He. Mine own dear love, I see the prove Of maid, of wife, in all my life, Be merry and glad; be no more sad; For it were ruth that for your truth I will not to the green-wood go; She. These tidings be more glad to me If I were sure they should endure; When men will break promise they speak The wordis on the splene. Ye shape some wile me to beguile, And steal from me, I ween: Then were the case worse than it was, And I more wo-begone: For, in my mind, of all mankind He. Ye shall not nede further to drede: You (God defend), sith you descend Of so great a linàge. Now understand: to Westmoreland, Which is my heritage, on the splene] that is, in haste. 26. I will you bring; and with a ring, I will you take, and lady make, Thus have you won an Earles son, Here may ye see that women be But rather pray God that we may Which sometime proveth such as He loveth, For sith men would that women should Much more ought they to God obey, As ye came from the Holy Land AS ye came from the holy land Of Walsinghame, Met you not with my true love How should I know your true love, That have met many a one As I came from the holy land, 16th Cent. She is neither white nor brown, Such a one did I meet, good sir, Such an angelic face, Who like a nymph, like a queen, did appear She hath left me here alone Who sometime did me lead with herself, What's the cause that she leaves you alone And a new way doth take, That sometime did love you as her own, I have loved her all my youth, Know that Love is a careless child, And forgets promise past: He is blind, he is deaf when he list, His desire is a dureless content, He is won with a world of despair, 27. 28. Of womenkind such indeed is the love, But true love is a durable fire, The Lover in Winter Plaineth for the Spring 16th Cent. (?) WESTERN wind, when wilt thou blow Balow BALOW, my babe, lie still and sleep! It grieves me sore to see thee weep. When he began to court my love, 16th Cent. But now I see most cruellye Lie still, my darling, sleep awhile, I cannot choose but ever will Lut do not, do not, pretty mine, And never change her for a new: Bairn, by thy face I will beware; |