The Shirburn Ballads, 1585-1616 Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 Excerpt: ... by deadly feare: 'Farewell, my deare ' quoth he, 'whom I shall never see: 'for why? my lyfe is at an end. 'For thy sweet sake I dye, 'through villaines' crueltye, 'to shew I am a faythfull friende. 'Heere lye I bleeding, 'whyle my thoughts are feeding 'in thy rarest beauty found. 'O hard hap that maye be 'Lyttle knowes my Lady, 'my hart-blood lyes on the ground.' 5 With that he gaue a groane which did burst in sunder all the tender strings of his gentle hart. She, which knewe his voyce, at this tale did wonder. All her former ioy did to grief conuert. Strayght she ran to see who this man should be that so lyke her love did speake. And found, when-as he came, her lovly Lord lay slayne, all smeard in bloud which lyfe did bleake. 3 T3 missing in the MS. 15 to read vnto. 16 woe i.e. woo. 4 15 bleeding read a-bleeding. 17 in read on. 5 ia he read she. When this deed she spied, lord how sore she cryed: her sorrow cannot counted be. Her eyes, lyke fountaines, running, while she cryed out 'My darling, 'would Christ that I had died for thee.' - His pale lyppes, alas twentye tymes she kissed; and his face did wash with her trickling teares. Everye bleeding wound her fayre eyes bedewed, wyping of the blood with her golden hayres. 'Speake, my Loue ' quoth she, 'Speake, fayre Prince, to me 'One sweete word of comfort giue. 'Lift vp thy fayre eyes; 'listen to my cryes: 'thinke in what griefe I liue.' All in vaine she sued; all in vaine she viewed--the Prince's lyfe was fled and gone. There stood she styll mooning tyll the Sunne approchinge and bright day was comming on. 7 'In this great distresse, ' quoth this royall Ladye, 'who can ere expresse 'what will become of mee? 'To my father's Court 'will I never wander; 'but some service seeke, 'where I maye placed be..