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The Master-piece of Love-songs:
A Dialogue betwixt a bold KEEPER and a LADY gay,
He Woo'd his LORD's Daught••r, and carried the day;
But soon after Marriage was forc'd for to fight,
With his Lord and six Gentlemen, for his own Right;
He cut them, and hew'd them, and paid them with blows,
And made them his Friends, that before were his Foes.
To the Tune of, The Week before Easter, the Day's long and clear, &c.
[illustration]
IT was a bold keeper
that chased the deer,
Of a stouter bold spirit
you never did hear,
And he loved a Lady
of beauty most clear.
And now you shall hear of his wooing:
Keeper.]
O pitty fair Lady,
the suit which I move,
For I'm deep in affection,
and tossed in love;
For you are the Lady,
the curdle, and dove,
What 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I have cast my affection.
Lady.]
O Keeper forbear,
I shall thus answer thee,
I am a match for a Lord
of a high degree;
For my birth and yours
they not equal be,
Therefore Keeper forbear your wooing.
K]
This repulse it maketh
me sadly to grieve;
And true 'tis we all came
from Adam and Eve,
One loving word to my life
is a reprieve,
Tho I am linked fast in Cupid's prison.
L.]
O why should you say
you'r a prisoner to me;
O hold, forbear Keeper,
for that may not be:
We both may have matches
fitter for each degree;
Then forbear, and take this for an an∣swer,
K.]
No, not for an answer,
that I shall it take,
And yet this denial
makes my heart to ake;
And I shall lay down
my life at the stake,
T'obtain the favour of my Lady.
L.]
It is a meer madness
your life to lay down,
What will people say?
'There▪s an end of a clown,
'That past many dangers
'till fortune did frown,
And now died a petended lover.
K.]
The name of a clown
in my heart I do scorn,
Being nobly descended,
and a gentleman born:
Yet I am a Keeper
that must be forlorn,
Except you can love me fair Lady.
L.]
Well Keeper, I perceive
t••ou bast a good heart,
Well thou art come
pa••••ed in every part:
If my Lord did know,
we should both suffer smart
My father would be so offended.
K.]
Lady if you will consent
to be my bride,
I will gird my sword
and buckler by my side,
And then to the Church
in private we'll ride,
Where we will be married fair Lady.
She then gaue consent,
and away they did ride,
The valiant bold Keeper,
and his lovely bride,
Not fearing of danger
what ever betide,
For she was a vallien young Lady.
Being married, he returned
back spéedily,
And riding along
her father did espy:
Alack, quoth the Lady,
one or both shall dye.
Fear nothing, quoth the Keeper, fair Lady.
The Lord he came posting
so fast as he could hie;
And six lusty gentlemen
for company:
Quoth he to the Keeper,
Villain thou shalt dye,
For deluding away my fair daughter.
Come on quoth the Keeper,
••is no time to prattle,
I see by your swords
you'r prepar'd for battle:
With his sword and buckler
he made them to rattle:
The Lady did hold the horse for the Keeper.
He cut them and hew'd them
on the place he did stand:
O then, quoth the Lord,
bold Keeper hold thy hand.
If you'll give your daughter
thirty thousand in land
You shall not dye by the hand of the Keeper.
Keeper, quoth the Lady,
'tis too small a portion.
Peace, quoth the Lord, daughter
let your will be done;
I will love thy husband,
and thee ever own.
Thus a Keeper gained a fair Lady.
Licensed and Entered.