A most pleasant ballad of patient Grissell To the tune of the brides good morrovv. Deloney, Thomas, 1543?-1600. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A02251 of text S118558 in the English Short Title Catalog (STC 12384). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 9 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 A02251 STC 12384 ESTC S118558 99853765 99853765 19160 2240933995

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A02251) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 19160) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1205:10) A most pleasant ballad of patient Grissell To the tune of the brides good morrovv. Deloney, Thomas, 1543?-1600. Boccaccio, Giovanni, 1313-1375. 1 sheet ([1] p.) s.n., [London : 1600] Attributed to Thomas Deloney. Based on book 10, novel 10 of: Boccaccio, Giovanni. Decamerone. Imprint from STC. A ballad. Verse - "A noble marques as he did ride on hunting hard by a forrest side:". Reproduction of the original in the British Library. eng Ballads, English -- 17th century. eebo A most pleasant ballad of patient Grissell. To the tune of the brides good morrovv. Deloney, Thomas, 1600 1 1473 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 A This text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. 2002-08 Assigned for keying and markup 2002-09 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2002-10 Sampled and proofread 2002-10 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2002-12 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
A most pleasant Ballad of patient Grissell . To the tune of the Brides good morrow . A Noble Marques as he did ride on hunting hard by a Forrest side : A proper Mayden as she did fit a spinning his gentle eye espide . Most faire & louely , and of curteous grace was she , although in simple attire : She sung full sweet with pleasant voyce melodiously , which set the Lords hart on fire . The more he looked the more he might , Beautie bred his hartes delight . and to this dainty Damsell then he went : God speede quoth he , thou famous flower , Faire mistres of this homely bower , where loue & vertue liues with sweete content . With comely iesture & curteous milde behauiour she bad him welcome then : She entertaind him in faithful friendly maner and all his Gentlemen . the noble marques in his hart felt such a flame which set his sences at strife : Quoth he , faire maiden shew me soone what is thy name ? I meane to make thee my wife . Grissell is my name quoth she , Farre vnfit for your degree , a silly Mayden and of parents poore . Nay Grissell thou art rich he sayd , A vertuous faire and comely Mayd , graunt me thy loue , and I wil aske no more . At length she consented , & being both contented they married were with speed : Her contrey russet was changd to silk & veluet as to her state agreed . And when she was trimly tyred in the same , her beauty shined most bright , Far staining euery other braue & comly dame , that did appeare in her sight . Many enuied her therefore , Because she was of parents poore , and twixe her Lord & the great strife did raise Some sayd this , and some sayd that , Some did call her beggers brat , and to her lord they would her soone dispraise O noble Marques ( quoth they ) why doe you wrong vs thus bacely for to wed ? That might haue gotten an honorable Lady , into your Princely bed . Who will not now your noble issue still deride which shall hereafter be borne : That are of blood so base by their mothers side the which will bring them in scorne : Put her therefore quite away , Take to you a Lady gay , whereby your linage may renowned be : Thus euery day they seemde to prate , That malist Grisselles good estate , who tooke all this most milde and patiently . When that the marques did see that they were bent thus against his faithfull wife , Whom he most deerely , tenderly , and entirely , beloued as his life . Minding in secret for to proue her patient hart therby her foes to disgrace : Thinking to play a hard vncurteous part , that men might pittie her case . Great with childe this Lady was , And at length it came to passe , two goodly children at one birth she had : A sonne and daughter God had sent , Which did their father well content , and which did make their mothers hart full glad . Great royall feasting was at these Childrens christnings and princely triumph made : Sixe weeks together , al nobles that came thither were entertaind and staid : And when that al those pleasant sportings quite were done the Marques a messenger sent : For his yōng daughter , & his prety smiling son declaring his full intent : How that the babes must murdred be , For so the Marques did decree , come let me haue the children then he sayd : With that faire Grissell wept full sore , She wrung her hands and sayd no more , my gracious Lord must haue his wil obaid . She tooke the babies euen from their nursing Ladies betweene her tender armes : She often wishes with many sorrowful kisses that she might helpe their harmes . Farewel farewel a thousand times my children deere , neuer shall I see you againe , T is long of me your sad & woful mother heere . for whose sake both must be slaine . Had I been borne of royall race , You mighe haue liu'd in happy case , but you must die for my vnworthines : Come messenger of death said shee , Take my despised babes to thee , and to their father my complaints expres . He tooke the children , and to his noble maister he brings them both with speed : Who secret sent them vnto a noble Lady , to be nurst vp in deed : Then to faire Grissel with a heauy hart he goes where she sate mildly alone : A pleasant iesture & a louely looke she showes , as if this griefe she neuer had knowen . Quath he , my children now are slaine , What thinkes faire Grissell of the same , sweet Grissell now declare thy mind to mee ; Sith you my Lord are pleasd in it , Poore Grissell thinkes the action sit , both I and mine at your command will be , My nobles murmur faire Grissell at thy honor and I no ioy can haue : Til thou be banisht both from my court and presence as they vniustly craue : Thou must be stript out of thy costly garments all . and as thou camest to me : In homely gray in steed of bisse & purest pall now all thy cloathing must be . My Lady thou shalt be no more , Nor I thy Lord , which grieues me sore , the poorest life must now content thy minde . A groat to thee I must not giue , To maintaine thee while I doe liue , against my Grissel such great foes I finde . When gentle Grissell did heare these wofull tidings , the teares stood in her eyes : She nothing answered , no words of discontent did from her lips arise . Her veluet gown most patienely she slipped off , her kirtles of silke with the same : her russet gown was broght again with many a scoffe to beare them all her selfe she did frame : When she was drest in this array , And ready was to part away , God send long life vnto my Lord quoth shee Let no offence be found in this , To giue my Lord a parting kisse , with watry eyes , farewel my deere quoth he . From stately Pallace vnto her fathers Cottage poore Grissell now is gone : Full sixteene winters she liued there contented no wrong she thought vpon : And at that time through all the land the speaches went : the Marques should married be : Unto a Lady of high and great discent : to the same all parties did agree . The Marques sent for Grissell faire , The Brides bed chamber to prepare , that nothing therein should be found awrye The Bride was with her brother come , Which was great ioy to all and some : and Grissell tooke all this most patiently . And in the morning when they should to the wedding , her patience now was tride : Grissel was charged her self in princely maner for to attire the Bride . most willingly she gaue consent to do the same the Bride in her brauery was drest : and presently the noble Marques thither came with all his Lords as her request . O Grissel I would aske quoth he , If she would to this match agree . me thinkes her lookes are waxen wondrous coy , With that they all began to smile , And Grissell she replide the while , God send Lord Marques many yeres of ioy The Marques was moued to see his best beloued thus patient in distresse : He stept vnto her , and by the hand he tooke her these wordes he did expresse : Thou art my Bride , & all the Brides I meane to haue : these two thine owne children be : The youthfull Lady on her knees did blessing craue her brother as willing as she , And you that enuied her estate , Whom I haue made my louing mate , now blush for shame , & honor vertuous life : The Chronicles of lasting fame , Shall euer more extoll the name , of patient Grissell my most constant wife . FINIS .