An Excellent BALLAD
OF
Noble Marquess and Patient Grissel.
To the Tune of, The Bride's Good-morrow, etc.
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A Noble Marquess
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As he did ride ahunting,
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hard by a forrest side,
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A fair and comely Maiden,
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As she did sit aspinning,
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his gentle eye espy'd:
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Most fair and lovely,
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And of comely grace was she,
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although in simple attire;
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She sung full sweetly,
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With pleasant voice melodiously,
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which set the Lord's heart on fire.
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The more he lookt, the more he might,
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Beauty bred his heart's delight:
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And to this Damosel
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then he went with speed,
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God speed, quod he, thou famous Flower,
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Fair Mistress of this homely bower,
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Where love and vertue
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dwells with sweet content.
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With comely gesture
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And modest mild behaviour,
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she bids him welcome then;
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She entertained him
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In faithful friendly manner,
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and all his Gentlemen:
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The noble Marquess
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In his heart felt such a flame,
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which set his semses all at strife,
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Quoth he, Fair Maiden,
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Shew me soon what is thy name,
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I mean to make thee my Wife.
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Grissel is my name, quoth she,
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For unfit for your degree;
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silly Maiden,
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And of Parents poor.
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Nay, Grissel, thou art rich, he said,
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A vertuous, fair and comely Maid:
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Grant me thy love,
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and I will ask no more.
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At length she consented,
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And being both contented,
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they married were with speed;
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Her country russet
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Was chang'd to silk and velvet,
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as to her state agreed:
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And when that she
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Was trimly tired in the same,
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her beauty shin'd most bright,
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Far staining every other
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Fair and princely Dame,
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that did appear in sight:
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Many envied her therefore,
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Because she was of Parents poor,
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And 'twixt her Lord and she
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great strife did raise:
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Some said this, and some said that,
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And some did call her Beggar's Brat,
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And to her Lord
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they wou'd her oft dispraise:
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O noble Marquess,
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Quoth they, why dist thou wrong us,
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thus basely for to wed,
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Who might have gotten
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An honourable Lady
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into your princely bed?
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Who will not now
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Your noble Issue soon deride,
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which shall hereafter be born,
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That are of blood so base
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Born by the Mother's side,
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the which will bring them in scorn?
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Put her therefore quite away,
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And take to you a Lady gay,
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Wherby your Lineage
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may renowned be.
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Thus every day they seem'd to prate
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That malic'd Grissels good estate;
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Who all this while
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took it most patiently.
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When that the Marquess
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Did see they were bent thus,
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against his lawful Wife,
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Whom he most dearly,
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Tenderly and intirely
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beloved as his life;
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Minding in secret
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For to try her patient heart,
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thereby her Foes for to disgrace,
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Thinking to shew her
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A hard discourteous part,
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that Men might pity her case;
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Great with Child the Lady was,
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And at the last it came to pass,
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Two goodly Children
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at one birth she had;
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A Son and Daughter God had sent,
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Which did their Morther well content,
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And which did make
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their Father's heart full glad.
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Great royal feasting
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Was at these Childrens christening,
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and princely triumph made;
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Six weeks together
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All Nobles that came thither,
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were entertain'd and staid;
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And when that all the pleasant
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Sporting quite was done,
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the Marquess a Messenger sent
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For his young Daughter
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And his pritty smiling Son;
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declaring his full intent,
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How that the Babes must murdered be,
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For so the Marquess did decree:
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Come let me have
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the Children then, he said;
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With that fair Grissel wept full sore,
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She wrung her hands, and said no more
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My gracious Lord
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must have his will obey'd.
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She took the Babes
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Even from the Nursing-ladies,
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between her tender arms;
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She often wishes
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With many sorrowful kisses,
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that she might ease their harms:
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Farewel, farewel,
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A thousand times my Children dear;
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never shall I see you again;
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'Tis long of me
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Your sad and woful Mother here,
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for whose sake both must be slain,
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Had I been born of Royal Race,
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You might have liv'd in happy case.
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But you must die
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for my unworthiness;
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Come Messenger of Death, quoth she,
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Take my dearest Babes to thee,
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And to their Father
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my complaints express.
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He took the Children,
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And to his noble Master
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he bore them thence with speed,
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Who in secret sent them
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Unto a noble Lady,
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to be brought up indeed:
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Then to fair Grissel
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With a heavy heart he goes,
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where she sat mildly all alone;
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A pleasant gesture,
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And a lovely look she shows,
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as if no grief she had known:
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Quod he, My Children now are slain,
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What thinks fair Grissel of the same?
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Sweet Grissel now
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declare thy mind to me.
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Sith you my Lord are pleas'd with it,
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Poor Grissel thinks this action fit;
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Both I and mine
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at your command will be.
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My Nobles murmur,
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Fair Grissel, at thy honour,
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and I no joy can have,
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Till thou be banish'd
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Both from my court and presence,
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as they unjustly crave:
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Thou must be strip'd
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Of thy brave garments all,
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and as thou cam'st to me
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In homely gray,
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Instead of biss and purest pall,
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now all thy cloathing must be.
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My Lady thou must be no more,
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Nor I thy Lord, which grieves me sore;
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The poorest l[i]fe
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must now content thy mind:
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A groat to thee I dare not give,
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Thee to maintain while I do live,
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Against my Grissel,
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such great Foes I find.
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When gentle Grissel
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Did hear these woful tydings,
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the tears stood in her eyes,
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Nothing she answered,
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No words of discontentment
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did from her lips arise.
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Her velvet gown
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Most patiently she stripped off,
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her kertle of silk with the same;
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Her russet gown
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Was brought again with many a scoff,
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to hear them herself she did frame:
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When she was drest in this array,
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And ready for to pass away,
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God send long life
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unto my Lord, quoth she;
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Let no offence be found in this,
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To give my Lord a parting-kiss;
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With watery eyes,
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Farewel, my Dear, said she.
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From princely palace
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Unto her Father's cottage
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poor Grissel she is gone;
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Full fifteen winters
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She lived there contented,
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no wrong she thought upon.
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And at this time through
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All the land the speeches went,
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The Marquess should married be
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Unto a noble Lady
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Of high descent,
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and to the same all Parties did agree
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The Marquess sent for Grissel fair,
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The Brides bed-chamber to prepare,
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That nothing therein
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might be found awry.
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The Bride was with her Brother come,
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Which was great joy to all and some:
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But Grissel took all this
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most patiently.
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And in the morning
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Whenas they should be wedded,
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her patience there was try'd,
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Grissel was charged
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Herself in friendly manner
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for to attire the Bride:
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Most willingly
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She gave consent to do the same;
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the Bride in bravery was drest,
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And presently
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The noble Marquess thither came,
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with all his Lords at his request:
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O Grissel, I will ask of thee
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If to this match thou wilt agree?
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Methinks thy looks
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are waxed wondrous coy,
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With that they all began to smile,
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And Grissel she reply'd the while,
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God send Lord Marquess
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many years of joy.
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The Marquess was moved,
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To see his best Beloved
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thus patient in distress;
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He stept unto her,
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And by the hand he took her,
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these words he did express:
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Thou art my Bride,
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And all the Brides I mean to have;
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these two thine own Children be.
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The youthful Lady
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On her knees did blessing crave,
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her Brother as well as she.
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And you that envy her estate,
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Whom I have made my chosen Mate,
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Now blush for shame,
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and honour vertuous life;
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The Chronicles of lasting fame,
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Shall evermore extol the name
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Of Patient GRISSEL,
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my most constant Wife.
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