Loyal constancy; or, the seamans love-letter written by John Blay on board the Henry and Elizabeth riding at Leghorn, to his dear mistris Mary Foart, now living near Wapping, exhorting her to continue in her wonted love and constancy according to their mutual promises past between them, in order to their happy union and marriage, as soon as he shall return from this voyage to England. Tune of, Cloris full of harmless thoughts; Jenny Gin. The fair one let me in.

Loyal constancy; or, the seamans love-letter written by John Blay on board the Henry and Elizabeth riding at Leghorn, to his dear mistris Mary Foart, now living near Wapping, exhorting her to continue in her wonted love and constancy according to their mutual promises past between them, in order to their happy union and marriage, as soon as he shall return from this voyage to England. Tune of, Cloris full of harmless thoughts; Jenny Gin. The fair one let me in.

Table of contents

Loyal Conſtancy; Or, The Seamans Love-Letter: Written by John Blay on Board the Henry and Elizabeth riding at Leghorn, to his Dear Miſtris Mary Foart, now living near Wapping, exhorting her to continue in her wonted love and conſtancy according to their mutual promiſes paſt between them, in order to their happy Union and Marriage, as ſoon as he ſhall return from this Voyage to England.

Tune of, Cloris full of harmleſs thoughts; Jenny Gin. The fair one let me in.

Vertue the Reward of Conſtancy; Or, Mrs. Mary Foart's Love-Letter and Anſwer to her dear heart John Blay at Leghorn: Wherein ſhe proteſts her conſtancy and happineſs in the injoyment of his love; which ſhe writ to him in Verſe, as his was to her: and ſhowing the ſame to a Friend of hers for his approbation, he cauſed both the Letter and the Anſwer to be publiſh'd. to vindicate the Maids honour and conſtancy, which, ſome ſly young-men living near, had endeavoured to traduce, and by that means to break off the match, which they had deſigned otherways.

§

Loyal Conſtancy; Or, The Seamans Love-Letter:
Written by John Blay on Board the Henry and Elizabeth riding at Leghorn, to his Dear Miſtris Mary Foart, now living near Wapping, exhorting her to continue in her wonted love and conſtancy according to their mutual promiſes paſt between them, in order to their happy Union and Marriage, as ſoon as he ſhall return from this Voyage to England.

[Page]

Tune of, Cloris full of harmleſs thoughts; Jenny Gin. The fair one let me in.

[depiction of man and his beloved separated by a ship.]

TIll from Leghorn I do return,

ſtil! conſtant to me prove;

Let none impart, or ſhare thy heart,

but only me thy love;

Let no brisk Boy thy love injoy,

or rob me of my, treaſure;

But may we kiſs injoying bliſs,

poſſeſt of earthly pleaſure.

Ah charming fair one of my heart,

how wretched now am I;

Since from thee I am forc'd to part,

and leave felicity:

All night I lye, I ſigh and groan,

ſtill thinking of the bliſs;

We oft times have injoy'd alone,

with ſmile and amorous kiſs.

When night grows dark. I ſteer my Bark,

to loves long-wiſht for Port;

But ſtill I find the winds unkind,

I cannot reach the Fort;

Tempeſtuous waves my heart inſlaves

my troubled Bark does roul;

Nothing I ſee, unleſs't be thee,

can eaſe my troubled ſoul.

With ſerious thoughts I ſpend my hours,

ſtill thinking of your charms,

Till ſleep my drowſie ſence o're-powers,

and brings thee to my arms;

Where in a Dream I thee imbrace,

and think the world's my own,

But when I wake, O then alas,

my earthly joy is gone.

With early look, when day appears,

I rouſe me up from ſleep;

I find my Pillow ſtrew'd with tears,

your abſence caus'd me weep:

Thus never ſhall I be at eaſe,

till like two Turtles we

May ſtill be Billing when we pleaſe,

and live at liberty.

Ah Mary Foart thou lovely maid,

writ in my heart moſt dear;

May ſtorms and tempeſts me invade,

when Mary is not there:

Though London youths do ſeek the prize,

to take and bare away;

Yet ſhe that's vertuous, chaſte, and wiſe,

will own her Love

John Bay.

Vertue the Reward of Conſtancy; Or, Mrs. Mary Foart's Love-Letter and Anſwer to her dear heart John Blay at Leghorn:
Wherein ſhe proteſts her conſtancy and happineſs in the injoyment of his love; which ſhe writ to him in Verſe, as his was to her: and ſhowing the ſame to a Friend of hers for his approbation, he cauſed both the Letter and the Anſwer to be publiſh'd. to vindicate the Maids honour and conſtancy, which, ſome ſly young-men living near, had endeavoured to traduce, and by that means to break off the match, which they had deſigned otherways.

[Page]

To the ſame Tune.

[depiction of winds blowing the man's ship towards his lover]

Her Anſwer.

MY dear to thee i'le ſurely be

as chaſt as Ice or ſnow;

I'le waſt the nights in our delights,

till Nilus over-flow:

Let not Spains beauty gain thy duty,

nor win thee by her charms;

But may I ſtill, ſpight of all ill,

imbrace thee in my arms.

In ſhady Grove made fit for love,

I ſit and waſte my hours,

Sigh and cry tears from my eye,

diſtill like Pearly ſhowres.

Nor can I reſt, till I am bleſt,

with thee whom I eſteem,

Though fancy may my griefs betray,

there's nothing in a Dream.

Like one in chains, tortur'd with pains,

I dayly rave and tear,

fearing ſome wave might be a Grave,

for to incloſe my Dear;

Not all the Gods that rules the Seas,

if I once ſee thy face,

Shall me betray, or beat away

my love from my imbrace.

May Boreas be once kind to me,

fill every troubled Sail,

May Merchants leap, and Seamen skip,

ſince love does now prevail:

May winds once bear to me my Dear,

and fix me on thy breaſt,

Then ſhall I be, injoying thee,

of happineſs poſſeſt.

In ſweet delights we'l ſpend the nights,

no ſtorms ſhall cauſe us fear;

Lockt in my arms, guarded from harms,

I will ſecure my Dear.

Then ſhall I ſurely be at eaſe,

when like two Turtles we,

May bill and kiſs even when we pleaſe,

injoying liberty.

Remember me my Dear John Blay,

as I thee on the Shore,

Let not Italian Dames betray,

thy heart keep well in ſcore.

No London youths ſhall e're perſuade

my love by falſe report;

for thee i'le live or dye a Maid,

thy Dear heart

Mary Fort.

§

Printed for P. Brooksby, at the Golden-ball, in Weſt-ſmithfield.

Information about this book

Title statement

Loyal constancy; or, the seamans love-letter written by John Blay on board the Henry and Elizabeth riding at Leghorn, to his dear mistris Mary Foart, now living near Wapping, exhorting her to continue in her wonted love and constancy according to their mutual promises past between them, in order to their happy union and marriage, as soon as he shall return from this voyage to England. Tune of, Cloris full of harmless thoughts; Jenny Gin. The fair one let me in.

Edition statement

1680

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A49348

ID [STC]

Wing L3343

ID [STC]

ESTC R216633

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99828358

ID [PROQUEST]

99828358

ID [VID]

32785

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A49348)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 32785)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1928:11)

Source

— Loyal constancy; or, the seamans love-letter written by John Blay on board the Henry and Elizabeth riding at Leghorn, to his dear mistris Mary Foart, now living near Wapping, exhorting her to continue in her wonted love and constancy according to their mutual promises past between them, in order to their happy union and marriage, as soon as he shall return from this voyage to England. Tune of, Cloris full of harmless thoughts; Jenny Gin. The fair one let me in., Blay, John. aut, Foart, Mary. aut.

Extent

1 sheet ([1] p.) : ill. (woodcuts)

Printed for P. Brooksby, at the Golden-ball, in West-smithfield,. [London] :: [1680?]. (Verse - "Till from Leghorn I do return,".) (Publication date conjectured by Wing.) (The sheet includes another ballad, a response to the first one; the title reads: Vertue the reward of constancy; or, Mrs. Mary Foart's love-letter and answer to her dear heart John Blay at Leghorn:.) (Both ballads are signed, the first: John Bay [sic].; the second: Mary Fort [sic]. Names are probably fictional.) (The two ballads printed in columns with woodcuts at head of each text.) (Reproduction of the original in the Bodleian Library.)

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