%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Two Unfortunate LOVERS. / Or, A true Relation of the lamentable end of John True and Susan Mease. Their lives this Ditty doth relate / And how they dy'd unfortunate. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1663-1663 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 03/12/2012 31974

The University of California makes a claim of copyright only to original contributions made by Early Modern Center participants and other members of the university community. The University of California makes no claim of copyright to the original text. Permission is granted to download, transmit or otherwise reproduce, distribute or display the contributions to this work claimed by The University of California for non-profit educational purposes, provided that this header is included in its entirety. For inquiries about commercial uses, please contact:

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

R233991 1 the Brides Burial In Peascod Time the Bride's Burial ATtend you Lovers and give ear, / unto my mournful Song, Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 363 The Two Unfortunate LOVERS. / Or, A true Relation of the lamentable end of John True and Susan Mease. Their lives this Ditty doth relate / And how they dy'd unfortunate. The Two Unfortunate LOVERS. Or, A true Relation of the lamentable end of John True and Susan Mease. Their lives this Ditty doth relate And how they dy'd unfortunate. The two unfortunate lovers. Or, a true relation of the lamentable end of John True and Susan Mease. Their lives this ditty does relate and how they died unfortunately. 1663-1663 F. Coles, T. Vere, and J. Wright.

This document follows the guidelines specified for TEI.

XML Generated Automatically at 3/12/2012 12:16:13 PM Using EMC

XBallad Parsing Engine developed by Carl Stahmer.

TEI Template developed by Gerald Egan and Modified by Carl Stahmer

All apostrophes are encoded as '.

Any dashs occurring in line breaks have been removed;

All dashs are encoded as ‐ and all em dashes as —.

 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 3/12/2012 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America death infidelity love Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 3/12/2012 12:16:13 PM XBallad Sander, Morgan Created XML Version of Ballad 3/12/2012 12:16:13 PM Transcription Supervisor Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/12/2012 12:16:13 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Palmer Browne, Megan Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/12/2012 12:16:13 PM Transcriptionist Two Roshetko, Kelsey Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/12/2012 12:16:13 PM Transcriptionist One Lee, Jennifer J Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/30/2011 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 3/9/2011 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 3/8/2011 Checker Mackenzie Doss Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 3/1/2011 Checker Gillian Mellon Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 3/1/2011 Checker Gillian Mellon Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/16/2011 Bibliographer Shannon Meyer Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Two Unfortunate LOVERS.</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Or, A true Relation of the lamentable end of John True and Susan Mease. Their lives this Ditty doth relate.</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">And how they dyd unfortunate. The tune is, the Brides Burial.</hi></seg>
ATtend you Lovers and give ear, unto my mournful Song, Of two that loved faithfully, yet did each other wrong. At Coventry in Warwickshire this young man he did dwell, His Name John True a shooemaker and livd of it full well. At Corly did this Maiden dwell, three miles from Coventry, Yet for the love he bore to her, he would her often see. And coming to her on a day, he told to her his mind, Susan (quoth he) I love thee dear, be not to me unkind. If thou canst love and fancy me, in heart and eke in mind, I will prove loving unto thee, be not to me unkind. Thy chearful looks rejoyce my heart, and merry make my mind, Sweet Susan then love me again, be not to me unkind. Good John I thank you for your love, and with you at home to tarry, I am too young for you to wed, and have no mind to marry.
Where you do dwell are Maidens store of beauty fair and free, Set not thy love upon me then, for I cannot love thee. This answer struck him to the heart, as cold as any stone, And homewards strait he did return with many a sigh and groan. Wishing that he had ner been born, or in his cradle dyd, Unhappy man to love so true, and yet to be denyd. Quoth he, I will to her again, and hear what she doth say, It may be she may be more kind, though first she said me nay. Then coming to the Town again, he sent for her strait way, Desiring her to speak with him, but still she said him nay. Then did he sigh lament and grieve, and knew not what to say, Then he did take his pen in hand, and writ these words strait way. My hearts delight and only joy, kill me not with disdain, Vouchsafe that I may speak with thee to rid me out of pain.
Resolve me sweetest I thee pray, why is thy harred such? I know no cause unless it be, for loving thee too much. As is my name, so is my love, sweet Susan unto thee, True is my name, True is my love, and ever so shall be. My love is Loyal, Just, and good, kill me not with disdain, Rather do me the courtesie to love for love again. When she had read and understood his mind and his intent, She then began to like and love, and yields him hearts content. John I am thine, if thou beest mine, for ever and for aye: It was to try thy constancy that I did say thee nay. But heres my hand, my heart & love, Ile ner thee more deny, My love is constant firm and true, and shall be till I Dye. Then they imbracd each others love, and joynd in heart and voice, That she of him, and he of her had made so sweet a choice.
BUt fortune that doth often frown, where she before did smile, The mans delight, the Maidens joy, full soon she did beguile. When she was setled in her love, then he would change his mind, And for to try her constancy, would be to her unkind. And thus resolved in his mind, hed come to her no more, But went and wooed another Maid, which grievd her heart full sore. Quoth he, she proved unto me, hard-hearted and unkind: But now her true love I have won, Ile bear the self same mind. When she perceivd his love to her, not as twas wont to be, She did lament, sigh, weep and grieve, and then these words said she. False-hearted wretch adieu, quoth she, disloyal and unkind, And if I dye for love of thee, thou shalt not know my mind. Woe to the time I did believe, that flattering tongue of thine, Would God that I had never seen the tears of thy false eyn. Hard hap had I to set my love, on one that mocked me, Sure all the Country did not yeild a man so false as he. Thus was she brought to mean estate all comfort from her fled, She did desire to speak with him. before that she was dead. Her friends did seek to chear her up, and to make glad her mind, But she was kild with loving him, who provd to her unkind. False-hearted man, may never Maid, love thee as I have done, But may my death remembered be, to time that is to come. But may all Maids example take, by this my mournful death, And now O Lord receive my soul, to thee I yield my breath.
Thus Dyd the pattern of true love, thus dyd a vertuous Maid, Thus dyd as good a harmless Lass, as ever love betrayd. Six Maids in white as, custom is, did bear her to the grave, Her Parents grieve lament and more no child at all they have. When as her lover understood, for truth that she was Dead, He ragd and ready was to tear the Hair from off his head. But when he came into the place, where his true lover lay, He strait way ran unto the grave, and there these words did say. Susan (quoth he) ile Kiss thy grave, upon my bended Knee, Whereby ile shew to all the world, how dear I loved thee. And as he lay upon the ground, he heard a voice to say, John True if ere thou lovedst me dear make hast and come away. Then started he up from the grave, and stood like one struck Dumb, And when he had regaind his speech he said, I come, I come. And thus like one out of his wits, he ragd in pitious sort, That all the Neighbours presently were grievd at his report. And thus with sorrow and grief of heart, he lay a whole fortnight, And when he had confest his fault he yielded up his spirit. According to his hearts Desire, and as he did request, They Digd his grave, & laid him down by her whom he lovd best. you young men all that have true loves be sure unto your friend, And if you love, be sure your love, be true unto the end. And thus I end my story true, so full of grief and woe, May never any seek again, to wrong each other so.
Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere, and J. Wright.