For unkyndnes haith kyllyd me,
And putt me to this payne,
Alas! what remedy

That I cannott refrayne.

My foes, whiche love me nott,
Bevayle my deth, I wott,
And he that love me beste
Hymeselfe my deth haith dreste;
What unkyndnes shuld kyle me,
If this ware nott my payne,
Alas! what remedy

That I cannott refreyne!

My last wyll here I make,
To god my soule I betake,
And my wrechyd body,
As erth, in a hole to lye:
For unkyndnes to kyle me,
And putt me to this payne,
Alas! what remedy

That I cannot refreyne!

O harte, I the bequyeth
To hyme that is my deth,

Yff that no harte haith he

My harte his schal be;

Thought unkyndnes haith kyllyd me,

And putt me to this payne,

Yett, yf my body dye,

My hertt cannott refrayne.

50

60

70

Placebo, dilexi,

Com weype this obsequye,
My mowrnarus, dolfully,
Com weype this psalmody,

Of unkyndnes haith kyllyd me,

And putt me to this payne,

Behold this wrechid body,

That your unkyndnes haith slayne.

80

Now I besych all ye,

Namely, that lovers be,

My love my deth forgyve,

And soffer hyme to lyve;

Thought unkyndnes haith kyllyd me,

And putt me to this payne,

Yett haid I rether dye

For his sake ons agayne.

My tombe ytt schal be blewe,
In tokyne that I was trewe;
To bringe my love from doute,
Itt shal be wryttynge abowtte
That unkyndnes haith kyllyd me,
And putt me to this payne:
Behold this wrechid body

That your unkyndnes haith slayne!

O lady, lerne by me,

Sley nott love wylfully,

For fer love waxyth denty.

90

100

Unkyndnes to kyle me,

Or putt love to this payne
I ware better dye

For loves sake agayne.

Grevus is my soro,

But deth ys my boro,

For to myselfe alone

Thus do I make my mone,

That unkyndnes haith kyllyd me,
And passyd is my payne,

Prey for this ded body,

That your unkyndnes haith slayne.

110

II.

TYE THE MARE, TOM BOY.

BY WILLIAM KETH.

This very old and once very favourite and popular song is given from a MS. collection of Old Songs, &c. formerly used in and about the bishopric of Durham, sometime the property of James Mickleton, esquire, and now in the Harleian library (No. 7578.). The music, by "Robart Johnson," a well known composer of Henry the 8ths time, is a continued harmony from the beginning to the end. The following song is particularly alluded to in the "passing merrie Interlude" of "Tom Tylere and his wyfe," first printed in 1578?. And in Ameses Typographical Antiquities (p. 508) is "A ballet, declaringe the fal of the whore of Babylone, intituled, Tye thy mare Tom-boye, &c." which, though for what reason does not appear, he has placed under the year 1547.

According to Wood, John Plough became a zealous minister in the time of king Edward the sixth, but, flying beyond sea in queen Marys reign, wrote against one William Keth, an exile at Frankfort, in that reign; who, according to Tanner, is the writer of this ballad.

Ty the mare, Tom boy, ty the mare, Tom boy,
Lest she stray

From the awaye,
Now ty the mare, Tom boy.