Ballad: The shepheards woing faire Dulcina. [Top]
An excelent Ditty , called
The Shepheards woing faire Dulcina.
To a new tune called Dulcina.

AS at noone Dulcina rested,
     In her sweet and shady bower
Came a Shepheard and requested,
     In her lap to sleepe an hower:
But from her looke,
A wound he tooke,
     So deepe, that for a farther boone,
The Nimph he prayes,
Whereto she sayes,
     Forgoe mee now come to me soone.

But in vaine she did coniure him,
     for to leaue her presence so:
Hauing thousand means to allure him,
     and but one to let him goe.
Where lips inuite,
And eyes delight
     And Cheekes as fresh as Rose in June,
Perswades to stay,
What bootes to say,
     Forgoe me now, come to me soone.

Words whose hopes might haue inioyned
     him to let Dulcina sleepe:
Could a mans loue be confined,
     Or a maid her promise keepe:
Yet for her wast,
He held so fast,
     But she was constant to her tune:
These words she spake,
For Cupids sake,
     Forgoe me now &c.

He demaunds what time or leasure,
     can there be more fit then now:
She sayes men may say their pleasure
     yet I of it doe not alow:
The Sunnes cleare light,
Shineth more bright,
     quoth he more fairer then the Moone:
For her to prayse,
He loues, shee saies
     forgoe mee now &c.

But no promise nor profession,
     from his hands could purchase scope.
Who would sell the sweete possession,
     of such beautie for a hope:
Or for the sight,
Of lingring night,
     forgoe the pleasant ioyes of noone:
Though none so faire,
Her speeches were
     forgoe me now &c.

Now at last agreed these louers,
     she was fayre and hee was young,
If youle beleeue me I will tell you:
     true loue fixed lasteth long.
He said my deere,
My loue not feare
     bright Phœbus beames outshines the moone
Dulcina Prayes,
And to him sayes,
     forgoe me now come to me soone.


The Second Part of faire Dulcina,
To the same tune

DAy was spent and night aproached,
     Venus faire was Louers friend,
She intreated bright Apollo,
     that his Steeds there race might end.
He could not say
This Goddesse nay,
     but granted loues faire Quueen her boone
The Shepheard came,
To this faire Dame,
     forgoe me now &c.

Sweete he said as I did promise,
     I am now returnd againe:
Long delay you know breeds danger,
     and to Louers bringeth payne.
The Nimph said then
Aboue all men
     still welcome shepheard morne or noone.
The Sepheard prayes,
Dulcina sayes
     Shepheard I doubt th'art come too soone.

When that bright Aurora blushed,
     came the Shepheard to his deere:
Pretty Birds most sweetly warbled,
     and the noone approached neere:
Yet still away,
The Nimph did say,
     the Shepheard he fell in a swoone.
At length shee said,
Be not affraid
     Forgoe me now &c.

VVith griefe of hart the Shephard hasted
     vp the mountaines to his flockes:
Then he tooke a reede and piped
     Eccho sounded through the rockes.
Thus did he play
And wisht the day,
     were spent and night were come ere noone
Then silent night
Is loues delight,
     Ile goe to faire Dulcina soone.

Beauties Darling, faire Dulcina,
     like to Venus for her loue;
Spent away the day in passion,
     mourning like the turtle-doue:
melodiously,
Notes low and hie,
     she warbled forth this dolefull tune,
Oh come againe,
Sweete Shepheard swaine,
     thou canst not be with me to soone.

When as Thetis in her Pallace
     had receiud the Prince of light,
Came in Corridon the Shepheard,
     to his loue and heartes delight.
Then Pan did play,
The VVood Nimphes they,
     did skip and daunce to heare that one,
Hymen did say,
Tis Holy=day,
     Forgoe me now come to me soone.


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