A Lamentable Ballad of the Lady's FallAnonymousCreated as a student project for Literature and Digital DiversityA Lamentable Ballad of the Lady's Fall1688Distinctive initial capital
A Lamentable Ballad of the Ladies Fall.
Declaring how a Gentlewoman through her too much truſst came to her end, and how
her Loverſslew himſself
The Tune is,In Perſscod time,
Mark well my heavy dolefulTale,you Loyal Loversall.And heedfully bear in your breaſsta gallant Ladiesfall:Long was she woo'd e're ſshe was won,to lead a weddedlife,But folly wrought her overthrow,before ſshe was a wife.Too soon alas she gave conſsentto yield unto his will,Though he proteſsted to be true,and faithful to her ſstill:She felt her body altered quite,her bright hue waxed pale,Her fair red cheeks turn'd colour white,white,her ſstrength began to fail.So that with many a ſsorrowfulſsigh,this beautiousMaidenmild,With grevious heart perciev'd her ſself,to be conciev'd with Child:She kept it from her fathersſsight,as cloſse as cloſse might be,And So put on her ſsiken gown,none might her ſswelling ſsee.Unto her LoverſsecretlyShe did her ſself bewray,And walking with him hand in hand,those words to him did ſsayBehold, ſsaid ſshe, a Maidsdiſstreſss,my love, brought to thy brow,Behold I go with Child by theebut none therof doth know.The little Babe ſsprings in my wombto bear the Fathersvoice,Let it not be a Baſstard call'd,Sſsith I made thee my choice:Come, come, my love, perform thy vowand wed me out of handO leave me not in this extream ,in grief alwayes to ſstand.Think on thy former promiſse made,thy vows and oaths each one,Remember with what bittertearsto me thou mad'ſst thy moan:Convey me to ſsome ſsecret place,and marry me with ſspeed,Or with thy Rapier end my life,e're further ſshame proceedAlas my dearest Love, quoth he,my greatest joy on earth,Which way can I convey thee hence,without a ſsudden Death?Thy friends they be of high degree,and I of mean eſstate,Full hard it is to get thee forthout of thy Fathersgate.Dread not thy ſself to ſsave my fame,and if thou taken be,MySelf will ſstep between the ſswords,and take the harm on me:So ſshall I ſscape Diſshonourquite,if ſso I ſshould be ſslain,What could they ſsay? but that true lovedid work a LadiesBaneANd not fear any further harm,my ſself will ſso deviſseThat I will go away with thee,unſseen of mortal eyes:Diſsguiſsed like ſsome prittyPage,I'le meet thee in the dark,And all alone i'le come to thee,hard by my FathersPark.And there, quoth he, I'le meet my love,If God do lend me life,And this day month without all fail,I will make thee my wife:Then with a ſsweet and lovingkiſssthey parted preſsently,And at their parting brinish tears,ſstood in each others eye.At length the wiſshed day was come,whereby this lovelyMaid,With lovely eyes, and ſstrangeattire,for her true loversaid:When any perſson ſshe eſspy'd,come riding o're the plain,She thought it was her own true love,but all her hopes were vain.Then did ſshe weep and ſsore bewail,her moſst unhappyſstate,Then did ſshe ſspeak theſse woful words,which ſsuccourleſss ſshe ſsat:O false foſsworn and faithleſsswretch,diſsloyal to thy love,Hast thou forgot thy promiſse made,and wilt thou perju'd prove?And haſst thou now forſsaken me,in this my great diſstreſss,To end my days in open ſshame,which thou might'ſst well redreſss:Wo worth the time I did believe,that flattering tongue of thine,Would God that I had never ſseen,the tears of they false Eyne .And thus with many a ſsorrowfulſsighhomewards ſshe went again,No reSt came in her watry Eyes,ſshe felt ſsuch bitterpain.In travel ſstrong ſshe fell that night,with many a bitterthrow,What woful pangs ſshe felt that night,doth each good womanknow.She called up her waiting-Maid,that lay at her Beds feet,Who muſsing at her Miſstriswoe,did ſstrait begin to weep:Weep not, ſsaid ſshe, but ſshut the door,and windows round about,Let none bewail my wretchedcaſse,but keep all perſsons out.O Miſstris call your Motherdear,of women you have need,And of ſsome skillful Mid-wiveshelp,the better you may ſspeed:Call not my Mother for thy life,nor call no womenhere,Tho Mid-wives help comes now too late,my death I do not fear.With that the Babe ſsprang in her Womb ,no Creature being nigh,And with a ſsigh that broke her heart,this gallant Dame did dye:This living little Infant young,the mother being dead,Reſsign'd his new recieved breath,to him that had him made.Next morning came her Lovertrue,affrighted at this news,And he for ſsorrowſslew himſself,whom each one did accuſse The mother with the new-born Babe all,were both laid in one grave,Their Parents overome with wose,no joy of them could have.Take heed you daintyDamselsall,of flattering words beware,And of the honour of your name ,have you a ſspecial care:Too true alas this ſstory is,as many one can tell.By others harms learn to be wiſs,and thou ſshalt do full well.
Printed for W. Thackeray, at the Angel in Duck-Lane, E.M. and A.M.References to natureReferences to sex and romanceReferences to wedding/matrimonyReferences to negative emotionsReferences to positive emotionsTerms for womenReferences to Masculine TraitsReferences to Physical AppearanceReferences to ReligionMetaphorsSimiles