Therefore I'll sigh, and sob, and weep To see false men no faith can keep.

The jewel's lost, the thief is fled,
And I lie wounded in my bed;
If to repent I should begin,
They 'll say 'twas I that let him in,
Therefore I'll sigh, and sob, and weep
To see false men no faith can keep.

My mind to him was always true For which I have now cause to rue, Would I had never seen his face, Nor trod the paths of Cupid's race, For now I sigh, and sob, and weep, To see false men no faith can keep.

SECOND PART.

What hap hath any he or she,
That can but live at liberty,
And not be troubled as I am,
As by my song you understand,
It makes me sigh, and sob, and weep
To see false men no faith can keep.

I cannot take my quiet rest

To think on him that I lov'd best,
Sometimes when I do think to sleep
Then thought of him makes me to weep.
I cannot choose but sigh and sob,
To think of him that doth me rob.

"Tis true indeed he robbeth me
Of my content and liberty,
My heart can now no comfort find
To think on him that proves unkind,
I cannot choose but sigh and weep,
To see false men no faith can keep.

My head doth ache, mine eyes are sore,
And I can find no help therefore,
My body's faint, and I am weak,
My tongue is tied I cannot speak,
Yet still I sigh, and sob and weep,
To see that mer no faith can keep.

My days are short, my life's not long,
I cannot well declare my wrong,
Yet in some part I here do shew,
That you the cause hereof may know,
Wherefore I sigh, and sob, and weep,
To see that men no faith can keep.

His tempting eyes and smiling books,
Now seem to me he baited books,
Which are but laid for to betray
The fish, that's greedy of his prey,
Therefore I sob, and sign, and weep,
To see that men no faith can keep.

When first with me he came in place,
He 5d me with his arms embrace,
He kist me of, and swore that he
Would never have no one but me,
Yet now he makes me sob and weep
To see that men no faith can keep.

With words most fair he did entreat, my favour he did get,

But in uncertain I do find,

And hanging like the wavering wind, With makes me sigh, and sob, and weep: To see that men no faith can keep.

He vow'd to bear a faithful mind,

But he is otherwise inclin'd,

He now doth seem as strange to me,
I cannot have his company,

Which makes me sigh, and sob, and weep,
To see that men no faith can keep.

Thus seems my love to do me wrong,
Wherefore I'll here conclude my song,
I'll never trust false men no more,
Nor do as I have done before,

For which I sigh, and sob, and weep,
To see that men no faith can keep.

LXV.

NO CONSTANCY IN MAN.

{This Ballad is inserted in H. Lawes's "First Book of Ayres," and Mr. Todd esteems it the production of Lawes himself. See preliminary Notes on Comus.]

ВÊ gone, be gone, thou perjur’d man,

And never more return,

know that thy inconstancy

iath chang'd my love to scorn: hou hast awak'd me, and I can

See clearly there's no truth in man.

My love to thee was chaste and pure,

rning dew,

like to endure,
ot prov'd untrue;
d, and now I can

there's no truth in man.

Thou mayst perhaps prevail upon

Some other to believe thee,

And since thou canst love more than one,
Ne'er think that it shall grieve me ;
For th' hast awak'd me, and I can
See clearly there's no truth in man.

By thy apostasy I find

That love is plac'd amiss,
And can't continue in the mind
Where virtue wanting is:

I'm now resolv’d, and know there can
No constant thought remain in man.

255

LXVI.

"A Ladie being wronged by false suspect, and

wounded by the durance of her Husband

thus bewray her griefe."

GIVE

[From Gaiscoigne's Poems, 4to. 1587.]

descry VE me my lute in bed now as I lie, And lock the doors of mine unlucky bower So shall my voice in mournful verse

The secret smart which causeth me to lower

also

dooth