A most Excellent song of the love of young Palmus, and fair Sheldra.  
To the tune of, Shackley-hey.  
 

YOung Palmus was a Ferryman,  
whom Sheldra fair did Love,  
At Shackley where her sheep did graze,  
she there his thoughts did prove,  
But he unkindly stole away,  
And left his Love at Shackley-hey,  
fa lafoy, fa la la la.  
So loud at Shackley did she cry,  
The words resound at Shackley-hey  
fa lafoy, fa la la la.   

But all in vain she did complain,  
for nothing did him move;  
Till wind did turn him back again,  
and brought him to his Love,  
When she saw him thus turned by fate,  
She turned her love to Mortal hate,  
fa lafoy, etc.  
Then weeping to himself did say,  
I'll Live with thee at Shackley-hey,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

No no quoth she, I thee deny,  
my Love thou once did scorn,  
And to my prayers wouldst not hear,  
but left me here forlorn,  
But now being turned by fate of wind,  
Thou thinkst to win me to thy Mind,  
fa lafoy, etc.  
Go, go, farewel I thee deny,  
Thou shalt not Live at Shackley-hey,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

If thou dost my love disdain  
because I Live on Seas:  
Or that I am a Ferryman,  
my Sheldra doth displease,  
I will no more in that estate  
Be subject unto wind and fate,  
fa lafoy, etc.  
But quite forsake both Oars and sea  
And Live with thee at Shackley-hey,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

My Sheldra'● bed shall be my boat,  
her arms shall be my Oars,  
Where Love instead of storms shall sloat,  
on pleasant Downs and shores,  
Her sweet breath my pleasant gale,  
Through tides of love to guide my sail,  
fa lafoy, etc.  
Her Love my praise, she is my joy,  
To Live with me at Shackley-hey,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

Nor Titan shall with me compare,  
so fortunate to prove,  
Fair Venus never was his Peer,  
i'll bear the Queen of Love,  
The working water never fear,  
For Cupid's self our Barge shall steer,  
fa lafoy, etc.  
And to the shore I still will cry,  
My Sheldra's come to Shackley-hey,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

To strew the boat for thy avail,  
i'll rob the flowery shores,  
And whilst thou guid'st the silken sail,  
i'll row with golden Oars,  
And as upon the seas we float;  
A thousand swans shall guide the boat,  
fa lafoy, etc.  
And to the shore I still will cry,  
My Sheldra comes to shackley-hey,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

And have a story painted there,  
whereon there may be seen,  
How sopho loved a Ferryman,  
being a learned Queen,  
In golden Letters shall be writ,  
How well in Love himself he quit,  
fa lafoy, etc.  
Then all the Lasses still shall say,  
With Palmus we'll to Shackley-hey,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

And walking easily to the Strand,  
we'll angle in the brook,  
And fish with the white Lily wand,  
thou know'st no other hook;  
To which the fish shall soon be brought,  
And strive which shall the first be caught,  
fa lafoy▪ etc.  
A thousand pleasures we will try,  
As we walk on to Shackley-hey,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

And if we be oppressed with heat,  
in the mid time of the day,  
Under the willows tall and great,  
shall be our quiet bay:  
Where I will make thee fans of bows,  
From Phoebus' beams to shade thy brows  
fa lafoy, etc.  
And cause them at the Ferry cry,  
My Sheldra comes to shackley-hey,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

A troop of dainty neighbouring girls,  
shall dance along the strand,  
Upon the gravel all of Pearls,  
to wait when thou shalt Land▪  
And cast themselves upon the ground,  
Whilst thou with Garland shalt be crowned▪  
fa lafoy, etc.  
And Shepherds all with joy shall say,  
See sheldra comes to shackley-hey  
fa lafoy, etc.   

ALthough I did myself absent,  
't was but to try thy mind,  
But now thou mayst thyself absent,  
for being so unkind,  
For now thou'rt turned by wind and fate,  
Instead of love thou purchased hate,  
fa lafoy, etc.  
Therefore return thee to the sea,  
And did farewell to Shackley-hey,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

Then all in vain she did complain,  
and no remorse could find,  
Young Palmus through his own disdain  
made fair Sheldra unkind:  
And she is from him fled and gone  
He laid him in his boat alone,  
fa lafoy, etc.  
And so betook him to the Sea,  
And bad farewell to Shackley-hey,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

Then from the happy sandy shore,  
into the floating waves,  
His Vessel fraught with brinish tears,  
into the Main he laves,  
But all in vain, for why he still  
With weeping eyes his boat did fill,  
fa lafoy, etc.  
And launched himself into the sea,  
And bad farewell to Shackley-hey,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

Now farewell to my Sheldra fair  
whom I no more shall see;  
I mean to lead my Life at sea  
by thy inconstancy,  
Come Neptune come to thee I cry,  
With thee i'll Live, with thee i'll die,  
fa lafoy, etc.  
Then launched himself into the Sea,  
And bad farewell to Shackley-hey,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

But far from thence he had not gone  
ere Sheldra fair returned,  
Whose kind pity made me moan,  
such passion in her burned,  
But when she to that place arrived,  
She found the shore of him deprived  
fa lafoy, etc.  
And her dear Palmus now at sea,  
Had did farewell to Shackley-hey,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

She then with bitter sighs complained,  
her grief did so abound,  
Oft grieved that she him disdained  
whom she so Loving found:  
But now alas 'twas all in vain,  
For he was gone by her disdain,  
fa lafoy, etc.  
Leaving that place to her alone,  
Who now laments that he is gone,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

O wretched Sheldra th●n quoth she,  
confess what fond disdain  
Hath wretch cause● to fa●l on thee,  
by this long suffering pain;  
By thee alas so soon forgot,  
Serve to thy loves strange hate●in▪  
fa lafoy, etc.  
And thus to lie and for him cry,  
Whom thou so fond didst deny  
fa la etc.   

Who once did truly Love I see  
will ever after hate;  
As doth too well appear by me  
in my forsaken state:  
Alas my scorn I mean to prove  
By only trial of thy Love,  
fa lafoy, etc.  
Now hapless me, for I do see  
He hath forsaken woeful me;  
fa lafoy, etc.   

Thus all the while in roughest seas  
poor palmus boat was tossed;  
But more in's mind this did disease  
because his Sheldra's lost:  
In midst of this he her forswears,  
He rend his coat and tore his hair,  
fa lafoy, etc.  
Threw hope away, for he alas  
Could be no more drowned than he was,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

Even as his grief had swallowed him  
so did the greedy waves,  
About his boat and o'er the brim,  
each billow swiftly raves:  
There is no trust to swelling powers  
That what it may it still devours;  
fa lafoy, etc.  
And the breach the seas may see  
The boat felt more the rage than he,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

Thus wracked and scattered in the state,  
while he in quiet swum;  
Through liquid paths to Thetis gate  
by soft degree went down;  
Whom when the Nymphs beheld the girls  
Soon laid aside their sporting pearls,  
fa lafoy, etc.  
And up they heaved him as a guest,  
Unlooked for now come to the feast,  
fa lafoy, etc.   

His case they pitied, but when they  
beheld his face right fain;  
For very Love into the sea  
they pulled him back again:  
So were they with his beauty moved  
For what is fair is soon beloved:  
fa lafoy, etc.  
Then with the Nymphs he Lives in Sea  
That left his Love at Shackley-hey▪  
fa lafoy, etc.   

Then Sheldra fair to Shackley went,  
to end her woeful days,  
Because young palmus cast himself  
into the floating seas;  
At Shackley did fair Sheldra die,  
Young palmus in the seas doth lie,  
fa lafoy, etc.  
So as they lived so did they die,  
And bad farewell to Shackley-hey,  
fa la fa la la la.    

Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere, I. Wright, and I. Clark▪