thee:
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I wooe and sue for love,
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that had been woo'd e're this,
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Then grant me love, and therewithal:
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she proffer'd him a kiss:
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A sweet thing is love,
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it rules both heart and mind,
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There is no comfort in this world
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to women that are kind.
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I'll dye within thy arms,
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if thou wilt dye, quoth she,
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Yet live or dye, sweet Englishman,
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i'll live and dye with thee,
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But can it be (quoth he)
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that thou do love me so!
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'Tis not by long acquaintance, sir,
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whereby true love doth grow:
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A sweet thing is love,
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it rules both heart and mind,
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There is no comfort in this world
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to women that are kind.
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Then beg my life, quoth he,
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and I will be thy own;
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If I should seek the world for love,
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more love cannot be shown:
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The people at that word,
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did give a joyful cry,
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And said, Great pitty it was
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so sweet a man should dye:
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A sweet, etc.
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I go, my love, she said,
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I run, I flye for thee,
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And gentle headsman spare awhile
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my lover's head for me:
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Unto the Duke she went,
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who did her grief remove,
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And with a hundred maidens more,
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she went to fetch her love.
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A sweet, etc.
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With musick sounding sweet,
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the foremost of the train,
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The gallant maiden like a bride,
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did fetch him back again;
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Yea, hand in hand away they went,
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unto the Church that day,
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And there were marry'd presently,
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in sumptuous rich array;
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A sweet, etc.
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To England came he then,
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with his fair Lady bride,
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A fairer creature never lay
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by any merchant's side,
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Where we must leave them now,
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in pleasure and delight,
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But of their names and dwelling-place,
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I must not here recite.
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A sweet thing is love,
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it rules both heart and mind,
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There is no comfort in the world
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to women that are kind.
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