A most pleasant Ballad of patient Grissell.
To the tune of the Brides good morrovv.
A Noble Marques as he did ride on hunting
hard by a Forrest side:
A proper Mayden as she did fit a spinning
his gentle eye espide.
Most faire & louely, and of curteous grace was she,
although in simple attire:
She sung full sweet with pleasant voyce melodiously,
which set the Lords hart on fire.
The more he looked the more he might,
Beautie bred his hartes delight.
and to this dainty Damsell then he went:
God speede quoth he, thou famous flower,
Faire mistres of this homely bower,
where loue & vertue liues with sweete content.
With comely iesture & curteous milde behauiour
she bad him welcome then:
She entertaind him in faithful friendly maner
and all his Gentlemen.
the noble marques in his hart felt such a flame
which set his sences at strife:
Quoth he, faire maiden shew me soone what is thy name?
I meane to make thee my wife.
Grissell is my name quoth she,
Farre vnfit for your degree,
a silly Mayden and of parents poore.
Nay
Grissell thou art rich he sayd,
A vertuous faire and comely Mayd,
graunt me thy loue, and I wil aske no more.
At length she consented, & being both contented
they married were with speed:
Her contrey russet was changd to silk & veluet
as to her state agreed.
And when she was trimly tyred in the same,
her beauty shined most bright,
Far staining euery other braue & comly dame,
that did appeare in her sight.
Many enuied her therefore,
Because she was of parents poore,
and twixe her Lord & the great strife did raise
Some sayd this, and some sayd that,
Some did call her beggers brat,
and to her lord they would her soone dispraise
O noble Marques (quoth they) why doe you wrong vs
thus bacely for to wed?
That might haue gotten an honorable Lady,
into your Princely bed.
Who will not now your noble issue still deride
which shall hereafter be borne:
That are of blood so base by their mothers side
the which will bring them in scorne:
Put her therefore quite away,
Take to you a Lady gay,
whereby your linage may renowned be:
Thus euery day they seemde to prate,
That malist
Grisselles good estate,
who tooke all this most milde and patiently.
When that the marques did see that they were bent thus
against his faithfull wife,
Whom he most deerely, tenderly, and entirely,
beloued as his life.
Minding in secret for to proue her patient hart
therby her foes to disgrace:
Thinking to play a hard vncurteous part,
that men might pittie her case.
Great with childe this Lady was,
And at length it came to passe,
two goodly children at one birth she had:
A sonne and daughter God had sent,
Which did their father well content,
and which did make their mothers hart full glad.
Great royall feasting was at these Childrens christnings
and princely triumph made:
Sixe weeks together, al nobles that came thither
were entertaind and staid:
And whē that al those pleasant sportings quite were done
the Marques a messenger sent:
For his yōng daughter, & his prety smiling son
declaring his full intent:
How that the babes must murdred be,
For so the Marques did decree,
come let me haue the children then he sayd:
With that faire
Grissell wept full sore,
She wrung her hands and sayd no more,
my gracious Lord must haue his wil obaid.
She tooke the babies euen from their nursing Ladies
betweene her tender armes:
She often wishes with many sorrowful kisses
that she might helpe their harmes.
Farewel farewel a thousand times my childrē deere,
neuer shall I see you againe,
Tis long of me your sad & woful mother heere.
for whose sake both must be slaine.
Had I been borne of royall race,
You mighe haue liu'd in happy case,
but you must die for my vnworthines:
Come messenger of death said shee,
Take my despised babes to thee,
and to their father my complaints expres.
He tooke the children, and to his noble maister
he brings them both with speed:
Who secret sent them vnto a noble Lady,
to be nurst vp in deed:
Thē to faire
Grissel with a heauy hart he goes
where she sate mildly alone:
A pleasant iesture & a louely looke she showes,
as if this griefe she neuer had knowen.
Quath he, my children now are slaine,
What thinkes faire
Grissell of the same,
sweet
Grissell now declare thy mind to mee;
Sith you my Lord are pleasd in it,
Poore
Grissell thinkes the action sit,
both I and mine at your command will be,
My nobles murmur faire
Grissell at thy honor
and I no ioy can haue:
Til thou be banisht both frō my court and presence
as they vniustly craue:
Thou must be stript out of thy costly garments all.
and as thou camest to me:
In homely gray in steed of bisse & purest pall
now all thy cloathing must be.
My Lady thou shalt be no more,
Nor I thy Lord, which grieues me sore,
the poorest life must now content thy minde.
A groat to thee I must not giue,
To maintaine thee while I doe liue,
against my
Grissel such great foes I finde.
When gentle
Grissell did heare these wofull tidings,
the teares stood in her eyes:
She nothing answered, no words of discontent
did from her lips arise.
Her veluet gown most patienely she slipped off,
her kirtles of silke with the same:
her russet gown was broght again with many a scoffe
to beare them all her selfe she did frame:
When she was drest in this array,
And ready was to part away,
God send long life vnto my Lord quoth shee
Let no offence be found in this,
To giue my Lord a parting kisse,
with watry eyes, farewel my deere quoth he.
From stately Pallace vnto her fathers Cottage
poore
Grissell now is gone:
Full sixteene winters she liued there contented
no wrong she thought vpon:
And at that time through all the land the speaches went:
the Marques should married be:
Unto a Lady of high and great discent:
to the same all parties did agree.
The Marques sent for
Grissell faire,
The Brides bed chamber to prepare,
that nothing therein should be found awrye
The Bride was with her brother come,
Which was great ioy to all and some:
and
Grissell tooke all this most patiently.
And in the morning when they should to the wedding,
her patience now was tride:
Grissel was charged her self in princely maner
for to attire the Bride.
most willingly she gaue consent to do the same
the Bride in her brauery was drest:
and presently the noble Marques thither came
with all his Lords as her request.
O
Grissel I would aske quoth he,
If she would to this match agree.
me thinkes her lookes are waxen wondrous coy,
With that they all began to smile,
And
Grissell she replide the while,
God send Lord Marques many yeres of ioy
The Marques was moued to see his best beloued
thus patient in distresse:
He stept vnto her, and by the hand he tooke her
these wordes he did expresse:
Thou art my Bride, & all the Brides I meane to haue:
these two thine owne children be:
The youthfull Lady on her knees did blessing craue
her brother as willing as she,
And you that enuied her estate,
Whom I haue made my louing mate,
now blush for shame, & honor vertuous life:
The Chronicles of lasting fame,
Shall euer more extoll the name,
of patient
Grissell my most constant wife.
FINIS.