Constance of Cleveland.  
A very excellent Sonnet of the most fair Lady Constance of Cleveland and her disloyal Knight.  
To the tune of Crimson Velvet.  

 

IT was a youthful Knight,  
loved a gallant Lady,  
Fair she was and bright,  
and of virtues rare:  
Her sel●e she did behave  
so courteously as may be,  
Wedded were they brave,  
joy without compare.  
Here began the grief,  
Pain without relief,  
her husband soon her love forsook,  
To women lewd of mind  
Being bad inclined,  
he only lent a pleasant look:  
The Lady she sat weeping,  
While that he was keeping  
company with others more:  
Her words my Love, believe not,  
Come to me and grieve not,  
Wantoness will thee overthrow.   

His fair Ladies words  
nothing he regarded,  
Wantonness affords  
such delightful sport:  
While they dance and sing,  
with great mirth prepared,  
She her hands did wring  
in most grievous 〈◊〉▪  
Oh what hap had I  
Thus to wail and cry,  
unrespected every day▪  
living in disdain▪  
While that others gain  
all the right I should enjoy▪  
I am left forsaken,  
Others they are taken,  
ah my Love▪ why dost thou so?  
Her flatteries believe not, etc.   

The Knight with his fair Piece,  
at length his Lady spied,  
Who did him daily fleece  
of his wealth and store:  
Secretly she stood,  
while she her fashions tried,  
With a patient mood,  
while deep the Strumpet swore:  
O sir Knight, quoth she,  
So dear I love thee,  
my life doth rest at thy dispose,  
By day and eke by night,  
For thy sweet delight,  
thou shalt me in thy arms disclose.  
I am thine own for ever,  
Still will I persever  
true to thee where ere I go.  
Her flatteries believe not, etc.   

The virtuous Lady mild  
enters then among them,  
Being big with child,  
as ever she might be.  
With distilling tears  
she looked then upon them▪  
filled full of fears▪  
thus replied she:  
Ah my Love and Dear,  
Wherefore stay you here,  
refusing me your loving wife,  
For an Harlot's sake,  
Which each one will take,  
whose vile deeds provoke much strife▪  
Many can accuse her,  
O my Love refuse her,  
with thy Lady home return:  
Her flatteries believe not,  
Come to me and grieve not, etc.   

All in fury then  
the angry Knight upstarted  
Very furious, when  
he heard his Lady's speech:  
With many bitter terms  
his wife he overthwarted,  
Using hard extremes,  
while she did him beseech.  
From her neck so white▪  
He took away in spite  
her curious chain of finest gold,  
Her jewels and her Rings,  
And all such costly things,  
as he about her did behold.  
The Harlot in her presence,  
He did gently reverence▪  
and to her he gave them all▪  
He sent away his Lady,  
Full of woe as may be,  
who in a sound with grief did fall▪    

The second part,  
To the same tune.  
 

ALL his Ladies wrong  
the Harlot cleared and laughed,  
〈…〉 ements are so strong,  
they overcome the wife:  
〈◊〉 knight nothing regarded,  
to see the Lady scoffed,  
●his was her reward,  
〈◊〉 her enterprise.  
〈◊〉 Harlot all this space  
〈◊〉 him oft embrace,  
she flatters him, and thus doth say,  
●or thee I'll die and live,  
●or thee my faith I'll give,  
no woe shall work my Love's decay.  
〈◊〉 shalt be my treasure,  
〈◊〉 shalt be my pleasure,  
thou shalt be my heart's delight:  
〈…〉 ll be thy darling,  
〈…〉 be thy worldling,  
〈…〉 ●espight of Fortune's spite.   

〈◊〉 he did remain  
〈◊〉 wasteful great expenses,  
〈…〉 itbred his pain,  
and consumed him quite:  
〈…〉 his Lands were spent,  
〈…〉 ubled in his senses,  
〈◊〉 he did repent  
〈◊〉 his lewd delight:  
〈◊〉 〈…〉 lief he hies,  
〈…〉 〈…〉 lief he flies,  
〈…〉 them on whom he spent hi● gold,  
●ll do him deny,  
●ll do him defy,  
〈◊〉 will not once his face behold.  
〈◊〉 thus distressed,  
〈◊〉 thus oppressed,  
〈◊〉 the fields that night he lay,  
●ith the Harlot knowing,  
〈…〉 gh her malice 〈…〉ing▪  
〈…〉ght to take his 〈◊〉 away.   
 

A young and proper Lad,  
they had slain in secret,  
For the gold he had:  
whom they did convey,  
By a Ruffian lewd,  
to that place directly,  
Where that youthful Knight  
fast a sleeping lay:  
The bloody dagger than,  
Wherewith they killed the man,  
hard by the Knight he likewise laid,  
Sprinkling him with blood,  
As he thought it good,  
and then no longer there he stayed.  
The Knight being so abused,  
Was forthwith accused  
for this murder which was done,  
And he was condemned,  
That had not offended,  
shameful death he might not shun.   

When the Lady bright  
understood the matter,  
That her wedded Knight  
was condemned to die,  
To the King she went  
with all the speed that might be,  
Where she did lament  
her hard destiny:  
Noble King, quoth she,  
Pity take on me,  
and pardon my poor husband's life,  
Else I am undone,  
With my little son,  
let mercy mitigate this grief.  
Lady fair, content thee,  
Soon thou wouldst repent thee,  
If he should be saved so:  
Sore he hath abused thee,  
Sore he hath misused thee,  
therefore Lady let him go▪   
 

O my Liege, quoth she,  
grant your gracious favour,  
Dear he is to me,  
though he did me wrong:  
The King replied again,  
with a stern behaviour,  
A Subject he hath slain,  
die he▪ shall ere long,  
Except thou canst find  
Any one so kind,  
that will die and set him free.  
Noble King, she said,  
Glad am I paid,  
the same person will I been,  
I will suffer duly,  
I will suffer truly,  
for my Love and husband's sake.  
The King therefore amazed,  
Though he her duty praised,  
he bade that thence he should her take.   

It was the King's command,  
on the morrow after,  
She should out of hand,  
to the Scaffold go:  
Her husband pointed was,  
to bear the sword before her,  
He must eke alas,  
give the deadly blow:  
He refused the deed,  
She bade him proceed,  
with a thousand kisses sweet.  
In this woeful case,  
They did both embrace  
which moved the Ruffian in that place  
Strait for to discover  
This concealed murder,  
whereby the Lady saved was  
The Harlot than was hanged,  
As she well deserved,  
this 〈…〉 ertue bring to pass.    
FINIS.   

Printed at London for I. Wright.