(2)
THE FACTOR'S GARLAND.
PART I.
BEHOLD here's a ditty, the truth and no jest,
concerning a young gentleman liv'd in the east,
Who by his great gaming came to poverty,
And afterwards went many a voyages to sea
Being well educate, and one of great wit
Three merchants in London they all thought it ⟨fit⟩
To make him their Captain and Factor also,
And for them to Turkey a voyage he did go
And walking along the streets there he found,
A poor dead man's carcase lying on the ground,
He asked the reason why he there did ly?
Then one of the natives did make this reply
That man was a Christian, sir, while he drew ⟨breath⟩,
The duty's unpaid, he lies above the earth
Why, what is the duty? the Factor he cry'd?
It is fifty pounds, sir, the Turk he reply'd
That is a great sum, quoth the Factor, indeed
To see him lie there makes my heart for to ⟨bleed⟩;
So then by the Factor the money was paid,
And under the earth the dead carcase was laid.
When having gone further, by chance he did ⟨spy⟩,
A beautiful creature just going to die,
A young waiting maid, who strangled must be,
For nothing but striking a Turkish lady.
To think of her dying with grief he was fill'd,
Then rivers of tears, like waters distil'd,
Like streams of a fountain, from her eyes ran ⟨down⟩
Her red rosy cheeks, and from thence to the ⟨ground⟩
Hearing what her crime was he to end the ⟨strife⟩
Said, What must I give for this poor creature's ⟨life?⟩
The answer was turned, an hundred pound,
The which for her pardon he freely paid down.
