The desperate damsells tragedy. Or The faithlesse young man To the tune of Dulcina.

The desperate Damsells Tragedy. OR The faithlesse young man.

To the tune of Dulcina.

[illustration]

IN the gallant month of Iune, When swéet roses are in prime, A••d each bird with a seuerall tune, Harmoniously salutes the time: then to delight, my appetite I walkt into a meddow faire, and in a sh••de I spyed a maide Whose loue had brought her to dispaire.

Shée her hands sate sadly wringing Making piteous exclamation, Upon a false Young man for bringing Her into this great vexation: Quoth she false youth, Is there no truth, In thée, of Faith hast thou no share? no thou hast none, tis to well knowne: By me poore wretch now in despaire

How oftentimes hast thou protested That thou louest me well indéed? And I performed what was requested, Tw•• much trust my woe doth bréed: I let thée haue what thou didst craue, ••educed by thy spéeches faire, and hauing had, thy will false lad, At last thou left'st me in despaire.

My dearest Iewell thou hast taken, Which should stand me in great stead, A••d now thou hast me quite forsaken, And art like false Aeneas fled, from Dido ••••ue: what can insue, This faithles déed •• but to end my care, like her a knife, must end my life For I like her am in despaire.

Then sith tis so, come gentle death, I yeeld my selfe vnto thy power. Most willing to resigne my breath, I am this instant time and howre: let thy kéene dart, such force impart That I may die, o•• doe not spare, from earth I came, and willing a••, Hence to returne with grim despaire:

When she these bitter words had spoken From her minde so fraught with woe, Her heart was in her bosome broken Teares aboundantly did flow, from h••r faire eyes, then to the skies, She did direct her hands with prayer, and séem'd to moue, the pow'rs aboue, To scourge the cause of her despaire.

The second part, To the same tune.

[illustration]

YOu Gods (quoth she) I inuocate, That as your iudgements still are iust, My wrongs I pray you vindicate, Oh may no Mayde that young man trust: henceforth may he so wretched be, That none for him at all shall care, but that he may for his foule play, Be brought like me to grim despaire.

Hauing made an end of praying, Suddenly shee drew a knife, A••d I that néere vnséene was staying, Ran in hast to saue her life, but ere that I to her could cry, That her o••ne life she might forbeare, shee Dido-like her heart did strike, Thus dyde the Damsell in despaire.

With such force her selfe she stabbed, Blood ranne out abundantly, My heart within my bosome throbbed, To behold this Tragedy; Yet though she bled, she was scarce dead, But gasping lay with her last ayre, and vnto me shee spake words thrée, Which shewed the cause of her despaire.

Sir (quoth she) muse not to sée me Desperatly my selfe to slay, For his fatall stroake doth free me From disgrace another way: My honours dead, my credits fledd, Why therefore should I liue in care: this being spoke, her heart strings broke, Thus dyed the Damsell in despaire.

When death had done his worst vnto her, I did wishly on her looke, And by her fauour I did know her. Therefore I my Iourney tooke Unto the Towne, where shée was knowne, And to her friends I did declare what dismall fate had hapt of late, Vnto this Damsell in despaire.

With brinish teares her friends lamented, To heare of her timelesse end, And euery one in griefe consented, And with me along did w••nd Unto the place where lay that face, That late aliue was fresh and faire, now wanne and pale cause life did faile, Her life she ended in despaire.

When this was told to her false Louer, He was of his wits bestraught, And wildly ran the Country ouer, Home hée'd by no meanes be brought: Let this Tale then warne all young men, Unconstancy still to forbeare, For he betraide this harmelesse Mayde Vnto her death through grim despaire,

M. P.

FINIS.