The West-Country Dam osels Complaint: OR, The Faithful Lovers last Farewel.
Being the Relation of a Young Maid who Pined her self to death, for the Love of a Young-man, who after he had notice of it, dyed likewise for Grief.
Careless Young-men, by this a warning take,
How you kind Virgins (when they Love) for sake;
Least the same fate o're-take you, and you dye
For breach of Vows, and Infidelity.
Be kind, but Swear not more then what you mean,
Least Comick Jests become a Trajeck Scean.
To the Tune of, Iohnny Armstrong.
WHen will you Marry me William,
and make me your wedded wife?
Or take you your keen bright Sword,
and rid me out of my Life.
Will.
Say no more so then Lady,
say you no more then so,
For you shall into the wild Forrest,
and amongst the Buck and Doe.
Where thou shalt eat of the Hips & Haws,
and the Roots that are so sweet,
And thou shalt drink of the cold water,
that runs underneath feet.
Now she had not been in the wild Forrest,
passing▪ three months and a day,
But with hunger and cold she had her fill,
till she was quite worn away.
At last she saw a fair Tyl'd House,
and there the [...]ore by the Rood,
That she would to that fair Tyl'd house,
there for to get her some Food.
But when she came unto the Gates,
aloud aloud she cry'd,
An Alms, an Alms, my own▪ Sister,
I ask you for no Pride.
Her Sister call'd up her merry men all,
by one, by two, and by three,
And bid them hunt away that wild Doe,
as far as e're they could see.
They hunted her o're Hill and Dale,
and they hunted her so sore,
That they hunted her into the Forrest,
where her sorrows grew more and more.
She said a Stone all at her head,
and another all at her feet,
And down she lay between these two,
till death had lull'd her asleep.
When sweet Will came & stood at her head,
and likewise stood at her feet,
A thousadd times he kist her cold Lips,
her body being fast asleep.
Yea, seaven times he stood at her feet,
and seaven times at her head,
A thousand times he shook her hand,
although her body was dead.
Ah wretched me! he loudly cry'd,
what is it that I have done,
O wou'd to the powers above I'de dy'd,
when thus I left her alone.
Come, come you gentle Red breast now,
and prepare for us a Tomb,
Whilst unto cruel Death I bow,
and sing like a Swan my Doom.
Why! could I ever cruel be
unto so fair a Creature?
Alas she dy'd for love of me,
the loveliest she in nature.
For me she left her home so fair,
to wander in this wild Grove,
And there with sighs and pe [...]sive care,
she ended her Life for Love.
O Constancy in her thou'rt lost,
now let Women boast no more,
She's fled to the Elizium Coast,
and with her carry'd the Store.
O break my heart with sorrow fill'd,
come swell you strong Tides of grief,
You that my dear Love have kill'd,
come yield in death to me relief.
Cruel her Sister, was't for me
that to her she was unkind?
Her Husband I will never be,
but with this my Love be joyn'd.
Grim death shall tye the Marriage ban [...]
which Iealousie shan't divide,
Together shall tye our cold hands,
whilst here we [...]ye side by side.
Witness ye Groves, and Chrystial strea [...]
how Faithless I late have been,
But do repent with dying Leaves,
of that my ungrateful Sin.
And wish a thousand times that I
had been but to her more kind,
And not have let a Virgin dye,
whose equal there's none can find.
Now heaps of sorrow press my Soul,
now, now 'tis she takes her way,
I come my Love without Controule,
nor from thee will longer stay.
With that he fetch'd a heavy Groan,
which rent his tender Breast,
And then by her he laid him down,
when as Death did give him rest.
Whilst mournful birds, with leavy bough▪
to them a kind Burial gave,
And warbled out their Love-sick vows,
whilst they both slept in their Grave.
FINIS.