%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Virgin's A, B, C. / OR, / An ALPHABET of Vertuous Admonitions for a Chast, / Modest, and Well-govern'd Maid. 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 09/01/2021 37527

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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

R186045 1 The Young Man's A, B, C, &c. Fortune my Foe The Young Man's A, B, C, etc. ALl you faithful Virgins / to this Song give ear, British Library - Bagford Editor none none none none Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 2: 169 2: 170 The Virgin's A, B, C. / OR, / An ALPHABET of Vertuous Admonitions for a Chast, / Modest, and Well-govern'd Maid. The Virgin's A B C. OR, An ALPHABET of Virtuous Admonitions for a Chaste, Modest, and Well-governed Maid. Printer W.O. ?-? W.O.

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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 9/1/2021 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 9/1/2021 11:50:58 AM XBallad McCants, Kristen Created XML Version of Ballad 9/1/2021 11:50:58 AM Transcription Supervisor McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 9/1/2021 11:50:58 AM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Stark, Nicole Transcription of ballad manuscript 9/1/2021 11:50:58 AM Transcriptionist Two McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 9/1/2021 11:50:58 AM Transcriptionist One Raychawdhuri, Anita Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/13/2019 Bibliographer Kristen McCants Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
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ALl you faithful Virgins to this Song give ear, And learn these Lessons which are taugh you here: An Alphabet of Vertues here are set, Which being learn'd will make a Maid compleat: BEar not a scornful Mind, although you are Beautious as Hellen, or like Venus fair; It ill becomes a Forehead smooth and white, To threaten Anger in a Lover's sight. CHuse thou a modest Carriage, and still be Courteous, and not too coy in Company: Their Nature's changing, and too much unkind, Who hath comely Face and scornful Mind. DIsdainful never seem, nor yet too much Dote on your Face's Beauty, slighting such As sue for Love, lest creeping Age come on, And then too late your Folly you bemoan.
EXchange no Love, but always constant be, Esteem true Love a perfect Treasury: For where true Love and Beauty doth unite, It yields both Party's both there Hearts Delight. FEign no Affection, but where Vows are past, Fix there your Heart, there let your Love be plac'd; For if by feigned Wiles Love's Knot be ty'd, It breeds Dissention the Groom and Bride. GRow not too proud, though smiling Fortune do Great store of Wealth and her best Gifts bestow: For Pride, the Proverb says, must have a Fall; And so must Maidens, Widows, Wives and all. HAst not too much for Marriage, nor the thing Which doth not Pleasure, but doth Sorrow bring; For hasty Lovers often do destroy Their Sweets of Love, e're they their Hopes enjoys. IF you do chuse a Man whom you affect, Injure him not with any Disrespect, But wary be, and e're Love's Knot you tye, Prove first your own, and then his Constancy. KNowledge is gain'd by Experience, and by this Thou maist arrive unto the height of Bliss: First try, then trust; the which when you've prov'd, You both may love and be as well belov'd.
LOok e're you leap, the Proverb still doth say, Let not smooth Tongues your Love to Lust betray; In fairest Grass a Snake is often found, And smoothest Tongues with Falshood much abound. MOan not too much, nor be thou always sad, Mirth sometimes may become a vertuous Maid; Yet use not too much Laughter, lest you be Slighted and scorn'd for your Immodesty. NOr use uncivil Talk, or Gesture light; Nor in unseemly Wantonness delight, But keep chaste Behaviour, that you may Have good Report in every kind of way. OFfend not with a foul and slanderous Tongue, Of them that do not think thee any Wrong; But speak thee well of all; and always do With others, as you would have them do with you. PAint not your Beauty when it is decay'd; Prize not that for a Jewel that will fade; And when you've done, the best will fade away, And through red Cheeks a wrinkled Brow display. QUench in thyself all Lusts inflaming Fires, Which may provoke thee to unchast Desires: For though awhile Pleasure please thy Mind, Yet Sorrow, Want and Beggery comes behind. REmember next how like a fading Flower The Earth's best Treasures vanish in an Hour: And now the best of things you can enjoy, The Sithe of Time shall cut, and Death destroy.
SEek not for richer Gifts than he can give, So shalt thou in a state most surely live, For though fair Beauty deck thy outward Part, Yet inward Vertue best adorns thy Heart. TRy that rich Jem, which when thou hast attain'd, Thou hast a vertuous Maid's chief Beauty gain'd: And if fair Vertue do thy Courses steer, Like Joves fair Daughter thou shalt bright appear. VAin Beauty's but a Trifle, that awhile Dame Nature lends thee with a flattering Smile; Which Lovers gaze at, and with greedy hand Each one will crop its Blossom as it stands. WHilst in its full Ripeness it is grown, When 'tis decay'd their loves are with it gone; Let then this be thy care and chiefest strife, To live a vertuous Maid, and honest Wife. XAntippe like, the Wife of Socrates, Affect thou not thy Husband to displease, But with a quiet Tongue pursue his Will, And in Humility obey him still. YIeld not to others when you once are wed, The Pleasures of your lawful Husband's Bed; For if you guilty be of such a Fact, Thou shalt not 'scape unpunisht for that Act. ZEalous be thou, and in all Vertues prove Both constant, chaste, and loyal to your Love. And if these Lessons well you learn, for thee 'Tis truly stil'd The Virgin's A, B, C.
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