Classic Poem

It : was a squier of England borne,
he wrought a fforffett against the crowne,
against the crowne & against the ffee:
in England tarry no longer durst hee,
ffor hee was vexed beyond the ffome
into the K ing s Land of Hungarye.
he was no sooner beyond the ffome,
but into a service he was done;
such a service he cold him gett,
he serued the Kings daughter in her seate;
such a service he was put in,
he serued the K ing s daughter w i th bread & wine;
he serued this Lady att table and Chesse
till hee had woone her loue to his
he was made vsher of the hall,
the setter of the Lo rd s both great & small.
the Squier was soe curterous & kind,
Euery man loued him & was his ffreind.
& alwaies when the Squier was woe,
into his arbour he wold goe;
the maple trees were ffaire & round,
the ffilbert hangs downe to the ground,
the Iay iangles them amonge,
the marttin song many a ffaire songe,
the sparrow spread vpon her spray,
the throstle song both night and day,
the swallow swooped too and ffroe:
the squires hart was neuer soe woe,
he Leaned his backe vntill a thorne,
& said, " alacke tha t euer I was borne!
tha t I had gold, soe had I ffee,
marry I might yond ffaire Ladye.
O tha t I were borne of soe hye a kin,
the Ladyes loue tha t I might win! "
the Lady lay in her chamber hind,
& heard the Squier still mourning;
shee pulled fforth a pin of Iuorye,
like the sun itt shone by and by;
shee opened the Casement of a glasse,
shee saw the squier well where hee was,
" Squier, " shee sayes, " ffor whose sake
is tha t mourning tha t thou dost make? "
" Ladye, " he sayes, " as I doe see,
of my mourninge I dare not tell yee,
ffor you wold complaine vnto our K ing ,
& hinder me of my Liuinge. "
" Squier, " shee sais, " as I doe thriue,
neuer while I am woman aliue! "
" Squier, " shee sais, " if you will my loue haue,
another ffashion you must itt craue,
ffor you must to the ffeild, & ffight,
& dresse you like & other wise Knight;
& euer the fformost I hold you ffirst,
& euer my ffather hold you next,
& hee will take such ffavor to yee,
soone marryed together wee shalbee. "
" Lady, " he saies, " tha t is soone said:
how shold a man to the ffeild, was neu er arraid?
Lady, " he said, " itt were great shame
a naked man shold ryde ffrom home. "
" thou shalt haue gold, thou shalt haue ffee,
strenght of men & royaltye. "
shee went to a Chest of Iuorye,
& ffeitcht out a 100 and 3:
" Squier, " shee saies, " put this in good Lore;
when this is done, come ffeitch thee more. "
shee had no sooner these words all said,
but men about her chamber her ffather had Laid:
" open yo u r doore, my Lady alone,
heere is twenty, I am but one. "
" I will neu er my dore vndoe
ffor noe man tha t comes me to,
nor I will neuer my dore vnsteake
vntill I heare my ffather speake. "
then they tooke the Squier alone,
& put him into a chamber of ffrom;
& to the gallow tree they be gone,
& ffeitched downe a hanged man.
the Leaned him to her chamber dore,
the dead might ffall vpon the ffloore;
they mangled him soe in the face,
they Lady might not know who he was
shee harde the swords ding & crye;
the Lady rose vpp by and by
naked as eu er shee was borne,
sauing a mantle her beforne;
shee opened the chamber dore,
the dead man ffell vpon the fflore.
" alacke, " shee saith, " & woe is aye!
something to Long tha t I haue Lay.
alacke, " shee sais, " tha t eu er I was borne!
Squier, now thy liffe dayes are fforlorne!
I will take thy ffingars & thy fflax,
I will throwe them well in virgins wax;
I will thy bowells out drawe,
& bury them in christyan graue;
I will wrapp thee in a wrapp of lead,
& reare thee att my beds head.
Squier, " shee sayes, " in powder thoust Lye;
longer kept thou cannott bee;
I will chest thee in a chest of stree,
& spice thee well w i th spicerye,
& bury thee vnder a marble stone,
& euery day say my praiers thee vpon,
& euery day, whiles I am woman aliue,
for thy sake gett masses ffiue
through the praying of our Lady alone,
saued may be the soule of the hanged man.
Squier, " shee sais, " now ffor thy sake
I will neu er weare no clothing but blacke.
Squier, " shee sais, " Ile neuer looke att other thing,
nor neu er weare mantle nor ringe "
her ffather stood vnder an easing bore,
& heard his daughter mourning eu er more;
" daughter, " he sais, " ffor whose sake
is tha t sorrow tha t still thou makes? "
" ffather, " shee sais, " as I doe see,
itt is ffor no man in Christentye.
ffather, " shee sayes, " as I doe thriue,
itt is ffor noe man this day aliue;
ffor yesterday I lost my kniffe;
much rather had I haue lost my liffe! "
" my daughter, " he sayes, " if itt be but a blade,
I can gett another as good made. "
" ffather, " shee sais, " there is neuer a smith but one
tha t [can] smith you such a one. "
" daughter, " hee sais, " to-morrow I will a hunting ffare,
& thou shalt ryde vppon thy chaire,
& thou shalt stand in such a place
& see 30 harts come all in a chase "
" ffather, " shee sayes, " godamercy,
but all this will not comfort mee. "
" daughter, " he sais, " thou shalt sitt att thy meate,
& see the ffishes in the ffloud leape "
" ffather, " shee sais, " godamercy,
but all this will not comfort mee. "
" thy sheetes they shall be of they Lawne,
thy blanketts of the ffine ffustyan. "
" ffathe[r,] " shee sais, &c...
" & to thy bed I will thee bring,
many torchers ffaire burninge. "
" ffather, " shee sais, &c.
" If thou cannott sleepe, nor rest take,
thou shalt haue Minstrells w i th thee to wake "
" ffather, " shee sais, &c.
" pep er & Cloues shall be burninge,
tha t thou maist ffeele the sweet smellinge "
" ffather, " shee sais, &c.
" daughter, thou had wont to haue beene both white & red;
now thou art as pale as beaten leade
I haue him in my keeping
tha t is both thy loue & likinge "
he went to a Chamber of ffrane,
& ffeitcht fforth the Squier, a whales bone.
when shee looked the Squier vpon,
in a dead swoone shee ffell anon.
throug kissing of tha t worthye wight,
vprisse tha t Lady bright
" ffather, " shee sayes, " how might you for sinn
haue kept vs 2 louers in twin? "
" daughter, " he said, " I did ffor no other thinge
but thought to haue marryed thee to a K ing . "
to her Marriage came K ing s out of Spaine,
& Kings out of Almaigne,
& Kings out of Normandye,
att this Ladyes wedding ffor to bee
a long month and dayes 3,
soe long lasted this Mangerye.
30 winters and some deale moe,
soe longe liued these Louers too.