I Live Not Where I Love: The Constant Lover
'This ballad bears the signature of P.L., who was the author of another ballad, written to the same tune. The latter is included in the Pepys Collection (IV.40). It is entitled The valiant Trooper and Pretty Peggy, beginning:
'Heard you not of a valiant Trooper.'
... The copy of the ballad is supposed to be unique.'
[Roxb. Coll. I. 68, 69.]
The Constant Lover
Who his affection will not move,
Though he live not where he love.
To A NORTHERNE TUNE CALLED Shall the absence of my Mistresse.
You loyall Lovers that are distant
from your Sweet-hearts many a mile,
Pray come helpe me at this instant
in mirth to spend away the while
In singing sweetly, and compleately,
in commendation of my love;
Resolving ever to part never,
though I live not where I love.
My love shee's faire and also vertuous;
God grant to me she may prove true!
Then there is naught but death shall part us,
and Ile ne're change her for a new:
And though the fates my fortunes hates,
and me from her doe farre remove,
Yet I doe vow still to be true,
though, &c.
My constancy shall ne're be failing,
whatsoe're betide me here:
Of her vertue Ile be telling,
be my biding farre or neere.
And though blind fortune prove uncertaine
from her presence me to remove,
Yet Ile be constant every instant,
though, &c.
Though our bodies thus are parted,
and asunder many a mile,
Yet I vow to be true-hearted,
and be faithfull all the while:
Though with mine eye I cannot spye,
for distance great, my dearest Love,
My heart is with her altogether,
though, &c.
When I sleepe I doe dreame on her;
when I wake I take no rest;
But euery moment thinke upon her;
she's so fixéd in my breast:
And though farre distance may be assistance
from my mind her loue to moue,
Yet I will neuer out loue disseuer,
though, &c.
To thinke upon the am[o]rous glances
that haue beene betwixt us twaine,
My constancy and love aduances,
though from her presence I remaine,
And makes the teares, with groanes and feares,
from watery eyes and heart to moue,
And, sighing, say, both night and day,
though, &c.
The second Part
TO THE SAME TUNE.
I, to her, will be like Leander
if Hero-like shee'le prove to me;
For her sake through the world Ile wander,
no desperate danger I will flee;
And into the seas, with little ease,
the mountains great themselves shal move,
Ere faith I breake, let me ne're speake,
though, &c.
Penelope shall be unconstant,
and Diana prove unchaste,
Venus to Vulcan shall be constant,
and Mars farre from her shall be plac't,—
The blinded boy no more shall ioy
with arrowes keene lovers to move,
Ere false I be, sweet-heart, to thee,
though, &c.
The Birds shall leave their airy region;
the fishes in the aire shall fly;
All the world shall be at one religion;
all living things shall cease to dye;
Al things shal change to shapes most strange
before that I disloyall proue,
Or any way my loue decay,
though, &c.
If yon lines doe come before her,
or doe deigne to touch her hand,
Tell her that I doe adore her
aboue all maidens in the land;
Remaining still at her good will,
and alwayes to her loyall proue,
T[i]ll death with dart doe strike my heart,
though, &c.
And tell my mistresse that a louer
that Loue's perfect image beares,
As true as loue it selfe doe[s] loue her,
witnesse his farre-fetcht sighes and teares,
Which forth he groanes with bitter moanes,
and from his troubled breast he moues,
And day nor night takes no delight,
though, &c.
So with my duty to her commended,
her loyall seruant Ile be still,
Desiring I may be befriended
with loue againe for my good will;
And wish that she as true may be,
as I to her will constant proue,
And night and day I still will pray
and wish I may liue where I loue.
Finis. P.L.
London, Printed for Henry Gosson.
William Chappell, ed., Roxburghe Ballads. Hertford: Ballad Society, I, 1869, 212-216.
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