A new Ballad, shewing how a Prince of England loved the Kings Daughter of France, and how the Prince was disasterously slain, and how the aforesaid Princess was [...]terwards Marr [...]ed to a Forester.
The tune is, Crimson Velvet.
IN the days of Old
when fair
France did flourish,
Stories plainly told,
Lovers felt annoy:
The King a daughter had,
beauteous, fair, and lovely,
Which made her father glad,
she was his only Ioy.
A Prince of
England came,
Whose déeds did merit fame,
he woo'd her long and loe at last,
Look what he did require,
She granted his desire,
their hearts in one were linked fast
Which when her Father proved,
Lord how he was moved,
and tormented in his mind;
He sought for to prevent them,
And to discontent them,
Fortune crossed Lovers kind.
When as these Princes twain,
were thus bar'd of pleasure,
Through the Kings disdain,
which their joys withstood:
The Lady lockt up close,
her Iewels and her Treasure,
Having no remorse
of state or Royal blood;
In homely poor array,
She went from Court away,
to méet her love and hearts delight
Who in a Forrest great,
Had taken up his Seat,
to wait her coming in the night.
But loe what sudden danger,
To this Princely stranger,
chanced as he sat alone;
By Out-laws he was Robbed,
And with Poniard stabbed,
uttering many a dying groan.
The Princess arived by him,
and by true desire,
Wandring all that night,
without dread at all:
Still unknown she past,
in her strange attire,
Coming at the last,
within an Ecchoes call.
You fair wood, quoth she,
Honoured may you be,
harbouring my hearts delight:
Which doth encompass here,
My joy and onely dear,
my trusty friend, & comely Knight
Sweet I come unto thée,
Swéet I come to Wooe thée,
that thou mayst not angry be,
For my long delaying,
And thy courteous staying,
amends for all I'le make to thée:
Passing thus along,
through the silent Forest
Many a grievous groan
sounded in her ear:
Where she heard a man
to lament the forest
Chance that ever came
forc'd by deadly strife.
Farewel my dear, quoth he,
Whom I shall never sée,
for why my life is at an end.
For thy swéet sake I dye,
Through Villains cruelty,
to shew I am a faithful friend.
Here lie I a bléeding,
While my thoughts are féeding,
on the rarest beauty found.
O hard hap that may be,
Little knows my Lady,
my heart blood lies on the ground.
With that he gives a groan,
that did break asunder,
All the tender strings
of his gentle heart:
She who knew his voice
at his tale did wonder,
All her former joys
did to grief convert:
Straight she run to see,
Who this man should be,
that so like her love did speak,
And found when as she came,
Her lovely Lord lay slain,
smeard in blood which life did break
Which when that she espyed,
Lord how she cryed,
her sorrows could not counted be.
Her eyes like fountains running,
While she cry'd out my darling,
would God that I had dy'd for thée.
His pale lips alas,
twenty times she kissed,
And his face did wash
with her brinish tears:
Every bléeding wound
her fair face bedewed,
Wiping off the blood,
with her golden hair.
Speak my love, quoth she,
Speak fair Prince to me,
one swéet word of comfort give,
Lift up thy fair eyes,
Listen to my cryes,
think in what great grief I live,
All in vain she sued,
All in vain she wooed,
the Princes life was fled and gone
There stood she still mourning,
Till the Suns approaching,
and bright day was coming on.
The second part to the same Tune.
IN this great distress,
quoth this Royal Lady,
Who can now express
what will become of me?
To my Fathers Court,
never will I wander,
But some service séek,
where I may placed be.
Whilst she thus made her moan,
Wéeping all alone,
in this déep and deadly fear:
A Forrester all in gréen,
Most comely to be seen,
ranging the wood did find her there
Round beset with sorrow,
Maid, quoth he, good morrow,
what hard hap hath brought you here?
Harder hap did never
Chance to a Maiden ever,
here lyes slain my brother dear.
Where might I be plac'd,
gentle Forrester tell me:
Where might I procure
a service in my néed?
Pains will I not spare,
but will do my duty,
Ease me of my care,
help my extream néed.
The Forrester all amazed,
On her beauty gazed,
till his heart was set on fire:
If fair Maid, quoth he,
You will go with me,
you shall have your hearts desire,
He brought her to his Mother,
And above all other,
he set forth this Maidens praise.
Long was his heart inflamed,
At length her love he gained,
so fortune did his glory raise.
Thus unknown he matcht,
with the Kings fair daughter,
Children seven he had
e're she to him was known.
But when he understood
she was a Royal Princess,
By this means at last
he shewed forth her fame:
He cloath'd his Children then,
Not like to other men,
in party colours strange to sée,
The right side cloth of gold,
The left side to behold,
of woolen cloth still framed he.
Men thereat did wonder,
Golden Fame did thunder
this strange deed in every place.
The King of
France came thither
Being pleasant weather,
in these Woods the Hart to chase.
The Children there did stand,
as their Mother willed,
Where the Royal King
must of force come by.
Their Mother richly clad
in fair Crimson Velvet,
Their Father all in gray,
most comely to the eye.
When this famous King
Noting every thing,
did ask how he durst be so bold,
To let his wife to wear,
And deck his Children there,
in costly robes of Pearl and gold.
The Forrester bold replyed,
And the cause descryed;
and to the King he thus did say:
Well may they by their Mother
Wear rich cloaths with other,
being by birth a Princess born.
The King upon these words
more heedfully beheld them;
Till a Crimson blush
his conceit did cross:
The more I look, quoth he
upon thy Wife and Children,
The more I call to mind
that daughter whom I lost:
I am that Child, quoth she
Falling on her knée,
pardon me my Soveraign Liege:
The King perceiving this,
His Daughter deer did kiss;
till joyful tears did stop his spéech.
With his train he turned
And with her sojourned;
straight he dub'd her husband Kt.
He made him Earl of
Flanders
One of his chief Commanders:
thus was their sorrows put to flight
Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere, and J. Wright.