%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Letters Three. / A young-man walking forth in this merry Month of / May, finding his True Love was gone astray, all his desire was to speak with her, / before that he was gone to Sea. S., M. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1674-1674 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 04/21/2011 30418

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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

R216068 3 a pleasant new Tune UNKNOWN A Pleasant New Tune Letters Three UNKNOWN Letters Three the same Tune UNKNOWN The Same Tune VVIth Letters three, I do begin, / my mind to write, and then to try, I Beg and crave with cap in hand, / falling upon my bended knee, I'le never change, i'le never change, / I'le never change her for a new. | whom I Love best, whom I Love best, / whom I Love best, I must forgo. [first refrain on first and third stanzas; second refrain on third and fourth stanzas] Roxburghe Ballads Editor None None None None Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 3: 86 3: 87 The Letters Three. / A young-man walking forth in this merry Month of / May, finding his True Love was gone astray, all his desire was to speak with her, / before that he was gone to Sea. S., M. 1674-1674 F. Coles, T. Vere, J. Wright, and J. Clarke

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol animals/ nature Bible/ biblical figures buildings/ architecture catastrophe children class clothing/ appearance country/ nation crime death economics/ commerce entertainments family folklore gender holidays/ seasons infidelity labor/ craft law London love maritime marriage military/ war monstrosity mythology/ Classical news nobility/ court politics/ government procreation punishment race/ ethnicity 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 youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 4/21/2011 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America love Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 4/21/2011 11:58:01 AM XBallad Mellon, Gillian Created XML Version of Ballad 4/21/2011 11:58:01 AM Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/21/2011 11:58:01 AM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/21/2011 11:58:01 AM Transcriptionist Two Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/21/2011 11:58:01 AM Transcriptionist One Abrams, Annie Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/28/2008 Bibliographer Giles Bergel Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 11/15/2010 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 10/29/2010 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 10/29/2010 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 10/29/2010 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 10/15/2008 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Letters Three:</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic"><hi rend="bold">A young-man walking forth in this merry Month of</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">May, <hi rend="bold">finding his True Love was gone astray, all his desire was to speak with her,</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">before that he was gone to Sea.</hi></hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">To a pleasant new Tune; Or,</hi> Letters Three.</hi></seg>
WIth Letters three, I do begin, my mind to write, and then to try, The first is B, for she and me, the second D, the third a Y. But if to me, She will prove true, Ile never change, ile never change, Ile never change her for a new. As I was walking in a Grove, three pretty birds all in a Spring, One pretty bird did in that place, unto my thought most sweetly sing, and in her song, she told me so, whom I love best, whom I love best, whom I Love best I must forgo;
Standing a while amazd thereat, musing from whence this eccho came, Feeding my flocks upon the plain, thinking it had been but a dream. But in her Song, she told me so, whom I Love best, whom I Love best, whom I Love best, I must forgo. Quoth he, I will to her again, and hear what she will some say, Perhaps she will more constant prove, although at first she said me nay. but if to me, she will prove true, Ile never change, Ile never change, Ile never change her for a new.
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The second part, to the same Tune.</hi></seg>
I Beg and crave, with cap in hand, falling upon my bended knee, I vow to be at her command, if she will grant her love to me: but all my labour is but in vain, She will not yield, ive Lost the field, And am requited with disdain. Now will I leave off loving quite, until a more constant friend I find, Of one that will more constant prove, and will not waver with the wind, the cause of this that I complain, Is to seek relief, to admit my grief, I Loved; and was not Loved again. You Lovers all, where ere you be, give ear unto my doleful note: With letters three perhaps you might, and so you may give in your vote:
the Proverbs true which now I find, Once out of sight, once out of sight, Once out of sight, quite out of mind. My story pend, I now will end, praying unto the Gods above: Wishing the next true love she have, may prove as constant in his love: one thing more, I had to indite: But for the tears, but for the tears, Fell on the paper, I could not write.
By M. S. FINIS. Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere, J. Wright; and J. Clarke.