THE NUTBROWN MAID
Be it right or wrong, these men among
On women do complain,
Affirming this, how that it is
A labour spent in vain
To love them weel, for never a deal
They love a man again:
For let a man do what he can
Their favour to attain,
Yet if a new do them pursue,
Their first true lover than
Laboureth for nought, and from her thought
He is a banished man."
deal, bit. than, then.
"I say not nay, but that all day
It is both writ and said,
That woman's faith is, as who saith,
All utterly decayed:
But nevertheless, right good witness
In this case might be laid,
That they love true, and continue,—
Record the nutbrown maid;
Which from her love, when her to prove
He came to make his moan,
Would not depart, for in her heart
She loved but him alone."
"Then between us let us discuss
What was all the manner
Between them two; we will also
Tell all the pain and fear
That she was in; now I begin,
See that ye me answer:
Wherefore [all] ye that present be,
I pray you give an ear.
I am the knight, I come by night,
As secret as I can,
Saying 'Alas! thus standeth the case,
I am a banished man! '"
"And I your will for to fulfill
In this will not refuse,
Trusting to shew, in words few,
That men have an ill use,
To their own shame, women to blame,
And causeless them accuse:
Therefore to you I answer now,
All women to excuse,
'Mine own heart dear, with you what cheer?
I pray you tell anon:
For in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.'"
"It standeth so: a deed is do
Whereof much harm shall grow.
My destiny is for to die
A shameful death, I trow,
Or else to flee,—the one must be:
None other way I know,
But to withdraw as an outlaw,
And take me to my bow.
Wherefore, adieu, my own heart true,
None other red I can;
For I must to the green wood go,
Alone, a banished man."
"O Lord, what is this worldés bliss
That changeth as the moon!
My summer's day in lusty May
Is darked before the noon.
I hear you say Farewell: nay, nay,
We depart not so soon.
Why say ye so? Whither will ye go?
Alas, what have ye done?
red, plan. darked, darkened.
All my welfare to sorrow and care
Should change, if ye were gone:
For in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone."
"I can believe it shall you grieve,
And somewhat you distrain;
But afterward your painés hard,
Within a day or twain,
Shall soon aslake, and ye shall take
Comfort to you again.
Why should ye nought? for, to make thought
Your labour were in vain:
And thus I do, and pray you, too,
As heartily as I can:
For I must to the green wood go,
Alone, a banished man."
"Now sith that ye have shewed to me
The secret of your mind,
I shall be plain to you again,
Like as ye shall me find:
Sith it is so that ye will go,
I will not leave behind;
Shall never be said the Nutbrown Maid
Was to her love unkind.
Make you ready, for so am I,
Although it were anon;
For in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone."
"Yet I you rede to take good heed
What men will think and say -,
Of young and old it shall be told,
That ye be gone away
Your wanton will for to fulfil,
In green wood you to play;
And that ye might from your delight
No longer make delay.'
Rather than ye should thus for me
Be called an ill woman,
Yet would I to the green wood go
Alone, a banished man."
"Though it be sung of old and young
That I should be to blame,
Theirs be the charge that speak so large
In hurting of my name.
For I will prove that faithful love
It is devoid of shame,
In your distress and heaviness,
To part with you the same;
And sure all tho that do not so,
True lovers are they none;
But in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone."
"I counsel yow remember how
It is no maiden's law,
Nothing to doubt, but to renne out
To wood with an outlaw.
tho, those. renne, run.
For ye must there in your hand bear
A bow to bear and draw,
And as a thief thus must ye live,
Ever in dread and awe;
By which to yow great harm might grow;—
Yet had I liefer than
That I had to the greenwood go
Alone, a banished man."
"I think not nay; but, as ye say,
It is no maiden's lore;
But love may make me for your sake,
As ye have said before,
To come on foot, to hunt and shoot
To get us meat and store;
For so that I your company
May have, I ask no more;
From which to part, it maketh mine heart
As cold as any stone:
For in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone."
"For an outlaw this is the law,
That men him take and bind,
Without pity hanged to be,
And waver with the wind.
If I had need, as God forbid,
What rescue could ye find?
For sooth, I trow, you and your bow
Should draw for fear behind:
And no merveil; for little avail
Were in your counsel than;
Wherefore I to the wood will go
Alone, a banished man."
"Full well know ye that women be
Full feeble for to fight;
No womanhead is it indeed,
To be bold as a knight.
Yet in such fear if that ye were,
Among enemies day and night,
I would withstand, with bow in hand,
To grieve them as I might,
And you to save, as women have,
From death many one:
For in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone."
"Yet take good heed; for ever I dread
That ye could not sustain
The thorny ways, the deep vallies,
The snow, the frost, the rain,
The cold, the heat; for, dry or wet,
We must lodge on the plain;
And us above none other rove
But a brake bush or twain;
Which soon should grieve you, I believe,
And ye would gladly than
That I had to the greenwood go
Alone, a banished man."
than, then. rove, roof.
"Sith I have here been partinere
With you of joy and bliss,
I must also part of your woe
Endure, as reason is;
Yet am I sure of one pleasure,
And shortly, it is this;
That where ye be, meseemth, perde,
I could not fare amiss.
Without more speech, I you beseech
That we were soon agone;
For in My mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone."
"If ye go thither, ye must consider,
When ye have lust to dine,
There shall no meat be for to get,
Nor drink, beer, ale, ne wine;
Ne sheetés clean to lie between,
Made of thread and twine:
None other house but leaves and boughs
To cover your head and mine.
Lo, mine heart sweet, this ill diet
Should make you pale and wan:
Wherefore I to the wood will go
Alone, a banished man."
"Among the wild deer such an archer
As men say that ye be
Ne may not fail of good vitail,
Where is so great plenty;
partinere, partner. vitail, victual
And water clear of the river
Shall be full sweet to me,
With which in hele I shall right weel
Endure, as ye shall see:
And ere we go, a bed or two
I can provide anon;
For in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone."
"Lo, yet before, ye must do more,
If ye will go with me,
As cut your hair up by your ear,
Your kirtle by the knee;
With bow in hand, for to withstand
Your enemies, if need be;
And this same night, before daylight,
To woodward will I flee;
And [if] ye will all this fulfill,
Do it shortly as ye can:
Else will I to the greenwood go
Alone, a banished man."
"I shall as now do more for you
Than longeth to womanhood,
To short my hair, a bow to bear,
To shoot in time of need:
O my sweet mother, before all other,
For you have I most dread!
But now, adieu! I must ensue
Where fortune doth me lead.
hele, health.
All this make ye; now let us flee;
The day comes fast upon;
For in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone."
"Nay, nay, not so; ye shall not go;
And I shall tell you why;
Your appetite is to be light
Of love, I well espy:
For right as ye have said to me,
I
n like wise, hardily,
Ye would answer, who so ever it were,
In way of company.
It is said of old, soon hot, soon cold,
And so is a woman;
Wherefore I to the wood will go
Alone, a banished man."
"If ye take heed, it is no need
Such words to say by me;
For oft ye prayed, and long assayed,
Or I you loved, perde.
And though that I of ancestry
A baron's daughter be,
Yet have you proved how I you loved,
A squire of low degree;
And ever shall, what so befall,
To die therefore anon;
For in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone."
"A baron's child to be beguiled,
It were a cursed deed!
To be fellow with an outlaw,
Almighty God forbid!
Yet better were the poor squire
Alone to forest yede,
Than ye shall say another day,
That by [my] wicked deed
Ye were betrayed; wherefore, good maid,
The best red that I can
Is that I to the green wood go
Alone, a banished man."
"Whatsoever befall, I never shall
Of this thing you upbraid;
But if ye go, and leave me so,
Then have ye me betrayed.
Remember you weel, how that ye deal,
For if ye, as ye said,
Be so unkind to leave behind
Your love, the Nutbrown Maid,
Trust me truly, that I shall die,
Soon after ye be gone;
For in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone."
"If that ye went, ye should repent,
For in the forest now
I have purveyed me of a maid
Whom I love more than you:
yede, went. red, advice.
Another fairer than ever ye were,
I dare it well avow;
And of you both each should be wroth
With other, as I trow.
It were mine ease to live in peace;
So will I, if I can;
Wherefore I to the wood will go
Alone, a banished man."
"Though in the wood I understood
Ye had a paramour,
All this may nought remove my thought,
But that I will be your;
And she shall find me soft and kind
And courteous every hour,
Glad to fulfill all that she will
Command me to my power;
For had ye, lope, an hundred moe
Yet would I be that one.
For in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone."
"Mine own dear love, I see the prove
That ye be kind and true;
Of maid and wife, in all my life,
The best that ever I knew.
Be merry and glad, be no more sad,
The case is changed new;
For it were ruth that for your truth
You should have cause to rue.
lo'e, love.
Be not dismayed: whatsoever I said
To you when I began,
I will not to the green wood go;
I am no banished man."
"This tidings be more glad to me
Than to be made a queen,
If I were sure they should endure,
But it is often seen,
When men will break promise, they speak
The wordés on the spleen.
Ye shape some wile me to beguile,
And steal fro me, I ween;
Then were the case worse than it was,
And I more woe-begone;
For in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone."
"Ye shall not need further to dread:
I will not disparage
You, God defend! sith you descend
Of so great a lineage.
Now understand, to Westmoreland,
Which is my heritage,
I will you bring, and with a ring,
By way of marriage,
I will you take, and lady make,
As shortly as I can:
Thus have ye won an earlés son,
And not a banished man."
Here may ye see that women be
In love meek, kind, and stable:
Let never man reprove them than,
Or call them variable;
But rather pray God, that we may
To them be comfortable,
Which sometime proveth such as loveth,
If they be charitable;
For sith men would that women should
Be meek to them each one,
Much more ought they to God obey,
And serve but Him alone.
