The Two Unfortunate LOVERS. Or, A true Relation of the lamentable end of John True and Susan Mease.
And how they dy'd unfortunate.
Their lives this Ditty doth relate.
The tune is, the Brides Burial.
ATtend you Lovers and give ear,
unto my mournful Song,
Of two that loved faithfully,
yet did each other wrong.
At
Coventry in
Warwickshire
this young man he did dwell,
His Name
John True a shooemaker
and liv'd of it full well.
At
Corly did this Maiden dwell,
three miles from
Coventry,
Yet for the love he bore to her,
he would her often see.
And coming to her on a day,
he told to her his mind,
Susan (quoth he) I love thée dear,
be not to me unkind.
If thou canst love and fancy me,
in heart and eke in mind,
I will prove loving unto thee,
be not to me unkind.
Thy chearful looks rejoyce my heart,
and merry make my mind,
Sweet
Susan then love me again,
be not to me unkind.
Good
John I thank you for your love,
and wish you at home to tarry,
I am too young for you to wed,
and have no mind to marry.
Where you do dwell are Maidens store
of beauty fair and frée,
Set not thy love upon me then,
for I cannot love thee.
This answer struck him to the heart,
as cold as any stone,
And homewards strait he did return
with many a sigh and groan.
Wishing that he had ne'r béen born,
or in his cradle dy'd,
Vnhappy man to love so true,
and yet to be deny'd.
Quoth he, I will to her again,
and hear what she doth say,
It may be she may be more kind,
though first she said me nay.
Then coming to the Town again,
he sent for her strait way,
Desiring her to speak with him,
but still she said him nay.
Then did he sigh lament and grieve,
and knew not what to say,
Then did he take his pen in hand,
and writ these words strait way.
My hearts delight and only joy,
kill me not with disdain,
Vouchsafe that I may speak with thée
to rid me out of pain.
Resolve me swéetest I thée pray.
why is thy hatred such?
I know no cause unless it be,
for loving thée too much.
As is my name, so is my love,
sweet
Susan unto thée,
True is my name,
True is my love,
and ther so shall be.
My love is Loyal, Iust, and good,
kill me not with disdain,
Rather do me the courtesie
to love for love again.
When she had read and understood
his mind and his intent,
She then began to like and love,
and yields him hearts content.
John I am thine, if thou béest mine,
for ever and for aye:
It was to try thy constancy
that I did say thee nay.
But here's my hand, my heart & love,
I'le ne'r thée more deny,
My love is constant firm and true,
and shall be till I Dye.
Then they imbrac'd each others love,
and joyn'd in heart and voice,
That she of him, and he of her
had made so swéet a choice.
BVt fortune that doth often frown,
where she before did smile,
The mans delight, the Maidens joy,
full soon she did beguile.
When she was setled in her love,
then he would change his mind,
And for to try her constancy,
would be to her unkind.
And thus resolved in his mind,
he'd come to her no more,
But went and wooed another Maid,
which griev'd her heart full sore.
Quoth he, she proved unto me,
hard-hearted and unkind:
But now her true love I have won,
I'le bear the self same mind.
When she perceiv'd his love to her,
not as 'twas wont to be,
She did lament, sigh, wéep and grieve,
and then these words said she.
False-hearted wretch adieu, quoth she,
disloyal and unkind,
And if I dye for love of thée,
thou shalt not know my mind.
Woe to the time I did beleive,
that flattering tongue of thine,
Would God that I had never séen
the tears of thy false eyn.
Hard hap had I to set my love,
on one that mocked me,
Sure all the Country did not yeild
a man so false as he.
Thus was she brought to mean estate
all comfort from her fled,
She did desire to speak with him.
before that she was dead.
Her friends did séek to chear her up,
and to make glad her mind,
But she was kil'd with loving him,
who prov'd to her unkind.
False-hearted man, may never Maid,
love thée as I have done,
But may my death remembred be,
to time that is to come.
But may all Maids example take,
by this my mournful death,
And now O Lord receive my soul,
to thée I yield my breath.
Thus Dy'd the pattern of true love,
thus dy'd a vertuous Maid,
Thus dy'd as good a harmless Lass,
as ever love betray'd.
Six Maids in white as, custom is,
did bear her to the grave,
Her Parents grieve lament and more.
no child at all they have.
When as her lover understood,
for truth that she was Dead,
He rag'd and ready was to tear
the Hair from off his head.
But when he came into the place,
where his true lover lay,
He strait way ran unto the grave,
and there these words did say.
Susan (quoth he) i'le Kiss thy grave,
upon my bended Knée,
Whereby i'le shew to all the world,
how dear I loved thee.
And as he lay upon the ground,
he heard a voice to say,
John True if e're thou loved'st me dear
make hast and come away.
Then started he up from the grave,
and stood like one struck Dumb,
And when he had regain'd his speech
he said, I come, I come.
And thus like one out of his wits,
he rag'd in pitious sort,
That all the Neighbours presently
were griev'd at his report.
And thus with sorrow and grief of heart,
he lay a whole fortnight,
And when he had confest his fault
he yielded up his spirit.
According to his hearts Desire,
and as he did request,
They Dig'd his grave, & laid him down
by her whom he lov'd best.
you young men all that have true loves
be sure unto your friend,
And if you love, be sure your love,
be true unto the end.
And thus I end my story true,
so full of grief and woe,
May never any seek again,
to wrong each other so.
Printed for F. Coles, T. [...]ere, and J. Wright.