16 20 Come bring in a wench shall ffitt euery natyon, Come tricke itt, and tire itt, in anticke array! to make one to fit every nation, and then dress her up. Here's a health to all A health to all Captaines that neuer was in warres, 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.] 28 A health to all Courtiers that neuer bend knees! & a health to all welchemen that loues tosted Cheese! 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 with out blame; All in a greene meadowe. [Page 518 of MS.] ALL: in a greene meadow, a riuer running by, I hard a proper maiden both waile, weepe, and crye, the teares ffrom her eyes as cleare as any pearle ; 4 much did I lament the mourning of the girle : shee sighed and sobbed, & to her selfe sayd, "alas! what hap had I to liue soe long a maid? 8 12 16 "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 hath brought me to this pensiueness, and many maidens [more 2]. "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. ALL IN A GREENE MEADOWE. "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, [Tho silly maidens nicely deny itt when its offered, 115 for Helen did it. [page 519] She resolves to refuse no more, and advises all girls to it's offered. [yet I wi]sh them wisely to take itt when itts proffered; take it when 32 [If they be li]ke to Cressus to scorne soe true a freind, [Theyle be] glad to receiue poore Charitye in the end. [ti]me gone & time past is not recalld againe; 1 Compare the French Charier droit, to tread straight, to take a right course; to behaue himself honestly, sincerely, vprightly; or discreetly, warily, aduisedly.-Cot. Thomas you cannott. [Page 521 of MS.] THE very attractive air to which the following ballad was sung is to be found in Popular Music of the Olden Time, i. 337, but the words seem to exist only in this Manuscript. Their date cannot be much later than the commencement of James the First's reign, since one of the ballads against the Roman Catholics, written after the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot, was to be sung "to the tune of Thomas, you cannot;" also because the air bears the same name in several collections of music for the virginals of corresponding, if not earlier, date.-W. C. THOMAS: vntyed his points1 apace, & kindly hee beseeches that shee wold giue him time & space ffor to vntye 2 his breeches. "Content, Content, Content!" shee cryes. he downe with his breeches imedyatlye, & ouer her belly he Cast his thye. But then shee Cryes "Thomas! you Cannott, you 3 Cannott! O Thomas, O Thomas, you Canott!” Thomas, like a liuely ladd, lay close downe by her side: he had the worst Courage that euer had man 1; in conscience, the pore ffoole Cryed. 1 Point, a tagged lace, used in tying any part of the dress. Nares.-F. 2 The e has a tag as if for s.-F. 3 MS. camot.-F. 4? man had.-W. C. 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 But then he gott some Courage againe, & he crept vpon her belly amaine, & thought to haue hitt her in the right vaine; But then shee &c. This maid was discontented in mind, & angry was with Thomas, that he the time soe long had space, & cold nott performe his promise. he promised her a thing, 2 handfull att least, but shee Cold not gett an Inch for a tast, Thomas went to Venus, the goddesse of loue, & hartily he did pray, that this ffaire maid might constant proue in hart & mind they both wee[r]e content; but ere he came att her, his courage was spent, which made this maid grow discontent, & angry was with Thomas, with Thomas, & angry was with Thomas. Vulcan & venus, with Mars & Apollo, they all 4 swore they wold ayd him; Mars lent him his buckler & vulcan h[is hammer,2] & downe by her side he laid him.3 then. [Page 522, a fragment apart from the MS.] but all her body qu (?) he tickled her, laid (?) & then shee Cryes & then shee Cryes f.. Tho[mas] 1 so long had time and space.-W. C. 2 MS. torn away.-F. She got angry. He prayed to Venus for help. She and 3 and did so effectually, End of MS. page 521.-F. |