THE
LAMENTATION
OF
Mr. Pages Wife of Plymouth, who being forced to wed him, consented to his Murder, for the Love of
Mr. George Strangwidge, for which they sufferd Death at Barnstaple in Devonshire.
To the Tune of, Fortune my Foe, etc.
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UNHAPPY she whom Fortune hath forlorn,
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Dispised Grace, that profferd Grace did scorn:
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My lawless Love hath luckless wrought my Woe,
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My discontent, Content did overthrow.
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My loathed Life too late I do lament,
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My woeful Deeds in Heart I do repent;
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A Wife I was that willful went a wry,
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And for that Fault am here prepard to die.
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In blooming Years my Fathers greedy Mind,
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Against my Will, a Match for me did find:
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Great Wealth there was; yea, Gold and Silver store,
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But yet my Heart had chosen one before.
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Mine Eyes dislikd my Fathers Liking quite,
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My Heart did loath my Parents fond Delight;
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My greedy Mind and Fancy told to me,
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That with his Age my Youth could not agree.
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On Knees I prayd they would not me constrain,
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With Tears I cryd their Purpose to refrain,
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With Sighs and Sobs I did them often move,
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I might not wed whereas I could not love.
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But all in vain my Speeches still I spent,
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My Mothers Will my Wishes did prevent:
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Tho wealthy Page possessd the outward Part,
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George Strangwidge still was lodged in my Heart.
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I wedded was, and wrapped all in Woe,
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Great Discontent within my Heart did grow:
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I loathd to live, yet livd in deadly Strife,
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Because by Force I was made Pages Wife.
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My chosen Eyes could not his Sight abide,
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My tender Youth did loath his aged Side:
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Scarce could I taste the Meat whereon he fed;
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My Legs did loath to lodge within his Bed.
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Cause knew I none I should despise him so,
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But such Disdain within my Heart did grow;
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Save only this, that Fancy did me move,
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And told me still George Strangwidge was my Love.
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Lo, here began my Downfal and Decay,
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In Mind I musd to make him straight away:
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I, that became a discontented Wife,
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Contented was he should be rid of Life.
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Methinks the Heavns call Vengeance for my Fact,
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Methinks the World condemns my monstrous Act;
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Methinks within my Conscience tells me true,
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That for this Deed Hell-fire is my due.
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My pensive Soul doth sorrow for my Sin,
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For which Offence my Soul doth bleed within:
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But Mercy, Lord, for Mercy I do cry,
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Save thou, my Soul, and let my Body die.
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Well could I wish that Page enjoyd his Life,
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So that he had some other to his Wife:
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But never could I wish of low or high,
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A longer Life than see sweet Strangwidge die.
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O wo is me! that had no greater Grace,
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To stay till he had run out Natures Race:
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My Deeds I rue, but more I do repent,
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That to the same my Strangwidge gave Consent.
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You Parents fond that greedy minded be,
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And seek to graft upon the golden Tree;
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Consider well, and rightful Judges be,
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And give your Doom twixt Parents Love and me.
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I was their Child, and bound for to obey;
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Yet not to love, where I no Love could lay:
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I married was in much sad endless Strife,
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But Faith before had made me Strangwidges Wife.
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O wretched World, whom cankerd Rust doth blind,
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And cursed Men who bear a greedy Mind;
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And hapless I whom Parents did force so,
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To end my Days in Sorrow, Shame, and Wo.
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You Devonshire Dames, and courteous Cornwal Knights,
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That here are come to visit woful Wights,
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Regard my Grief, and mark my woful End,
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And to your Children be a better Friend.
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And thou, my Dear, which for my Fault must die,
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Be not afraid the Sting of Death to try:
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Like as we livd and lovd together true,
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So both at once lets bid the World adieu.
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Ulalia, thy Friend, doth take her last Farewell,
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Whose Soul with thee in Heavn shall ever dwell.
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Sweet Saviour Christ do thou my Soul receive,
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The World I do with all my Heart forgive.
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And Parents now, whose greedy Minds doth show,
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Your Hearts Desire, and inward heavy Wo;
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Mourn you no more, for now my Heart doth tell
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Ere Day be done, my Soul shall be full well.
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And Plymouth proud, I bid thee now farewell;
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Take heed ye Wives, let not your Hands rebel:
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And farewell Life, wherein such Sorrow shows,
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And welcome Death that doth my Corps inclose.
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And now sweet Lord forgive me my Misdeeds,
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Repentance cries for my Soul that inward bleeds:
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My Soul and Body I commend to thee,
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That with thy Blood from Death redeemed me.
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Lord bless our King with long and happy Life,
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And send true Peace betwixt each Man and Wife;
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And give all Parents Wisdom to foresee,
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The Match is marrd where Minds do not agree.
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Mrs. PAGEs
COMPLAINT
For causing her Husband to be murthered for the
Love of Mr. George Strangwidge.
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IF ever Wo did touch a Womans Heart,
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Or Grief did gall for Sin the outward Part;
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My Conscience then, and heavy Heart within,
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Can witness well the Sorrow for my Sin.
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When Years were young, my Father forcd me to wed
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Against my Will, where Fancy was not fed:
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I was content their Pleasure to obey,
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Altho my Heart was linkd another Way.
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Great were the Gifts they profferd in my Sight,
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With Wealth they thought to win me to Delight;
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But Gold nor Gifts my Mind could not remove,
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For I was linkd whereas I could not love.
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Methought his Sight was loathsom to my Eye,
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My Heart did grudge against him inwardly:
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Tis Discontent did cause my deadly Strife,
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And with his Wealth did cause a grievous Life.
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My constant Love was on young Strangwidge set,
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And Wo to him that did our Welfare let.
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His Love so deep a Root in me did take,
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I would have gone a begging for his Sake.
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Wronged he was thro fond Desire of Gain,
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Wronged he was even thro my Parents Plain:
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If Faith and Troth a perfect Pledge might be,
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I had been Wife unto no Man but he.
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Eternal God forgive my Fathers Deed,
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And grant all Parents may take better heed;
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If I had been but constant to my Friend,
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I had not matchd to make so bad an End.
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But wanting Grace, I sought my own decay,
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And was the Cause to make my Friend away;
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And he on whom my earthly Joys did lie,
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Through my amiss, a shameful Death must die.
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Farewell, sweet George, always my loving Friend,
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Needs must I laud, and love thee to the End:
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And albeit that Page possessd by Due,
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In sight of God thou was my Husband true.
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My watry Eyes unto the Heavens I bend,
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Craving of Christ his Mercy to extend:
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My bloody Deed, do me, O Lord, forgive,
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And let my Soul within thy Kingdom live.
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Farewell, false World, and Friends that fickle be,
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All Wives farewell, example take by me,
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Let not the Devil to murder you entice,
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Seek for to escape such foul and sinful Vice.
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And now, O Christ, to thee I yield my Breath,
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Strengthen my Faith in bitter Pangs of Death;
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Pardon my Faults and Follies, I thee pray,
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And with thy Blood wash thou my Sins away.
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Mr. GEORGE STRANGWIDGES
LAMENTATION
For consenting to Mr. PAGEs Death, for the
Love of Mrs. Ulalia, Mr. Pages Wife.
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THE Man that sighs and sorrows for his Sin,
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The Corpse with care and wo hath wrapped in,
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In doleful Sort records her Swain-like Song,
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That waits for Death, and loaths to live so long.
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Oh Glansfield! cause of my committed Crime,
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So wed in Wealth, as Birds in Bush of Lime:
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What Cause had thou to bear such wicked spight
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Against my Love, and eke my Hearts delight?
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I would to God thy Wisdom had been more,
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Or that I had not enterd into thy Door;
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Or that thou hadst a kinder Father been
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Unto thy Child, whose Years they are but green.
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The Match unmeet, which thou for me didst make,
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When aged Page, thy Daughter home did take:
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Well mayst thou rue with Tears that cannot dry,
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Which is the Cause that Four of us must die.
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Ulalia more brighter than the Summers Sun,
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Whose Beauty hath for ever my Love won:
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My Soul more sobs to think of thy Disgrace,
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Than to behold my own untimely Race.
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The Deed, late done, in Heart I do repent,
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But that I lovd, I cannot yet relent:
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Thy seemly Sight was ever sweet to me,
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Would God my Death could thy Excuser be.
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It was for me, alas! thou didst the same,
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On me by right they ought to lay the Blame:
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My worthless Love hath brought my Life in scorn,
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And wo is me that ever I was born!
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Farewell! my Love, whose loyal Heart was seen,
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I would thou hadst not half so constant been:
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Farewell! my Love, the Pride of Plymouth Town,
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Farewell! the Flower, whose Beauty is cut down.
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For twenty Years great was the cost I know,
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Thy unkind Father did on the bestow:
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Yet afterwards so sower did Fortune lower,
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He lost his Joy and Child within an Hour.
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My wrong and wo to God I do commit,
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Who was the Cause of matching them unfit?
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And yet I cannot so my Guilt excuse,
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We gave Consent his Life for to abuse.
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Wretch that I am, that my Consent did give,
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Had I denyd, Ulalia still would live;
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Blind Fancy said, This Suit do not deny,
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Live thou in Bliss, or else in Sorrow die.
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O Lord, forgive this cruel Deed of mine,
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Unto my Soul let Beams of Mercy shine:
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In Justice Lord, do thou no Vengeance take,
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Forgive us both for Jesus Christ his Sake.
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