This Maying so pleased || Most of the fine lasses, That they much desired to fetch in May flowers, For to strew the windows and such like places, Besides they’l have May bows, fit for shady bowers. But most of all they goe || To find where Love doth growe, Each young man knowes ’tis so, || Else hee’s a clowne: For ’tis an old saying, || “There is great joying, When maids go a Maying,” || _They’ll have a greene gowne_.
Maidens and young men goe, || As ’tis an order old, For to drink merrily and eat spiced cakes; The lads and the lasses their customs wil hold, For they wil goe walk i’ th’ fields, like loving mates: _Em_ calls for _Mary_, || And _Ruth_ calls for _Sarah_, _Iddy_ calls for _Har[r]y_ || To man them along: _Martin_ calls _Marcy_, || _Dick_ calls for _Debary_, Then they goe lovingly || _All in a throng_.
The bright _Apollo_ || Was all the while peeping To see if his _Daphne_ had bin in the throng, And, missing her, hastily downward was creeping, For [_Thetis_] imagined [he] they tarri’d too long. Then all the troope mourned || And homeward returned, For _Cynthia_ scorned || To smile or to frowne: Thus did they gather May || All the long summer’s day, And went at night away, || _With a green gowne_.
Bright _Venus_ still glisters, Out-shining of _Luna_; _Saturne_ was present, as right did require; And he called _Jupiter_ with his Queen _Juno_, To see how Dame _Venus_ did burn in desire: Now _Jove_ sent _Mercury_ || To _Vulcan_ hastily, Because he should descry [decoy] Dame _Venus_ down: _Vulkan_ came running, On _Mars_ he stood frowning, Yet for all his cunning, || _Venus had a greene gowne_.
Cupid shootes arrowes At _Venus_ her darlings, For they are nearest unto him by kind: _Diana_ he hits not, nor can he pierce worldlings, For they have strong armour his darts to defend: The one hath chastity, And _Cupid_ doth defie; The others cruelty || makes him a clowne: But leaving this I see, From _Cupid_ few are free, And ther’s much courtesie _In a greene gowne_.
We have a firm conviction that these verses (not including “The bright Apollo”) were unauthorized additions by an inferior hand, of a mere ballad-monger. We hold by the _Antidote_.
Here is the old ballad mentioned, from our own black-letter copy. Compare it with _W. D._:—