TAKE THY OLD CLOAK ABOUT THEE.
This winter's weather it waxeth cold,
And frost doth freeze on every hill,
And Boreas blows his blasts so bold,
That all our cattle are like to spill;
Bell my wife, who loves no strife,
She said unto me quietly,
"Rise up, and save cow Crumbock's life;
Man, put thine old cloak about thee."
He.
"O Bell, why dost thou flyte and scorn?
Thou ken'st my cloak is very thin:
It is so bare and overworn
A crick he thereon cannot renn:
Then I'll no longer borrow nor lend,
For once I'll new apparelled be,
To-morrow I'll to town and spend,
For I'll have a new cloak about me."
She.
"Cow Crumbock is a very good cow,
She ha' been always true to the pail,
She's helped us to butter and cheese, I trow,
And other things she will not fail:
I wad be loth to see her pine,
Good husband, counsel take of me,
It is not for us to go so fine;
Man, take thine old cloak about thee."
He.
"My cloak it was a very good cloak,
It hath been always true to the wear,
But now it is not worth a groat;
I have had it four and forty year:
Sometime it was of cloth in grain,
'Tis now but a sigh-clout, as you may see,
It will neither hold out wind nor rain;
And I'll have a new cloak about me."
She.
"It is four and forty years ago
Since the one of us the other did ken,
And we have had betwixt us two
Of children either nine or ten;
We have brought them up to women and men;
In the fear of God I trow they be;
And why wilt thou thyself misken?
Man, take thine old cloak about thee."
He.
"O Bell my wife, why dost thou flout?
Now is now, and then was then:
Seek now all the world throughout,
Thou ken'st not clowns from gentlemen.
They are clad in black, green, yellow, or gray,
So far above their own degree:
Once in my life I'll do as they,
For I'll have a new cloak about me."
She.
"King Stephen was a worthy peer,
His breeches cost him but a crown,
He held them sixpence all too dear;
Therefore he called the tailor lown.
He was a wight of high renown,
And thou's but of a low degree:
It's pride that puts this country down;
Man, take thine old cloak about thee."
He.
Bell my wife she loves not strife,
Yet she will lead me if she can;
And oft, to live a quiet life,
I am forced to yield, though I'm good-man;
It's not for a man with a woman to threap,
Unless he first gave o'er the plea:
As we began we now will leave,
And I'll take mine old cloak about me.
WILLOW, WILLOW, WILLOW.
A poor soul sat sighing under a sycamore tree;
"O willow, willow, willow!"
With his hand on his bosom, his head on his knee:
"O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and."
He sighed in his singing, and after each groan,
"Come willow, willow, willow!
I am dead to all pleasure, my true-love is gone;
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"My love she is turned; untrue she doth prove:
O willow, willow, willow!
She renders me nothing but hate for my love.
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"O pity me," cried he, "ye lovers, each one;
O willow, willow, willow!
Her heart's hard as marble; she rues not my moan.
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and."
The cold streams ran by him, his eyes wept apace;
"O willow, willow, willow!"
The salt tears fell from him, which drown-ed his face:
"O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and."
The mute birds sat by him, made tame by his moans:
"O willow, willow, willow!"
The salt tears fell from him, which softened the stones.
"O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"Let nobody blame me, her scorns I do prove;
O willow, willow, willow!
She was born to be fair; I, to die for her love.
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"O that beauty should harbour a heart that's so hard!
Sing willow, willow, willow!
My true love rejecting without all regard.
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"Let love no more boast him in palace or bower;
O willow, willow, willow!
For women are trothless, and fleet in an hour.
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"But what helps complaining? In vain I complain:
O willow, willow, willow!
I must patiently suffer her scorn and disdain.
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"Come, all you forsaken, and sit down by me,
O willow, willow, willow!
He that plains of his false love, mine's falser than she.
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"The willow wreath wear I, since my love did fleet;
O willow, willow, willow!
A garland for lovers forsaken most meet.
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and."
PART THE SECOND.
"Low laid by my sorrow, begot by disdain;
O willow, willow, willow!
Against her too cruel, still still I complain,
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and!
"O love too injurious, to wound my poor heart!
O willow, willow, willow!
To suffer the triumph, and joy in my smart:
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"O willow, willow, willow! the willow garl-and,
O willow, willow, willow!
A sign of her falseness before me doth stand:
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"As here it doth bid to despair and to die,
O willow, willow, willow!
So hang it, friends, o'er me in grave where I lie:
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"In grave where I rest me, hang this to the view,
O willow, willow, willow!
Of all that do know her, to blaze her untrue.
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"With these words engraven, as epitaph meet,
O willow, willow, willow!
'Here lies one drank poison for potion most sweet,'
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"Though she thus unkindly hath scorn-ed my love,
O willow, willow, willow!
And carelessly smiles at the sorrows I prove;
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"I cannot against her unkindly exclaim,
O willow, willow, willow!
'Cause once well I loved her, and honoured her name:
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"The name of her sounded so sweet in mine ear,
O willow, willow, willow!
It raised my heart lightly, the name of my dear;
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"As then 'twas my comfort, it now is my grief;
O willow, willow, willow!
It now brings me anguish; then brought me relief.
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"Farewell, fair false-hearted: plaints end with my breath!
O willow, willow, willow!
Thou dost loathe me, I love thee, though cause of my death.
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the green willow shall be my garl-and."