The salt tears fell from him, which softened the stones. O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland. "Let nobody blame me, her scornes I do prove; O willow, &c. She was borne to be faire; I, to die for her love. O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. 30 35 "O that beauty should harbour a heart that's so hard! Sing willow, &c. My true love rejecting without all regard. O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. 40 "Let love no more boast him in palace or bower; O willow, &c. For women are trothles, and flote in an houre. O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. 45 "But what helps complaining? In vaine I complaine : O willow, &c. I must patiently suffer her scorne and disdaine. O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. 30 "Come, all you forsaken, and sit down by me, O willow, &c. He that 'plaines of his false love, mine's falser than she. O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland. 55 "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 garland!" 60 PART THE SECOND. "Lowe lay'd by my sorrow, begot by disdaine, O willow, willow, willow! Against her too cruell, still, still I complaine. O willow, willow, willow! Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland! “O love too injurious, to wound my poore heart, O willow, &c. To suffer the triumph, and joy in my smart! O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. 5 10 "O willow, willow, willow! the willow garland, O willow, &c. A sign of her falsenesse before me doth stand. O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland. "As here it doth bid to despair and to dye, O willow, &c. So hang it, friends, ore me in grave where I lye. O willow, &c.. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. 15 20 "In grave where I rest mee, hang this to the view, O willow, &c. 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. 25 'Here lyes one, drank poyson for potion most sweet.' O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. 30 "Though she thus unkindly hath scorned my love, O willow, &c. And carelesly smiles at the sorrowes I prove; O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. 35 “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 greene willow shall be my garland. 40 "The name of her sounded so sweete in mine eare, O willow, &c. It rays'd my heart lightly, the name of my deare; O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. "As then 'twas my comfort, it now is my griefe; O willow, &c. 45 It now brings me anguish; then brought me reliefe. O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. 50 "Farewell, faire false hearted, plaints end with my breath! O willow, willow, willow! Thou dost loath me, I love thee, though cause of my death. O willow, willow, willow! O willow, willow, willow! Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland.” 35 GREENSLEEVES. FROM A Handefull of Pleasant Delites, &c., London, 1584, as reprinted in Park's Heliconia, vol. ii. p. 23. It is there entitled A New Courtly Sonet of the Lady Greensleeves. To the new Tune of Greensleeves. "The earliest mention of the ballad of Green Sleeves, in the Registers of the Stationers' Company, is in September, 1580, when Richard Jones had licensed to him A New Northern Dittye of the Lady Green Sleeves." "Green Sleeves, or Which nobody can deny, has been a favorite tune from the time of Elizabeth to the present day, and is still frequently to be heard in the streets of London to songs with the old burden, Which nobody can deny. It will also be recognized as the air of Christmas comes but once a year, and many another merry ditty." CHAPPELL's Popular Music of the Olden Time, p. 227. Greensleeves is twice alluded to by Shakespeare in The Merry Wives of Windsor; Act ii. Sc. 1; Act v. Sc. 5. ALAS, my love, ye do me wrong Greensleeves was all my joy, |