A Bundle of Ballads [10]
sweet, this ill di-ete Should make you pale and wan: Wherefore I to the wood will go, Alone, a banished man."
SHE. "Among the wild deer, such an archere, As men say that ye be, Ne may not fail of good vitayle, Where is so great plent-y: And water clear of the rivere Shall be full sweet to me; With which in hele I shall right wele Endure, as ye shall see; And, ere we go, a bed or two I can provide anone; For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone."
HE. "Lo yet, before, ye must do more, If ye will go with me: As cut your hair up by your ear, Your kirtle by the knee, With bow in hand, for to withstand Your enemies, if need be: And this same night, before daylight, To woodward will I flee. An ye will all this fulfil, Do it shortly as ye can: Else will I to the green wood go, Alone, a banished man."
SHE. "I shall as now do more for you Than 'longeth to womanhede; To short my hair, a bow to bear, To shoot in time of need. O my sweet mother! before all other For you have I most drede! But now, adieu! I must ensue, Where fortune doth me lead. All this make ye. Now let us flee; The day comes fast upon: For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone."
HE. "Nay, nay, not so; ye shall not go, And I shall tell you why,-- Your appetite is to be light Of love, I well espy: For, right as ye have said to me, In like wise hardily Ye would answere whosoever it were, In way of company, It is said of old, Soon hot, soon cold; And so is a wom-an: Wherefore I to the wood will go, Alone, a banished man."
SHE. "If ye take heed, it is no need Such words to say by me; For oft ye prayed, and long assayed, Or I you loved, pard-e; And though that I of ancestry A baron's daughter be, Yet have you proved how I you loved. A squire of low degree; And ever shall, whatso befall; To die therefore anone; For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone."
HE. "A baron's child to be beguiled! It were a curs-ed dede; To be fel-aw with an out-law Almighty God forbede! Yet better were, the poor squyere Alone to forest yede, Than ye shall say another day, That by my wicked dede Ye were betrayed: Wherefore, good maid, The best rede that I can, Is, that I to the green wood go, Alone, a banished man."
SHE. "Whatsoever befall, I never shall Of this thing you upbraid: But if ye go, and leave me so, Then have ye me betrayed. Remember you wele, how that ye dele, For if ye, as ye said, Be so unkind to leave behind Your love, the Nut-brown Maid, Trust me tru-ly, that I shall die Soon after ye be gone: For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone."
HE. "If that ye went, ye should repent; For in the forest now I have purveyed me of a maid, Whom I love more than you; Another fairer than ever ye were, I dare it well avow; And of you both, each should be wroth With other, as I trow: It were mine ease to live in peace; So will I, if I can: Wherefore I to the wood will go, Alone, a banished man."
SHE. "Though in the wood I understood Ye had a paramour, All this may nought remove my thought, But that I will be your: And she shall find me soft and kind, And courteis every hour; Glad to fulfil all that she will Command me, to my power: For had ye, lo! an hundred mo, Yet would I be that one: For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone."
HE. "Mine own dear love, I see the proof That ye be kind and true; Of maid, and wife, in all my life, The best that ever I knew. Be merry and glad; be no more sad; The case is chang-ed new; For it were ruth that for your truth You should have cause to rue. Be not dismayed, whatsoever I said To you, when I began: I will not to the green wood go; I am no banished man."
SHE. "These tidings be more glad to me, Than to be made a queen, If I were sure they should endure: But it is often seen, When men will break promise they speak The wordis on the spleen. Ye shape some wile me to beguile, And steal from
SHE. "Among the wild deer, such an archere, As men say that ye be, Ne may not fail of good vitayle, Where is so great plent-y: And water clear of the rivere Shall be full sweet to me; With which in hele I shall right wele Endure, as ye shall see; And, ere we go, a bed or two I can provide anone; For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone."
HE. "Lo yet, before, ye must do more, If ye will go with me: As cut your hair up by your ear, Your kirtle by the knee, With bow in hand, for to withstand Your enemies, if need be: And this same night, before daylight, To woodward will I flee. An ye will all this fulfil, Do it shortly as ye can: Else will I to the green wood go, Alone, a banished man."
SHE. "I shall as now do more for you Than 'longeth to womanhede; To short my hair, a bow to bear, To shoot in time of need. O my sweet mother! before all other For you have I most drede! But now, adieu! I must ensue, Where fortune doth me lead. All this make ye. Now let us flee; The day comes fast upon: For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone."
HE. "Nay, nay, not so; ye shall not go, And I shall tell you why,-- Your appetite is to be light Of love, I well espy: For, right as ye have said to me, In like wise hardily Ye would answere whosoever it were, In way of company, It is said of old, Soon hot, soon cold; And so is a wom-an: Wherefore I to the wood will go, Alone, a banished man."
SHE. "If ye take heed, it is no need Such words to say by me; For oft ye prayed, and long assayed, Or I you loved, pard-e; And though that I of ancestry A baron's daughter be, Yet have you proved how I you loved. A squire of low degree; And ever shall, whatso befall; To die therefore anone; For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone."
HE. "A baron's child to be beguiled! It were a curs-ed dede; To be fel-aw with an out-law Almighty God forbede! Yet better were, the poor squyere Alone to forest yede, Than ye shall say another day, That by my wicked dede Ye were betrayed: Wherefore, good maid, The best rede that I can, Is, that I to the green wood go, Alone, a banished man."
SHE. "Whatsoever befall, I never shall Of this thing you upbraid: But if ye go, and leave me so, Then have ye me betrayed. Remember you wele, how that ye dele, For if ye, as ye said, Be so unkind to leave behind Your love, the Nut-brown Maid, Trust me tru-ly, that I shall die Soon after ye be gone: For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone."
HE. "If that ye went, ye should repent; For in the forest now I have purveyed me of a maid, Whom I love more than you; Another fairer than ever ye were, I dare it well avow; And of you both, each should be wroth With other, as I trow: It were mine ease to live in peace; So will I, if I can: Wherefore I to the wood will go, Alone, a banished man."
SHE. "Though in the wood I understood Ye had a paramour, All this may nought remove my thought, But that I will be your: And she shall find me soft and kind, And courteis every hour; Glad to fulfil all that she will Command me, to my power: For had ye, lo! an hundred mo, Yet would I be that one: For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone."
HE. "Mine own dear love, I see the proof That ye be kind and true; Of maid, and wife, in all my life, The best that ever I knew. Be merry and glad; be no more sad; The case is chang-ed new; For it were ruth that for your truth You should have cause to rue. Be not dismayed, whatsoever I said To you, when I began: I will not to the green wood go; I am no banished man."
SHE. "These tidings be more glad to me, Than to be made a queen, If I were sure they should endure: But it is often seen, When men will break promise they speak The wordis on the spleen. Ye shape some wile me to beguile, And steal from