"But all the ladies of Scotland fair,
And lasses of England that well would prove,
Neither marry for gold nor goods,415
Nor marry for nothing but only love.
"For I had a lover true of my own,
A serving-man of low degree;
Now from Tom Pots I'le change his name,
For the young Lord Arundel he shall be."420
v. [270], me tell.
[329], i. e. he made use of a charm for that purpose.
THE MERCHANT'S DAUGHTER OF BRISTOW.
From Collier's Book of Roxburghe Ballads, p. 104.
"This narrative ballad, which is full of graceful but unadorned simplicity, is mentioned in Fletcher's Monsieur Thomas, (Act iii. Sc. 3,) by the name of Maudlin the Merchant's Daughter. Two early editions of it are known: one without printer's name, (clearly much older than the other,) is that which we have used; we may conclude that it was written considerably before James I. came to the throne. It was last reprinted in 1738, but in that impression it was much modernized and corrupted."
Behold the touchstone of true love,
Maudlin the Merchant's Daughter of Bristow towne,
Whose firme affection nothing could move;
This favour beares the lovely browne.