The Morpeth wedding garland/The garden of thyme

The Garden of Thyme, giving good Advice for every Virgins Care.

While Flowers in their tender Buds do grow
Let no young Men into your Gardens go;
Leſt theſe young Buds upon their tender Stem
Should be cropp'd off by theſe unruly Men.

YOU pretty Maidens all,
That now are in your Prime,
Beſure you look your Gardens well,
Let no Man ſteal your Thyme:
For I delight in my Thyme,
That flouriſh'd Night and Day,
Then came a young Man craftily,
And ſtole my Thyme away.

This young Man oft did come,
With Words moſt ſweet and fine,
And ſtole into my Garden,
And pluckt up all my Thyme:
And when that he had ſtole my Thyme,
The young Man came no more,
To look for Thyme in my Garden,
As he had done before.

And when my Thyme was gone,
And I could plant no New,
The very Place where it did grow,
Was over-run with Rue;
The Rue it will run over all,
If that you'll give it ſcope,
But I've preſerv'd one little Plant,
To plant in Time of Hope.

The Gilly-flower is ſweet,
That grows near to the Wall,
And ſo is the Yellow-pegell,
But Thyme is the beſt of all:
But ſtill cry'd out this pretty Maid,
Stand up my Hope, ſaid ſhe,
For if myHope ſhould chance to fade,
Then quickly I ſhould die.

I got my Garden digged,
And planted it a-new,
My Hope got Root in little Time,
And up I pluck'd the Rue:
And when it was but newly ſet,
With Hope and Thyme all round,
Fine Flowers then grew prettily,
With Marjoram on the Ground.

I view'd my Garden well,
And found both Hope and Thyme,
Did both begin to flouriſh,
As they did in their Prime:
Then the young Men they came again,
My Garden for to ſee,
But I kept ſhut my Garden Door,
Leſt they ſhould ruin me.

They found my Thyme preſerv’d,
Then one amongſt the Reſt,
Did beg of me moſt heartily,
To grant him one Requeſt;
That he might my Gardener be,
Then he would take ſuch Care,
If I would let him keep the Key,
He'd keep iny Garden clear.

Up on this Promiſe made,
That he would careful be,
This young Man of my Garden Door,
I made him keep the Key:
He digg'd my Garden round about,
And planted it a-new,
Of Hope and Thyme he kept good Store,
But not one Bit of Rue.FINIS