An excellent Ditty, both merry and witty,
Expressing the loue of the Youthes of the City,
Who take delight, as my Song doth say,
Betimes in the morning to fetch home May,
To a pleasant new tune, or the two louely Louers.
AWake my owne deare swéeting,
why dost thou sléepe so long;
The Sun is néere vp rising,
doe not thy selfe such wrong,
Vpon this pleasing morning,
swiftly let's take our way
With ioy to welcome in,
the merry moneth of May.
I sé the day starre twinckling,
rising in the East,
Which tels vs that Aurora,
hath left her sluggish rest,
Then rise vp my owne Honey,
and let vs take our way,
With ioy to welcome in,
the merry moneth of May.
The Flowers are neat and dainty,
which doe be all lovlie,
To walke into the Meddowes,
to giue our hearts delight:
Vnder the rare gréene shadowes,
we may sport and play,
With ioy to welcome in,
the merry moneth of May.
The birds are swéetly singing,
vpon the gréene-wood [...]rées,
Downe in the Medowes may we,
walke vp to the knées,
In Primrose and swéet Dazies,
with Cowslyp neat and gay,
Then come my onely sweeting,
let vs got gather May.
The Nightingale must pleasing,
chants forth her merry straine,
Then who would stay at home,
that might such pleasure gaine.
The youthes of this faire City,
trimm'd in their best orray.
Are marching forth this morning,
with ioy to gather May.
With Drums, with Fifes, and trumpets,
they are brauely grac'd,
With Muskets in the forefront,
which they haue rately plac'd,
They all went on in pleasure;
attyred neat and gay,
And euery yong man has his Loue,
that goes to gather May.
Roger with his Susan,
an [...] Robert his faire lane,
Richard with his swéet heart,
to be leg doe disdaine,
Swéet William and faire Nancy,
in their apparell gay,
Is early gone this morning,
abroad to gather May.
Iohn Iinkin with his Gilian,
Tom with Penelope,
And Humphrey with swéet Prudence
why then sweet may not we,
As well as all these Louers,
in our apparell gay.
Vpon this merry morning,
walke forth so fetch home May.
The second part.
To the same tune.
THere's Randall with his Sara,
marching hand in hand,
Rowland and sweet Maudlin,
that yeelde to his demaund,
There's Arthur and sweet Margaret,
which does her Loue obey,
Is early gone this morning,
abroad to gather May.
Nicholas with his Betty,
and Francis with faire Mary,
Martin with Rebecca,
and Dorothy with Harry,
El [...]s with his Katherine,
were gone the breake of day,
In their apparell neatly,
to fetch home gentle May.
Edward with sweet loue,
and Lucres with Valentine,
Iames with his sweetheart Alce,
they must haue Creame and Wine
These Louers march in order,
whilst Musicke sweet doth play;
With songs and pleasant Ditties,
about to gather May.
This is the moneth of pleasure,
and Aprils watry showers,
Hath faln [...] in comely measure,
to encrease the pleasing flowers,
That Louers gather early,
to make them Posies gay,
Compos'd of sundry colours
within the moneth of May.
Margery my sweeting,
thy Siluester doth call,
I faine would be this morning,
the formost of them all.
I see Apollo's splendor,
darts from the East most gay,
To grace these comely Louers,
to fetch home louely May.
The Blackbird sings most sweetly,
so doth the Nightingale,
The Fawnes play in the high woods,
the Mare runs ore the Dales,
The bleating Lambes most sweetly,
delight to sport and play,
The small birds sweetly warble,
to welcome pleasant May.
Sweet Sillib [...]bs w [...]'l haue Loue,
with Cakes and P [...]ding-pye [...],
With Creame [...]e [...]re [...]'d with Sugar
if that my Madge will [...]ise.
L [...] heare the Cucko [...] sing sweet,
and see her feathers gray,
Who with her notes most kindly,
doth welcome in sweet May.
Strike vp thy Pipe good Piper,
I see my Loue doth come,
Much like the Queene of beauty,
her splendor lights the roome,
Come, come my gentle sweeting,
with all the speed we may,
Lets walke to the greene Meddowes
to gather pleasant May.
L. M.
FINIS.
Printed at London for Iohn Grismand.