The Nut-Brown Maid
Be it right or wrong, these men among
On women do complain;
Affirming this, how that it is
A labour spent in vain
To love them wele; for never a dele
They love a man again:
For let a man do what he can,
Their favour to attain,
Yet, if a new to them pursue,
Their first true lover than
Laboureth for naught; and from her thought
He is a banished man.
I say not nay, but that all day
It is both writ and said
That woman’s faith is, as who saith,
All utterly decayed;
But nevertheless, right good witn-ess
In this case might be laid.
That they love true, and contin-ue,
Record the Nut-brown Maid:
Which from her love, when her to prove
He came to make his moan,
Would not depart; for in her heart
She loved but him alone.
Then between us let us discuss
What was all the manere
Between them two: we will also
Tell all the pain in fere
That she was in. Now I begin,
So that ye me answere:
Wher-efore, ye, that present be
I pray you give an ear.
I am the knight. I come by night,
As secret as I can;
Saying, “Alas! thus standeth the case,
I am a banished man.”
And I your will for to fulfil
In this will not refuse;
Trusting to shew, in word-es few,
That men have an ill use
(To their own shame) women to blame,
And causeless them accuse:
Therefore to you I answer now,
All women to excuse,—
“Mine own heart dear, with you what cheer?
I pray you, tell anone:
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.”
HE.
“It standeth so: a deed is do
Whereof much harm shall grow;
My destiny is for to die
A shameful death, I trow;
Or else to flee. The one must be.
None other way I know,
But to withdraw as an out-law,
And take me to my bow.
Wherefore, adieu, my own heart true!
None other rede I can:
For I must to the green wood go,
Alone, a banished man.”
SHE.
“O Lord, what is this world-es bliss,
That changeth as the moon!
My summer’s day in lusty May
Is darked before the noon.
I hear you say, farewell: Nay, nay!
We de-part not so soon.
Why say ye so? whither will ye go?
Alas! what have ye done?
All my welf-are to sorrow and care
Should change, if ye were gone:
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.”
HE.
“I can believe, it shall you grieve,
And somewhat you distrain;
But, afterward, your pain-es hard
Within a day or twain
Shall soon aslake; and ye shall take
Com-fort to you again.
Why should ye nought? for, to make thought,
Your labour were in vain.
And thus I do; and pray you, lo,
As heartily as I can:
For I must to the green wood go,
Alone, a banished man.”
SHE.
“Now, sith that ye have shewed to me
The secret of your mind,
I shall be plain to you again,
Like as ye shall me find.
Sith it is so, that ye will go,
I will not leave behind.
Shall never be said, the Nut-brown Maid
Was to her love unkind:
Make you read-y, for so am I,
Although it were anone:
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.”
HE.
“Yet I you re-de, take good heed
When men will think and say:
Of young, of old, it shall be told,
That ye be gone away
Your wanton will for to fulfil,
In green wood you to play;
And that ye might from your delight
No longer make delay.
Rather than ye should thus for me
Be called an ill wom-an,
Yet would I to the green wood go,
Alone, a banished man.”
SHE.
“Though it be sung of old and young,
That I should be to blame,
Theirs be the charge that speak so large
In hurting of my name:
For I will prove, that faithful love
It is devoid of shame
In your distress and heaviness
To part with you the same:
And sure all tho that do not so,
True lovers are they none:
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.”
HE.
“I counsel you, Remember how
It is no maiden’s law
Nothing to doubt, but to run out
To wood with an out-law;
For ye must there in your hand bear
A bow to bear and draw;
And, as a thief, thus must ye live,
Ever in dread and awe;
By which to you great harm might grow:
Yet had I liever than
That I had to the green wood go
Alone, a banished man.”
SHE.
“I think not nay, but as ye say,
It is no maiden’s lore;
But love may make me for your sake,
As ye have said before,
To come on foot, to hunt and shoot
To get us meat and store;
For so that I your company
May have, I ask no more;
From which to part, it maketh mine heart
As cold as any stone:
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.”
HE.
“For an out-law, this is the law,
That men him take and bind;
Without pit-ie, hang-ed to be,
And waver with the wind.
If I had nede (as God forbede!)
What rescues could ye find?
Forsooth, I trow, you and your bow
Should draw for fear behind.
And no mervayle: for little avail
Were in your counsel than:
Wherefore I to the wood will go,
Alone, a banished man.”
SHE
“Full well know ye, that women be
Full feeble for to fight;
No womanhede it is indeed
To be bold as a knight;
Yet, in such fear if that ye were
Among enemies day and night,
I would withstand, with bow in hand,
To grieve them as I might,
And you to save; as women have
From death many a one:
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.”
HE.
“Yet take good hede; for ever I drede
That ye could not sustain
The thorny ways, the deep vall-eys,
The snow, the frost, the rain,
The cold, the heat: for dry or wet,
We must lodge on the plain;
And, us above, none other roof
But a brake bush or twain:
Which soon should grieve you, I believe:
And ye would gladly than
That I had to the green wood go,
Alone, a banished man.”
SHE.
“Sith I have here been partynere
With you of joy and bliss,
I must al-so part of your woe
Endure, as reason is:
Yet am I sure of one pleas-ure;
And, shortly, it is this:
That, where ye be, me seemeth, perde,
I could not fare amiss.
Without more speech, I you beseech
That we were soon agone:
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.”
HE.
“If ye go thyder, ye must consider,
When ye have lust to dine,
There shall no meat be for to gete,
Nor drink, beer, ale, ne wine.
Ne sheet-es clean, to lie between,
Ymade of thread and twine;
None other house, but leaves and boughs,
To cover your head and mine;
Lo mine heart sweet, this ill di-ete
Should make you pale and wan:
Wherefore I to the wood will go,
Alone, a banished man.”
SHE.
“Among the wild deer, such an archere,
As men say that ye be,
Ne may not fail of good vitayle,
Where is so great plent-y:
And water clear of the rivere
Shall be full sweet to me;
With which in hele I shall right wele
Endure, as ye shall see;
And, ere we go, a bed or two
I can provide anone;
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.”
HE.
“Lo yet, before, ye must do more,
If ye will go with me:
As cut your hair up by your ear,
Your kirtle by the knee,
With bow in hand, for to withstand
Your enemies, if need be:
And this same night, before daylight,
To woodward will I flee.
An ye will all this fulfil,
Do it shortly as ye can:
Else will I to the green wood go,
Alone, a banished man.”
SHE.
“I shall as now do more for you
Than ’longeth to womanhede;
To short my hair, a bow to bear,
To shoot in time of need.
O my sweet mother! before all other
For you have I most drede!
But now, adieu! I must ensue,
Where fortune doth me lead.
All this make ye. Now let us flee;
The day comes fast upon:
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.”
HE.
“Nay, nay, not so; ye shall not go,
And I shall tell you why,—
Your appetite is to be light
Of love, I well espy:
For, right as ye have said to me,
In like wise hardily
Ye would answere whosoever it were,
In way of company,
It is said of old, Soon hot, soon cold;
And so is a wom-an:
Wherefore I to the wood will go,
Alone, a banished man.”
SHE.
“If ye take heed, it is no need
Such words to say by me;
For oft ye prayed, and long assayed,
Or I you loved, pard-e;
And though that I of ancestry
A baron’s daughter be,
Yet have you proved how I you loved.
A squire of low degree;
And ever shall, whatso befall;
To die therefore anone;
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.”
HE.
“A baron’s child to be beguiled!
It were a curs-ed dede;
To be fel-aw with an out-law
Almighty God forbede!
Yet better were, the poor squyere
Alone to forest yede,
Than ye shall say another day,
That by my wicked dede
Ye were betrayed: Wherefore, good maid,
The best rede that I can,
Is, that I to the green wood go,
Alone, a banished man.”
SHE.
“Whatsoever befall, I never shall
Of this thing you upbraid:
But if ye go, and leave me so,
Then have ye me betrayed.
Remember you wele, how that ye dele,
For if ye, as ye said,
Be so unkind to leave behind
Your love, the Nut-brown Maid,
Trust me tru-ly, that I shall die
Soon after ye be gone:
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.”
HE.
“If that ye went, ye should repent;
For in the forest now
I have purveyed me of a maid,
Whom I love more than you;
Another fairer than ever ye were,
I dare it well avow;
And of you both, each should be wroth
With other, as I trow:
It were mine ease to live in peace;
So will I, if I can:
Wherefore I to the wood will go,
Alone, a banished man.”
SHE.
“Though in the wood I understood
Ye had a paramour,
All this may nought remove my thought,
But that I will be your:
And she shall find me soft and kind,
And courteis every hour;
Glad to fulfil all that she will
Command me, to my power:
For had ye, lo! an hundred mo,
Yet would I be that one:
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.”
HE.
“Mine own dear love, I see the proof
That ye be kind and true;
Of maid, and wife, in all my life,
The best that ever I knew.
Be merry and glad; be no more sad;
The case is chang-ed new;
For it were ruth that for your truth
You should have cause to rue.
Be not dismayed, whatsoever I said
To you, when I began:
I will not to the green wood go;
I am no banished man.”
SHE.
“These tidings be more glad to me,
Than to be made a queen,
If I were sure they should endure:
But it is often seen,
When men will break promise they speak
The wordis on the spleen.
Ye shape some wile me to beguile,
And steal from me, I ween:
Then were the case worse than it was
And I more wo-begone:
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone.”
HE.
“Ye shall not nede further to drede:
I will not dispar-age
You (God defend!), sith you descend
Of so great a lin-age.
Now understand: to Westmoreland,
Which is my heritage,
I will you bring; and with a ring
By way of marri-age
I will you take, and lady make,
As shortly as I can:
Thus have ye won an earl-es son
And not a banished man.”
Here may ye see, that women be
In love, meek, kind, and stable;
Let never man reprove them than,
Or call them vari-able;
But, rather, pray God that we may
To them be comfort-able,
Which sometime proveth such as he loveth,
If they be charit-able.
For sith men would that women should
Be meek to them each one;
Much more ought they to God obey,
And serve but Him alone.