[Music: I.
(_a_) How should I your true love know from a-noth-er one?
By his cockle hat and staff,
And his san-dal shoon.
(_b_) He is dead and gone lady,
He is dead and gone;
At his head a grass green turf,
At his heels a stone.
(_c_) White his shroud as the mountain snow,
Larded with sweet flowers;
Which bewept to the grave did go,
With true love showers.]
This is certainly old, early 16th century. The tune has a striking
likeness to 'Walsingham,' which is the first piece in the Fitzwilliam
Virginal Book. See Percy's Reliques, Vol. II. p. 75. But the date of
the next is not so certain, though probably it is of Shakespeare's
time.
[Music: II.
(_a_) Good morrow, 'tis St Valentine's day
All in the morn betime,
And I a maid at your window
To be your Valen-tine.
(_b_) For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy.]
The next two are of the same period as I.
[Music: III.
They bore him bare-faste on the bier;
And in his grave rain'd many a tear.]
[Music: IV.
(_a_) And will he not come a-gain?
And will he not come a-gain?
No, no, he is dead,
Go to thy death bed;
He never will come a-gain.
(_b_) His beard as white as snow,
All flax-en was his poll;
He's gone, he's gone,
And we cast away moan;
God ha' mer-cy on his soul!]
L. 184, 'Bonny sweet Robin.' With the exception of this _one line_,
and _the title_, 'My Robin is to the greenwood gone,' nothing remains
of this song, but the following tune, which is of some date before
1597.
[Music: V.
My Robin is to the greenwood gone.
For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy.]