The constancy of true loue, or. An excellent relation of the vntimely death of tvvo faithfull louers To the tune of Downe by a forrest. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A19231 of text S117522 in the English Short Title Catalog (STC 5640). 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. 8 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 A19231 STC 5640 ESTC S117522 99852735 99852735 18076 2240883067

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A19231) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 18076) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1230:18) The constancy of true loue, or. An excellent relation of the vntimely death of tvvo faithfull louers To the tune of Downe by a forrest. 1 sheet ([1] p.) : ill. for Francis Coules and are to be sould at his shop in the Old-Bayly, Imprinted at London : [ca. 1635] Verse - "In that faire fragrant month of May,". Publication date conjectured by STC. In two parts; woodcut illustrations at head of each part. Reproductions of the original in the British Library. eng Ballads, English -- 17th century. eebo The constancy of true loue, or. An excellent relation of the vntimely death of tvvo faithfull louers. To the tune of Downe by a forrest. [no entry] 1635 2 1172 18 0 0 0 0 0 153.58 F The rate of 153.58 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the F category of texts with 100 or more defects per 10,000 words. 2002-03 Assigned for keying and markup 2002-04 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2002-05 Sampled and proofread 2002-05 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2002-06 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
The Constancy of True Loue , OR . An Excellent Relation of the Vntimely Death of Two Faithfull Louers . To the tune of Downe by a Forrest

IN that faire fragrant month of May , When earth her curtaines doth display , I did by chance my corps repose Upon a banke , which Woods did close , With greene and leauy bowres about ; A place to shunne the teadious rout Of Tibs and Toms , for this intent , This flowrie seat I did frequent . Nature had stroue to shew her feate In the composure of this seat ; For in a U●lley plaine was found , This place by hills incircled round . Both lofty Beech and C●dars tall Did shelter this rich Siluan hall . Heere Satires and the Naiades , Here Siluans and the Driades , Here rurall gods and tripping Nymphs , Did hath their corps in the pure lymphs , And christal streams which made a noise In compassing this place of ioyes . No fairer place nor fountaine found Dian ' with golden tresses crown'd , And Lad●● guarded in this seate , the wihstling wind cool'd summers heat Here the nine Muses vs●e to dance , Here the kind graces vsde in prance ; Here Phaebe his warbling harpe did tune , The lifesome monthes of May & Iune . Here Philomel tun'd melody . Hither the chirping birds did fly , Here Thrush & blackbird from their throats strain'd diuers sundry pleasant notes , Here the Nymph Eccho in bellow ground Di● the la●● 〈◊〉 resound ; What harbour could the world spare more trim , more neat , more sweet more tare ? Here as I sate musing alone , Me thought I heard one grieue and groane , Ah me poore wretch , this creature said , Where at my senses grew afraid . I started looking here and there , To viewe the subject of this feare : A Lady obiect to mine eyes , I sound the effect of all these cryes ; I hasted to enquire the c●use Which did her weeping eyes amaze : Behold , quoth mee , my Loue ( alas ) Whose crimson blood here dyes the grasse . The sweetest creature here lyeth dead , That famous Europe euer bred ; I haue my wronged Louer slaine , His death shall be the death of twaine . I praid her then for to relate , The cause of his vntimely fate ; She then scarse fetching of her breath , Beginnes the Story of his death . Blinde Cupid ( quoth she ) with his dart , In tender yeares did wound his heart , Made subiect to the loue of me , An actor of this tragedie . His heart and mind together tried , His loue and mine together ti'ed , Our parents sought to crosse our will , But we continued constant still . Though time the disaduantage gaue , And we no place for loue could haue , Yet still we sought to recompence , Loue with true loue without offence . We dwelt in neighbouring houses ni● , And getting conference thereby ; We did appoint vnder this tree Is meat but disapointed bee .
The second part , To the same tune .

WHen bright Aurora péeped out , And Phaebus newly look'd about , I first ( according to my vow ) made haste vnto this plighted bough : Héere as I stayed for my Loue , Whose comming over-late did proue , A Lyon with inhumane pawes , Came to that well to coole his iawes . His mouth was all with blood besmear'd , This instrument of Death I fear'd , I sted to hide my selfe for feare , And left behind my mantle there . The Lyon hauing sl●k'd his thirst , Ran where I left my garment first , But when hee saw no place for prey . He s●u●'d with blood my Liuerie : And hauing m●s●ed thus the same , Thither he went whence first he came : But I knew not that hee was gone , And therefore stayd I hid alone . In the meane time ( Oh griefe ) came hée , Who promis'd ha● to meet with mée , And vnder this our plighted bough , He sought performance of our vow . Hee found not mée , but found my Coat , All bloudied by the Lyons throat , Which when he saw with bloud belayd , My absence made him sore afraid : What should he thinke , but that some beast , Upon my carkasse made his Feast : He thought that the grim Lyons whelpe , Devoured mee being voyd of helpe . While hée these events thus did brooke , The instrument of death he tooke , A naked sword , which by his side , Ready for Combats hee had tyed : I haue , quoth hee , wrought my Loues death , The end of her shall end my breath , And thereupon thr●st to the hilt His sword , and thus his blood he spilt . That the first Passenger might know , The dismall euents of this woe , He wrote and pinn'd a note thereof , Upon his Hatt to shew the proofe : Which I being voyd of seare at last , And thinking all the danger past , Returning from that hideous bed , Whereto I from the Lyon fled , I found this Copie of his death , And his dead carkasse voyd of breath : No sch●●o sighes no griefes , no groanes , No trickling teares , no mournful m●●nes , No ejaculations , no cries , No dolefull Dittie . or Elegies , Shall serue for to be ●asle his end , Which for my loue his life did spend . In life his loue did mee pursue , But by his death hee prou'd it true : If he then for my s●k●●id die , As much for him why should not I ? Since death hath vs denied our right , Then friendly death shall vs vnite , And I will follow him in haste , Who thought he followed me being past . These words assoone as shée had spoke , Shee gaue her selfe a deadly stroke : Shee drew the sword out of his breast , And in her owne the same shee thrust . And as in life their hearts were one , So are their liues together gone , In spight of parents , time or place , Fond loue will runne his wished race . Thus haue you heard a Tragedy Acted by louers constancy , God send such louers better spéed , Where feruency true Loue doth breed . FINIS .

Imprinted at London for Francis Coules and are to be sould at his shop in the Old-Bayley .