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Reliques of ancient English poetry: consisting of old heroic ballads ...

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ANDBALLADS. 83<br />

XVII.<br />

THE LADY TURNED SERVING-MAN,<br />

— is given from a written copy, containing fonte improve-<br />

ments , (perhaps modern ones) upon the <strong>old</strong> popular ballad.,<br />

intitledy " The famous flower <strong>of</strong> Serving-men : or the<br />

" Lady turned Serving-man."<br />

YO<br />

U beauteous ladyes, great and fmall,<br />

I write unto you one and all,<br />

Whereby that you may understand<br />

What I have differed in the land.<br />

I was by birth a lady faire, e<br />

An <strong>ancient</strong> barons only heire,<br />

And when my good <strong>old</strong> father dyed,<br />

Then I became a young knightes bride.<br />

And there my love built me a bower,<br />

Bedeck'd with many a fragrant flower ;<br />

A braver bower you ne'er did fee<br />

Then my true-love did build for mee.<br />

And there I livde a ladye gay,<br />

Till fortune wrought our loves decay<br />

For there came foes {o fierce a band, 15<br />

That foon they over-run the land, .<br />

G 2<br />

;<br />

10<br />

They

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