The Louers Guift, Or a Fairing for Maides: Being a Dialogue betweene Edmund and Prisilly.
To a pleasant new tune.
Edmund.
MY Loue she is faire,
su [...]passin [...]compare,
More bright, then was Daphne the coy:
Her two starry eyes,
My heart did surprise,
Being strucke by the blinded Boy,
Sée where she doth come,
Her sight strikes me dumbe,
Ile speake though to speake it grieue me,
My owne gentle swéeting
I am glad of this méeting,
Thou knowst not what I haue to giue thée.
Prisilly.
I pray thée giue ore,
Intice me no more,
In suing for loue thou dost moue me.
For I tell thée plaine,
I doe thée disdaine,
I haue not the power to loue thée:
My answere you know,
You backward may goe,
For it is another must shriue me:
Thy face I dispise,
for thy great goggle eyes,
I care not what thou hast to giue me.
Edmund.
Thou Ioy of my life,
what néede all this strife,
Thou knowst that I loue thee more,
Then Piramis,
When Thisby was his,
Who after by a Lyon was tore:
Quéene Iuno did moue,
The Olimpicall Ioue,
Yet so will not Edmund greeue thée,
I pray thee swéet heart,
Some kinde wordes impart,
Thou knowst not what I haue to giue thée.
Prisilly.
As Iuno did mone
The thunderer Ioue,
Prisilly will striue for to moue thee,
Thy rusticall wordes
No matter affoordes,
To make a young mayden to loue thée,
Learne wit for to woe
Or I cannot doe,
Nor will I in ought beléeue thée,
I pray thée giue ore,
Torment me no more,
I care not what thou hast to giue me.
Edmund.
Why mayden so bright,
My birth doe not spight,
For I doe not murmure at there,
But thinke with thy selfe,
Tho thy father haue pelfe,
Thy birth cannot equall mine:
Thy vertues doth moue
Poore Edmund to loue,
And still shall if thou wilt beléeue mee,
Let loue not be vaine
But loue me againe,
Thou knowst not what I haue to giue thée.
Prisilly.
Nay grieue not at this
For what is amisse,
Ile striue for to make thée amendes,
To leaue off delay,
Faith what would you say,
If you and I ioyned like friends▪
If to your desert
My loue I impart,
And that I should fondly beléeue thee,
I doubt you would proue
Disloyall in loue,
And you would that same guift giue me,
Second part of the Louers gift,
to the same tune.
Edmund.
DEare sweet would you ioyne,
Your loue vnto mine,
My loue should for euer stand sure,
Or to end the strife
Wouldst thou be my wife,
Like Turtles we both would indure:
There should not proceede
No bad word nor déede,
That should haue the power to grieue thée,
We'le liue till we dye
Most merily,
Thou knowst not what I haue to giue thée.
Prisilly.
Since nothing can shift,
Say what is the gift,
That you vpon me would bestow,
And if I doe finde
It contenteth my minde,
Then more of my loue you shall know,
That guift will me moue,
To like as I loue,
There quickly repeat it to me,
And heere I protest,
My heart shall rest,
Thou and I straight will agrée.
Edmund.
Then if you'le agrée,
To marry with me,
Ile make thée a Ioynter by the yeare:
And set downe profound
fiue hundred pound.
And all for the loue of my deare:
What a woman can craue,
Be sure to haue,
And if that thou durst to beleeue me,
'Tis a gift most rare,
To a mayden so faire,
Loe this is the gift I will giue thee.
Prisilly.
This gift is of force
To make your recorse,
The easier to my bed,
No longer lets tarrie,
But straight let vs marry,
And then take my mayden-head:
No longer I can
Liue without a man.
Then pray thee sweet hart beleeue me,
Ile loue thee still,
If with a good will.
This prettie guift thou wilt giue me.
Edmund.
Then sweeting pray come,
I long till 'tis donne,
To Church let vs hie vs with speed,
I can when I list,
Procure a blinde Priest,
Which for vs shall doe this same deed,
Prisi.
Then sweet let vs goe,
We must not be slow,
If euer you meane to win me,
But thinke vpon this,
That you doe not misse,
This same pretie gift to giue me,
Author.
Away then they went,
And fulfil'd there intent,
Vnto their great comfort and ioy,
Fortie weekes being past
This young wife at the last,
Did bring her young husband a boy,
Heauen send all young wiues,
To lead honest liues,
And husbands to liue with them kinde.
May wiues striue to please,
All such husbands as these
That are of so honest a minde.
Printed at London for Iohn Trundle, and are to be solde at his shop in Barbic [...].