A Mayden heade. [Page 508 of MS.] COME, sitt thee downe by these Coole1 streames neuer yet warmed by Tytans beames! my tender youth thy wast shall clippe, & ffix vpon thy Cherry lipp; & lay thee downe on this greene bed, & doth instruct thee, as hee doth tread, 12 how thou shalt loose thy maidenhead. 16 O you younglings, be not nice! & loose in time thy maidenhead. Clothes that imbrothered be with gold, 20 if neuer worne, will quicklye molde; if in time you doe not plucke the damisine or the Apricocke, in pinching Autume theyle be dead; 24 then loose in time thy maidenhead! Sit down, and lose thy maidenhead, as the sparrow teaches thee to do. Young marry in youth, or you'll be left in age. Then lose your maidenheads soon. ffinis. 1 colde.-P. 2 A.-S. mace, a wife.-F. 3 coyness.-F. Tom Longe. [Page 508 of MS.] IN Mr. Payne Collier's Extracts from the Registers of the Stationers' Company, 1557-70 (Shaksp. Soc. 1848) are two entries, on pages 46, 58, under the year 1561–2, which may relate to this song, but probably don't. "Rd. of William Shepparde, for his lycense for pryntinge of a ballad intituled, Tom Longe, y Caryer. iiijd. Rd. of Thomas Hackett, for his fyne, for that he prynted a ballett of Tom longe the Carryer . ijs. vjd. ["Tom Long, the Carrier" had been licensed to William Shepparde (see p. 46), and Thomas Hackett must have invaded Shepparde's right. The fine was considerable for the time, comparing it with other impositions of the same kind.]" COME in, Tom longtayle, come short hose & round, Come fflatt Capp and ffether, & all to be found, Strike home thy pipe, Toм Longe. Come lowcy, come laced shirt, come damm me, come [ruffe! 1] Come holy geneua, a thing with-out Cuffe, Come dughtye dom diego, with LINENS enough, Strike &c. Bring a fface out of England, a backe out of fran[ce,] pinn buttockes of Spayne, aduance! aduance! 1 ruffe.-P. 16 20 Come bring in a wench shall ffitt euery natyon, Come tricke itt, and tire itt, in anticke array! A health to all Captaines that neuer was in warres, to make one to fit every nation, and then dress her up. Here's a health to all thats knowne by their Scarletts, & not by their scarres! cowards a health to all Ladyes that neuer used Merkin,2 24 yett their stuffe ruffles like Buff lether ierkin! Str[ike &c.] A health to all Courtiers that neuer bend knees! & a health to all schollers that scornes their degrees! a health to all Lawyers that neuer tooke ffees! 28 & a health to all welchemen that loues tosted Cheese! Strike home the pipe, Tom Long! ffinis. and honest courtiers, and idlers! 1? MS.-F. 2 Merkin, counterfeit hair for a woman's privy parts. Phillips.-F. I heard a nice girl lamenting that she had lived a maid so long. Her coyness had prevented her enjoying her true love, which she might have done without blame ; 4 8 All in a greene meadowe. [Page 518 of MS.] ALL: in a greene meadow, a riuer running by, "Now in this world no Curtesye is knowen, & young men are hard harted, which makes me liue the day & time hath beene, if I had still beene wise, n[ise1]; but Coyishness, & toyishness, & peeuishness such store 12 hath brought me to this pensiueness, and many maidens [more 2]. 16 "Some dames that are precise, & heare me thus Complaine, theyle thinke me fond & Idle, my Creditt much wold sta[ine.] but lett me ansewre them; the Case might be their owne; the wisest on the earth, by loue may be orethrowen ; ffor Cupid is blinded, & cometh in a Cloud, & aimeth att a ragg as soone as att a robe. "Sith goddesses come downe to iest with such a boy, then hapily poore maidens may tread their shoes awrye.1 Hellen of greece for bewty was the rarest, a wonder of the world, & certainlye the ffairest ; few or none can carrye others all did marry oftime that they haue vsed before [Whoever it be] that come, I will deny no more, for Helen did it. [page 519] She resolves to refuse no more, and advises all girls to [Tho silly m]aidens nicely deny itt when its offered, [Theyle be] glad to receiue poore Charitye in the end. 1 Compare the French Charier droit, to tread straight, to take a right course; to behaue himself honestly, sincerely, it's offered. vprightly; or discreetly, warily, aduisedly.-Cot. |