The Merchant's Daughter of Bristol.  
The tune is, the Maidens Joy.  


BEhold the Touch stone 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 born this maiden 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 sorrows 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 played under her window then,  
Farewell quoth he my 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 wail and weary out my life in woe,  
Seeing my true Love is kept from me.  
I hold my life a mortal foe.  
Fair Bristol Town therefore adieu,  
For Milan shall be my habitation now,  
Although my Love doth rest in thee,  
To whom alone my heart I vow,  
With trickling tears thus did he sing,  
With sighs and sobs descending from his heart full sore,  
He said when he his hands did wring,  
Farewell sweet Love for evermore,  
Fair Maudlin from a window high,  
Beholding her true Love with Music where he stood.  
But not a word she d●rst reply.  
Fearing her Parents angry mood.  
In tears she spent that woeful night,  
Wishing herself though naked with her faithful Friend  
She blames her friends and fortunes spite,  
That wrought her love such luckless end.  
And in her heart she made a vow,  
Clean to forsake her country and her kindred all,  
And for to follow her true love▪  
To abide all chance that might befall▪  
The night is gone and the day is come.  
And in the morning very early did she rise,  
She gets her down into a lower Room,  
Where sundry Seamen she espies.  
A gallant Master among them all  
The Master of a great and goodly ship was he,  
Who there was 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 do stand,  
Then gentle sir I pray draw near.  
Into a pleasant parlour by,  
With hand in hand she brings the Seamen all alone,  
Sighing to him most piteously,  
S●e thus to him did make her moan,  
She falls upon her tender knee,  
Good sir said she now pity you a woman's wo.  
And prove a faithful friend to m●▪  
That I to you my grief may show,  
Sith you repose your trust he said,  
In me who an unknown and eke a stranger here.  
Be you assured most proper maid,  
Most faithful still I will appear,  
I have a brother than quoth she,  
Whom as my life I love and favour tenderly  
In Milan alas is he,  
Full sick God wots and like to die,  
Full fain I would my brother see.  
But that my Father will not yield to let me go,  
Therefore good sir be good to me,  
And unto me this favour show;  
Some ship boys Garment bring to me,  
That I disguised may go unknown,  
And unto Sea I'll go with thee,  
If thus much favour might 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 to him your servant Master will I be,  
And prove your faithful fr●end for this,  
Sweet master then forget not me,  
This done as they had both agreed,  
Soon after that before the break of day.  
He brings her garments then with speed,  
Therein herself she did array,  
And ere her Father did arise,  
She meets her Master as he walked in the hall,  
She did attend on him likewise,  
Until her Father did him call,  
But ere the Merchant made an end,  
Of all his weighty matters he had then to say,  
His wife came weeping in with speed,  
Saying our Daughters gone away,  
The Merchant then amaze; ' d in mind,  
Yonder vile wretch enticed away my child quoth she  
But I well wots I shall him find  
At padua in I●aly  
With that he spoke their master brave  
W●, shipfull merchant thither goes this pretty youth  
And any thing that you would crave,  
he will perform and write the truth.  
Sweet youth quoth he if it be so,  
Bear me a letter to the English merchant th●r  
and gold on thee I will bestow,  
My daughter's welfare I do fear,  
Her mother took her by the hand,  
Fair youth quoth she if ere thou ●ost my daughter see,  
Let me therefore soon understand,  
and there is twenty crowns for thee,  
Thus through the daughter's strange disguise,  
The mother knew not w●●n she spoke unto her child,  
and after her master stright sh● hies,  
Taking her leave with countenance mild,  
Thus to the Sea fair Maudlin's gone,  
With her gentle maste● God ●end them a merry wind,  
Where we a while must let them alone,  
Till you the second part do find,    


WElcome sweet Maudlin from the Seas,  
Where bitter storms and tempests do arise  
The pleasant banks of Italy  
You may behold with mortal eyes  
Thanks gentle master than said she,  
A faithful friend in sorrow thou hast been  
If fortune once do smile on me.  
My gentle heart shall soon be seen.  
blessed be the land that feeds my love  
blest be the place whereas his person doth abide  
No trial will I stick to prove  
Whereby my true-love may b● tri●d.  
Now will I walk with joy full heart  
To view the town whereas my darling doth remain  
And seek him out in every ●art,  
Until his sight I do obtain  
And I quoth he wil● not forsake.  
Sweet Maudlin in her sorrows up and down  
In wealth or woe thy part i'll take,  
And bring thee safe to padua town  
And after many weary steps  
In Milan they safe arrived at the last  
For very joy her heart it leaps  
She thinks not on her sorrows passed  
Condemned to die he was alas  
Except he would from his Religion turn,  
but rather than he would to mass  
In fiery flames he vowed to burn.  
Now doth sweet Maudlin weep and wail,  
Her joy is turned to weeping sorrow grief and care,  
For nothing could her plaints prevail,  
For death alone must be his share.  
She walks under the prison walls  
Where her true love did lie and languish in distress  
When woefully for food he calls  
When hunger did his heart oppress.  
he sighs an● sobs and makes great moan,  
Farewell sweet love forevermore.  
And all my friends that have me known,  
In bristol town with wealth and store,  
but most of all farewell quoth he  
My own sweet Maudlin whom I left behind  
For never more thou shalt me see.  
woe to thy father most unkind,  
how well were I if ●hou wert here  
With thy fair hands to close these my wretched eyes  
My torments easse would appear  
My soul with joy should scale the Skies.  
When Maudlin heard her Lovers moan  
her eyes with tears her heart with sorrow filled was  
To speak with him no men was known  
Such grievous doom on him did pass.  
Then she put off her lads attire  
her maiden's weed upon her back she seemly set  
To the judges house she did inquire.  
And there she did a service get  
She did her duty there so well  
And eke so prudently she did herself behave  
With her in love her master fell,  
his servants 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 thou shalt me find  
O grant me thy love fair maid quoth he  
And at my hands desire what thou canst devise  
And I will grant it unto thee  
Where by thy credit may arise.  
I have a brot●e● sir said she  
For his Religion is now condemned to die▪  
I● loathsome prison he is cast  
Oppressed wi●h grief and misery  
Grant me my brother's l●●e sh● said  
And now to you my love and liking will I give  
that may not be quoth he fair maid  
Except he turn he cannot live  
an ●nglish friar there is she said  
Of ●●●rning great and assing pure of life  
Let ●im to my brother be sent  
and he will finish soon the strife  
Her master granted her request  
The Mariner in Friars need she did array  
And to her love that lay distressed  
She did a letter soon convey  
When he had read these gentle lines  
his heart was ravished with present joy  
Where now she is full well he kn●w  
The Friar likewise was not coy  
but did declare to him at large  
The enterprise his love for him had taken in hand  
The youngman did the Friar charge  
His love should strait departed the land  
here to no place for her he said  
But woeful death and danger of her life  
Professing truth I was betrayed,  
And fearful flames must end the strife.  
For ere I will my faith deny  
and swear myself to follow damned anti-christ  
I'll yield my body for to die.  
To live in heaven with the highest  
O sir the gentle Friar said  
A woeful match quoth he is amnde  
Where Christ is left to win a wife.  
When she had used all means she might  
To save his life yet all would not be,  
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.  
Yea arm in arm most joyfully  
these lovers twain unto the fire did go  
The Mariner most faithfully  
Was likewise partner of this wo.  
but when the judges understood  
The faithful friendship did in them remain  
they saved their lives and afterwards  
to England sent them back again  
Now was their sorrow turned to joy  
and faithful lovers have their hearts desire  
their pain so well they did employ  
God granted that they did desire.  
and when they did to England come  
and in merry bristol arrived at the last  
Great joy there was to all and some  
That heard the dangers they had past  
Her father he was dead Got wots  
and eke her mother was joyful at her sight  
Their wishes she denied not.  
but wedded them to heart's delight.  
Her gentle master she desired.  
to be her father and at church to give her then  
It was fulfilled as she required  
Unto the joys of all good men.     

Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere, and W. Gilbertson.