The Merchants Daughter of Bristow

Behold the Touchstone of true Love,
Maudlin the Merchants daughter of Bristow Town,
Whose firm affection nothing could move,
This favor bears the lovely brown.
A gallant youth was dwelling by,
Which many years had born this maiden great good wil
She loved him so faithfully,
But all her friends withstood it still,
The young man now perceiving well,
He could not get nor win the favour of her friends,
The force of sorrows to expell,
To view strange Countryes he intends,
And now to take his last farewell,
Of his true love his fair and constant Maudlin,
With Musick sweet that did excell,
He plaid under her window then,
Farewell quoth he my own true Love,
Farewell my dear and chiefest Treasure of my heart,
Through fortunes spight that false did prove,
I am inforc’d from thee to part,
Into the Land of Italy,
There will I wail and weary out my life in wo,
Seeing my true Love is kept from me.
I hold my life a mortall foe;
Fair Bristow Town therefore adiew,
For Padua shall be my habitation now,
Although my Love doth rest in thee.
To whom alone my heart I vow.
With trickling tears thus did he sing,
With sighs and sobs discending from his heart full sore,
He said when he his hands did wring,
Farewell sweet Love for evermore,
Fair Maudlin from a window high,
Beholding her true Love with Musick where he stood.
But not a word she dirst reply,
Fering her Parents angry mood.
In tears she spent that wofull night,
Wishing her self though naked with her faithfull Friend
She blames her friends and fortunes spight,
That wrought her love such luckless end.
And in her heart she made a vow,
Clean to forsake her country and kindred all,
And for to follow her true love.
To abide all chance that might befall.
The night is gone and the day is come.
And in the morning very early did she rise,
She gets her down into a lower Room,
Where sundry Seamen she espyes.
A gallant Master among them all,
The Master of a great and goodly ship was he,
Who there was waiting in the Hall,
To speak with her Father if it might be,
She kindly takes him by the hand,
Good sir said she and would you speak with any here,
Quoth he fair Maid therefore I do stand,
Then gentle sir I pray draw neer.
Into a pleasant parlor by,
With hand in hand she brings the Seaman all alone,
Sighing to him most piteously,
She thus to him did make her moan,
She falls upon her tender knee,
Good sir said she now pitty you a womans wo.
And prove a faithfull friend to me,
That I to you my grief may show,
Sith you repose your trust he said,
In me who am unknown and eke a stranger here.
Be assur’d most proper maid,
Most faithfull still I will appear,
I have a brother then quoth she,
Whom as my life I love and favor tenderly.
In Padua alas is he,
Full sick God wot and like to dye,
Full fain I would my brother see.
But that my Father will not yeeld to let me go,
Therefore good sir be good to me,
And unto me this favour show;
Some ship boyes Garment bring to me,
That I disguis’d may go unknown,
And unto Sea Ile go with thee.
If thus much favour might be shown,
Fair maid quoth he take here my hand,
I will fulfill each thing that you desire,
And set you safe in that same Land.
And in that place that you require.
She gave him then a tender kiss,
And saith to him you servant Master will I be;
And prove your faithfull friend for this,
Sweet master then forget not me,
This done as they had both agreed,
Soon after that before the break of day,
He brings her garments then with speed,
Therein her selfe she did aaray,
And ere her Father did arise,
She meets her Master as he walked in the hall.
She did attend on him likewise,
Untill her Father did him call,
But ere the Merchant made an end,
Of all his weighty matters he had then to say,
His wife came weeping in with speed,
Saying our Daughters gone away,
The Merchant then amaz’d in mind,
Yonder vile wretch intic’d away my child quoth she.
But I well wot I shall him find
At padua in Italy
With that bespake their master brave
Worshipfull merchant thither goes this pretty youth,
And any thing that you would crave,
he will performe and write the truth,
Sweet youth quoth he if it be so,
Bear me a leter to the English merchant ther
and gold on thee I will bestow,
My daughters welfare I do fear,
her mother took her by the hand,
Fair youth quoth she if ere thou dost my daughter see,
Let me therefore soon understand,
and there is twenty crowns for thee,
Thus through the daughters strange disguise;
The mother knew not when she spake unto her child,
and after her master stright she hyes,
Taking her leave with countenance mild,
Thus to the Sea fair Maudlins gone,
With her gentle master God send them a merry wind.
Where we awhile must let them alone,
Till you the second part do find.
Welcome sweet Maudlin from the Seas,
where bitter storms and tempests do arise
The pleasant banks of Italy
You may behold with mortall eyes
Thanks gentle master then said she,
A faithful friend in sorrow thou hast been,
If fortune once do smile on me.
My gentle heart shall soon be seen.
blesst be the land that feeds my love
blest be the place whereas his person doth abide
No triall will I stick to prove
Whereby my true-love may be tried.
Now will I walk with joy full heart
To view the town whereas my darling doth remain
And seek him out in every part,
Untill his sight I do obtain.
And I quoth he will not forsake.
Sweet Maudlin in her sorrows up and down
In wealth or wo thy part ile take,
And bring thee safe to padua town
And after many weary steps
In Padua they safe arrived at the last
For very joy her heart it leaps
She thinks not on her sorrows past
Condemn’d to die he was alas
Except he would from his Religion turn,
but rather then he would to masse
In fiery flames he vow’d to burn.
Now doth sweet Maudlin weep and wail,
Her joy is turn’d to weeping sorrow grief and care,
For nothing could her plaints prevail,
For death alone must be his share.
She walks under the prison walls
Where her true love did lie and languish in distresse
When wofully for food he calls
When hunger did his heart oppresse.
he sighs and sobs and makes great moan,
Farewell sweet love for evermore.
And all my friends that have me known,
In bristow town with wealth and store,
but most of all farewell quoth he
My own sweet Maudlin whom I left behind.
For never more thou shalt me see.
Wo to thy father most unkind,
how well were I if thou wert here
With thy fair hands to close these my wretched eies
My torments easie would appear
My soul with joy should scale the Skies.
When Maudlin heard her Lovers Moan,
here eies with tears her heart with sorrow filled was
To speak with him no means was known
Such grievous doom on him did passe.
Then she put off her lads attire
her maidens weed upon her back she seemly set
To the judges house she did inquire.
And there she did a service get
She did her duty there so well
But eke so prudently she did herself behave
With her in love her master fell,
His servants favour he doth crave,
Maudlin quoth he my hearts delight,
To whom my heart in affection is tied,
breed not my death through thy despight,
A faithfull friend thou shalt me find
O grant me thy love fair maid quoth he
And at my hands desire what thou canst devise
And I will grant it unto thee
Whereby thy credit may arise.
I have a brother sir said she
For his Religion is now condemn’d to dye.,
In loathsome prison he is cast
Opprest with grief and misery
Grant me my brothers life she said
And now to you my loue and liking wil I giv:
that may not be quoth he fair maid
Except he turn he cannot live
an English Fryer there is she said
Of learning great and passing pure of life
Let him to my brother be sent
and he will finish soon the strife.
Her master granted her request
The Marriner in Friars weed she did array
And to her love that lay distrest
She did a letter soon convey.
When he had read these gentle lines
his heart was ravished with present joy
Where now she is full well he knew
The Fryer likewise was not coy
but did declare to him at large
The enterprize his love for him had taken in hand
The young man did the Fryar charge
His love should straight depart the land
here is no place for her he said,
But wofull death and danger of her life,
Professing truth I was betraid,
And fearfull flames must end the strife.
For ere I will my faith deny
and swear myself to folow damned anti-christ
Ile yield my body forto die.
To live in heaven with the highest
O sir the gentle Frier said
a wofull match quoth he is amnde
Where Christ is left to win a wife.
When she had us’d all means she might
To save his life and yet all would not be,
then of the judge she claim’d her right
to die the death as well as he.
When no perswasion could prevail
Nor change her mind in any thing that she had said
She was with him condemn’d to dye
and for them both one fire was made.
Yea arm in arm most joyfully
these lovers twain unto the fire did go
The Marriner most faithfully
Was likewise partner of this wo.
but when the judges understood
The faithfull friendship did in them remain
thy sav’d their lives and afterwards
to England sent them back again
Now was their sorrow turn’d to joy
and faithfull lovers have their herts desire
their pains so well they did imploy
God granted that they did desire.
aud when they did to England come
and in merry bristow arrived at the last
Great joy there was to all and some
that heard the dangers they had past
Her father he was dead Got wot
and eke her mother was joyfull at her sight
Their wishes she denied not.
but wedded them to hearts delight.
Her gentle master she desired.
to be her father and at church to give her then
It was fulfill’d as she requir’d
Unto the joyes of all good men.

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EBBA ID: 31670

BBO Roud Number: 892