This doleful sight to see;

Who all in velvet black as jet
Unto the place came he.
A sweet, &c.

Bareheaded was he brought,
His hands were bound before,
A cambrick ruff about his neck
As white as milk he wore :
His stockings were of silk,
As fine as fine might be,
Of person and of countenance
A proper man was he.
A sweet, &c.

When he was mounted up
Upon the scaffold high;

All women said great pity 't was
So sweet a man should die,
The merchants of the town,

From death to set him free,

Did proffer there a thousand pound,

But yet all would not be.

A sweet thing is love

It rules both heart and mind,
There is no comfort in this world
To women that are kind.

The prisoner hereupon

Began to speak his mind,

Quoth he, I have deserved death
In conscience I do find,

Yet sore against my will

This man I kill'd, quoth he,

As Christ doth know, which of my soul Must only saviour be.

A sweet, &c.

With heart I do repent

This most unhappy deed,

And for his wife and children small

My very heart doth bleed:

The deed is done and past

My hope of life is vain

And yet the loss of this my life,

To them is little gain.

A sweet, &c.

Unto the widow poor,

And to the babes therefore,

I give a hundred pounds a piece
Their comforts to restore :

Desiring at their hands

No one request but this,

They will speak well of Englishmen,

Though I have done amiss.

A sweet thing is love,

It rules both heart and mind,

There is no comfort in this world,
To women that are kind.

This was no sooner done

But that to stint the strife,

Four goodly maids did proffer him
For love to save his life:
This is our law, quoth they,
We may your death remove,
So you in lieu of our good will
Will grant to us your love.
A sweet, &c.

Brave Englishman, quoth one, 'Tis I will save thy life,

Nay, quoth the second, it is I,

So I may be thy wife,

"Tis 1, the third did say,

Nay, quoth the fourth, 'tis I,

So each one after the other said,
Still waiting his reply.
A sweet, &c.

Fair maidens every one,
I must confess and say,

That each of you well worthy is
To be a lady gay,

And I unworthy far,

The worst of you to have,

Though you have proffer'd willingly,
My loathed life to save.

A sweet thing is love.

It rules both heart and mind,
There is no comfort in this world,
To women that are kind.

Then take a thousand thanks

Of me, a dying man,

But speak no more of love, nor life,
For why my life is gone :

To Christ my soul I give,

My body unto death,

For none of you my heart can have

Sith I must lose my breath.
A sweet, &c.

Fair maids lament not me,
Your country law is such,
It takes but hold upon my life,
My goods it cannot touch,
Within one chest I have
Of gold a thousand pound,
I give it equal to you all
For love that I have found.
A sweet, &c.

And now, dear friends, farewell,
Sweet England now adieu,

And Chichester, where I was born,
Where first this breath I drew:

And now thou man of death

Unto thy weapon stand;

O nay, another damsel said,
Sweet headsman hold thy hand.
A sweet, &c.

Now hear a maiden's plaint,
Brave Englishman, quoth she,
And grant me love for love again,
That craves but love of thee:

I woo and sue for love,

That had been woo'd ere this,

Then grant me love, and therewithal

She proffered him a kiss.
A sweet, &c.

I'll die within thy arms
If thou wilt die, quoth she,
Yet live or die, sweet Englishman,
I'll live and die with thee:
But can it be, quoth he,

That thou dost love me so,

'Tis not by long acquaintance, sir,

Whereby true love doth grow.