The Ill-Married Lady

"Lovely lady, married ill, though fairest of the fair thou be,
Grief within thine eye is seated, well thy lonely grief I see.
If thou seek another lover, seek not farther, rest with me,
While thy faithless Lord is wandering, faith and love I'll give to thee.

"All the day thy husband wanders 'midst the damsels of the town,
He to Play and Prado squires them, while thy bosom's peace is flown;
Yesternight I heard them sporting, merry jibes on thee they threw,—
Soon, he said, thy days he'll finish, and another lady woo."—

Out and spake the lovely lady, "Thou my sorrow well hast read;
Take me with thee, gentle stranger, let me quit my lonely bed;
Careless eye and cruel tongue, weary am I of them both,
Let me swear to be thy love, and faithfully I'll keep mine oath.

"I will serve thee late and early, with an handmaid's humble cheer,
I will dress our capon neatly, I will pour our wine so clear;
I will deck our bed so fairly, all with sheets of Holland fine—
Take me where thou wilt, I'm weary of this faithless lord of mine."—

While the stranger kiss'd the lady in her chamber o'er and o'er,
Hush! the husband hears their voices; ha! he knocks open the door,—
"Traitress false, and foul adulterer, have I caught ye in the deed?
Now to God commend your spirits, great of mercy is your need!"—

"Husband, bright thy sword is gleaming!—must I, must I die to-day?
Save thyself, with mortal lover, till this hour I never lay.
But if blood thy sword must drink, hear my last request, I pray,
Harm not him that owed thee nothing; let me all the forfeit pay!

"Though thou whip me with thy bridle, silently the pain I'll bear;
Though thou hang me in my girdle, anger shall not stain my prayer;
Let the youth go free, and slay me—grant the only boon I crave!
Lay me in the orange garden,—there I fain would have my grave.

"Underneath the spreading branches, where the blossoms bright are shed,
Deeply dig for one that loved thee long and well, a peaceful bed;
Lay a marble stone above, and let its golden legend be,—
"Ladies, shrink from love unholy, warn'd by her whose tomb you see."—