"O say not soe, thou holy friar; I pray thee, say not soe: For since my true-love dyed for mee, 'Tis meet my tears should flow. "And will he never come again? Will he ne'er come again? Ah! no, he is dead and laid in his grave, For ever to remain. "His cheek was redder than the rose; The comeliest youth was he? But he is dead and laid in his grave: Alas, and woe is me!" "Sigh no more, lady, sigh no more, Men were deceivers ever: One foot on sea and one on land, To one thing constant never. "Hadst thou been fond, he had been false, And left thee sad and heavy; For young men ever were fickle found, Since summer trees were leafy." "Now say not soe, thou holy friar, I pray thee say not soe; My love he had the truest heart: O he was ever true! "And art thou dead, thou much-lov'd youth, And didst thou dye for mee? Then farewell home; for ever-more A pilgrim I will bee. "But first upon my true-love s grave My weary limbs I'll lay, And thrice I'll kiss the green-grass turf, That wraps his breathless clay." "Yet stay, fair lady: rest awhile Beneath this cloyster wall: See through the hawthorn blows the cold wind, And drizzly rain doth fall." "O stay me not, thou holy friar; O stay me not, I pray; No drizzly rain that falls on me, Can wash my fault away." "Yet stay, fair lady, turn again, And dry those pearly tears; For see beneath this gown of gray Thy owne true-love appears. "Here forc'd by grief, and hopeless love, These holy weeds I sought; And here amid these lonely walls To end my days I thought. "But haply for my year of grace Is not yet past away, Might I still hope to win thy love, No longer would I stay." "Now farewell grief, and welcome joy Once more unto my heart; For since I have found thee, lovely youth, We never more will part." ----T. Percy. THE DIVERTING HISTORY OF JOHN GILPIN [Illustration: 9036] |John Gilpin was a citizen Of credit and renown, A train-band captain eke was he, Of famous London town. John Gilpin's spouse said to her dear, "Though wedded we have been These twice ten tedious years, yet we No holiday have seen. "To-morrow is our wedding-day, And we will then repair Unto the ( Bell at Edmonton, All in a chaise and pair. "My sister, and my sister's child, Myself, and children three, Will fill the chaise; so you must ride On horseback after me." He soon replied, "I do admire Of womankind but one, And you are she, my dearest dear, Therefore it shall be done. "I am a linen-draper bold, As all the world doth know, And my good friend the calender Will lend his horse to go." Quoth Mrs Gilpin, "That's well said; And for that wine is dear, We will be furnished with our own,