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Than betweene us lettens discusse,

What was all the maner

Between them too: we wyl also

Telle all the peyne and fere

That she was in. Now I begynne,

So that ye me answere.

Wherefore all ye that present be

I pray ye give an eare.

MAN. I am the knyght, I come by nyght

As secret as I can,

Saying, alas! thus standeth the case,

I am a banishyd man.

WOM. And I your wylle for to fulfylle

In this wyl not refuse,

Trusting to shew, in wordis fewe,

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That men have an ill use,'

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(To ther own shame) women to blame,

And causelese them accuse :

'Therefore to you I answere now,

Alle women to excuse.

Myn own herte dere, with you what chere,

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I pray you telle anone;

For in my mynde, of al mankynde,

I love but you alone.

MAN. It stondeth so; a dede is do,
Wherefore moche harm shall growe;

My desteney is for to dey
A shameful deth I trowe;

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Or ellis to flee: the one must be,

None other way I knowe,

But to withdrawe, as an outlawe,

And take me to my bowe.

Wherefore adew, my owne herte trewe,

None other red I can;

For I must to the grene wode goe,

Alone, a banishyd man.

WOм. O Lord! what is this worldis blysse,

That chaungeth as the mone?

My somer's day, in lusty May,

Is derked before the none.

here you saye farewell: nay, nay,

We departe not soo sone

Why say ye so? wheder wyl ye goe?
Alas! what have ye done?

Alle my welfare to sorrow and care
Shulde chaunge yf ye were gone;
For in my mynde, of al mankynde,

I love but you alone,

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MAN. I can beleve it shall you greeve,

And shomwhat you distrayne,

But aftyrwarde your paynes harde,

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Within a day or tweyne,

Shal sone as lake, and ye shal take

Comfort to you agayne.

Why shuld ye nought? for to make thought
Your labur were in vayne,

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And thus I do, and pray you too,

As hertely as I can;

For I muste to the grene wode goe,

Alone, a banishyd man.

WOM. Now sythe that ye have shewed to me 85 The secret of your mynde,

I shal be plaine to you againe,
Lyke as ye shal me fynde.
Sythe it is so that ye wyl goe,

I wol not leve behynde:

Shal never be sayd the Nut-brown Mayde

Was to her love unkynde.

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Make you redy, for so am I,

Altho' it were anone;

For in my mynde, of al mankynde,

I love but you alone.

MAN. Yet I you rede to take good hede

What men wyl think and sey;

Of yonge

and olde it shall be tolde

That ye be gone away;

Your wanton wylle for to fulfylle,

In grene

wode you to play;

And that ye myght from your delyte

Noo lenger make delay.

Rather than ye shuld thus for me

Be called an ylle woman,

Yet wold I to the grene wode goe,
Alone, a banishyd man.

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WOM. Tho' it be songe of olde and yonge

That I shuld be to blame,

Thers be the charge that speke so large

In hurting of my name :

For I wyll prove that feythful love

It is devoyd of shame ;

In your distress and hevyness

To parte wyth you the same,

And sure all thoo that doo not so,
Trewe lovers are they none;
But in my mynde, of al mankynde,

I love but you alone.

MAN. I counsel you, remember how
It is noo mayden's lawe

Nothing to dought, but to renne out
To wode with an outlawe :

For

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ye must there in your hand bere

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A bowe redy to drawe;

And as a theef, thus must ye lyve,

Ever in drede and awe.

Whereby to you gret harme myght growe;

Yet I had lever than

That I had to the grene wode goe,

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Alone, a banishyd man.

WOм. I think not nay; but as ye saye,

It is noo mayden's lore;

But love may make me for your sake,

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As I have said before,

To com on fote to hunte and shote,

To gete us mete in store:

For so that I your company

May have, I ask noo more:

From which to parte, it makith myn herte

As colde as ony stone;

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For in my mynde, of al mankynde,

I love but you alone.

MAN. For an outlawe, this is the lawe,

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Alone, a banishyd man.

WOM. Full well knowe ye that women be

But febyl for to fyght:

Noo womanhede it is in deede,

To bee bold as a knyght:

Yet in such fere yf that ye were

With enemys day and nyght,

Iwolde withstonde wyth bowe in honde,

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