Away with painted stuff,
The feldefare did say,

My colour it the auburne is,
And bears the bell away.

The goldfinch then bespake,
My colours they are pure,
For yellow, red, for black and white,
All weathers will endure.

Each bird within the wood,

A several sentence gave,. And all did strive with several notes, Pre-eminence to have.

Then from an ivy bush

The owl put forth her head, And said, not such another bird As I, the wood hath bred,

With that each bird of note
Did bear the owl away,

That never more he durst be seen,

To stay abroad by day.

And then they all agreed

To choose the turtle dove,

And that he should decide the cause

Betwixt me and my love.

Who thus began to speak,
Behold, sweet maiden fair,
How my beloved and myself
Do always live a pair.

We

e never use to change,

But always live in love,

We kiss and bill, and therefore call'd The faithful turtle dove.

And when that each doth die,
We spend our time in moan,
Bewailing our deceased friend,
We live and die alone.

We.never match again,

As other birds do use, Therefore, sweet maiden, I tell you, Do not your love refuse.

Thus ending of his speech,

They all did silent stand,
And then I turn'd me to my love,
And took her by the hand.

And said, my dearest sweet,
Behold the love of these,
How every one in his degree

Does seek his mate to please.

Then, fairest, grant to me

Your constant heart and love, And I will prove as true to thee, As doth the turtle dove."

She said, here is my hand,
My heart, and all I have,
I kist her, and upon the same
A token to her gave.

And then upon the same,

The birds did sweetly sing,.

That echoes through the woods and groves Most loudly then did ring.

Then up I took my love,

And arm in arm did walk
With her unto her father's house,
Where we with him did talk;

Who soon did condescend,

When we were both agreed,

And shortly to the church we went,
And married were with speed.

The bells aloud did ring,

And minstrels they did play,
And every youth and maid did strive
To grace our wedding day

God grant my love and I
May have the like success,
And live in love until we die
In joy and righteousness.

LXXVI.

"A MAD KINDE OF WOOING,

OR,

A Dialogue betweene the Will the Simple, and Nan the Subtill, with their Loving Agreement.'

To the tune of The New Dance at the Red Bull Play-house.

[Black letter, for the Assigns of T. Symcocke.]

SWEET Nancy I do love thee dear,

Believe me if thou can,
And shall, I do protest and swear,
While thy name is Nan.

I cannot court with eloquence
As many courtiers do,

But I do love entirely, wench,

And must enjoy thee too.

Spite of friends that contend

To separate our love,

If thou love me as I love thee,

My mind shall ne'er remove.

NAN.

Peace, goodman clown, you are too brief, In proffering love to me,

And if thou use such rustic speech,

We two shall ne'er agree.

Do'st think my fortunes I'll forsake

To marry with a clown,

When I have choice enough to take
Of gallants in the town?

The eagle's eye doth scorn the fly,

She'll find a better prey, Therefore leave off thy doatish suit,

Away, fond fool, away.

Will.

Why prithee, Nan, ne'er scorn my love,

Although I be but plain,

Where Will doth once but set his love,

He must not love in vain;

For all you speak so scholar like,

And talk of eagle's eyes,

Know I am come a wooing, wench,

And not a catching flies.