The Faithful Shepherdess.
Relating how a young Maid by her constant love, turned the heart of a faithful Lover: who seeing the truth of her affections, after a tedious absence, came and married her, and liv'd very happily with her.
To a very new Tune: or,
Farewel fair
Armeda: or, Captain Digby's Farewel.
AMintas was walking one evening alone
I heard a fair Shepherdess making her mean
In sighs she lamented again and again
Amintas would kill her by too much disdain,
O cruel hard hearted
Amintas she cry'd
To slight my true love and reward it with pride,
Persist in your hatred and still be unkind
My heart you may break, but not alter my mind.
Remember the Vows that you solemnly made,
And likewise remember how I was afraid,
You ne'r can forget it how oft you were told
Your love was too hot it would quickly grow cold
But still you protested you d ever be true
And yet so unkindly have bid me adieu,
Persist, &c.
Be witness for
Celia you powers above
I ever am constant and so is my love,
Since first to
Amintas I plighted my truth
I never have broken my Vow nor my Oath,
Though you are unkind to an innocent maid
Have persur'd your self and my love have betraid,
Persist, &c.
Yet grant, O ye powers that long he may live,
And repent of the injuries I do forgive,
'Tis all I request that at length he may know
I always am constant though he be not so,
Perhaps he will then be asham'd of his pride
And pitty a maid whom he now doee deride,
But if he persist and still be unkind
My heart he may break, but not alter my mind,
AMintas who under a Sick-a-more staid
Heard every word that his Shepherdess said,
And strait fell a weeping his sorrow was such
To think he had wrong'd her that lov'd him so much
He presently ran and imbracing her fast,
Cry'd Dearest forgive me for all that is past:
But break not your heart I am not unkind,
Your song you may alter, but never your mind.
This strook her with wonder, as well as with fear,
She little expected
Amintas so near,
But starting at first, and then blushing a while,
At last she discovered her joy in a smile:
fie shepherd she cry'd you have done me the wrong
To slight me so much, and be absent so long;
Yet if you resolve you will ever be kind,
My song I will alter, but never my mind.
I cannot repeat all the Vows of the Swain,
How joyful he was for to see her again,
By many new thought on excuses he strove
To hide all his errors and breaches of Love:
But she in a frown cry'd
Amintas for shame,
Excuse not your self, ou are too much to blame:
Yet, &c.
The Shepherd repeated his vows all anew,
And swore by his troth he would ever be true,
And since she forgave him for what was amisse,
He beg'd her to seal his release with a kiss:
She kindly consented to this his request,
And then to each other their love they confest;
For now they are fully agreed to be kind,
Their Love they did alter, but never their mind,
The gréeting betwéen them no tongue can express
Their joy did increase as their sorrow grew less,
And oh the next morning to end all the strife,
They went to the Parson who made her his wife;
And there to each other their faith they did give,
To be constant as long as ever they should live:
For, &c.
Thus you may perceive how y
e young-man at last,
Did make her amends for his saults that were past▪
You young men that hear me, you all are to blame
If you are thus guilty, and do not the same:
If there be a Virgin that you betraid,
Go now and fulfil all the vowe you made▪
For if you repent and will ever be kind,
Your song you may alter as well as your mind.
Printed for Phillip Brooksby, next door to the ball in W [...]st-smithfield.