The True-Lovers Holidays:  
OR, The Wooing, Winning, and Wedding of a fair Damosel; performed by a lusty Soldier, being one of the Auxiliaries.  
The Soldier Wooed the Maid with words most kind,  
She Answered him according to his mind.  
To the Tune of, Nobody else shall plunder but I  
 
 


MY sweetest, my fairest,  
My rarest, my dearest,  
Come sit thee down by me and let's chat a while,  
It doth my heart good, when  
I see thee most nearest,  
That we with pleasant talk the sad times may beguile  
If thou'lt have the patience to stay in this Bower,  
That I may discourse with thee just half an hour,  
I'll show thee a Ticket from Cupid's Commission,  
Which Venus set hand to, upon this condition,  

that no body else shall enjoy thee but I.    

the Summer is come,  
and the time is in season,  
That each pretty bird have made choice of his Mate,  
now I being a young man  
of judgement and reason,  
Have cause to be doing e'er time's out of date,  
Hark, hark how I hear the sweet Nightingales verses  
Whose echoes records-what true-lovers rehearses;  
The truehearted Turtle-Doves now are a billing,  
And so will I do my Love, if thou are willing  

that no body else shall enjoy thee but I.    

I pray thee Love leave me not,  
though I am a Soldier,  
And want skill in wooing to deal with a Maid;  
yet if thou wilt kiss me,  
and make me the bolder,  
Mark well and consider what here shall be said,  
My hand and my sword shall from danger defend thee,  
My purse and my person shall stoutly attend thee;  
I'll buy thee a new kirtle, wrought waistcoat & beaver  
A dainty silk Apron, my mind shall not waver,  

So no body else shall enjoy thee but I.    

if thou wilt consent, that  
things shall be so carried,  
Before this day fortnight I'll make thee my wife,  
and we in the Church will  
be lawfully married,  
So shalt thou live bravely all days of thy life;  
Thou shalt have thy servants to wait on thy leisure,  
thy purse shall be crammed with gold crowns, & rich treasure  
Nothing shall be wanting 't I can procure thee,  
So thou wilt be constant and thus much assure me,  

that no body else shall enjoy thee but I.    

make answer sweet honey.  
to what I have spoken  
That I may the better know whereon to trust,  
receive this Gold Ring  
as an eminent token,  
My love shall be permanent, loyal and just;  
One lovely look from thee, for aye will revive me,  
But a frown of thine will of life straight deprive me,  
Then answer me kindly at this time dear sweeting  
That I may find comfort by this happy meeting,  

and no body else shall enjoy thee but I.     

The Second Part  
to the same Tune.  
Being the Maids Loving Answer to the Soldier.  

I'll leave all my kindred  
both father and mother,  
My Uncle, my Aunt, and my Grandam also,  
my nearest acquaintance,  
my Sister and Brother,  
For 'tis my desire with a Soldier to go,  
In weal and in woe I will with my Love travel,  
Whilst some at my service and toil do much marvel  
So long as my life lasts, if fortune will guide me  
I'll march with thee bravely, what ever betid me.  

And I'll be thy true-Love until I die.    

● is not the great Ordnance  
when they do rattle▪  
Shall make me fly from thee, 〈◊〉 mind is so stout,  
for when I perceive thee  
preparing for battle,  
I'll clos●●● stick to thee of that make no doubt,  
and when thou hast drawn thy brave blade to befriend me  
For courage and valour and skill I'll commend thee  
In peace and in wars if thou pleasest to prove me,  
By day and by night thou shalt find how I love thee,  

I'll still take thy part till the day that I die.    

moreover sweet Soldier  
thus much I must tell thee,  
When I understood you took me for your choice,  
It made the very heart of me  
Leap in my belly,  
And all the merry veins in my body rejoice;  
You also requested of me certain kisses,  
The which you accounted as true-Lovers blisses,  
In stead of one kiss, now I'll give thee full twenty,  
So thou wilt repay me again with like plenty.  

and I'll be thy true love until I do die,    

this Ring which thou gavest me,  
shall serve for a token,  
I'll keep it for thy sake whiles heaven lends me life,  
the promise betwixt us  
shall never be broken,  
Be thou my sweet Husband, I'll be thy kind Wife:  
Then serve Cupid's warrant upon me and spare not,  
For what thou canst do with thy Ticket I fear not:  
Let Vulcan and Venus with Cupid conspire,  
To kindle Love's fuel, or quench Lovers fire,  

yet I'll love my Soldier until that I die.    

you said in a fortnight  
that we should be married,  
But I am unwilling to stay for't so long:  
besides in my mind I have  
over much tarried;  
Delays amongst Lovers doth oftentimes wrong.  
Pray make all things ready 'twixt this and Sunday,  
That we may be married on the next Monday,  
So we in the holidays may make us merry,  
With Banquets and Pastimes until we be weary.  

and I'll be thy true-Love until that I die.     
L. P.  
FINIS.