Fain would I have a pretty thing

A proper Song, Intituled: Fain wold I haue
a pretie thing to give vnto my Ladie.
To the tune of lustie Gallant.

Fain would I haue a pretie thing,
to giue vnto my Ladie:
I name no thing, nor I meane no thing,
But as pretie a thing as may bee.

Twentie iorneyes would I make,
and twentie waies would hie me,
To make aduenture for her sake,
to set some matter by me:
But I would faine haue a pretie thing, &c,
I name nothing, nor I meane nothing, &c.

Some do long for pretie knackes,
and some for straunge deuices:
God send me that my Ladie lackes,
I care not what the price is, thus faine, &c

Some goe here, and some go there,
wheare gases be not geason:
And I goe gaping euery where,
but still come out of season. Yet faine, &c,

I walke the towne, and tread the streete,
in euery corner seeking:
The pretie thinge I cannot meete,
thats for my Ladies liking. Faine, &c.

The Mercers pull me going by,
the Silkie wiues say, what lacke ye?
The thing you haue not, then say I.
ye foolish fooles, go packe ye. But fain &c.

It is not all the Silke in Cheape,
nor all the golden treasure:
Nor twentie Bushels on a heape,
can do my Ladie pleasure. But faine, &c.

The Grauers of the golden showes,
with Iuelles do beset me.
The Shemsters in the shoppes that sowes,
they do nothing but let me: But faine, &c.

But were it in the wit of man,
but any meanes to make it,
I could for Money buy it than,
and say, faire Lady, take it. Thus, faine, &c.

O Lady, what a lucke is this:
that my good willing misseth:
To finde what pretie thing it is,
that my good Lady wisheth.
Thus fain wold I haue had this preti thing
to giue vnto my Ladie:
I said no harme, nor I ment no harme,
but as pretie a thing as may be.

by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Vittorio Rieti (1898-1994) , "Fain would I have a pretty thing", from Five Elizabethan Songs, no. 3.

Date added to the website: 2008-09-17.

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