Alas, my love, ye do me wrong,
To cast me off discourteously:
And I have loved you so long,

Delighting in your company!
Greensleeves, &c.

I have been ready at your hand,
To grant whatever you would crave:
I have both waged life and land,

Your love and good-will for to have. Greensleeves, &c.

I bought thee kerchers to thy head,
That were wrought fine and gallantly:
I kept thee, both at board and bed,
Which cost my purse well-favour'dly.
Greensleeves, &c.

I bought thee petticoats of the best,
The cloth so fine as fine might be:

I gave thee jewels for thy chest ;

And all this cost I spent on thee. Greensleeves, &c.

Thy smock of silk both fair and white, With gold embroider'd gorgeously;

I

Thy petticoat of sendall 1 right;

And this I bought thee gladly. Greensleeves, &c.

Thy girdle of gold so red,

With pearls bedecked sumptuously,

The like no other lasses had:

And yet thou wouldest not love me? Greensleeves, &c.

Thy purse, and eke thy gay gilt knives,
Thy pin-case, gallant to the eye:
No better wore the burgess' wives :
And yet thou wouldest not love me!
Greensleeves, &c.

Thy crimson stockings, all of silk,

With gold all wrought above the knee; Thy pumps, as white as was the milk:

And yet thou wouldest not love me! Greensleeves, &c.

Thy gown was of the grassy green,
Thy sleeves of satin hanging by;

Which made thee be our harvest queen :
And yet thou wouldest not love me!
Greensleeves, &c.

'A thin silk. See Du Cange, voce cendalum.

Thy garters fringed with the gold,

I

And silver aglets hanging by;

Which made thee blithe for to behold:

And yet thou wouldest not love me! Greensleeves, &c.

My gayest gelding I thee gave,

To ride wherever liked thee:

No lady ever was so brave:

- And yet thou wouldest not love me! Greensleeves, &c.

My men were clothed all in green,

And they did ever wait on thee:

All this was gallant to be seen:

And yet thou wouldest not love me! Greensleeves, &c.

They set thee up, they took thee down,
They serv'd thee with humility;

Thy foot might not once touch the ground: And yet thou wouldest not love me!

Greensleeves, &c.

For every morning, when thou rose,

I sent thee dainties, orderly;

1

Aiglets; aiguillette, a lace with tags.

To cheer thy stomach from all woes :
And yet thou wouldest not love me!
Greensleeves, &c.

Thou couldst desire no earthly thing,
But still thou hadst it readily.

Thy music, still to play and sing:

And yet thou wouldest not love me! Greensleeves, &c.

And who did pay for all this gear,

That thou didst spend when pleased thee?

Even I that am rejected here,

And thou disdainest to love me!

Greensleeves, &c.

Well! I will pray to God on high,

That thou my constancy mayst see,

And that, yet once before I die,

Thou wilt vouchsafe to love me! Greensleeves, &c.

Greensleeves, now farewell! adieu!
God I pray to prosper thee !

For I am still thy lover true :

Come once again and love me! Greensleeves, &c.

A Warning for Wooers that they be not overhasty, nor deceived with Women's beauty.

[From 12 stanzas. From the same.]

*

WHERE Cupid's fort hath made a way,
There grave advice doth bear no sway.
Where love doth reign and rule the roast
There reason is exil'd the coast.

Like all; love none;

Except ye use discretion.

First try, then trust;

Be not deceiv'd with sinful lust.

*

Some love for wealth, and some for hue,
And none of both these loves are true.
For when the mill hath lost her sails,
Then must the miller lose his vails.
Of grass com'th hay;

And flowers fair will soon decay.
Of ripe com'th rotten;

In age all beauty is forgotten.

Some lov'th too high, and some too low;

And of them both great griefs do grow.