A most sweet Song of an English Merchant, borne at Chichester.  
To an excellent new Tune.  

 

A Rich Merchant man,  
That was both grave and wise,  
Did kill a man at E●●den town,  
Through quarrels that did rise.  
Through quarrels that did rise,  
The German he was dead,  
And for this fact the Merchant man  
was judged to lose his head.  

A sweet thing is love,  
It rules both heart and mind;  
There is no comfort in the world  
to women that are kind.    

A Scaffold builded was,  
Within the marketplace,  
And all the people far and near,  
Did thither flock apace.  
Did thither flock apace,  
This doleful sight to see,  
Who, all in velvet black as jet,  
Unto the place came he,  

A sweet thing is love, &c.    

Bareheaded was he brought,  
His hands were bound before,  
A cambric ruff about his neck,  
As white as milk he wore:  
His Stockings were of silk,  
As fine as fine might be  
Of person, and of countenance,  
a proper man was he.  

A sweet thing is love, &c.    

When he was mounted up,  
Upon the Scaffold high,  
All women said great pity 'twas,  
So sweet a man should die.  
The Merchants of the town,  
From death to set him free,  
Did proffer there two thousand pound,  
but yet it would not be.  

A sweet thing is love,  
It rules both heart and mind;  
There is no comfort in the world  
to women that are kind.    

The Prisoner hereupon,  
Began to speak his mind,  
Quoth he, I have deserved death,  
In conscience I do find:  
Yet sore against my will,  
This man I killed, quoth he,  
As Christ doth know, which of my soul  
must only saviour be.  

A sweet thing is love, &c.    

With heart I do repent  
This most unhappy deed;  
And for his wife and children small,  
My very soul doth bleed:  
This deed is done and past,  
My hope of life is vain,  
And yet the loss of this my life,  
to them is little gain.  

A sweet thing is love, &c.    

Unto the widow poor,  
And her two Babes therefore,  
I give a hundred pound a piece,  
Their comfort to restore:  
Desiring at their hands,  
No one request but this,  
They will speak well of English●●●  
though I have done amiss.  

A sweet thing is love, &c.    

This was no sooner sp●ke●  
But that to stint his grief,  
Ten goodly Maids did proffer him,  
For love to beg his life:  
This is our law, quoth they,  
We may your death remove,  
If you in lieu of our good will,  
will grant to us your love.  

A sweet thing is love, &c.    

Brave Englishman, quoth one,  
'Tis I will beg thy life:  
Nay, quoth the second, it is I,  
If I must be thy wife:  
'Tis I, the third did say;  
Nay, quoth the fourth, 'tis I:  
So each one after other said,  
still waiting his reply.  

A sweet thing is love,  
It rules both heart and mind;  
There is no comfort in the world  
to women that are kind.     

The second Part, To the same tune.  

Fair Maidens all, quoth he,  
I must confess and say,  
That each of you full worthy is,  
To be a Lady gay:  
And I unworthy far,  
The worst of you to have,  
Though you have offered willingly  
my loathed life to save.  

A sweet thing is love,  
It rules both heart and mind;  
There is no comfort in the world  
to women that are kind.    

Then take a thousand thanks  
Of me a dying man:  
But speak no more of love nor life,  
For why, my life is gone.  
To Christ my love I give,  
My body unto death:  
For none of you my heart can love,  
though I do lose my breath.  

A sweet thing is love, &c.    

Fair Maids lament no more,  
Your Country Law is such,  
It takes but hold upon my life,  
My goods it cannot touch:  
Within one chest I have  
In gold a thousand pound,  
I give it equal to you all,  
for love which I have found.  

A sweet thing is love, &c.    

And now dear friends farewell,  
Sweet England eke adieu,  
And Chicester where I was borne,  
Where first this breath I drew.  
And now thou man of death,  
Unto thy weapon stand:  
Ah nay another damsel cried,  
sweet Headsman hold thy hand.  

A sweet thing is love, &c.    

Now hear a maiden's plaint,  
Brave Englishman, quoth she,  
And grant her love for love again,  
That craves but love of thee:  
I woo and sue for love,  
That have been wooed ere this,  
Then grant me love, and therewithal  
She proffers him a kiss.  

A sweet thing is love,  
It rules both heart and mind;  
There is no comfort in the world  
to women that are kind.    

And die within mine arms,  
If thou wilt die, quoth she;  
Yea live or die sweet Englishman,  
I'll live and die with thee.  
But can it be, he said,  
That thou dost love me so:  
'Tis not by long acquaintance sir,  
whereby true love doth grow.  

A sweet thing is love, &c.    

Then beg my life, quoth he,  
And I will be thine own;  
If I should seek the world for love,  
More love cannot be shown.  
The people on that word,  
Did give a joyful cry,  
And said, it had great pity been,  
so sweet a man should die  

A sweet thing is love, &c.    

I go my love, she said,  
I run, I fly for thee;  
And gentle Headsman spare a while,  
My lover's life for me:  
Unto the Duke she went,  
Who did her grief remove;  
And with an hundred Maidens more,  
She went to fetch her love.  

A sweet thing is love, &c.    

With music sounding sweet,  
The ●ormost of the train,  
This gallant Maiden like a Bride,  
Did fetch him back again:  
Yea hand in hand they went  
Unto the Church that day,  
And they were married presently  
in sumptuous rich array.  

A sweet thing is love, &c.    

To England came he then,  
With this his lovely Bride,  
A fairer woman never lay  
By any merchant's side:  
Where I must leave them now,  
In pleasure and delight;  
But of their name and dwelling place,  
I must not here recite.  

A sweet thing is love,  
It rules both heart and mind;  
There is no comfort in the world  
to women that are kind.    
FINIS.    

Printed at London for Francis Coules in the Old-bailey.