Broadside ballad in two parts entitled 'My Love She is the Ring-leader'

Transcription

AN
Excellent new Ballad Entituted,
My Love she is the Ring-leader

To the Tune of, My Love's a handsome shoe-
maker.

ALL ye who do desire to write,
Upon a Lady's comly Feature,
Come help me now for to indite,
Upon a well deserving Creature,
Whose like is not in all this Land,
Nor know I any can bestead her,
Of all the Maids of our Country,

My Love she is the Ring-leader.
If Diana were to dance around,
The Trojan walls, they'd sound for joy?
Or Queen Helen whom Paris found
Who Caus'd the overthrow of Troy :
If Juno were among them set
Or Venus fair as Poets dread her
Or Pallas that Godess of wit

My Love she is the Ring-leader
She's resolute as Lucretia,
She's comely as renouned Esther,
She's constant as Tirentia,
She is more shining than Silvester,
She's virtuous as Penelope,
My Tongue and Pen Shall ay bestead her,
Of all the Maids of our Country,

My Love she is the Ring-leader.
Had Hector or Achilles seen her,
She would have saved them both from killing
Leander would not drowned been
Bat to behold her would been willing,
Mars he would a wooing go,
It he had known to be a Speeder,
Neptune and all the Gods do know,

My Love to be the Ring-leader.
Her equal's seldom to be seen
Diana seems the way to give her,         
Variana that Arabian Queen
Strives from the wind and rain to free her
The Muses of Parnassus hill
Confess their banks did never breed her,
The stately Nymphs of Helicon,

Of all my Love's the Ring leader,
To Sidney and the rest that pass,
For Noble writers of Romances
She might be their looking Glasses,
To highten and enlarge their Fancies
For she is like a gallant Book,
And he that has the Skill to read her,
Will say when on her he doth look.

That my Dear Love is the Ring-leader.
Had Horace seen her questionless,
He would have judged it his duty,
In lusty verses to express,
Her charming admirable Beauty
Mixt with the Lilly and the Rose
She's stately like unto the Cedar
When she to Kirk or Mercat goes,

Among them she's the Ring leader
Now to conclude my simple Rime,
None worthy to be likened unto her,
She is the Glory of her Time
Who gets her leaves none such behind her
A virtuous fair and comely Maid
I pray she Gods from ill may free her,
In Inverrary she is well known,

My love to be the Ring-leader

F I N I S.

THE
SECOND PART OF THE

Ring Leader

Nature hath strain'd her outmost skill;
To paint my Love the fairest Creature
The Way to know her if you will,
Is by her matcheless comely Feature,
First when I did behold her Face,
I stood amazed and did wonder,
She did behave with such a Grace,
I blest my self that I had found her,
My Heart was ravish'd with Delight,
To see her Vertue and her Beauty,
My muse bade me sit down and write,
My Mind first bade me pay my duty,
Unto her Rosey Lips and syne,
I bowd my Knee and did adore her,
If Cesars Gold had all been mine,
I would not stop but given it for her.
He might count himself a happy Wight
That could enjoy her Love and savour,
He might had comfort day and night
Her breath it had To sweet a favour :
Like Violet or Cinamon,
I could not choise but dearly love her,
But alase I may sit down and groan,
For there's nought I Can do can move her
I courted her with complements,
Which I had form'd in the best Fashion
Some two or three dayes before I went
For to express my love sick passion,
She did reply with modesty
My Arguments could not alure her,
I thought some better Man than I,
Had found a way for to secure her,
Like ships at Sea with contrar Winds,
Drive somtimes here and sometimes thither,
Twixt hope'and fear I could not find,
A way to guide and stear the Rither,
To condescend to my Demands,
Her thoughts they aim'd a little higher,
To one who had both Rents and Lands,
She would not suffer nie come nigh her,
But it may be Time will make her Tame
I'll lay obscure a little longer,
And hide my self from flying Fame,
Untill I make my Party stronger,
And then I'le hazard to advance,
In open Fields once more to try her,
With all my might and power perchance
My importunities may play her.
Although the World should never know,
That ever I bore such Affection,
Unto a Maid that slights me so
I'le strive to make a new Election,
On one whose looks are not so high
And yet in nothing is behind her
I may be sick, but 1 shall not die
For all the Love I bear unto her.

F I NI S.

Printed by John Reid in Pearson's
Closs a little above the Cross, 1720.

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