The Bride | Page 2

it is true, seems to have been inserted mainly to fill out the required number of pages; but this digression has an interest of its own, in that the name here given to Merlin's mother, "Lady Adhan," does not appear in the ordinary versions of the legend.
Of Rowlands's life almost nothing is known: that little is told in the Memoir by Mr. Gosse prefixed to the Hunterian Club edition, and by Mr. Lee in the Dictionary of National Biography, and need not be repeated here. All that is known with certainty is that Samuel Rowlands was a writer of numerous poems and pamphlets, published between the years 1598 and 1628. During this period there appeared almost every year a pamphlet bearing his name or the well known initials, "S. R." Twenty-eight separate works, of which many passed through several editions, are known to have been written by him. All of these early editions are rare; at least two of the works have been lost; several are extant only in the second or later editions; and of at least ten, only single copies are known to exist. Beside the edition of the Works already referred to, a number of Rowlands's tracts have been separately reprinted, in limited editions, by Sir Walter Scott, by S. W. Singer, by E. V. Utterson, by Halliwell-Phillipps, by J. P. Collier, and by E. F. Rimbault in the publications of the Percy Society; to this series of reprints, "The Bride" is now added.
ALFRED CLAGHORN POTTER
Harvard College Library?January, 1905
THE BRIDE?BY S.R.
LONDON?Printed by W. I. for T. P. 1617
THE BRIDE TO ALL MAYDES.
Not out of bubble blasted Pride,?Doe I oppose myselfe a Bride,?In scornefull manner with vpbraides:?Against all modest virgin maides.?As though I did dispise chast youth,?This is not my intent of truth,?I know they must liue single liues,?Before th'are graced to be wiues.?But such are only touch'd by me,?That thinke themselues as good as wee:?And say girles, Weomens fellows arr,?Nay sawcely, Our betters farr:?Yea will dispute, they are as good,?Such Wenches vex me to the blood,?And are not to be borne with all:?Those I doe here in question call,?Whome with the rules of reasons Arte:?He teach more wit before we part,?Sylence, of kindnes I beseech,?Doe you finde eares, and weele finde speach.
THE BRIDE
Virgins, and fellow maydes (that were of late)
Take kindly heere my wedding dayes a dew,?I entertayne degree aboue your state:?For Marriage life's beyond the single crew,?Bring me to Church as custome sayes you shall,?And then as wife, farewell my wenches all.
I goe before you vnto Honour now,?And Hymen's Rites with ioy doe vndertake?For life, I make the constant Nuptiall vow,?Striue you to follow for your credits sake,
For greater grace to Womankind is none?Then Ioyne with husband, faithfull two in one.
God Honoured thus, our great Grand-mother Eue?And gaue thereby the blessing of increase,?For were not mariage we must all beleeue,?The generations of the earth would cease.
Mankind should be extinguish'd and decreas'd?And all the world would but consist of beast.
Which caused me to finde my Mayden folly,?And having found it, to reforme the same:?Though some of you, thereat seeme melancholy?That I for ever doe renounce your name.?I not respect what censure you can giue,?Since with a loving Man I meane to liue.
Whose kindest heart, to me is worth you all,?Him to content, my soule in all things seekes,?Say what you please, exclaiming chide and brall,?Ile turne disgrace unto your blushing cheekes.
I am your better now by Ring_ and _Hatt,?No more playn Rose_, but _Mistris you know what.
Marrie therefore and yeald increase a store,?Else to what purpose weare you breed and borne:?Those that receaue, and nothing giue therefore:?Are fruitles creatures, of contempt and scorne,
The excellence of all things doth consist,?In giuing, this no reason can resist.
The glorious Sun, in giving forth his light,?The Earth in plants, and hearbs & countles things?The trees their fruit, The Empresse of the Night?She bountious gives to rivers flouds and springs,
And all that heaven, and all that earth containes,?Their goodnes, in Increase of guifts explaynes.
But what doe you that neither give nor take,?(As only made for hearing, and for seeing,)?Although created helpers for Mans sake:?Yet Man no whit the better for your being,
That spend consume and Idle out your howers,?Like many garden-paynted vselesse flowers.
Your liues are like those worthles barren trees,?That never yeald (from yeare to yeare) but leaues:?Greene-bowes vpon them only all men sees,?But other goodnes there is none receaues,
They flourish sommer and they make a showe,?Yet to themselues they fruitles spring & growe.
Consider beast, and fish and foule, all creatures,?How there is male and female of their kinde,?And how in loue they doe inlarge their natures:?Even by constrayn'd necessity inclyn'd:
To paire and match, and couple tis decreed,?To stocke and store the earth, with what they breed.
In that most powerfull word, still power doth lye,?To whose obedience all must subiect bee,?That sayd