Classic Poem

If our ffoes you may be termed,
gentle ffoes wee haue you ffound;
w i th our cittye you haue woon o u r harts eche one;
then to yo u r Country beare away tha t is yo u r owne. "

" Rest you still, most gallant Ladye!
rest you still, & weepe noe more!
of ffaire Louers there is plenty;
Spaine doth yeelde a wonderous store. "
" Spanyards ffraught w i th iclousye wee often ffind,
but Englishmen through all the world are counted Kind.

" Leaue me not vnto a Spanyard,
you alone inioy my hart;
I am louely, young, and tender;
loue likwise is my desert
still to serue thee day & night, my mind is prest;
the wiffe of euery Englishman is counted blest. "

" Itt wold be a shame, ffaire Ladye,
ffor to beare a woman hence;
English souldiers neuer carry
any such w i thout offence "
" I will quicklye change my selfe, if itt be soe,
& like a page Ile ffollow thee whersoere Thou goe. "

" I haue neither gold nor siluer
to maintaine thee in this case,
& to trauell is great charges,
as you know, in euery place. "
" My chaines and Iewells euery one shalbe thy owne,
& eke 500 in gold tha t Lyes vnknowne "

" On the seas are many dangers;
many stormes doe there arrise,
w hi ch wilbe to Ladyes dreadffull,
& fforce teares ffrom watterye eyes "
" well in worth I will endure extremitye,
for I cold find my hart to lose my liffe for thee. "

" curteous Ladye, leaue this ffancye
here comes all tha t breakes the striffe:
I in England haue already
a sweet woman to my wiffe.
I will not ffalsifye my vow for gold nor gaine,
nor yett ffor all the ffairest dames tha t liue in Spaine. "

" O how happy is tha t woman
tha t enioyes soe true a ffreind!
many dayes of ioy god send you!
of my suite Ile make an end.
vpon my knees I p ar don craue for this offence
w hi ch loue & true affectyon did ffirst com m ence

" comend me to thy Louely ladye;
beare to her a Chaine of gold
& these braceletts ffor a token,
greeuing tha t I was soe bold
all my iewells in Like sort take w i th thee;
these are ffitting ffor thy wiffe, & not ffor mee.

" I will spend my dayes in prayer;
loue & all her Lawes deffye;
in a nunery will I shrowd me,
ffar ffrom other companye;
but ere my prayers haue an end, be sure of this,
to pray ffor thee & ffor thy Loue I will nott misse.

" Thus ffarwell, most gallant captaine,
& ffarwell my harts content!
count not spanish Ladyes wanton
though to thee my loue was bent.
Ioy & true p ro speritye be still w i th thee! "
" the Like ffall euer to thy share, most ffaire Ladye! "