%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The West-Country Damosels Complaint: / OR, / The Faithful Lovers last Farewel. / Being the Relation of a Young Maid who Pined her self to death, for the Love of a Young-man, / who after he had notice of it, dyed likewise for Grief. / Careless Young-men, by this a warning take, / How you kind Virgins (when they Love) forsake; / Least the same fate o're-take you, and you dye / For breach of Vows, and Infidelity. / Be kind, but Swear not more then what you mean, / Least Comick Jests become a Trajeck Scean. 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 06/12/2014 34059

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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

R228645 1 Johnny Armstrong. Johnny Armstrong Johnny Armstrong. WHen will you Marry me William, / and make me your wedded wife? Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 1331 The West-Country Damosels Complaint: / OR, / The Faithful Lovers last Farewel. / Being the Relation of a Young Maid who Pined her self to death, for the Love of a Young-man, / who after he had notice of it, dyed likewise for Grief. / Careless Young-men, by this a warning take, / How you kind Virgins (when they Love) forsake; / Least the same fate o're-take you, and you dye / For breach of Vows, and Infidelity. / Be kind, but Swear not more then what you mean, / Least Comick Jests become a Trajeck Scean. The West-Country Damosels Complaint: OR, The Faithful Lovers last Farewel. Being the Relation of a Young Maid who Pined herself to death, for the Love of a Young-man, who after he had notice of it, dyed likewise for Grief. Careless Young-men, by this a warning take, How you kind Virgins (when they Love) forsake; Least the same fate o’re-take you, and you dye For breach of Vows, and Infidelity. Be kind, but Swear not more then what you mean, Least Comick Jests become a Trajeck Scean. The West-Country Damsel's Complaint: OR, The Faithful Lovers last Farewell. Being the Relation of a Young Maid who Pined herself to death, for the Love of a Young-man, who after he had notice of it, died likewise for Grief. Careless Young-men, by this a warning take, How you kind Virgins (when they Love) forsake; Lest the same fate overtake you, and you die For breach of Vows, and Infidelity. Be kind, but Swear not more than what you mean, Lest Comic Jests become a Tragic Scene. ?-? P. Brooksby

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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 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 6/12/2014 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America animals/ nature death family love Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 6/12/2014 3:31:05 PM XBallad Palmer Browne, Megan Created XML Version of Ballad 6/12/2014 3:31:05 PM Transcription Supervisor Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/12/2014 3:31:05 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging McCants, Kristy Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/12/2014 3:31:05 PM Transcriptionist Two Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/12/2014 3:31:05 PM Transcriptionist One Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/9/2014 Checker Kristen McCants Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 3/12/2013 Checker William Hildalgo Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 12/3/2013 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 11/28/2012 Bibliographer Elizabeth Aguilar Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
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WHen will you Marry me William, and make me your wedded wife? Or take you your keen bright Sword, and rid me out of my Life. Will. Say no more so then Lady, say you no more then so, For you shall into the wild Forrest, and amongst the Buck and Doe. Where thou shalt eat of the Hips & Haws, and the Roots that are so sweet, And thou shalt drink of the cold water, that runs underneath feet.
Now she had not been in the wild Forrest, passing three months and a day, But with hunger and cold she had her fill, till she was quite worn away. At last she saw a fair Tyl'd House, and there she swore by the Rood, That she would to that fair Tyl'd house, there for to get her some Food. But when she came unto the Gates, aloud aloud she cry'd, An Alms, an Alms, my own Sister, I ask you for no Pride.
Her Sister call'd up her merry men all, by one, by two, and by three, And bid them hunt away that wild Doe, as far as e're they could see. They hunted her o're Hill and Dale, and they hunted her so sore, That they hunted her into the Forrest, where her sorrows grew more and more. She laid a Stone all at her head, and another all at her feet, And down she lay between these two, till death had lull'd her asleep. When sweet Will came & stood at her head, and likewise stood at her feet, A thousadd times he kist her cold Lips, her body being fast asleep. Yea, seaven times he stood at her feet, and seaven times at her head, A thousand times he shook her hand, although her body was dead. Ah wretched me! he loudly cry'd, what is it that I have done, O wou'd to the powers above I'de dy'd, when thus I left her alone. Come, come you gentle Red-breast now, and prepare for us a Tomb, Whilst unto cruel Death I bow, and sing like a Swan my Doom. Why! could I ever cruel be unto so fair a Creature? Alas she dy'd for love of me, the loveliest she in nature. For me she left her home so fair, to wander in this wild Grove, And there with sighs and pensive care, she ended her Life for Love.
O Constancy in her thou'rt lost, now let Women boast no more, She's fled to the Elizium Coast, and with her carry'd the Store. O break my heart with sorrow fill'd, come swell you strong Tides of grief, You that my dear Love have kill'd, come yield in death to me relief. Cruel her Sister, was't for me that to her she was unkind? Her Husband I will never be, but with this my Love be joyn'd. Grim death shall tye the Marriage bands, which Jealousie shan't divide, Together shall tye our cold hands, whilst here we lye side by side. Witness ye Groves, and Chrystial streams how Faithless I late have been, But do repent with dying Leaves, of that my ungrateful Sin. And wish a thousand times that I had been but to her more kind, And not have let a Virgin dye, whose equal there's none can find. Now heaps of sorrow press my Soul, now, now 'tis she takes her way, I come my Love without Controule, nor from thee will longer stay. With that he fetch'd a heavy Groan, which rent his tender Breast, And then by her he laid him down, when as Death did give him rest. Whilst mournful birds, with leavy boughs, to them a kind Burial gave, And warbled out their Love-sick vows, whilst they both slept in their Grave.
FINIS. Printed for P. Brooksby, at the Golden-Ball, in Westsmith-field, neer the Hospital-gate.