The Merchant's Daughter of Bristol. To the Tune of The Maidens lay.  

BEhold the Touchstone of true love,  
Maudlin the Merchant's daughter of Bristol town,  
Whose firm affection nothing could move:  
This favour bears the lovely brown.  
A gallant youth was dwelling by,  
Which many years had borne this Lady great good will,  
She loved him so faithfully,  
But all her friends withstood it still.  
The young man now perceiving well,  
He could not get nor win the favour of her friends,  
The force of sorrow to expel,  
To view strange Countries he intends,  
And now to take his last farewell,  
Of his true love, his fair and constant Maudlin,  
With music sweet that did excel,  
He plays under her window then.  
(Farewell quoth he, mine own true love,  
Farewell my dear and chiefest treasure of my heart,  
Through fortune's spite that false did prove,  
I am enforced from thee to part:  
Into the land of Italy:  
There will I wa●●e and weary out my days in woe,  
Seeing my true Love so kept from me,  
I hold my life a mortal fo.  
Fair Bristol town therefore adieu,  
For Milan shall be my habitation now,  
Although my love doth lodge in thee,  
To whom alone my heart I vow.  
With trickling tears this he did sing,  
With sighs and sobs descending from his heart full sore,  
He said when he his hands did wring,  
Farewell swe●t love for evermore.  
Fair Maudlin from a window nigh,  
Beholding her true Love with Musics where he stood,  
But not a word she durst reply.  
Fearing her Parents angry mood.  
In tears she spent this doleful night,  
Wishing (though nake●) with her faithful friend,  
She blames her friends and fortunes spite,  
That wrought their loves such luckless end.  
And in her heart she made a vow,  
Clean to forsake her Country and her kinsfolks all,  
And for to follow her true Love,  
To hide all chance that might befall.  
The night is gone and the day is come,  
And in the morning very early she● did rise:  
She gets her ●●wne in a lower room,  
Where sundry Seamen she espies.  
A gallant Master amongst them all.  
(The Master of a fair and goodly ship was he,)  
Who there stood waiting in the Hall.  
To speak with her Father if it might be.  
She kindly takes him by the hand.  
Good sir (said she) and would you speak with any here,  
Quoth he, fair Maid therefore I stand,  
Then gentle sir I pray you draw near,  
Into a pleasant Parlour by,  
With hand in hand she brings the Seaman all alone,  
Sighing to him most piteously  
She thus to him did make her moan.  
She falls upon her tender knes,  
Good sir (she said) now pity you a woman's woe.  
And prove a faithful friend to me,  
That I my grief to you may show,  
Sith you repose your trust, he said,  
To me that am unknown, and eke a stranger here,  
Be you assured most pro●er maid,  
Most faithful still I will appear.  
I have a Brother then quoth she,  
Whom as my life I love, and favour tenderly,  
In Milan (alas) is he,  
Full sick God wot, and like to die.  
And fain I would my Brother see,  
But that my Father will not yield to let me go:  
Wherefore good sir be good to me,  
And unto me this favour show.  
Some ship-boy's garment bring to me,  
That I disguised may got away from hence unknown  
And unto Sea I'll go with thee,  
If thus much favour may be shown.  
Fair Maid (quoth he) take here my hand,  
I will fulfil each thing that you desire,  
And set you safe in that same Land,  
And in that place that you require.  
She gave him then a tender kiss,  
And saith, your servant gallant Master will I be,  
And prove your faithful friend for this,  
Sweet Master then forget not me.  
This done as they had both decreed,  
Soon after (early) before the break of day,  
He brings her garments then with speed,  
Wherein she doth herself array,  
And ere her Father did arise,  
She meets her Master as He walks in the Hall,  
She did attend on him likewise,  
Even till her Father did him call.  
But ere th● Merchant made an end,  
Of all the matters to the master he could say,  
His wife came weeping in with speed,  
Saying, our Daughter is gone away.  
The Merchant thus amazed in mind,  
Yonder vile wretch enticed away my child, quoth he,  
But well I wot I shall him find,  
At Milan in Italy.  
With that bespoke the Master brave,  
Worshipful Master thither goes this pretty youth,  
And any thing that you would have,  
He will perform it, and write the truth,  
Sweet youth (quoth he) if it be so,  
Bear me a letter to the English Merchants there,  
And gold on thee I will bestow,  
My Daughter's welfare I do fear,  
Her M●ther takes her by the hand,  
Fair youth (qd. she) if there thou dost my daughter see,  
Let me thereof soon understand,  
And the the●e is twenty Crowns for thee.  
Thus through the Daughter's strange disguise,  
The Mother knew not when she spoke unto her Child,  
And after her Master strait she hies,  
Taking her leave with countenance mild.  
Thus to the Sea fair Maudlin is gone,  
With her gentle Master, God send them a merry wind,  
Where we a while must let them alone,  
Till you the second part do find,   

The second part, TO the same tune.  
Welcome sweet Maudlin from the Sea,  
Where bitter storms and tempest do arise,  
The pleasant banks of Italy,  
We may behold with mortal eyes,  
Thanks gentle Master than quoth she,  
A faithful friend in sorrow hast thou been,  
If fortune once both smile on me,  
My thankful heart shall wellbee seen.  
Blessed be the Land that seeds my Love,  
Blessed be the place whereas his person doth abide,  
No trial will I stick to prove,  
Whereby my true Love may be tried.  
Now will I walk with joyful heart,  
To view the Town whereas my darling doth remain  
And seek him out in every part,  
Until I do his sight attain.  
And I quoth he will not forsake,  
Sweet Maudlin in her sorrow up and down,  
In wealth and woe thy part I'll take  
And bring thee safe to Milan town.  
And after many weary steps,  
In Milan they safely arrive at last,  
For very joy her heart if leaps,  
She thinks not of her sorrows past,  
Condemned to dye he was alas,  
Except he would from his Religion turn,  
But rather than he would to Mass,  
In fiery fla●es he vowed to burn,  
Now doth Maudlin weep and wail,  
Her joy is changed to weeping, sorrow grief, and care,  
But nothing could her plaints prevail,  
For death alone must be his share  
She walked under the prison walls,  
Where her true love doth lie and languish in distress,  
Most woefully for food he calls,  
When hunger did his heart oppress.  
He sighs and sobs, and makes great moan,  
Farewell he said sweet England now for evermore,  
And all my friends that have me known,  
In Bristol town with wealth and store.  
But most of all farewell quoth he,  
My own true Love, sweet Maudlin, whom I left behind,  
For never more I shall see thee,  
Woe to thy Father, most unkind,  
How well were I if thou wert here,  
With thy fair hands to close up these wretched eyes,  
My torments easy would appear,  
My soul with joy shall scale the skies,  
When Maudlin heard her Lover's mo●ne,  
Her eyes with tears, her heart with sorrow filled,  
To speak with him no means is known,  
Such grievous doom on him did pass,  
Then she cast off her lads attire,  
A Maiden's weed upon her back she seemly set,  
To the judge's house she did inquire.  
And there she did a service get.  
She did her duly there so well.  
And eke so prudently she did herself behave,  
With h●r in love her Master fell,  
His servant's favour he doth crave.  
Maudlin quoth he, my heart's delight,  
To whom my heart in affection is tied,  
Breed not my death through thy despite,  
A faithful friend I will be tried.  
Grant me thy love, fair maid quoth he,  
And at my hands require what thou canst 〈◊〉,  
And I will grant it unto thee,  
Whereby thy credit may arise,  
I have a Brother, sir, she said,  
For his Religion is now condemned to Die,  
In loathsome prison he is laid,  
Oppressed with grief and misery.  
Grant me my Brother's life, she said,  
And to you my love and liking will I give,  
That may not be quoth he fair maid,  
Except he turn, he cannot live.  
An English Friar there is she said,  
Of Learning great, and passing pure of Life,  
Let him to my brother be sent,  
And he will finish soon the strife.  
Her Master hearing this request,  
The Mariner in Friar's weed she did array,  
And to her Love that lay distressed,  
She did a letter strait convey.  
When he had read these gentle lines,  
His heart was ravished with sudden joy,  
Where now she was full well he knew,  
The Friar likewise was not coy,  
But did declare to him at large,  
The enterprise his Love for him had taken in hand:  
The young man did the Friar charge,  
His Love should strait depart the Land:  
Here is no place for her he said,  
But woeful death, and danger of her harmless lif●●  
Professing Truth, I was betrayed,  
And fearful flames must end my strife:  
For ere I will my Faith deny,  
And swear myself to follow damned Antichrist,  
I'll yield my body for to die,  
To live in heaven with the Highest,  
O sir, the gentle Friar said,  
For your sweet Love, recant and save your wished ●  
A woeful match quoth ho is made,  
Where Christ is lost to win a Wise.  
When she had wrought all means that might,  
To save her friend and that she saw it would not b●●  
Then of the judge she claimed her right,  
To die the death as well as he.  
When no persuasion could prevail,  
Nor change her mind in any thing that she had said  
She was with him condemned to die,  
And for them both one fire was made,  
And arm in arm most joyfully,  
These ●ouers twain unto the fire they die go,  
The Mariner most faithfully,  
Was likewise partner of their woe.  
But whom the judges understood,  
The faithful friendship did in them remain,  
They saved their lives, and afterward,  
To England sent them home again,  
Now was their sorrow turned to joy,  
And faithful Lovers had now their hearts desire,  
Their pains so well they did employ,  
God granted that they did require.  
And when they were to England come,  
And in mercy Bristol arrived at the last,  
Great joy there was to all and some,  
That heard the dangers they had passed,  
Her Gentle Master she desired,  
To be her Father, and at the Church to give her then,  
It was fulfilled, as she required,  
Unto the joy of all good men.