%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Merchants Daughter of Bristow. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1658-1658 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 03/05/2012 31670

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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

R180537 BEhold the Touchstone of true LOVE, / Maudlin the Merchants daughter of Bristow Town, Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 210 The Merchants Daughter of Bristow. The Merchants Daughter of Bristow. The Merchant's Daughter of Bristol. 1658-1658 F. Coles, T. Vere, and W. Gilbertson.

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol Americas 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 groups royalty rural life servitude sex/ sexuality supernatural/ magic travel trickery/ deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgar humor youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 3/5/2012 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America love punishment religious groups travel Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 3/5/2012 6:08:50 PM XBallad Campbell, Katharine Created XML Version of Ballad 3/5/2012 6:08:50 PM Transcription Supervisor Murphy, Jessica Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/5/2012 6:08:50 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Kazzi, Sara Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/5/2012 6:08:50 PM Transcriptionist Two Reese, Ryan Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/5/2012 6:08:50 PM Transcriptionist One Jiminez-Justiniano, Jose Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/20/2011 Checker Charlotte Becker Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 3/7/2011 Checker Victoria Hernandez Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/10/2011 Bibliographer Charlotte Becker Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Merchants Daughter of Bristow.</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The tune is, the Maidens joy.</hi></seg>
BEhold the Touchstone of true Love, Maudlin the Merchants daughter of Bristow Town, Whose firm affection nothing could move, This favor bears the lovely brown. A gallant youth was dwelling by; Which many years had born this maiden great good wil She loved him so faithfully, But all her friends withstood it still, The young man now perceiving well, He could not get nor win the favour of her friends, The force of sorrows to expell, To view strange Countryes he intends, And now to take his last farewell, Of his true love his fair and constant Maudlin, With Musick sweet that did excell, He plaid under her window then, Farewell quoth he my own true Love, Farewell my dear and chiefest Treasure of my heart, Through fortunes spight that false did prove, I am inforcd from thee to part, Into the Land of Italy, There will I wail and weary out my life in wo, Seeing my true Love is kept from me. I hold my life a mortall foe. Fair Bristow Town therefore adiew, For Padua shall be my habitation now, Although my Love doth rest in thee. To whom alone my heart I vow. With trickling tears thus did he sing, With sighs and sobs discending from his heart full sore, He said when he his hands did wring, Farewell sweet Love for evermore, Fair Maudlin from a window high, Beholding her true Love with Musick where he stood. But not a word she dirst reply, Fearing her Parents angry mood. In tears she spent that wofull night, Wishing her self though naked with her faithfull Friend She blames her friends and fortunes spight, That wrought her love such luckless end. And in her heart she made a vow, Clean to forsake her country and her kindred all, And for to follow her true love. To abide all chance that might befall The night is gone and the day is come. And in the morning very early did she rise, She gets her down into a lower Room, Where sundry Seamen she espyes. A gallant Master among them all, The Master of a great and goodly ship was he, Who there was waiting in the Hall, To speak with her Father if it might be, She kindly takes him by the hand, Good sir said she and would you speak with any here, Quoth he fair Maid therefore I do stand, Then gentle sir I pray draw neer. Into a pleasant parlor by, With hand in hand she brings the Seaman all alone, Sighing to him most piteously, She thus to him did make her moan, She falls upon her tender knee, Good sir said she now pitty you a womans wo.
And prove a faithfull friend to me: That I to you my grief may show, Sith you repose your trust he said, In me who am unknown and eke a stranger here. Be you assurd most proper maid, Most faithfull still I will appear, I have a brother then quoth she, Whom as my life I love and favor tenderly. In Padua alas is he, Full sick God wot and like to dye, Full fain I would my brother see. But that my Father will not yeeld to let me go, Therefore good sir be good to me, And unto me this favour show; Some ship boyes Garment bring to me, That I disguisd may go unknown, And unto Sea Ile go with thee. If thus much favour might be shown, Fair maid quoth he take here my hand, I will fulfill each thing that you desire, And set you safe in that same Land. And in that place that you require. She gave him then a tender kiss, And saith to him your servant Master will I be; And prove your faithfull friend for this, Sweet master then forget not me, This done as they had both agreed, Soon after that before the break of day, He brings her garments then with speed, Therein her self she did array, And ere her Father did arise, She meets her Master as he walked in the hall. She did attend on him likewise, Untill her Father did him call, But ere the Merchant made an end, Of all his weighty matters he had then to say, His wife came weeping in with speed, Saying our Daughters gone away, The Merchant then am[a]zd in mind, Yonder vile wretch inticd away my child quoth she, But I well wot I shall him find At padua in I[t]aly With that bespake their master brave Wo, shipfull merchant thither goes this pretty youth, And any thing that you would crave, he will performe and write the truth, Sweet youth quoth he if it be so, Bear me a leter to the English merchant ther and gold on thee I will bestow, My daughters welfare I do fear, her mother took her by the hand, Fair youth quoth she if ere thou dost my daughter see, Let me therefore soon understand, and there is twenty crowns for thee, Thus through the daughters strange disguise, The mother knew not when she spake unto her child, and after her master stright she hyes, Taking her leave with countenance mild, Thus to the Sea fair Maudlins gone, With her gentle master God send them a merry mind. Where we a while must let them alone, Till you the second part do find,
WElcome sweet Maudlin from the Seas, where bitter storms and tempests do arise The pleasant banks of Italy You may behold with mortall eyes Thanks gentle master then said she, A faithful friend in sorrow thou hast been, If fortune once do smile on me. My gentle heart shall soon be seen. blest be the land that feeds my love blest be the place whereas his person doth abide No triall will I stick to prove Whereby my true-love may be trid. Now will I walk with joy full heart To view the town whereas my darling doth remain And seek him out in every p art, Untill his sight I do obtain. And I quoth he wil not forsake. Sweet Maudlin in her sorrows up and dow[n] In wealth or wo thy part ile take, And bring thee safe to padua town And after many weary steps In Padua they safe arrived at the last For very joy her heart it leaps She thinks not on her sorrows past Condemnd to die he was alas Except he would from his Religion turn, but rather then he would to masse In fiery flames he vowd to burn. Now doth sweet Maudlin weep and wail, Her joy is turnd to weeping sorrow grief and care, For nothing could her plaints prevail, For death alone must be his share. She walks under the prison walls Where her true love did lie and languish in distresse When wofully for food he calls, When hunger did his heart oppresse. he sighs a nd sobs and makes great moan, Farewell sweet love for ev[e]rmore. And all my friends that have me known, In bristow town with wealth and store, but most of all farewell quoth he My own sweet Maudlin whom I left behind. For never more thou shalt me see. Wo to thy father most unkind, how well were I if [t]hou were here With thy fair hands to close these my wretched eies My torments easie would appear My soul with joy should scale the Skies. When Maudlin heard her Lovers moan her eies with tears her heart with sorrow filled was To speak with him no mea was known Such grievous doom on him did passe. Then she put off her lads attire her maidens weed upon her back she seemly set To the judges house she did inquire. And there she did a service get She did her duty there so well Ant eke so prudently she did herself behave With her in love her master fell, his servants favour he doth crave, Maudlin quoth he my hearts delight, To whom my heart in affection is tied, breed not my death through thy despight, A faithfull friend thou shalt me find O grant me thy love fair maid quoth he And at my hands desire what thou canst devise And I will grant it unto thee Whereby thy credit may arise.
I have a brother sir said she For his Religion is now condemn.d to dye., In loathsome prison he is cast Opprest wi[t]h grief and misery Grant me my brothers life she said And now to you my love and liking wil I give that may not be quoth he fair maid Except he turn he cannot live an [E]nglish Fryer ehere is sh[e] said Of [lea]rning great and assing pure of life Let him to my brother be sent and he will finish soon thr strife. Her master granted her request The Marriner in Friars weeds she did array And to her love that lay distrest She did a letter soon convey. When he had read [t]hese gentle lines his heart was ravished with present joy Where now she is full well he knew The Fryer likewise was not coy but did declare to him at large The enterprize his love for him had taken in hand The youngman did the Fryar charge His love should straight depart the land here is no place for her he said, But wofull death and danger of her life, Professing truth I was betraid. And fearfull flames must end the strife. For ere I will my faith deny and swear my self to folow damned anti-christ Ile yield my body for to die. To live in heaven with the highest O sir the gentle frier said A wofull match quoth he is amnde Where Christ is left to Win a wife. When she had usd all me ans she might To save his life and yet all would not be, then of the judge she claim d her right to die the death as well as he. When no perswasion could prevail Nor change her mind in any thing that she had said She was with him condemnd to dye and for them both one fire was made. Yea arm in arm most joyfully these lovers tWain unto the fire did go The Marriner most faithfully Was likewise partner of this Wo. but When the judges understood The faithfull friendship did in them remain they savd rheir lives and afterwards to England sent them back again Now was their sorrow turnd to joy and faithfull lovers have their herts desire their pains so well they did imploy God granted that they did desire. aud when they did to Englandeome and in merry bristow arrived at che last Great joy there was to all and some That heard the dangers they had past Her father he was dead Got wot and eke her mother was joyfull at her sight Their wishes she denied not. but wedded them to hearts delight. Her gentle master she desired. to be her father and at church to give her then It was fulfilld as she requird Unto the joyes of all good men.
Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere, and W. Gilbertson.