%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Vergins Advice / TO THE / Maids of LONDON. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center English Broadside Ballad Archive (EBBA) Director Patricia Fumerton Associate Director Carl G Stahmer ?-? Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 07/01/2014 33546

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

R41726 1 Oh! that I were but young for you. UNKNOWN Oh! that I were but young for you. OFt have I heard the Wives complain, / O that they were but Maids again, For the Maid is the best that lies alone. [with variation] Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 964 The Vergins Advice / TO THE / Maids of LONDON. The Virgin's Advice TO THE Maids of LONDON. Printer Charles Barnet ?-?

This document follows the guidelines specified for TEI.

XML Generated Automatically at 7/1/2014 2:28:11 PM Using EMC

XBallad Parsing Engine developed by Carl G 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 Featured 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 7/1/2014 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America advice gender love marriage sex/ sexuality virtue Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 7/1/2014 2:28:11 PM XBallad Bell, Erik Created XML Version of Ballad 7/1/2014 2:28:11 PM Transcription Supervisor Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/1/2014 2:28:11 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Doran, Thomas Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/1/2014 2:28:11 PM Transcriptionist Two Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/1/2014 2:28:11 PM Transcriptionist One Hopkins, Shay Transcription of ballad manuscript 8/27/2013 Checker Christopher Foley Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/26/2013 Checker William Hildalgo Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 11/8/2012 Bibliographer Shannon Meyer Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Vergins Advice</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">TO THE</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Maids of LONDON.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the Tune of, <hi rend="bold">Oh! that I were but young for you.</hi></hi></seg>
OFt have I heard the Wives complain, O that they were but Maids again, Maids and they would marry with none, For the Maid is the best that lies alone. What is more sweet than to live free, And to enjoy ones Liberty? Therefore I will marry with none, For the Maid is the best that lies alone. Love is a torment in the breast, And will not let a Maiden rest, And the young men now so faithless are grown, That the maid is the best that lies alone. When we are Young they praise us all, And their Delights and Darlings call; And yet a Lover I will have none, For the Maid, etc. Why should [I] wear Young Cupids Chain? Why should I grieve and sigh in vain? Now my heart I'm sure is my own, And the Maid, etc. Why should the Maidens marry then? Only to please Fantastick men; No one need to make any moan, And the Maid, etc. Which is most fine the Rose or thorn? Or that which on some soft Breast is worn;
There the fragrant sweetness is gone, And the Maid, etc. In a sweet harmless single life, There is no scolding noise or strife, To which the Husbands ever were prone, Therefore maids are the best, etc. In lying alone there is no harm, And our maidenheads sure can keep us warm, Therefore Young Virgins keep what's your own, For the Maid, etc. I do advise that you touch no man, And you'll be a Maid do what they can, And this I'll lay a hundred to one That she's the best, etc. Though men are fond, they're fickle still, And every Jack must have his Jill, Have a Jill, though none of his own, Therefore Maids are the best, etc. Cupid is but a silly Toy, An idle Young blind fantastick Boy, Therefore Lovers I will have none, For the maid, etc. Therefore Young Damsels learn of me, For to live harmless and live free; But as for Young men meddle with none, For the Maid is the best that lies alone.
Printed and Sold by Charles Barnet.