An excellent Ballad Intituled, The Constancy of Susanna.
To an excellent new tune.
THere dwelt a man in Babylon,
of reputation great by fame:
He tooke to wife a faire woman,
Susanna she was call'd by name,
A woman faire and vertuous,
Lady, Lady,
Why should wée not of her learne thus
to liue godly?
Uertuously her life she led,
she feared God, she stood in awe,
As[?] in the storie we haue read,
was well brought up in Moses Law.
Her parents they were godly folke,
Lady, Lady,
Why should we not then sing and talke
of this Lady.
That yeare two Indges there was made
which were the Elders of Babylon,
To Ioachims house was all their trade,
who was Susannaes husband then,
Ioachim was a g [...]eat rich man,
Lady, Lady,
These[?] Elders oft to his house cam [...]
for this Lady.
Ioachim had an Orchard by,
fast ioyning to his house or place,
Whereas Susanna commonly
her selfe did daily there solace,
And that these Elders soone espy'd,
Lady, Lady,
And priuily themselues did hide
for that Lady.
Her chaste and constant life was tride,
by these two Elders of Babylon,
A time conuenient they espide,
to haue this Lady all alone,
In his O [...]chard it came to passe,
Lady, Lady.
Where she alone her selfe did wash
her faire body.
These Elders came to her anon,
& thus they said, faire dame God spéed,
Thy doors are fast, thy Maids are gone,
consent to vs, and doe this déed:
For we are men of no mistrust,
Lady, Lady,
And yet to thée we haue a lust,
O faire Lady.
If that to us thou dost say nay,
a testimoniall we will bring,
Wée will say that one with thée lay,
how canst thou then auoid the thing▪
Therefore consent and to us turne,
Lady, Lady,
For we to thée in lust doe burne,
O faire Lady.
Then did she sigh, and said alas,
now woe is me on euery [...]de,
Was euer wretch in such a case?
shall I consent and doe this déed?
Whether I doe or doe it not,
Lady, Lady,
It is my death right well I wot,
O true Lady.
Better if were for me to fall
into your hands this day guiltlesse,
Then that I should consent at all,
to this your shamefull wickednesse,
And euen with that (whereas she stood)
Lady, Lady,
Unto the Lord she cryed aloud
pitifully.
These Elders both likewise againe,
against Susanna aloud they cry'd,
Their filthy lust could not obtaine,
their wickednesse, they sought to hide
Unto her friends they then her brought
Lady, Lady,
And with all spéed the life they sought
of that Lady.
The second part.
To the same tune.
ON the morrow she was brought forth
before the people there to stand,
That they might heare & know the truth
how these two Elders Susanna found,
The Elders swore and thus did say,
Lady, Lady,
How that they saw a young man lay
with that Lady.
Iudgement there was, for no offence,
Susanna causelesse then must dye,
These Elders bore such euidence,
against her they did verifie,
Who were belieu'd then indeed,
Lady, Lady,
Against Susanna to proceed,
that she should dye.
Susannaes friends that stood her by,
they did lament, and were full woe,
When as they saw no remedy,
but that to death she then must goe,
Lady, Lady,
In God was all her hope and trust,
to him did cry.
The Lord her voice heard and beheld,
the Daughters cry of Israel,
His spirit he raised in a child,
whose name was call'd young Daniel,
Who cryed aloud whereas he stood,
Lady, Lady,
I am cleare of the guiltlesse blood
of this Lady.
Are you such fooles quoth Daniel then?
in iudgement you haue not done well,
Nor yet the right way haue you gone,
to iudge a daughter of Israel,
By this witnesse of false disdaine,
Lady, Lady,
Wherefore to iudgement turne again [...]
for that Lady.
And when to iudgement they were set,
he called for those wicked men:
And soone he did them s [...]parate,
butting the one from the other, then,
He asked the first where he did see
that faire Lady,
He said under a Mulberry tree,
who lyed falsely.
Thou lyest said Daniel, on thy head,
thy sentence is before the Lord,
He had that forth he might be led.
and bring the other that bore record▪
To see how they two did agree
for this Lady,
He said under a Pomgrannat tree,
who lyed falsely.
Said Daniel as he did before,
behold the messenger of the Lord
Stande waiting for you at the doore,
euen to cut thee with a sword.
And euen with that the multitude;
aloud did cry,
Giue thankes to God, so to conclude
for this Lady.
They dealt like with these wicked men
according as the Scripture saith,
They did as with their neighbour then,
by Moses law were put to death,
Tha innocent preserued was,
Lady, Lady,
As God by Daniel brought to passe,
for this Lady.
FINIS.
Printed at London for Iohn Wright, neere Pye-corner.