Unfortunate Maid/ Sheffield Park- (London) Collection; Dicey 1770
[From "The Choice Spirits Delight Part II: Being a Choice Collection of New Songs, Sung this and the Last Season, at Renelagh, Vauxhall, Sadler's Wells, the Theatres, and in the Politest Companies. . ." printed by Dicey & Company in Aldermary Church-Yard, Bow-Lane, London, 1770. This is the earliest extant version of "Sheffield Park".
R. Matteson 2016]
The Unfortunate Maid (Sheffield Park)
IN Sheffield Park there liv'd and dwell’d,
A young man fair, I lov’d him wel[l];
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 and to me said;
Pray what's the matter with my maid?
O mistress, you do little know,
What grief and sorrow I undergo;
Come lay your hands upon my breast,
My panting heart can take 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 the 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 moan;
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.