["# The OXFORDSHIRE Tragedy;\nOr, The Death of Four LOVERS.", "## PART I.", "Near Woodstock-town in Oxfordshire,\nAs I walk'd forth to take the air\nto view the fields and meadows round,\nMethought I heard a mournful found,\nDown by a crि�ard river -fide", "A gallant bower I epy'd,\nWhere a fair lady made great man,\nWith many a bitter fish and groan,", "Alas! quoth thee, my love's unkind,\nMy fights and tears he will not mind :\nBut he is cruel unto me,", "Which caues all my milery.", "My father is a worthy knight,\nMy mother is a lady bright,\nAnd I their only child and heir.\nYet love has brought me to despair.", "A wealthy 'quire lived rich.\nWho on my beauty caft an eye:\nHe courted me both day and night\nTo be his jewel and delight.", "To me thefe words he often laid,\nFair, beauteous, handsome, comely maid,\nOh ! pity me, I do implore.\nFor it is you I do adore.", "He still did beg me to be kind,\nAnd eafe my love-tormented mind;\nFor if, faid he, you should deny,\nFor love of you I thou'd die,", "Thefe words did pierce my tender heart,\nI foon did yield to eafe his fime.\nAnd unto him made this reply,\nFor love of me he fain not die.", "With that he flew into my arms,\nAnd fware I had a thauffand charms.\nHe call'd me angel, faint, and he\nDid fwear for ever true to be.", "Soon after he had gain'd my heart\nHe cruelly did from me part.\nAnother maid he does purfue,\nAnd to his vows he bids adieu.", "'Tis he that makes my heart lament,\nHe caues all my discontent,\nHe hath ecaufed my faid defpair,\nAnd now occations my care.", "The lady round the meadow run,\nAnd gather'd flowers as they sprung-\nOf every fort he then did pull,\nUntil she got her apron full.", "Now here's a flower, thee did fay,\nIs named Heart's-eafe night and day,\nwith I could that flower find,\nFor to eafe my love-fick mind,", "But, oh ! alas ! 'tis all in vain,\nFor me to figh and to complain;\nThere's nothing that can eafe my smart,\nFor his difdain will break my heart.", "The green ground served as a bed,\nAnd flowers a pillow for her head.\nShe laid her down and nothing foke,\nAlas ! for love her heart was broke.", "But when I found her body cold,\nI went to her falfe love, and told\nWhat unto her had befel.", "I'm glad, faid he, thee is so well.", "Did thee think I fo fond could be,\nThat I could fancy none but the :\nMan was not made for one alone;\nI take delight to hear her moan.", "O wicked man I find thou art,\nThus to break a lady's heart.\nIn Abraham's bofom may thee fleep,\nWhile thy wicked foul doth weep.", "The ANSWER.", "A Second part I bring you here,\nOf the fair maid of Oxfordshire,\nWho lately broke her heart for love\nOf one that did inconstant prove.", "A youthful 'quire moft unjuff,\nWhen he beheld this lafs at firft,\nA thauffandolem vows he made,\nAnd fo her yeiling heart betray'd.", "She mourning broke her heart and dy'd,\nFeeling the fhaDES on every fide.\nWith dying groans and grevious cries,\nAs tears were flowing from her eyes.", "The beauty which did once appear\nOn her fweet cheeks fo fair and clear,\nWas waxed pale, her life was flud.\nHe heard at length that thee was dead.", "He was not forry in the leaft,\nBut chearfully refolv'd to feaft ;\nAnd quite forgot her beauty bright,\nWhom he fo faely ruin'd quite.", "Now when this youthful maid\nWithin her filental tomb was layd,\nThe 'quire thought that all was well,\nHe thou'd in peace and quiet dwell.", "Soon after this he was poffeft\nWith various thoughts that broke his reft.\nSometimes he thought her groans he heard,\nSometimes her ghaftly ghoul appear'd.", "With a fad vifage pale and grim,\nAnd ghlaftly looks the caft on him.\nHe often flarted back, and cry'd,\nWhere 'flall I go my self to hide ?", "Here I am haunted nigbt and day,\nSometimes methinks I hear they fae,\nPerfidious man! falfe and unkind,\nHenceforth you 'flall no comfort find,", "If thro' the fields I chance to go,\nWhere they receiv'd her overthow,\nMethinks I fee her in defpair.", "And if at home, I meet her there,\nNo place is free from torment now,\nAlas! I broke aolem vow,", "Which once I made; but now at last\nIt does my worldly glory blaft.", "Since my unkindnes ds did deftroy\nMy dearest love, and only joy.\nMy wretched lite muft ended be,\nNow muft I die and come to thee.", "His rapier from his fide he drew,\nAnd pierc'd his body thro'-and-thro'.\nSo he dropt down in purple gore,\nJuft where thee did fome time before.", "He bury'd was within the grave\nOf his true love. — And thus you have\nA fau account of his hard fate,\nWhere dy'd in Oxfordshire of late.", "The Sooner's Farewell.", "F Orgive me if your looks I thought\nTo done once fome change difcoyer ?", "To be too jealous is the fault\nOf every wounded lover.\nMight truth thofe kind reproaches flow,\nWhich you do blame feverely,\nA fight, alas! you little know,\nWhat 'tis to love fincerely.", "The torments of a long defpair\nI did in filence fmother.\nBut 'tis a pain I cannot bear\nTo think you love another.\nMy fate alas! depends on you ;\nI am but what you make me ;\nDivinely bleft if you prove true,\nUndone if you forfake me.", "In thee I place my chief delight,\nI feek no other pleasure:\nThen do not all my hopes deftroy,\nWho love thee out of my mind.", "Forbear to triumph in difdain,\nSince here I lie and languifh;\nTrue love is a tormenting pain,\nAnd fills my foul with anguifh.", "The filent night I fpend in vain,\nAnd melting lamentation :\nBut yet no glance of love appears,\nBututter detestation.", "Regarding not my piteous moan,\nMy fights and fa'd lamenting:\nYour heart as flint or marble fto ne\nReels not the leaft relenting.", "Your beauty gave the fatal wound,\nAnd did at firft allure me,\nIn chains of love I now lie bound,\nAnd you alone can care aunder,\nCaf't not a loyal love away,\nWho at your feet lies bleeding :\nUnto my fights one smile convey,\nFor which my tears are pleading.", "Why fhould a charming beauty bright\nReſolve to be fo ruin'd ?", "O let me not be ruin'd quite\nIn love's deftroying fuel.", "See how my eyes like fountains flow\nIn crytal ftaems before thee !\nSo once do feel the overthow\nOf one that does adore thee.", "Behold I am thy captive flave ;", "Thy wounded flave believe me ;", "And thou alone this life can feve,", "And therefore now repreve me.", "The wound you gave has pierc'd my heart,\nAnd no pity I have to keepe.", "Yet I cannot forbeart to love,", "Altho' with corn you keepe me.", "It thus you are refolv'd to frown,\nAnd flight my friendly favour,", "Soon to my grave I will go down ;", "Farewell, farewel for ever.", "I find the triumphs in difdain,", "And fill denies me bleſſing :", "Why thou I live to feel this pain", "This faid, his naked fward he drew,\nAnd to his heart he fent it ;\nAnd as he bid this world adieu,\nShe bitterly lamented.", "Crying, I was unfortunate.", "Would I had dy'd before him !", "Thus did thee weep when 'twas too late,\nHer tears could not reftore him.", "The Lady's Lamentation.", "AND is my valiant 'quire gone,\nThe glory of the nation?", "Then all my joys are from me flown,\nBehold my lamentation.", "Theſe eye of mine like fountains flow,\nAs here you may deftify.", "Because I preu'd the overthow\nOf an entire lover.", "Ten thouſand times I wifh in pain", "That I had never flighted", "My worthy 'quire with difdain,\nWhen he would fain have plighted", "A true andolem vow to me.", "He clearly did adore me.", "But now to my grief I fee\nHe bleeding lies before me.", "In all the frozen arms of death\nMy loyal love lies fleeting,\nBereav'd of mortal life and breath.\nThis caues all my weeping,\nMy very heart for heavinels\nEre long will break a ſunder,\nNor am I able to express\nThe grief that I lie under,\nI muſt confess I flood awhile\nAnd heard his mournful ditty,\nWithout returning him a ſmile,\nOr any glance of pity.", "", "", "", "", "", {"bbox": [1185, 754