55 He held them sixpence all too deere; And thouse but of a low degree: [HE 175] HE. 'Bell my wife she loves not strife, Yet she will lead me if she can, And oft, to live a quiet life, 60 I am forced to yield, though Ime good-man': Where I began I now mun leave, And take mine old cloake about mee. VI. WILLOW, WILLOW, WILLOW. 5 10 15 It is from the following stanzas that Shakespeare has taken his song of the WILLOW, in his OTHELLO, A. 4. s. 3. though somewhat varied and applied by him to a female 20 character. He makes Desdemona introduce it in this pathetic and affecting manner, "My mother had a maid call'd Barbarie: "She was in love; and he, she lov'd forsook her, "And she prov'd mad. She had a Song of WILLÓW. This is given from a black-letter copy in the Pepys Collection thus intitled, "A Lovers complaint, being forsaken "of his love. To a pleasant tune." [A Poore 176] 5 A Poore soule sat sighing under a sicamore 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 greene willow shall be my garland. Ver. 51. 12 pence. MS. Ver. 52. clowne. MS. 25 30 35 He sigh'd in his singing, and after each grone, Come willow, &c. I am dead to all pleasure, my true-love is gone; Sing, O the greene willow, &c. My love she is turned; untrue she doth prove: She renders me nothing but hate for my love. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. O pitty me (cried he) ye lovers, each one: Her heart's hard as marble; she rues not my mone. O willow, &c. The cold streams ran by him, his eyes wept apace, O willow, &c. The salt tears fell from him, which drowned his face: O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. [The 177] The mute birds sate hy him, made tame by his mones: O willow, &c. The salt tears fell from him, which softened the stones. O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland! O willow, &c. She was borne to be fair; I, to die for her love. O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. O that beauty should harbour a heart, that's so hard! My true love rejecting without all regard. O willow, &c. Sing, O the green willow, &c. Let Love no more boast him in palace, or bower; O willow, &c. 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 VOL. 50 III. N For women are trothles, and flote in an houre. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. But what helps complaining? In vaine I complaine: I must patiently suffer her scorne, and disdaine. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. [Come, 178] Come, all you forsaken, and set (l. sit corr.) 55 60 5 10 Ι 15 [down by me, 10 He that 'plaines of his false love, mine's falser than she. O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. The willow wreath weare I, since my love did fleet; O willow, &c. A Garland for lovers forsaken most meete. O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garlànd! LOWE THE SECOND PART. OWE lay'd by my sorrow, begot by disdaine, Against her too cruell, still still I complaine, O willow, willow, willow! O willow, willow, willow: 15 5 20 25 Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland! O love too injurious, to wound my poore heart; To suffer the triumph, and joy in my smart: O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. [O willow, 179] O willow, willow, willow! the willow O willow, &c. A sign of her falsenesse before me doth stand: O willow, &c. As here it doth bid to despair and to dye, O willow, &c. So hang it, friends, ore mee in grave where I lye: Sing, O the greene willow, &c. In grave where I rest mee, hang this to the view Of all that doe knowe her, to blaze her untrue. O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. With these words engraven, as epitaph meet, O willow, &c. "Here lyes one, drank poyson for potion most sweet." Sing, O the green willow, &c. Though she thus unkindly hath scorned my love, And carelesly smiles at the sorrowes, I prove; O willow, &c. Sing, O the green willow, &c. 20 25 30 35 [I cannot 180] I cannot against her unkindly exclaim, O willow, &c. Cause once well I loved her, and honoured her name: O willow, &c. Sing, O the green willow shall be my garland. The name of her sounded so sweete in mine eare, It rays'd my heart lightly, the name of my deare; Sing, O the greene willow, &c. As then 'twas my comfort, it now is my griefe; It now brings me anguish, then brought me reliefe. O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. 40 45 50 Farewell, faire false hearted: plaints end with my breath! O willow, &c. N 2 N 3 55 Thou dost loath me, I love thee, though cause of my death. O willow, willow, willow! Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland. [VII. SIR 181] VII. SIR LANCELOT DU LAKE. 5 This ballad is quoted in Shakespeare's second Part of HENRY IV. A. 2. sc. 4. The subject of it is taken from the ancient romance of K. Arthur (commonly called MORTE ARTHUR) being a poetical translation of Chap. cviii, cix, cx, 10 in Pt. 1st. as they stand in Ed. 1634. 4to. In the older Editions the Chapters are differently numbered. This song is given from a printed copy, corrected in part by the folio MS. In the same play of 2 Her. IV. SILENCE hums a scrap 15 of one of the old ballads of Robin Hood. It is taken from the following stanza of ROBIN HOOD AND THE PINDAR OF WAKEFIELD. All this beheard three wighty yeomen, Twas Robin Hood, Scarlet, and John: That ballad may be found on every stall, and therefore is not here reprinted. WHEN Arthur first in court began, And was approved king, By force of armes great victoryes wanne, [Then 182] Then into England straight he came Knights, that resorted unto him, And were of his round table. And many justs and turnaments, Wherein some knights did then excell Engl. Sprach- und Literaturdenkm. VI. 10 20 25 30 35 |