{"id":188,"date":"2015-02-10T05:48:53","date_gmt":"2015-02-10T05:48:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/englishhistory.net\/?p=188"},"modified":"2022-01-18T17:19:22","modified_gmt":"2022-01-18T17:19:22","slug":"the-lyrics-of-king-henry-viii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/englishhistory.net\/tudor\/the-lyrics-of-king-henry-viii\/","title":{"rendered":"The lyrics of King Henry VIII – Primary Sources"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pastime with good company<\/strong>
\nPastime with good company
\nI love and shall until I die.
\nGrudge who likes, but none deny,
\nSo God be pleased, thus live will I.
\nFor my pastance:
\nHunt, sing, and dance.
\nMy heart is set!
\nAll goodly sport
\nFor my comfort.
\nWho shall me let?
\nYouth must have some dalliance,
\nOf good or ill some pastance.
\nCompany I think then best —
\nAll thoughts and fantasies to digest.
\nFor idleness
\nIs chief mistress
\nOf vices all.
\nThen who can say
\nBut mirth and play
\nIs best of all?<\/p>\n

Company with honesty
\nIs virtue — vices to flee.
\nCompany is good and ill,
\nBut every man has his free will.
\nThe best ensue.
\nThe worst eschew.
\nMy mind shall be.
\nVirtue to use.
\nVice to refuse.
\nThus shall I use me!<\/p>\n

Alas, what shall I do for love?<\/strong>
\nAlas, what shall I do for love?
\nFor love, alas, what shall I do?
\nSince now so kind
\nI do you find
\nTo kepe you me unto.
\nAlasse!
\nOh my heart<\/strong>
\nOh my heart, and oh my heart,
\nMy hart it is so sore.
\nSince I must from my love depart,
\nAnd know no cause wherefore.
\nThe time of youth is to be spent<\/strong>
\nThe time of youth is to be spent,
\nBut vice in it should be forfent.
\nPastimes there be I note truly
\nWhich one may use and vice deny.
\nAnd they be pleasant to God and man:
\nThose should we covet when we can.
\nAs feats of arms, and such other
\nWherby activeness one may utter.
\nComparisons in them may lawfully be set,
\nFor, thereby, courage is surely out fet.
\nVertue it is, then, youth for to spend
\nIn good disports which it does fend.<\/p>\n

Alac! Alac! What shall I do?<\/strong>
\nAlac! Alac! What shall I do?
\nFor care is cast in to my heart,
\nAnd true love locked thereto.<\/p>\n

Green grows the holly<\/strong>
\nGreen grows the holly.
\nSo does the ivy.
\nThough winter’s blasts blow never so high,
\nGreen grows the holly.<\/p>\n

As the holly grows green
\nAnd never changes hue,
\nSo I am — ever have been —
\nunto my lady true.<\/p>\n

As the holly grows green
\nWith ivy all alone,
\nWhen flowers can not be seen
\nAnd greenwood leaves be gone.<\/p>\n

Now unto my lady
\nPromise to her I make:
\nFrom all other, only
\nto her, I me betake.<\/p>\n

Adieu, my own lady.
\nAdieu, my special
\nWho hath my heart truly,
\nBe sure, and ever shall.<\/p>\n

Who so that will all feats obtain<\/strong>
\nWho so that will all feats obtain
\nIn love he must be without disdain.
\nFor love enforces all noble kind,
\nAnd disdain discourages all gentle mind.
\nWherefore, to love and be not loved
\nIs worse than death? Let it be proved!
\nLove encourages, and makes one bold;
\nDisdain abates and makes him cold.
\nLove is given to God and man;
\nTo woman also, I think the same.
\nBut disdain is vice, and should be refused,
\nYet never the less it is too much used.
\nGreat pity it were, love for to compel
\nWith disdain, both false and subtle.<\/p>\n

If love now reigned<\/strong><\/p>\n

If love now reigned as it has been
\nAnd were rewarded as it has seen,
\nNoble men then would surely ensearch
\nAll ways whereby they might it reach.
\nBut envy reigns with such disdain
\nAnd causes lovers outwardly to refrain,
\nWhich puts them to more and more,
\nInwardly, most grievous and sore:
\nThe fault in whom I cannot set,
\nBut let them tell who love does get.
\nTo lovers I put now sure this case:
\nWhich of their loves does get them grace?
\nAnd unto them which doth it know
\nBetter than do I, I think it so.<\/p>\n

Whereto should I express<\/strong>
\nWhereto should I express
\nMy inward heaviness?
\nNo mirth can make me fain,
\n‘Till that we meet again.
\nDo way, dear heart, not so.
\nLet no thought you dismay.
\nThough you now part me from,
\nWe shall meet when we may.<\/p>\n

When I remember me
\nOf your most gentle mind,
\nIt may in no wise agree
\nThat I should be unkind.<\/p>\n

The daisy delectable,
\nThe violet waning and blue,
\nYou are not variable —
\nI love you and no more.<\/p>\n

I make you fast and sure;
\nIt is to me great pain
\nThus long to endure
\n‘Till that we meet again.<\/p>\n

Though that men do call it dotage<\/strong>
\nThough that men do call it dotage,
\nWho loves not wants courage.
\nAnd whosoever may love get
\nFrom Venus surely he must it fetch,
\nOr else from her which is her heir.
\nAnd she to him must seem most fair.
\nWhere eye and mind do both agree;
\nThere is no but — there must it be!
\nThe eye does look and represent,
\nBut mind affirms with full consent.
\nThus am I fixed without grudge:
\nMy eye with heart does me so judge.
\nLove maintains all noble courage;
\nWho love disdains is all of the village.
\nSuch lovers, though they take pain,
\nIt were pity they should obtain.
\nFor often times where they do sue
\nThey hinder lovers that would be true.
\nFor who so loves should love but one.
\nChange who so will, I will be none.<\/p>\n

Departure is my chief pain<\/strong>
\nDeparture is my chief pain
\nI trust right well of return again.<\/p>\n

Without discord<\/strong>
\nWithout discord
\nAnd both accord,
\nNow let us be.
\nBoth harts alone
\nTo set in one,
\nBest seems me.
\nFor when one sole
\nIs in the dole
\nOf love’s pain,
\nThen help must have
\nHimself to save
\nAnd love to obtain.
\nWhere for now we
\nThat lovers be,
\nLet us now pray:
\nOnce love sure
\nFor to procure
\nWithout denial.
\nWhere love so sues
\nThere no heart rues,
\nBut condescend.
\nIf contrary,
\nWhat remedy?
\nGod it amend.<\/p>\n

Though some say that youth rules me <\/strong>
\n(possibly by King Henry VIII<\/a>)<\/strong>
\nThough some say that youth rules me,
\nI trust in age to tarry.
\nGod and my right, and my duty,
\nFrom them shall I never vary,
\nThough some say that youth rules me.
\nI pray you all that aged be
\nHow well did you your youth carry?
\nI think some worse of each degree.
\nTherein a wager lay dare I,
\nThough some say that youth rules me.<\/p>\n

Pastimes of youth some time among
\nNone can say but necessary.
\nI hurt no man, I do no wrong,
\nI love true where I did marry,
\nThough some say that youth rules me.<\/p>\n

Then soon discuss that hence we must
\nPray we to God and Saint Mary
\nThat all amend, and here an end.
\nThus says the King, the eighth Harry,
\nThough some say that youth rules me.<\/p>\n

Who so that will for grace sue<\/strong>
\nWho so that will for grace sue,
\nHis intent must needs be true,
\nAnd love her in heart and deed,
\nElse it were pity that he should speed.
\nMany one says that love is ill,
\nBut those be they which know no skill.<\/p>\n

Or else, because they may not obtain,
\nThey would that others should it disdain.
\nBut love is a thing given by God:
\nIn that, therefore, can be none odd,
\nBut perfect in deed, and between two.
\nWhere fore, then, should we it eschew?<\/p>\n

Lusty Youth should us ensue!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lusty Youth should us ensue!
\nHis merry heart shall sure all rue.
\nFor whatsoever they do him tell
\nIt is not for him, we know it well.<\/p>\n

For they would have him his liberty refrain,
\nAnd all merry company for to disdain.
\nBut I will not do whatsoever they say,
\nBut follow his mind in all that we may.<\/p>\n

How should youth himself best use
\nBut all disdainers for to refuse?
\nYouth has as chief assurance
\nHonest mirth with virtue’s pastance.<\/p>\n

For in them consists great honour,
\nThough that disdainers would therein put error.
\nFor they do sue to get them grace —
\nAll only riches to purchase.<\/p>\n

With good order, counsel, and equity,
\nGoode Lord grant us our mansion to be.
\nFor without their good guidance
\nYouth should fall in great mischance.<\/p>\n

For Youth is frail and prompt to do
\nAs well vices as virtues to ensue.
\nWhere fore by these he must be guided,
\nAnd virtues pastance must therein be used.<\/p>\n

Now unto God this prayer we make,
\nThat this rude play may well betake
\nAnd that we may our faults amend
\nAnd bliss obtain at our last end. Amen.<\/p>\n

Let not us that young men be <\/strong>
\n(possibly by King Henry VIII)<\/strong>
\nLet not us that young men be
\nFrom Venus’ ways banished to be, banished to be.
\nThough that Age with great disdain
\nWould have Youth love to refrain, love to refrain,
\nIn their minds consider they must
\nHow they did in their most lust.
\nFor, if they were in like case
\nAnd would then have gotten grace,
\nThey may not now than gainsay
\nThat which then was most their joy.
\nWhere for indeed, the truth to say,
\nIt is for Youth the metest play.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pastime with good company Pastime with good company I love and shall until I die. Grudge who likes, but none deny, So God be pleased, thus live will I. For my pastance: Hunt, sing, and dance. My heart is set! All goodly sport For my comfort. Who shall me let? Youth must have some dalliance, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/englishhistory.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/englishhistory.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/englishhistory.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/englishhistory.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/englishhistory.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/englishhistory.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2822,"href":"https:\/\/englishhistory.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188\/revisions\/2822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/englishhistory.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/englishhistory.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/englishhistory.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}