Unfortunate Maid of Sheffield- Holroyd (York) 1892
[From Holroyd's Collection of Yorkshire Ballads by Abraham Holroyd, 1892
This appears to be a direct copy with minor changes of "The Unfortunate Maid," 1770.
R. Matteson 2017]
The Unfortunate Maid of Sheffield.
IN Sheffield Park there liv'd and dwell’d
A young man fair, I lov’d him well;
He courted me my love to gain,
Left me in grief and full of pain;
And when that I did send for him,
He laugh’d and said how fond I’d been,
And from my company would part;
His words went bleeding to my heart.
I went upstairs unto my bed,
I laid me down, but nothing said;
My mistress came to me and said;
Pray what's the matter with the maid?
O mistress, you do little know,
What grief and sorrow I undergo;
Come lay your hand upon my breast,
My panting heart can find no rest
My mistress cries, what shall I do?
Some help I'll have for you just now;
No help, no help, no help I crave,
A young man sends me to my grave.
Take you this letter into your hand,
And read it that you may understand,
Carry it to him just now with speed,
Give it to him if he can read,
He took this letter immediately,
And read it o'er while she stood by:
Then he did this letter burn,
Lest her in grief to make her mourn;
She wrung her hands and tore her hair,
Crying I shall fall into despair,
O fatal death, come pity me,
And ease me of my misery.