T. R. Smith, comp. Poetica Erotica: Rare and Curious Amatory Verse. 1921–22.
An Excellent Ballad Intituled: The Constancy of Susanna
Roxburghe Ballads(Anonymous. From The Roxburghe Ballads, Vol. I. 1874) |
THERE dwelt a man in Babylon, | |
of reputation great by fame; | |
He took to wife a fair woman, | |
Susanna she was call’d by name; | |
A woman fair and virtuous: | 5 |
Lady, Lady, | |
Why should we not of her learn thus | |
to live godly? | |
Virtuously her life she led, | |
she feared God, she stood in awe, | 10 |
As in the story we have read, | |
was well brought up in Moses’ Law. | |
Her parents they were godly folk, | |
Lady, Lady; | |
Why should we not then sing and talk | 15 |
of this Lady? | |
That year two Judges there was made, | |
which were the Elders of Babylon; | |
To Joachim’s house was all their trade, | |
who was Susanna’s husband then: | 20 |
Joachim was a great rich man, | |
Lady, Lady; | |
These Elders oft to his house came | |
for this Lady. | |
Joachim had an Orchard by, | 25 |
fast joining to his house or place, | |
Whereas Susanna commonly | |
her self did daily there solace: | |
And that these Elders soon espied, | |
Lady, Lady; | 30 |
And privily themselves did hide | |
for that Lady. | |
Her chaste and constant life was tried | |
by these two Elders of Babylon; | |
A time convenient they espied | 35 |
to have this Lady all alone. | |
In his Orchard it came to pass, | |
Lady, Lady; | |
Where she alone her self did wash | |
her fair body. | 40 |
These Elders came to her anon, | |
and thus they said, “Fair dame, God speed! | |
Thy doors are fast, thy Maids are gone, | |
consent to us and do this deed; | |
For we are men of no mistrust, | 45 |
Lady, Lady, | |
And yet to thee we have a lust, | |
O fair Lady! | |
“If that to us thou dost say ‘nay,’ | |
a testimonial we will bring; | 50 |
We will say that one with thee lay,— | |
how canst thou then avoid the thing? | |
Therefore consent, and to us turn, | |
Lady, Lady; | |
For we to thee in lust do burn, | 55 |
O fair Lady!” | |
Then did she sigh, and said, “Alas! | |
now woe is me on every side; | |
Was ever wretch in such a case? | |
shall I consent and do this deed? | 60 |
Whether I do or do it not,” | |
Lady, Lady, | |
“It is my death, right well I wot.” | |
O true Lady! | |
“Better it were for me to fall | 65 |
into your hands this day guiltless, | |
Then that I should consent at all | |
to this your shameful wickedness.” | |
And even with that (whereas she stood), | |
Lady, Lady, | 70 |
Unto the Lord she cried aloud | |
pitifully. | |
These Elders both likewise again | |
against Susanna aloud they cried, | |
Their filthy lust could not obtain, | 75 |
their wickedness they sought to hide; | |
Unto her friends they then her brought, | |
Lady, Lady, | |
And with all speed the life they sought | |
of that Lady. | 80 |
THE SECOND PART ON the morrow she was brought forth | |
before the people there to stand, | |
That they might hear and know the truth, | |
how these two Elders Susanna found. | |
The Elders swore, and thus did say, | 85 |
Lady, Lady, | |
How that they saw a young man lay | |
with that Lady. | |
Judgment there was, for no offence, | |
Susanna causeless then must die;— | 90 |
These Elders bore such evidence, | |
against her they did verify, | |
Who were believed then indeed, | |
Lady, Lady, | |
Against Susanna to proceed, | 95 |
that she should die. | |
Susanna’s friends that stood her by, | |
they did lament, and were full woe, | |
When as they saw no remedy, | |
but that to death she then must go. | 100 |
Then unto him that is so just, | |
Lady, Lady, | |
(In God was all her hope and trust) | |
to him did cry. | |
The Lord her voice heard, and beheld | 105 |
the Daughter’s cry of Israel; | |
His spirit he raised in a child, | |
whose name was called young Daniel, | |
Who cried aloud whereas he stood, | |
Lady, Lady, | 110 |
“I am clear of the guiltless blood | |
of this Lady.” | |
“Are you such fools?” quoth Daniel then; | |
“in judgment you have not done well, | |
Nor yet the right way have you gone | 115 |
to judge a daughter of Israel | |
By this witness of false disdain; | |
Lady, Lady, | |
Wherefore to judgment turn again, | |
for that Lady.” | 120 |
And when to judgment they were set, | |
he called for those wicked men, | |
And soon he did them separate, | |
putting the one from the other, then | |
He asked the first where he did see | 125 |
that fair Lady; | |
He said “under a mulberry tree;” | |
who lied falsely. | |
“Thou liest,” said Daniel, “on thy head | |
thy sentence is before the Lord!” | 130 |
He bade that forth he might be led, | |
and bring the other that bore record, | |
To see how they two did agree | |
for this Lady; | |
He said, “under a pomegranate tree;” | 135 |
who lied falsely. | |
Said Daniel, as he did before, | |
“behold the messenger of the Lord | |
Stands waiting for you at the door, | |
even to cut thee with a sword.” | 140 |
And, even with that, the multitude | |
aloud did cry, | |
“Give thanks to God, so to conclude, | |
for this Lady.” | |
They dealt like with these wicked men | 145 |
according as the Scripture saith, | |
They did, as with their neighbour, then, | |
by Moses’ law were put to death! | |
The innocent preserved was, | |
Lady, Lady, | 150 |
As God by Daniel brought to pass | |
for this Lady. | |