A PEPYSIAN GARLAND - online book

Black-letter Broadside Ballads Of The years 1595-1639

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ANNE WALLEN'S LAMENTATION
To the tune of Fortune my foe.
1    GReat God that sees al things that here are don Keeping thy Court with thy celestiall Son; Heere her complaint that hath so sore offended, Forgiue my fact before my life is ended.
2   Ah me the shame vnto all women kinde,
To harbour such a thought within my minde: That now hath made me to the world a scorne, And makes me curse the time that I was borne.
3   O would to God my mothers haples wombe, Before my birth had beene my happy tombe: Or would to God when first I did take breath, That I had suffered any painefull death.
4   If euer dyed a true repentant soule,
Then I am she, whose deedes are blacke and foule: Then take heed wiues be to your husbands kinde, And beare this lesson truely in your minde,
5   Let not your tongus oresway true reasons bounds, Which in your rage your vtmost rancour sounds : A woman that is wise should seldome speake, Unlesse discreetly she her words repeat.1
6   Oh would that I had thought of this before, Which now to thinke on makes my heart full sore: Then should I not haue done this deed so foule, The which hath stained my immortall soule.
1 No period in the text.
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