Classic Poem

A: noble Marquesse, as hee did ryde on huntinge
hard by a fforrest syde,
a p ro p er maid, as shee did sitt a spinninge,
his gentle eye espyde.
Most ffaire & louely, & of comely grace, was shee,
although in simple attire;
shee sung ffull sweet w i th pleasant voice melodyouslyee,
w hi ch sett the Lords hart on ffire.
the more he looket, the more hee might;
bewtye bred his harts delight;
& to this dainty damsell then [hee went.]
" God speed, " q uo th hee, " thou ffamous fflower,
ffaire M ist r es s of this homely bower
where louee & vertue liues w i th sweet content! "

w i th comely Iesture & modest ffine behauiour
shee bade him welcome; then
shee entertaind him in ffaithffull ffrendly man[ner]
& all his gentlemen
the Noble Marquesse in his hart felt such a fflame,
w hi ch sett his sences att striffe;
q uo th hee, " ffaire mayd, show me soone what is thine [name;]
I meane to make thee my wiffe. "
" Grissell is my name, " q uo th shee,
" ffarr vnffitt ffor yo u r degree:
a silly mayden, & of parents poore "
" nay, Grissell! thou art rich, " he sayd;
" a virtiuos, ffaire, & comelye mayde!
grant me thy loue, & I will aske no more. "

Att Lenght shee Consented, & being both contented,
they marryed were w i th speed.
her country russett was changed to silke & veluett,
as to her state agreed;
& when tha t shee was trimly tyred in the same,
her bewtye shined most bright,
ffarr stainninge euery other braue & comelye dam[e]
tha t did appeare in her sight.
many enuyed her therfore,
because shee was of parents poore,
& twixt her Lo rd & shee great striffe did raise.
some said this, & some said that,
& some did call her beggars bratt,
& to her Lord they wold her offt dispraise:

" O noble Marquesse " (q uo th they) " why doe you wrong vs,
thus baselye ffor to wedd,
tha t might haue gotten an hon oura ble Ladye
into yo u r princely bed?
who will not now yo u r noble issue still deryde,
w hi ch heerafter shall be borne,
tha t are of blood soe base on the Mothers syde,
the w hi ch will bring them in scorne.
put her therfore quite away;
take to you a Ladye gay,
wherby yo u r Linage may renowned bee: "
thus euery day the seemed to prate
tha t malliced G RISSELLS good estate,
who tooke all this most mild & patyentlye.

when the Marquesse see tha t they were bent thus
against his ffaithffull wiffe,
who most dearlye, tenderlye, & entirlye,
he loued as his liffe;
Minding in secrett for to proue her patyent hart,
therby her ffoes to disgrace,
thinking to play a hard discurteous part
tha t men might pittye her case; —
great w i th child this Ladye was;
& att lenght itt came to passe,
2 goodlye children att one birth shee had,
a sonne & daughter god had sent,
w hi ch did their ffather well content,
& w HI ch did make their mothers hart full glad.

Great Ioy & ffeasting was att the childrens christenin[g,]
& princely triumph made.
6 weekes together all nobles tha t came thither
were entertained, and stayd.
& when tha t all these plasant sporttings quite were done,
the Marquesse a Messenger sent
ffor his young daughter & his pretty smiling so[ne,]
declaring his ffull entent,
how tha t they babes must murdered bee, —
for soe the Marquess did decree:
" come, lett me haue thy children, " then hee say[d].
w i th tha t, ffaire Grissell wept ffull sore,
shee wrong her hands, & sayd no more:
" My gracyous Lo rd must haue his will obayd. "

Shee tooke the babyes ffrom the nursing Ladyes
betweene her tender armes;
shee often wishes w i th many sorrowffull kisses
tha t shee might helpe their harmes:
" ffarwell, ffarwell 1000 times, my children deere!
neere shall I see you againe!
tis long of me, yo ur sad and wofull mother heere,
for whose sake you must be slaine
had I beene borne of royall race,
you might haue liued in happy case,
but you must dye for my vnworthynesse!
come, messenger of death, " sayd shee,
" take my despised babes ffrom mee,
& to their ffather my complaints expresse! "

Hee tooke the children; vnto his Noble M aster
he brought them both w i th speed,
who secrett sent them vnto a noble Ladye
to bee brought vp indeed.
then to ffaire Grissell w i th a heauy hart hee goes
where shee sate myldlye alone.
a pleasant gesture & a louelye looke shee showes,
as if greeffe shee had neuer knone.
q uo th hee, " my children now are slaine:
what thinkes ffaire Grissell of the same?
sweet Grissell, now declare thy mind to mee. "
" sith you, my Lo rd , are pleased w i th itt,
poore G RISSELL thinkes the actyon fitt
both I and mine att yo ur comand wilbee. "

" My Nobles murmure, ffaire Girssell, at thy hono u r,
& I noe Ioy Can haue
till thou be banisht both ffrom my court & p re sence,
as they vniustly craue.
thou must be stript out of thy garments all,
& as thou camest vnto mee,
in homely gray, instead of bisse & purest pall,
now all thy clothing must bee
My La dy thou shalt be no more,
nor I thy Lo rd , w HI ch greeues me sore
the poorest liffe must now content thy mind;
a groate to thee I may not giue
to maintaine thee while I liue:
against my Grissell such great ffoes I ffind. "

When gentle Grissell had hard this wofull tydings,
the teares stood in her eyes.
she nothing answered, no words of disconte[nt]ment
did ffrom her lipps arrise;
her veluett gowne most pitteouslye shee slipped of,
her kirtle of silke w i th the same
her russett gowne was browght againe w i th many a scoffe:
to bere them all, her selfe shee did fframe.
when shee was drest in this array,
and readye was to p ar t away,
" god send long liue vnto my Lo rd ! " q uo th shee,
" Let no Offence be ffound in this,
to giue my Lo rd a parting kisse. "
w i th wattered eyes, " ffarwell, my deare! " q uo th hee.

ffrom statelye pallace, vnto her ffathers cottage
poore Grissell now is gone.
ffull 15 winters shee liued there contented;
no wrong shee thought vpon;
& att tha t time through all the Land the Speeches went,
the Marquesse shold marryed bee
vnto a Ladye great of hye discent;
& to the same all p ar tyes did agree.
the Marquesse sent ffor Grissell ffaire
the bryds bedchamber to prepare,
tha t nothing therin shold bee ffound awrye.
the bryde was w i the her brother come,
w hi ch was great Ioy to all & some:
& Grissell tooke all this most patyentlye.
And in the Morning when tha t they shold be weded,
her patyence now was tryde:
Gr[i]ssell was chargd, her-selfe in princely manno u r
ffor to attyre the bryde.

most willingly shee gaue consent vnto the sam[e:]
the bryde in her brauery was drest,
& p re sentlye the noble Marquesse thither came
w i th all his Lo rds att his request:
" O Grissell, I wold aske of thee
if thou wold to this match agree;
methinkes thy lookes are waxen wonderous coy. "
w i th tha t they all began to smile,
& Grissell shee replyes the while,
" god send Lo rd Marquesse many yeeres of Ioy! "

The Marquesse was moued to see his best beloued
thus patyent in distresse;
he stept vnto her, & by the hand he tooke her;
these words he did expresse:
" thou art the bryde, & all the brydes I meane to haue!
these 2 thine owne children bee! " —
the youthfull [Lady] on her knees did blessing craue;
her brother as willing as shee; —
" & you tha t enuye her estate
whom I haue made my louing mate,
Now blush ffor shame, & hono u r vertuous liffe!
the chronicles of Lasting ffame
shall eu er more extoll the name
of patyent Grissell, my most patyent wiffe! "