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And byddes me leave my woful warke, Ere nature me compell.

My kepers knit the knot,

That youth did laugh to skorne,
Of me that cleane shall be forgot,
As I had not been borne.

Thus must I youth geve up,
Whose badge I long dyd weare,
To them I yelde the wanton cup,
That better may it beare.

Lo, here the bare hed skull,
By whose balde signe I know,
That stouping age away shall pull
Which youthful yeres did sowe.
For beauty with her band
These croked cares hath wrought,
And shipped me into the land,
From whence I fyrst was brought.
And ye that byde behinde,
Have ye none other trust
As ye of clay were cast by kynd,
So shall ye waste to dust.

[ANONYMOUS. 1521.]

THE NUT-BROWN MAID. BE it right or wrong, these men among Of women do complain; Affirming this, how that it is

A labour spent in vain,

To love them well; for never a deal
They love a man again:

For let a man do what he can,

Their favour to attain,

Yet, if a new do them pursue,

Their first true lover then

Laboureth for nought; for from their thought

He is a banished man.

I say not nay, but that all day

It is both writ and said,

That woman's faith is, as who saith, All utterly decayed;

But, nevertheless, right good witness
In this case might be laid,

That they love true, and continue:
Record the Nut-brown Maid:

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Which, when her love came, her to SHE-O Lord, what is this worldys

prove,

To her to make his moan,

bliss,

That changeth as the moon!

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Should change, if you were

gone;
For in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.

HE.-I can believe, it shall you grieve,
And somewhat you distrain;
But, afterward, your paynes hard
Within a day or twain

Shall soon aslaket: and ye shall take

Comfort to you again.

Why should ye ought? for to make
thought,

Your labour were in vain.
And thus I do ; and pray you to,
As hart'ly, as I can ;

For I must to the green wood go,
Alone, a banished man.

SHE.-Now, sith that ye have shewed to

me

The secret of your mind,
I shall be plain to you again,
Like as ye shall me find.
Sith it is so, that ye will go,

I will not leve behind;

Shall never be said, the nut-brown maid

Was to her love unkind :

Make you ready, for so am I,
Although it were anon;
For, in my mind, of all mankind,
I love but you alone.

HE.-Yet I you rede to take good heed

What men will think, and say: Of young, and old it shall be told, That ye be gone away,

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Your wanton will for to fulfil,
In green wood you to play;
And that ye might from your
delight

No longer make delay.
Rather than ye should thus for me
Be called an ill woman,

Yet would I to the green wood go,

Alone, a banished man.

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For so that I your company

May have, I ask no more: From which to part, it maketh my heart

As cold as any stone;

For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone.

HE. For an outlaw this is the law,
That men him take and bind;
Without pity, hanged to be,
And waver with the wind.
If I had need (as God forbid !)

What rescue could ye find? Forsooth, I trow, ye and your bow

For fear would draw behind: And no marvel; for little avail Were in your counsel then : Wherefore I will to the green wood go,

Alone, a banished man.

SHE.-Right well know ye that woman be

But feeble for to fight;
No womanhede it is indeed
To be bold as a knight:
Yet, in such fear if that ye were
With enemies day or night,

I would withstand, with bow in
hand,

To grieve them as I might, And you to save; as women have From death men many one; For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone.

He. Yet take good heed; for ever I dread

That ye could not sustain
The thorny ways, the deep valleys,
The snow, the frost, the rain,

The cold, the heat: for dry, or
wet,

We must lodge on the plain;
And, us above, none other roof

But a brake bush, or twain: Which soon should grieve you, I believe,

And ye would gladly than
That I had to the green wood gone,
Alone, a banished man.

SHE.-Sith I have here been partynère
With you of joy and bliss,
I must also part of your woe
Endure, as reason is:

Yet am I sure of one pleasure;
And shortly, it is this:

That, where ye be, me seemeth,
pardè,*

I could not fare amiss.

Without more speech, I you be. seech

That we were soon agone; For, in my mind, of all mankind I kwe but you alone.

HE.-If you go thither, ye must consider,

When ye have lust to dine, There shall no meat be for you

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SHE.-Among the wild deer, such an archer

As men say that ye be,

Ne may not fail of good vitayle,
Where is so great plenty :

And water clear of the river
Shall be full sweet to me;
With which in helet I shall right
wele

Endure, as ye shall see ;

And, or we go, a bed or two

I can provide anon;

For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.

HE.-Lo yet, before, ye must do more,
If ye will go with me:

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And ever shall, whatso befall;

To die therefore anon; For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone.

HE.-A baron's child to be beguil'd!
It were a cursed deed;
To be felàwe* with an outlaw !
Almighty God forbid !

Yet better were the poor squyère
Alone to forest yede,+

Than ye should say another day,
That, by my cursed deed,
Ye were betray'd: Wherefore,
good maid,

The best rede ‡ that I can,
Is, that I to the green wood go,
Alone, a banished man.

SHE-Whatever befall, I never shall
Of this thing you upbraid:
But if ye go, and leave me so,
Then have you me betray'd.
Remember you well, how that
ye deal;

For, if ye, as ye said,

Be so unkind, to leave behind,
Your love, the Nut-brown Maid,
Trust me truly, that I shall die
Soon after ye be gone;
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.

HE.-If that ye went, ye should repent ;
For in the forest now

I have purvayed § me of a maid,
Whom I love more than you;
Another fairer than ever ye were,

I dare it well avow;

And of you both each should be wroth

With other as I trow :

It were mine ease to live in peace:
So will I, if I can ;

Wherefore I to the wood will go,
Alone, a banished man.

SHE.-Though in the wood I understood
Ye had a paramour,

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+ Ensue-follow.

Purvayed-provided.

All this may nought remove my

thought,

But that I will be your:

And she shall find me soft and
kind,

And courteous every hour;
Glad to fulfil all that she will

Command me to my power:
For had ye, lo, an hundred mo,
"Of them I would be one,"
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.

HE.-Mine own dear love, I see the proof

That ye be kind and true;
Of maid, and wife, in all my life,
The best that ever I knew.

Be merry and glad, be no more
sad,

The case is changed new; For it were ruth, that, for your truth,

Ye should have cause to rue. Be not dismayed; whatsoever I said

To you when I began ;

I will not to the green wood go;
I am no banished man.

SHE. These tidings be more glad to me,
Than to be made a queen,

If I were sure they should endure;
But it is often seen,
When men will break promise,
they speak

The wordés on the spleen.
Ye shape some wile me to beguile,
And steal from me, I ween:

Then were the case worse than it
was,

And I more woe-begone;
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.

HE.-Ye shall not need further to dread;
I will not disparage

You (God defend !), sith ye descend

Of so great lineage.

Now understand; to Westmoreland,

Which is mine heritage,

I will you bring; and with a ring,
By way of marriage

I will you take, and lady make,
As shortly as I can :

Thus have you won an Erly's son,
And not a banished man.

AUTHOR.-Here may ye see, that woman be

In love, meek, kind and stable :
Let never man reprove them then,
Or call them variable;

But rather pray God that we may
To them be comfortable;
Which sometimes proveth such,
as he loveth,

If they be charitable.

For sith men would that women should

Be meek to them each one; Much more ought they to God obey,

And serve but him alone.

[BEN JONSON. 1573-1637.)
TO CELIA.
I.

Drink to me only with thine eyes,

And I will pledge with mine; Or leave a kiss within the cup,

And I'll not look for wine. The thirst that from the soul doth rise, Doth ask a drink divine: But might I of Jove's nectar sup, I would not change for thine.

II.

I sent thee late a rosy wreath,
Not so much honouring thee,
As giving it a hope, that there

It could not withered be;
But thou thereon didst only breathe,
And sent'st it back to me,

Since when it grows, and smells, I swear,
Not of itself but thee.

EPITAPH ON THE COUNTESS
OF PEMBROKE.

UNDERNEATH this sable hearse,
Lies the subject of all verse,

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