Two excellent new songs (1)/Knight and shepherds's daughter

The Knight and Shepherd's Daughter.

THERE was a shepherd's daughter
⁠⁠came tripping on the way;
And there by chance a knight the met,
⁠ which caused her to stay.

Good morrow to you, beauteous maid,
⁠ these words pronounced he;
O I shall die this day he said,
⁠ if I have not my will of thee.

The Lord forbid, the maid reply’d,
⁠ that you should wax so wode!
But for all that she could say,
⁠ he would not be withstood.

Sith you have had your will of me,
⁠ and put me to open shame;
Now, if you are a courteous knight,
⁠ tell me what is your name?

Some do call me Jack, sweet-heart,
⁠ and some do Call me Jill;
But when I come to the king’s fair court
⁠ they call me Willful Will.

He set his foot in the stirrup,
and away then he did ride;
he tuckt her girdle about her middle,
⁠ and ran close by his side.

But when she came to the broad water,
⁠ she sat her breast and swam,
And when she was got out again,
⁠ She took to her heels and ran.

He never was the courteous knight,
⁠ to say, fair maid, will ye ride?
And she was ever too loving a maid,
⁠ to say, Sir knight abide.

When she came to the king’s fair court,
⁠ she knocked at the ring;
o ready was the king himself
⁠ to let this fair maid in.

Now hear my prayer, my gracious liege,
⁠ Now be you judge and ice,
You have a knight within your court
⁠ this day hath robbed me.

What hath he robbed thee of sweet-heart?
⁠ of purple or of pall?
Or hath he taken thy gay gold ring
⁠ from off thy finger small?

He hath not robbed me, my liege,
⁠ of purple or of pall;
But he hath got my maidenhead,
⁠ which grieves me worst of all.

Now if he be a batchelor,
⁠ his body I’ll give thee;
But if he be a married man,
⁠ high hanged shall he be.

He called down his merry men all,
⁠ by one by two, and by three;
Sir William used to be the first,
⁠ but the last came he.

He brought her down full forty pound,
⁠ tied up within a glove;
Fair maid, I’ll give the fame to thee,
⁠ go, seek the another love.

O I’ll have none of your gold, she said,
⁠ nor I’ll have none of your fee;
But your fair body I must have,
⁠ The king has granted me.

Sir William ran and fetched her then
⁠ five hundred pounds in gold,
Saying, fair maid, take this to thee,
⁠thy fault will ne’er be told.

Tis not thy gold that shall me tempt
⁠these words then answered she,
But your own body I must have,
⁠ the king hath granted me.

Would I had drunk the water clear,
⁠ when I had drunk the wine,
Rather than any Shepherd’s brat
⁠ should be a lady of mine!

Would I had drunk the puddle foul,
⁠ when I did drink the ale,
Rather than ever a shepherd’s brat,
⁠ Should tell me such a tale!

A Shepherd’s brat even as I was,
⁠ you might have let me be;
I never had come to the king’s fair court,
⁠ to crave any love of thee.

He set her on a milk white steed,
⁠ and himself upon a grey;
He hung a bougle upon her neck,
⁠ and so they rode away.

But when they came unto the place,
⁠ where marriage rites were done,
She prov’d herself a duke’s daughter,
⁠ and he but a squire’s son.

Nowmarry me, or not, sir knight,
⁠ your pleasure shall be free;
If you make me lady of one good town,
⁠I'll make you lord of three.

Ah! cursed be the gold, he said,
⁠ if thou hadst not been true,
I should have forsaken my sweet love,
⁠ and have changed her for a new.

And now their hearts being linked fast,
⁠ they join hand in hand;
Thus he had both purse and person too,
⁠ and all at his command.