Come o’er the bourne, Bessy

1. ‘Come o’er the bourne, Bessȳ*,
Come o’er the bourne, Bessȳ,
Sweet Bessȳ, come over to me;
And I shạll thee take
And my dear ladȳ make,
Before all other that e’er I see.’

2. ‘Methink I hear a voice
At whom I do rejoice,
And answer thee now I shạll:
Tell me, I say,
What art thou that bids me come away,
And so earnestlȳ dost me call?’

3. ‘I am thy lover fair.
Hath chose thee to mine heir,
And my name is merrȳ England;
Therefore come away,
And make no more delay,
Sweet Bessȳ, give me thy hand!’

4. ‘Here is my hand,
My dear lover, England;
I am thine both with mind and heart,
Fore’er to endure,
Thou mayest be sure,
Until death us two depart.’

5. ‘Ladȳ, this long space
Hāve I loved thy grace,
More than I durst well say;
Hoping at the last,
When all storms were past,
For to see this joyful day.’

6. ‘Yet, my lover England,
Ye shạll understand
How fortune on me did lo͞u͞r;
I was tumbled and tossed
From pillar to post,
And prisoner in the Tow’r.’

7. ‘Dear Ladȳ, we do know
How tyrants, not a few,
Went about for to seek thy blo͝od;
And contrarȳ to right
They did what they might,
That now bear two faces in ōne hood.’

8. ‘Then was I carried to Woodstock,
And kept close under lock,
That no man might with me speak;
And against all reason
They accused me of treason,
And terriblȳ they did me threat.’

9. ‘Oh, my lover fair!
My darling and mine heir!
Full sore for thee I did lament;
But no man durst speak,
But they would him threat
And quicklȳ make him repent.’

10. ‘Then was I delivered their hands,
But was fain to put in bands
And good sureti͞es for my forthcoming;
Not from my house to depart,
Nor nowhere else to start,
As though I had been away running.’

11. ‘Why, dear Ladȳ, I trow,
Those madmen did not know
That ye were daughter unto King Harrȳ,
And a princess of birth,
Ōne of the noblest on earth,
And sister unto Queen Marȳ.’

12. ‘Yes, yet I must forgive
All such as do live,
If they will hereafter amend;
And for those that are gone,
God forgive them everȳ ōne,
And his mėrcȳ on them extend.’

13. ‘Yet, my lover dear,
Tell me now here,
For what cause had ye this punishment?
For the commons did not know,
Nor no man would them show,
The chief cause of your imprisonment.’

14. ‘No, nor they themself,
That would have decayed my wealth,
But onlȳ by pow’r and abusion,
They could not detect me,
But that they did suspect me
That I was not of their religion.’

15. ‘Oh, cruel tyrants,
And also monstrous giants,
That would such a sweet blossom devo͞u͞r!
But the Lord, of his might,
Defended thee in right,
And shortened their arm and pow’r.’

16. ‘Yet, my lover dear,
Mark me well here,
Though they were men of the devil,
The Scripṯure plainlȳ saith,
“All they that be of faith
Must needs do good against evil.” ’

17. ‘O sweet virgin pure!
Long may ye endure
To reign o’er us in this land;
For your wȯrks do accord,
Ye are the handmaid of the Lord,
For he hath blessed you with his hand.’

18. ‘My sweet realm, be obedient
To God’s holȳ commandment,
And my proceedings embrace;
And for that that is abused,
Shall be better used,
And that within short space.’

19. ‘Dear Ladȳ and Queen,
I trust it shạll be seen
Ye shạll reign quietlȳ without strife;
And if anȳ traitors there be,
Of anȳ kind or degree,
I pray God send them short life.’

20. ‘I trust all faithful hearts
Will play true subjects’ parts,
Knowing me their Queen and true heir by right;
And that much the rather
For the love of my father,
That wȯrthȳ prince, King Henrȳ th’ Eight.’

21. ‘Therefore let us pray
To God both night and day,
Continuallȳ and ne’er to cease,
That he will presėrve your grace
To reign o’er us long space
In tranquilitȳ, wealth, and peace.’

22. ‘All honor, laud and praise
Be to the Lord God always,
Who hath all princes’ hearts in his hands;
That by his pow’r and might,
He may guide them right,
For the wealth of all Christian lands.’