A most excellent Song of the love of young Palmus, and fair Sheldra, with their unfortunate love.  
To the tune of Shackley-hay.  
 


YOung Palmus was a ferry-man,  
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 hay.  
Fa, la la, fa, la la la la.  
So loud at Shackley did she cry,  
the woods resound at Shackley-hay.  
Fa, la la, fa, la la la la.  
But all in vain she did complain,  
for nothing cauld him move:  
Till wind did turn him back again,  
and brought him to his love.  
When she saw him thus turned by safe,  
She turned her love to mortal hate.  
Fa, la la &c.  
Then weeping to her did he say,  
I'll live with thee at Shackley-hay.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
No●●●, (quoth she) I thee deny,  
my love thou once didst scorn:  
And my prayers wouldst not hear,  
but left me here forlone:  
And now being turned by fate of wind,  
Thou thinkest to win me to thy mind.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
Go, go, farewell, I thee denay,  
Thou shall not live at Shackley-hay.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
If thou dost my love also 〈◊〉,  
because I live on seas:  
Or that I am a Ferryman,  
my Sheldra doth displease:  
I will no more in that estate,  
Ere servile unto wind and 〈◊〉.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
But quite forsake Boat, Dares, & Sea,  
And live with thee at Shackley-hay.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
My Sheldra's bed shall be my Boat,  
her arms shall be my Dares,  
where love in stead of storms shall float,  
on pleasant downs and shores:  
Her sweetest breath my gentle gale,  
Through sides of love to drive my sail.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
Her look my praise, and she my joy,  
To live with me at Shackley-hay,  
Fa, la la, etc.  
Not Phao shall with me compare,  
so fortunate to prove:  
Fair Venus never was his fare,  
I'll bear the Queen of love:  
The working waters never fear,  
For Cupid's self our Barge shall steer,  
Fa, la la, etc.  
And to the shore I still will cry,  
My Sheldra comes to Shackley-hey.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
To strew my Boat for thy avail,  
I'll rob the flowery shores:  
And whilst thou guid'st the silkon sail,  
I'll row with silver Dares:  
And as upon the streams we float,  
A thousand Swans shall guide our boat.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
And to the shore still will I cry,  
My Sheldra comes to Shackley-hay.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
And have a story painted there,  
wherein there shall be seen:  
How Sappho loved a ferry-man,  
being a learned Queen.  
In golden letters shall be writ,  
How well in love himself he quit.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
That all the Lasses still shall cry,  
With Palmus we'll to Shackley-hay.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
And walking dastly to the Strand,  
we'll angle in the brook:  
And fish with thy white-lilly hand,  
thou néedst no other hook:  
To which the fish shall soon be borough  
& strive which shall the first be caught  
Fa, la la, etc.  
A thousand pleasures will we try,  
As we do low to Shackley-hay.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
And if we be oppressed with heat,  
in mid-time of the day:  
Under the Willows tall and great,  
shall be our quiet bay:  
Where I will make thee fans of bow●  
From Phoebus' beams to shade thy brow  
Fa, la la, etc.  
And cause them at the Ferry cry,  
A boat, a boat to Shackley-hay.  
Fa, la la, 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 about thee round,  
Whilst thou with garlands shall be crown  
Fa, la la, etc.  
And all the shepherds with joy shall 〈◊〉  
O Sheldra is come to Shackley-hay.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
Although I did myself absent,  
'twas but to try thy mind:  
But now thou mayst thyself repent,  
for being so unkind:  
For now thou art turned by wind & fa  
In stead of love thoust purchased hate.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
Wherefore return thee to the Sea,  
And bid farewell to Shackley-hay.  
Fa, la la, etc.    

The second part,  
to the same tune.  

THus all in vain he did complain,  
and no remorse could find:  
Young Palmus through his own disdain  
made Sheldra fair unkind:  
And she is from him fled and gone,  
He laid him in his boat alone,  
Fa, la la, etc.  
And so be took him to the Sea,  
And bad farewell to Shackley-hay.  
Fa, la la, 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, la la, etc.  
And launched his boat into the sea,  
And bade farewell to Shackley-hay.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
Now farewell to my Sheldra fair,  
whom I no more shall see:  
I mean to leave my life at sea,  
by thy unconstancy.  
Come Neptune, come, to thee I cry,  
With thee I'll live, with thee I'll die.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
Thus he launched himself into the sea,  
And bade farewell to Shackley-hay.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
But far from thence he had not gone,  
ere Sheldra fair returned,  
Whose heart kind pity made to move,  
such passion in her burned:  
But when she to that place arrived,  
She found the shore from him deprived.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
And her dear Palmus now at sea,  
Had bade farewell to Shackley-hay.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
She then with bitter sighs complained,  
her grief did so abound:  
Oft grieving, that she him disdained,  
whom she so loving found:  
But now (alas) 'twas all in vain,  
For he was gone by her disdain.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
Leaving that place to her alone,  
Who now laments that he is gone.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
O wretched Sheldra, then, quoth she,  
confess what fond disdain,  
Hath wrath caused to fall on thee:  
could not this long-suffering pain,  
By thee (alas) so soon forgot,  
Served to thy loves strange hateful lot.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
And thus to lie, and for him cry,  
Whom thou so fond didst deny.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
Who once did truly love, I see,  
shall never after hate,  
As doth too well appear by me,  
in my forsaken state.  
Alas, I meant my scorn to prove,  
By only trial of his love.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
Now hapless me, since I do see,  
He hath forsaken woeful me,  
Fa, la la, etc.  
Thus all this while in roughest seas;  
poor Palmus boat was tossed:  
But more his mind with his disease,  
because he Sheldra lost.  
In midst of this, he her forswears,  
He rend his boat and tore his hairs.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
Threw hope away, for he, alas,  
Can be no more drowned than he was.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
Even as his grief had swallowed him,  
so strove the greedy waves:  
About his boat, and o'er the brim,  
each lofty billow raves:  
There is no trust to swelling powers,  
That what it may, it still devours,  
Fa, la la, etc.  
But by the breach the seas might see,  
The boat felt more the rage than he.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
Thus wracked & scattered was their state  
while he in quiet swam:  
Through liquid paths to Thetis gate,  
by soft degrees went down  
Whom when the Nymphs beheld, the Girls,  
Soon laid aside their sorting pearls.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
And by they heaved him as a guest,  
Unlooked for, now come to their feast.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
His case they pitied: but when they  
beheld his face right feign:  
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, la la, etc.  
Thus with Nymphs he lives in the sea  
That left his love at Shackley-hay.  
Fa, la la, etc.  
Then Sheldra fair to Shackley went,  
to end her woeful days,  
Because young Palmus cast himself  
into the floating Seas.  
At Shackley-hay did fair Sheldra die,  
And Palmus in the sea doth lie,  
Fa, la la, etc.  
So as they lived, so did they die,  
And bade farewell to Shackley-hay.  
Pa, la la, etc.    
FINIS.   

Printed at London for I. W.