✚ 
A proper new ballad expressing the fames,  
Concerning a warning to all London dames,   
To the tune of the black Almain.  

YOu London daws, whose passing fames  
Through out the world is spread,  
In to the sky, ascending high  
To every place is fled:  
For thorough each land and place,  
For beauties kindly grace:  
You are renowned over all,  
You have the praise and ever shall.  
What wight on earth that can behold  
Moore dearer and fairer dames than you?  
Therefore to extol you I may be bold,  
Your paces and graces so gay to vieu.   

¶ For virtues lore, and other things more  
Of truth you do excel,  
I may well guess, for comeliness  
Of all, you bear the bell:  
As trim in your array  
As be the flowers in may  
With roset hue so bravely dight  
As twinkling stars that shineth by night.  
For courtesy in every part  
Not many nor any resemble you can,  
In lady Nature's comely art  
So gravely and bravely to every man.   

¶ And often when you go, fair dames on a row  
In to the fields so green,  
You sit and view the beautiful hew  
Of flowers that there be seen:  
Which lady FLORA hath  
So garnished in each path  
With all the pleasures that may be  
(Fair dames) are there to pleasure ye  
Till Frost doth come and nip the top,  
And lop them and crop them, not one to be seen  
So when that Death doth hap to your lot,  
Consider and gather what beauty hath been.   

¶ For as the flower, doth change in an hour  
That was so fair to see,  
Consider and gather (fair dames) the wether  
May change as well with ye:  
And turn your joys as soon  
As Frost the flowers hath done  
So sudden Death may change as well  
Your beauties that now doth excel,  
And turn your sweets to bitter and sour  
When death with his breath comes stealing near:  
Such haps may hap to come in an hour  
Which ever or never you little did fear.   

¶ Wherefore I say, fair dames so gay  
That Death is busiest now,  
To catch you hence, where no defence  
May make him once to bow:  
Experience well doth try  
You see it with your eye,  
How quickly some are taken hence  
Not youthful years may make defence:  
And strange diseases many are seen  
Increasing and pressing to vex us each day,  
But sure the like hath ever been  
May hove you and move you to God to pray.   

¶ And learn to know, as grass doth grow  
And withereth in to haye,  
Remember therefore, keep virtue in store  
For so you shall decay:  
And pity on the poor  
With some part of your store,  
Look that your lamps may ready be  
The dreadful day approacheth nigh:  
When Christ shall come to judge our deeds  
No fairness nor clearness can help you than,  
The corn to separate from the weeds  
Fair dames, when cometh the day of doom.   

¶ Now that I have said, let it be weighed  
It is no jesting toy,  
Not all your treasure, can you pleasure  
It is but fading joy:  
Therefore remember me  
What I have said to ye,  
And thus the Lord preserve the Queen  
Long space with us to live and reign:  
As we are all bound incessantly  
To desire with prayer both night and day,  
God to preserve her majesty  
Amen, let all her good subjects say.   
quoth Steven Peell.  
¶ FINIS.   

Imprinted at S. Katherins by Alexander Lacie for Henry Kyrkham, dwelling at the middle North door of S. Paul's church.  
¶ * ¶