%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Somersetshire TRAGEDY: / OR, THE / Wronged Lady's Lamentation, and Untimely DEATH. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1763-1763 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 05/02/2011 31340

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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

T49416 SIR William, a Knight of six thousand a year, / He courted fair Susan of Somersetshire: Roxburghe Ballads Editor None None None None Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 3: 648 3: 649 The Somersetshire TRAGEDY: / OR, THE / Wronged Lady's Lamentation, and Untimely DEATH. 1763-1763

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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 5/2/2011 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America children death family love supernatural/ magic Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 5/2/2011 2:10:38 PM XBallad Doss, MacKenzie Created XML Version of Ballad 5/2/2011 2:10:38 PM Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/2/2011 2:10:38 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/2/2011 2:10:38 PM Transcriptionist Two Fadel, Meghan Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/2/2011 2:10:38 PM Transcriptionist One Foley, Christopher Transcription of ballad manuscript 11/9/2010 Checker Sue Hong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/30/2009 Bibliographer Meghan Fadel Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 1/30/2009 Checker Meghan Fadel Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
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SIR William, a Knight of six thousand a year, He courted fair Susan of Somersetshire: The beautifullest creature that ever was seen, A Lady by birth, tho her fortune was mean: What passed between them Ill tell you in brief, Who hear it may sigh with a heart full of grief. To her he pretended the greatest of Love, And held her in hand for three months and above; Inviting her often to feast at his hall, At length he to wanton embraces did fall; Which when she perceived, she sighing would say, Dont ruin an innocent Lady I pray. O talk not of ruin, thou Joy of my heart, So long as we live, Love, we never will part;
So sure as I give thee this amorous Kiss: Then let me arrive at this rapture of Bliss: If ever Im false or disloyal to thee, May Gods divine vengeance then fall upon me. The innocent Lady then struck with surprise, Besought him with sorrowful tears in her eyes, That he would not tempt her to any such thing, The which without question her ruin would bring; Yet still with new arguments her he assaild, Tho long she resisted, at length he prevaild. He having obtaind his earnest request, She proved with child, then with sorrows opprest, He left her, whom once he did seem to adore, And all his rash vows he regarded no more; No creature so false and deceitful as he, That swears to be true, and yet perjurd will be. The innocent Lady with sorrows opprest, With tears in her eyes, with sobs from her breast; She cryd theres no sorrow, no sorrows like mine, O why had Sir William so base a design! Before I consented, O that I had dyd! Im ruined, Im ruind, Im ruind, she cryd. Against you Sir William, I needs must exclaim, You courted for lust, and have cloathd me with shame, A sorrow which I am unable to bear, My honour is gone: I will die in despair: And haunt you by night with my wandering ghost, That you may not have any reason to boast.
You shall have no pleasure, but constantly find, The Cries of your conscience, the trouble of mind: Both sleeping and waking wherever you go, For seeking my Ruin and sad Overthrow; And breaking the Vows that you solemnly made, Before you my innocent Virtue betrayd. Retird from Friends her close chamber she kept, Where for her misfortunes she bitterly wept: And finding her folly she no ways could hide, With grief she miscarryd, in sorrow she dyd; Whose wandering Ghost then did often affright Her false-hearted Lover and treacherous Knight. Sometimes to his chamber at midnight she came; The room being filld with a terrible flame: Her trembling ghost near the curtains would stand With either a dagger or sword in her hand; As if she would stab this false Knight where he lay, And then with a shriek she would vanish away. But once above all a strange groaning he heard, And strait with a child in her arms she appeard, Which then in his bed she laid close on his side; This frighted him so that he sickend and dyd Within a week after the same he beheld; To all that he told it, with wonder were filld. Now as in a frightfu condition he lay, To all his dear friends he was pleased to say I wronged a Lady, I needs must confess, And brought her to sorrow, to shame, and distress: And now since the glass of my life is near run, Im going to answer for what I have done. I was false to my love, and my oath I have broke, And death now stands ready at one fatal stroke, To send me away, but I cannot tell where, I have done amiss, and must die in despair: Let me be a warning to all that shall hear, Of my death, for being false to my Deear.
Printed and Sold in Aldermary Church Yard, London.