%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> Constance of Cleueland./ A very excellent Sonnet of the most faire Lady Constance of Cleveland,/ and her disloyall Knight. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1630 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 05/08/2008 20060

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

1.138-139 S3150 1 Crimson Velvet Crimson Velvet Crimson Velvet IT was a youthfull Knight,/ lov'd a gallant Lady, Her words, my Love, belieue not,/ Come to me and grieue not,/ Wantons will thee ouerthrow. [with variations; not final stanza] AT his Ladies wrong/ the Harlot fleer'd and laughed, Title unclear: Constance of Cleueland./ A very excellent Sonnet of the most faire Lady Constance of Clevelan[d,]/ and her disloyall knight. Pepys 1.138-139 STC 5639.5 for J. Wright [c.1630]; Rollins (2) 824 (June 11, 1603, III, 237, Wm. White); Rollins (2) 1266 (Dec. 14, 1624, IV, 131). Woodblock 4: above third column, below title: A very well-dressed lady, noblewoman, or queen, wears an ornate, very highly decorated dress, with different patterns for her overskirt and underskirt. She has an elaborate stomacher and very elaborate puffed sleeves. She wears around her neck an elaborate ruff and holds in her right hand a scepter and in her left hand an orb or other round object. On her head she wears an elaborate headpiece, possibly a crown, out of which rise several large, long plumes or feathers. : 84 x 47 Woodblock 1: below title, centered above three columns: A lady and a man, presumably a knight, stand out in a field, looking at one another. There are three trees on the hill behind them. The lady wears some kind of headpiece or cap, wears a large ruff, and wears a full-skirted dress with elaborate sleeves. She holds her left hand on top of her stomacher, and in her right hand she holds an object, possibly a purse. On her left stands the knight, who is bowing towards the lady with his right hand over his heart and his left hand extended with his plumed hat in his hand. He is well-dressed and wears a heavy cape over his right shoulder. A large collar or ruff is around his neck, and he wears an elaborate jerkin or doublet. He wears knee-breeches or slops with bows behind his knees.: 87 x 138 Woodblock 2: above first column, below title: The woodcut is a faded image of a woman wearing an elaborate gown. In her right hand she holds a large object, possibly a branch or a feather fan. Plants appear to be growing around her feet and there is a floral pattern on the front of her dress. She appears to be wearing a large ruff and her sleeves appear to be puffed and elaborately embroidered. Her left hand she holds in front of her. : 80 x 59 Woodblock 3: above second column, below title: A king stands facing his left, looking downward. He wears a crown and holds a long scepter in his right hand. The king has a beard, and wears a long fur coat, open to show a white shirt, short, pleated skirt, and hose. He wears a necklace with a pendant.: 79 x 48 Pepys Library The Pepys ballads : facsimile volume Editor W.G. Day D.S. Brewer Cambridge [England] 1987 Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 138 Constance of Cleueland./ A very excellent Sonnet of the most faire Lady Constance of Cleveland,/ and her disloyall Knight. Constance of Cleveland. A very excellent Sonnet of the most faire Lady Constance of Cleveland, and her disloyall Knight. Constance of Cleveland. A Very Excellent Sonnet of the Most Fair Lady Constance of Cleveland, and Her Disloyal Knight. The second part, The second part, The Second Part, 1/2 sheet folio, originally left part, 274 x 179 1/2 sheet folio, originally right part, 274 x ?183 cropped right edge, creased, uneven inking cropped top edge, torn, uneven inking 1630 Printed at London for I. Wright. J. Wright Weinstein: STC Weinstein lists I:138-139 under J[ohn] Wright. Plomer notes a John Wright Sr. and Jr. Jr. active 1634-67, says Plomer. BBTI lists John Wright II (active 1634-58), but says that he was the son of Richard Wright. Licensing information dates this to John Wirght Sr.'s active period. BBTI also records a John Wright active 1609-1628. ESTC lists I. Wright.

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 Taxonomy used by Pepys to Organize Ballads in Albums A Small Promiscuous Supplement Devotion & Morality Drinking & Good Fellowship History - True & Fabulous Humour, Frollicks &c Love Pleasant Love Pleasant and Unfortunate Love Unfortunate Marriage Sea State & Times Tragedy Various Subjects Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/health alcohol animals/nature appearance Bible/biblical figures buildings/architecture catastrophe children class clothing/fashion country/nation crime death economics/trade entertainment family/procreation folklore gender historical figures & events holidays/seasons infidelity law London love maritime marriage military/war monstrosity mythology/Classical world news nobility/court politics/government punishment religious concepts religious figures religious types & sects royalty rural life servitude sex/sexuality supernatural/magic The New World travel trickery/deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgarities/crass humor Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 5/8/2008 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Tragedy crime infidelity punishment sex/sexuality violence virtue 05/08/2008 Checker Patrick Ludolph checked transcription, metadata added, xml created 07/27/2007 Checker Gordon Batchelor checked transcription 02/04/2005 Transcriber Apri Medina original transcription 08/01/2004 Bibliographer Maggie Sloan Bibliographic SQL Database Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Constance of Cleveland.</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">A very excellent Sonnet of the most faire Lady <hi rend="bold">Constance</hi> of <hi rend="bold">Clevelan[d]</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">and her disloyall Knight. To the tune of <hi rend="bold">Crimson Velvet.</hi></hi></seg>
IT was a youthfull Knight, lov'd a gallant Lady, Faire she was and bright, and of vertues rare: Her selfe she did behave so courteously as may be, Wedded were they brave, joy without compare. Here began the griefe, Paine without reliefe, her husband soone her love forsooke, To women lewd of mind Being bad inclin'd, he onely lent a pleasant looke: The Lady she sate weeping, While that he was keeping company with others moe: Her words, my Love, believe not, Come to me and grieve not, Wantons will thee overthrow. His faire Ladies words nothing he regarded, Wantonnesse affords such delightfull sport: While they dance and sing, with great mirth prepared, She her hands did wring in most grievous s[oo]rt. Oh what hap had I Thus to waile and cry, unrespected every day: Living in disdaine,
While that others gaine all the right I should enjoy? I am left forsaken, Others they are taken, ah my Love, why dost thou so? Her flatteries beleeve not, etc. The Knight with his faire 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 deepe the Strumpet swore: O sir Knight, quoth she, So dearely 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 armes disclose. I am thine owne for ever, Still will I persever true to thee where ere I goe. Her flatteries beleeve not, etc. The vertuous Lady mild enters then among them, Being big with child, as ever she might be. With distilling teares she looked then upon them, Filled full of feares,
thus replied she: Ah my Love and Deare, Wherefore stay you here, refusing me your loving wife, For an Harlots 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 returne: Her flatteries beleeve not, Come to me and grieve not, etc. All in fury then the angry Knight upstarted Very furious, when he heard his Ladies speech: With many bitter termes his wife he overthwarted, Using hard extremes, while she did him beseech. From her necke so white, He tooke away in spight her curious chaine 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 griefe did fall.
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The second part, To the same tune.</hi></seg>
AT his Ladies wrong the Harlot fleer'd and laughed, Inticements are so strong, they over-come the wife: The Knight nothing regarded, to see the Lady scoffed, This was her reward, for her enterprise. The Harlot all this space Did him oft imbrace, she flatters him, and thus doth say, For thee Ile die and live, For thee my faith Ile give, no woe shall work my Loves decay. Thou shalt be my treasure, Thou shalt be my pleasure, thou shalt be my hearts delight: I will be thy darling, I will be thy worldling, in despight of Fortunes spight. Thus he did remaine in wastfull great expences, Till it bred his paine, and consum'd him quite: When his Lands were spent, troubled in his senses, Then he did repent this his lewd delight: For reliefe he hies, For reliefe he flies, to them on whom he spent his gold, They doe him deny, They doe him defie, they will not once his face behold. Being thus distressed, Being thus oppressed, in the fields that night he lay, Which the Harlot knowing, Through her malice growing, sought to take his life away.
A young and proper Lad, they had slaine in secret, For the gold he had: whom they did convey, By a Ruffian lewd, to that place directly, Where that youthfull Knight fast a sleeping lay: The bloody dagger than, Wherewith they kill'd the man, hard by the Knight he likewise laid, Sprinkling him with blood, As he thought it good, and then no longer there he staid. The Knight being so abused, Was forthwith accused for this murther which was done, And he was condemned, That had not offended, shamefull death he might not shun. When the Lady bright understood the matter, That her wedded Knight was condemn'd 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, Pitty take on me, and pardon my poore husbands life, Else I am undone, With my little son, let mercy mitigate this griefe. Lady faire, content thee, Soone thou wouldst repent thee, if he should be saved so: Sore he hath abus'd thee, Sore he hath misus'd thee, therefore Lady let him goe.
O my Liege, quoth she, grant your gracious favor, Deare he is to me, though he did me wrong: The King repli'd againe, with a sterne behaviour, A Subject hee hath slaine, 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 apaid, the same person will I bee, I will suffer duely, I will suffer truely, for my Love and husbands sake. The King therefore amazed, Though he her duty praised, he bade that thence he should her take. It was the Kings command, on the morrow after, She should out of hand, to the Scaffold goe: Her husband pointed was, to beare the sword before her, He must eke alas, give the deadly blow: He refus'd the deed, Shee bade him proceed, with a thousand kisses sweet. In this wofull case, They did both imbrace which mov'd the Ruffian in that place Straight for to discover This concealed murther, whereby the Lady saved was, The Harlot then was hanged, As shee well deserved, this [did v]ertue bring to passe.
FINIS.
Printed at London for J. Wright.