The Ballad of constant Susanna.
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THere dwelt a man in Babylon,
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of reputation great, by fame:
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[H]e tooke to Wife a faire woman,
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Susanna she was call'd by name:
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[A] woman faire and vertuous,
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Lady, Lady,
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[Why] should we not of her learne thus,
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to live godly?
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[Ve]rtuously her life she led,
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she feared God, she stood in awe,
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[As] in the storie we have read,
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was well brought up in Moses Law:
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[He]r Parents they were godly folke,
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Lady, Lady,
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[Why s]hould we not then sing and talke
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of this Lady?
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[Tha]t yeere two Judges there was made,
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[wh]ich were the Elders of Babylon,
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[To Jo]achims house was all the trade,
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[who] was Susanna's Husband then:
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[Joachim] was a great rich man,
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Lady, Lady,
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[These El]ders oft to his house came,
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for this Lady.
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[Joachim ha]d an Orchard by,
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[fast jo]yning to his House, or Place,
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[Wherea]s Susanna commonly
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[hersel]fe did dayly there solace:
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[And that] these Elders soone had spyde,
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Lady, Lady,
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[And privily] themselves d[i]d hide,
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[for that] Lad[y,]
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[Her chaste and constant life was tri]de
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[by these two Elders of Babylon,
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A time convenient they espide,
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to have this Lady all alone:]
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In this Orchard it came to passe,
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Lady, Lady,
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Where she alone herselfe did wash
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her faire Body.
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These Elders came to her anon,
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& thus they said, Faire Dame, God speed,
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Thy doores are fast, thy Maids are gone,
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consent to us, and doe this deed:
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For we are men of no mistrust,
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Lady, Lady,
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And yet to thee we have a lust,
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O fa[i]re Lady.
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If that to us thou dost say nay,
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a Testimoniall we will bring,
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We will say, that one with thee lay:
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how canst thou then avoid this thing?
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Therefore consent to us, and turne,
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Lady, Lady,
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For we to thee in lust doe burne,
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O faire Lady.
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Then did she sigh, and said, alas,
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now woe is me on every side,
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Was ever wre[t]ch in such a case,
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shall I consent and doe this deed?
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Whether I doe, or doe it not,
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Lady, Lady,
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It is my death, right well I wot,
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O true Lady.
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Better it were for me to fall
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into your hands this day guilelesse,
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Then that I should consent at all
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to this your shamefull wickednesse:
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And even with that (whereas she stood)
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Lady, Lady,
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Unto the Lord she cryed aloud
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pittifully.
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These Elders both likewise againe,
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against Susanna aloud they cryde,
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Their filthy lust could not obtaine,
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their wickednesse they sought to hide:
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Unto her friends they then her brought,
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Lady, Lady,
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And with all speed the life they sought
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of that Lady.
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On the morrow she was brought forth,
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before the people there to stand,
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That they might heare and know the truth
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how these two Elders Susanna found:
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These Elders swore, and thus did say,
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Lady, Lady,
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How that they saw a young man lay
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with that Lady.
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Judgement there was for no offence,
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Susanna then causelesse must die:
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These Elde[rs bor]e such evidence,
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against her they did verifie:
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Who were beleeved then indeed,
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Lady[,] Lady,
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Against Susanna to proceed,
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that she should die.
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Susanna's friends, that stood her by,
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they did lament, and were full woe,
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When as they saw no remedie,
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but that to death she then must goe:
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Susanna then both true and just,
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Lady, Lady,
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In God was all her hope and trust,
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to him did cry.
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The Lord her voice heard, and beheld
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the Daughters cry of Israel:
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His Spirit he raysed in a Child,
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whose name was call'd young Daniel,
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Who cryed aloud whereas he stood,
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Lady, Lady,
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I am cleare of the guiltlesse blood
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of this Lady.
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Are you such fooles? quoth Daniel then,
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in Judgement you have not done well,
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Nor yet the right way have you gone,
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to judge a Daughter of Israel,
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By this witnesse of false disdaine,
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Lady, Lady,
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Wherefore to Judgement turne againe
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for that Lady.
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And when to Judgement they were set,
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he called for those wicked men,
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And soone he did them separate,
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putting the one from the other then:
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He asked the one, where he did see
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that faire Lady?
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He said, under a Mulberry tree:
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who lyed falsely.
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Thou lyest, said Daniel, on thy head
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thy Sentence is before the Lord.
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He bade, that forth he might be led,
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and bring the other that bore record,
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To see how they two did agree
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for this Lady:
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He said, under a Pomegranat tree;
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who lyed falsely.
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Said Daniel, as he did before,
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behold the messenger of the Lord
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Stands waiting for you at the doore,
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even for to cut thee with a Sword.
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And even with that the multitude
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aloud did cry,
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Give thankes to God: so to conclude
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for this Lady.
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They dealt like with these wicked men
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according as the Scripture sayth
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They dealt as with their neighbour then,
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by Moses Law were put to death:
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The Innocent preserved was,
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Lady, Lady,
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As God by Daniel brought to passe,
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for this Lady.
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