Classic Poem

1

Right & noe wronge, these men amonge,
as [on] women doe Complaine,
affirming this, what a thing itt is
of a labour spent in vaine
[To love them well; for never a dele
They love a man agayne;]
for lett a man doe what he can
their ffavor to obtaine,
& if a new to them p er sue,
the ffirst true louer then
he labours for nought, — fur from his thought, —
for he is a banished man.

2

And I say not nay, — but as you said,
itt is both written and sayd, —
but womens ffaith, who soe sayth,
[is] right vtterly decayde;
yett neuertheles, right good wittnesse
in this cause may be Layd:
that they Loue true, & doe continue,
reccords the nutt-browne maide:
ffor when her loue came her to proue,
he come to make his moane;
he sayd, " alas! thus stands the case,
I am a banished mann

3

" ffor itt standeth soe tha t a deede is doe
wherby great harme may growe;
my destynye is ffor to dye
a shameffull death, I trowe,
or else ffor to fflee; the one must bee.
none other reed I know
but to w i thdraw my-selfe Like an outlawe,
& betake me to my bowe.
& therfore, adew, my owne hart trew,
they best way tha t I can
is tha t I to the greenwood goe,
my selfe a banished man. "

4

" Alas! " shee said, " what is all this worlds blisse?
itt changeth as doth the Moone.
the sum m ers day in the Lusty may
is darke before the noone.
I heare you say ffarwell nay! nay!
wee will not dep ar t soe soone.
but why say you soe, or whither will you goe?
alas! what haue you done?
for all my welfare into sorrow & care
wold come if tha t you were gone;
for in my mind, of all mankind
I loue but you alone. "

5

" I can but beleeue this wold you greeue,
& somewhatt you soe straine;
the thornye wayes, the deepe valleys,
the haile, ffrost, snow, & raine;
ffor dry & weete, ffor cold & heate,
wee must Lye on the plaine;
no other house [be] vs aboue,
but a bush or a brake twaine.
my hart sweet, this ill dyett,
I know itt will make thee to looke wan;
therfore will I to the greenwoode goe,
my selfe, a banished man. "

6

Shee sayes, " w i th you I haue been p ar tener,
w i th you in Ioy and blisse;
I will take alsoe p ar t of yo u r woe,
endure, as reason itt is;
but I shold be sure of one pleasure,
tha t is shortlye this,
wheresoeuer you be, tha t I you see,
I cold not ffare amisse.
from home to dep ar t will make my hart
as cold as any stone;
ffor in my mind, of all mankind
I loue but you alone. "

7

" But you must consider, sweet hart, when you come thither
and haue List to dine,
there is no meate tha t wee can gett,
neither ale, beere, nor wine,
nor sheetes cleane to lye betweene,
made neither of threed nor twinn,
Nor noe other house but leaues & brouse,
to couer yo u r head and mine
my hart sweet, this ill dyett,
I know will make thee to Looke wan;
therfore will I to the greenwood goe
my selfe, a banished man. "

8

" But among wild deere, " shee said, " such an archer
as men say tha t you bee,
you shold not ffaile ffor good vittaile
where is such great plentye;
the water cleere w i thin the riuer
shold be full sweete to me;
I cold endure well, I am sure,
in health as you may see;
& a bedd or 2, before I goe,
I will p ro uide anon;
ffor in my minde, aboue all mankind
I loue but you alone. "

9

" Nay Loue, thore you must doe more:
If you will goe w i th mee,
you must shorten yo u r haire aboue yo u r eare,
& yo u r kirtle aboue yo u r knee,
ffor to w i thstand, w i th bow in hand,
yo u r enemyes, if neede bee;
ffor this same night, before it be day-light,
to the woods tha t I will fflee;
& if you will all this ffulfill,
doe itt as shortlye as you can,
or else I must to the greenwood goe
my selfe, a banished man. "

10

" Euen now, " shee saies, " Ile doe more ffor you
then belongs to woman-hood;
Ile shorten my haire, a bow to beare,
to shoote in time of neede.
my owne deare mother! aboue all other
of you I haue much dread;
but yett, adew! I must insue;
such ffortune does me lead
therefore make you ready now
as ffast as euer you can;
ffor in my mind, of all mankind
I loue but you alone. "

11

" Noe, not soe, you shall not goe!
ffor Ile tell you now as why:
your habitt itt is to be light,
my loue, I will espye;
for likwise as you say to me,
Likewise you shall ffind,
itt is told of old, " soone hott, soone cold,
and soe is a woman;"
therfore will I to the greenwood goe
my selfe, a banished man. "

12

" Giff you take heed, you doe not need
soe ffarr to speake by mee;
ffor I haue prayed, & long I haue sayd,
before I loued p ar dye;
& [though] tha t you [know] of anceytrye
a Barrons daughter I bee,
& you haue proued how [I] haue loued
a squier of a Low degree,
& shall doe, whatsoeuer doth beffall,
to die w i th him anon;
& in my mind, of all mankind
I loue but you alone. "

13

" A Barrons child to be beguiled!
tha t were a cursed deede.
& to become ffellow w i th an outlaw!
alimightye god fforbidd!
itt were better the pore Squier
himselfe to the fforrest yeede,
then you shold say another day,
" by my accursed deede
you were betraid" therefore, good maide,
the best way tha t I can,
is, lett me vnto the fforrest goe
my selfe, a banished man. "

14

" Let this out-ffall, I neuer shall
of tha t thing you vpbraid;
but if you goe & leaue me soe,
then I am quite betraid.
Remember how tha t itt is,
you are not as you said:
you are vnkind to leaue behind
yo u r loue, the nutt-browne maid.
trust me, trulye I must dye
as soone as you are gone;
for in my mind, of all mankind
I loue but you alone. "

15

" Why, but if you went, you wold repent;
for in the fforrest now
I haue p ro uided me of a maid
whom I loue better then you;
& ffairer then euer you were,
I dare this well auowe.
betw[i]xt you both I shold be wroth
w i th eche other, as I trowe;
itt is my ease to liue [in] peace;
soe will I if I cann;
ffor I will to the greenwood goe
my selfe, a banished man. "

16

" Why, tho in the wood I vnderstood
tha t you had a paramoure,
yett all tha t right nought remoues my thought,
for still I will be yours.
shee shold me ffind both soft & kind,
& curteous euery houre;
gladd yo u r will for to ffulfill;
comand me to my power.
& if you haue a 100 more,
of them I wold be one;
for in my mind, of all mankind
I loue but you alone. "

17

" My owne deere loue! I see nad proue
tha t you be kind and true!
in maid & wiffe, in all my liffe
the best tha t euer I knew!
Be merry & glad, be no more sa[d],
the case is altered now;
be not dismaid [at] what I haue said
to you since I begann.
thus you haue woone the Erle of westmoreland sone,
& not a banished man. "

18

" These tydings to me are gladder, " shee saies,
" then tho I were a Queene,
If I were sure itt wold endure;
but itt is often seene
men will break p ro mise [tho] the speake
words vpon the plaine.
you shape some wyle, me to beguile,
& steale ffrom me, I weene;
then were the case worsse then euer itt was,
& I were woe-begon;
for in my mind, of all mankinde
I loue but you alone. "

19

" You shall not neede soe ffar to dreed,
ffor I will not disparishe
[you, (God defend!) sith you descend
of so gret a linage;]
for westmoreland, as I vnderstand,
itt is my owne heritage;
I will thee bring in w i th a ringe;
in way of Marryage
I will you take, and Ladye make,
as shortlye as euer I cann.
thus haue you woone the Erle of westmorelands sonne,
and not a banished man. "

20

Heere you may see tha t women bee
of loue meeke, kind, and stable.
lett neuer men reproue them then,
nor call them varyable,
but rather pray to god tha t they
to men may be comfortable,
tha t haue proued such as they loued,
iff they be charitable.
but men wold tha t women shold
be kind to them eche one,
yett I had rather, god to obay,
& serue but him alone.