The Bloody GARDENERs Cruelty;
Or, The Shepherd's Daughter betray'd.
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COME all you constant lovers, and to me lend an ear,
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And mind this sad relation, which I do give you here:
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[I]t is of a maiden fair, a Shepherd's daughter dear;
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But love did prove her utter overthrow.
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She was of beauteous mold, fair and clear to behold.
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And by a noble lord she courted were.
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But was too young, we find, as yet fond love to mind;
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Yet little Cupid did her heart ensnare.
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His parents they were all of high degree,
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They said, She is no match at all for thee
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If you our blessing have, grant us but what we crave,
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And wed with none but whom we shall agree.
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Dear son, for you we have chosen out a bride,
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With store of gold and beautiful beside;
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Of a temper kind and free, she is the girl for me,
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But not a Shepherd's daughter of mean degree,
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And if by us you'll not be ruled or led,
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You from our presence shall be banished:
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No more we will you own, to be our only son:
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Then let our will be done, to end the strife,
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Madam, said he if a begging I should go,
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[I] should be well contented so to do,
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If that I could but have the girl that I do crave,
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No cursed gold should part my love and me.
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Was she as poor as Job, and I of royal robe,
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And lord of all the globe she should be mine,
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His mother said in scorn, Thou art most nobly born,
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And with a beggar's brat shall never join,
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He hearing of his mother to say so,
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His eyes did then with tears like fountains flow;
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Saying, a promise I have made, and her heart betray'd,
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Therefore no other for my bride I chuse.
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A cruel snare then for her life she laid,
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And for to act this thing, oh! then she did,
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With her Gardener she agreed, to do the bloody deed
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And butcher her forthwith, and dig her grave.
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To the Bloody Gardener she gave forescore pounds.
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To murder her and lay her under ground,
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All in a grave so deep, in everlasting sleep,
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Hoping her fair body would not be found.
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She wrote a letter, and sent it with speed:
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Saying, My dearest, with haste now proceed.
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Meet me this night, I've something to declare.
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Poor girl, she little thought upon the deed.
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The youthful shepherdess of this nothing knew,
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But went to meet her true love as she used to do:
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She search'd the garden all around, but no true love she found.
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At length the Bloody Gardener did appear.
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What siunness have you here, madam, I pray?
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Are you come here to rob the garden gay?
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Cries she, No theif I am, but wait for that young-man,
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Who did this night appoint to meet me here.
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He spoke no more, but strait a knife he took,
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And pierc'd her heart before one word she spoke,
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Then on the ground she fell, crying, Sweet love, farewel,
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O welcome, welcome, Death, thy fatal stroke.
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Was this done now, my dear; by your design?
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Or by your cruel parents most unkind,
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My life is thus betray'd?---farewell vain world, she said,
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I hope in heaven I a place shall find
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But when he see her life was really gone,
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Immediately he lay'd her in the ground,
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With flowers fine and gay her corpse did overlay,
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Intending that her body should not be found.
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Now all the time this lord he nothing knew,
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But went to meet his [tru]e love as he used to do,
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He search'd the vallies round, but no true love he found
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The little lambs went wandering to and fro
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Lamenting greatly for their shepherdess
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Then he did lay him down upon the grass.
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The heavens he did implore, to see his love once more,
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Oh! then, ye Gods above, I am surely blest,
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Oh! whither shall I seek that angel bright?
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Who is alone my pleasure and delight:
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Pray, if alive she be, let me my true love see,
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Or else my soul will quickly take its flight.
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Whereat the woods and groves began to mourn;
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The small birds they did sing a mournfull tune,
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Crying, Your love is gone, and you left quite alone,
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Then on a mossy bank he laid him down.
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He had no sooner clos'd his eyes to sleep,
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But a milk-white dove came to his breast,
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Her fluttering wings did beat, which wak'd him out of sleep,
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And then the dove took wing, and he was blest,
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To this mother's garden strait he did repair,
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For to bemoan the loss of his own dear,
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Here the dove once more he seas, sat on a myrtle tree,
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With dropping wings disconsolate she did appear,
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Oh! dove disconsolate, why do you come?
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Have you not lost your love, as I have done?
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That you do doge me here, no comfort can I bear.
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Then thus the dove replied, and then flew down,
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Saying it was your mother order'd it so.
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Then from her milk white breast the blood did flow.
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To the grove he did repair, but found no true love there,
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Homewards then to his mother he did go.
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And said, Mother most cruel and severe,
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I fear you've kill'd my joy and only dear:
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For a dove, I do declare, did all in blood appear,
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He said, if she is dead, her fate I'll share.
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His mother hearing what the son did say,
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She turn'd as pale as death and swoon'd away:
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Then into distraction run, and told what she had done
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And where the virgin's body it then lay.
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He said no more, but straitways took a knife,
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And said, Farewell to the comfort of my life,
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Then into the garden flew and pierc'd his body thro
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And said, It was cursed gold caused all this strife.
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These loyal lovers in one tomb were laid,
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And many a briny tear for them was shed,
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And the Gardener, as we hear, was apprehended there,
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And hang'd in chains for being so severe.
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