%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The two Unfortunate LOVERS. / Being a true RELATION of / The lamentable End of John True and Susan Massie. / Their Lives this Ditty doth relate, Tho' they dy'd Unfortunate. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1730-1730 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 05/04/2012 32503

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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

N68229 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: 289771 The two Unfortunate LOVERS. / Being a true RELATION of / The lamentable End of John True and Susan Massie. / Their Lives this Ditty doth relate, Tho' they dy'd Unfortunate. The two Unfortunate LOVERS. Being a true RELATION of The lamentable End of John True and Susan Massie. Their Lives this Ditty doth relate, Tho' they dy'd Unfortunate. The two Unfortunate LOVERS. Being a true RELATION of The lamentable End of John True and Susan Massie. Their Lives this Ditty does relate, Though they died Unfortunate. 1730-1730

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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 5/4/2012 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America death infidelity love Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 5/4/2012 11:05:34 AM XBallad Davis, Mary Jane Created XML Version of Ballad 5/4/2012 11:05:34 AM Transcription Supervisor Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/4/2012 11:05:34 AM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/4/2012 11:05:34 AM Transcriptionist Two Bell, Erik Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/4/2012 11:05:34 AM Transcriptionist One Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/30/2011 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 6/23/2011 Checker Percy Ross Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 6/23/2011 Checker Percy Ross Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 6/23/2011 Checker Percy Ross Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 5/14/2011 Bibliographer Shannon Meyer Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left">The two Unfortunate LOVERS.</seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Being a true RELATION of</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The lamentable End of <hi rend="bold">John True</hi> and <hi rend="bold">Susan Massie.</hi></hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">Their Lives this Ditty doth relate,</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">Tho they dyd Unfortunate.</hi></hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="6" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the Tune of, <hi rend="bold">The Brides Burial.</hi></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 Shoemaker, Who livd in it full well. At Corley 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; Susan, quoth he, I love thee dear, Be not to me unkind: Thy chearfull Looks rejoice 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 wish you 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, Then homewards straight he did return, With many a Sigh and Groan, Wishing that he neer had 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 will be more kind, Tho first she said me nay, Then coming to the Town again, He sent for her straightway, Desiring her to speak to him, But still she said him nay,
Then did he sigh, lament, and grieve, And knew not what to say; Then did he take bis Pen in Hand, And wrote these Words straightway, My Hearts Delight and only Joy, Kill me not with Disdain, Vouchsafe that I may speak with thee, To rid me of my Pain. Resolve me, Sweetest, I thee pray, Why is thy Hatred 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 evermore shall be. My Love is loyal, just, and good, Kill me not with Disdain, Rather do me the Courtesy, To love for Love again. When she had read, and understood, His Mind and his Intent, She then began to like and love, And yield him Hearts Content.
John, I am thine, if thou best mine, For ever and for aye, It was to try thy Constancy, That I did say thee nay: But heres my Hand, my Heart, and Love, Ill neer thee more deny, My Love is constant, firm, and true, And shall be till I die. Then they embracd each others Love, And joind in Heart and Voice, Tha[t] she of [h]im, 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 Maiden's Joy, Full soon she did beguile. When she was settled 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, He[]d come to her no more, But went and wood another Maid, Which grievd her Heart full sore. Quoth he, she proved unto me Inconstant and unkind, But now her true Love I have won, Ill bear the self-same Mind. When she perceivd his Love to her, Not as it wont to be, She did lament, sigh, weep, and Grief, And then these Words said she. False hearted Wretch, adieu, quoth she, Disloyal and unkind, And if I die for Love of thee, Thou shalt not know my Mind, Wo to the Time I did believe, That flattering Tongue of thine; O that I neer had seen the Tears That from those false Eyes came. Hard Fate had I that set my Love On one that mocked me, Scarce all the Country could yield, A Man so false as he, Thus she was brought to a mean State, 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 killd with loving him, Who provd to her unkind.
False-hearted Man, may never Maid Love thee as I have done, But may my Death rememberd be, The Time that is to come. But may all Maids example take By this my mournful Death; And now, my Guide, receive my Sou To thee I yield my Breath. Thus dyd the Pattern of true Love, Thus dyd a harmless Maid, Thus died as good a harmless Lass, As ever Love betrayd. Six Maids in White, as Custom is, Did bear her to the Grave; Her Parents weep, lament, and mourn, 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 unto the Place, Where his true Lover lay, He straightway ran into the Grave, And then these Words did say: Susan, quoth he, Ill kiss thy Grave, Upon my bended Knee, Whereby Ill 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 eer thou lovd me dear, Make Haste and come away. Then straight he rose 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 piteous Sort, That all the Neighbours presently, Were grievd at the Report: And thus with Sorrow, Grief of Heart, He lay a whole Fortnight; And when he had confessd his Fault, He yielded up his Spirit. According to his Hearts Desire, And as he did request, They diggd his Grave, and laid him down By her whom he lovd best. Ye young Men all, that have true Love, Be true unto your Friend: And if you love, be sure your Love Be true unto the End.
Newcastle, Printed in this present Year.