Becca Brummett - An excellent Ballad Intituled, "The Constancy of Susanna: to an excellent new tune" (Anon.)

This ballad tells the story of Susanna and the Elders from the biblical Book of Daniel.  In the English translation of the Book of Daniel the collection of tales was part of the canon of Major Prophets, but in the original Hebrew scripture the Book of Daniel was part of the canon of the books of Law. Though this tale individually more clearly represents its placement in the book of Law, the overall purpose of the Book of Daniel was to instruct, those such as Susanna in this story, and admonish, those such as the Elders in this story, the people of God in their crisis of faith. In the original scripture of this story the two different trees represent the punishment that later befalls the Elders. However, in this ballad version of the story the two types of trees symbolize different religious interpretations and themes of the story.

In my edition of the text most of the words have been modernized and all of the words have been standardized.  For example, instead of finding different versions of a word such as “espy’d” and “espide” the edited rendering of the text standardizes the language and presents the modern spelling with “espied.” However, some words have been kept in their original spelling as a opposed to being modernized.  These original spellings were left unchanged because the modern equivalent of the original word would jeopardize the ballad’s cadence. However, the punctuation of the text has been kept in its original form.

An excellent Ballad Intituled, The Constancy of Susanna.
To an excellent new tune

There dwelt a man in Babylon,
of reputation great by fame:
He took to wife a fair woman,
Susanna she was called by name,
A woman fair and virtuous,
Lady, Lady,
Why should we not of her learn thus
to live godly?

Virtuously her life she led,
she feared God, she stood in awe,
As in the story we have read,
was well brought up in Moses Law.
Her parents they were godly folk,
Lady, Lady,
Why should we not then sing and talk,
of this Lady.

That year two Judges there was made
which were the Elders of Babylon,
To Joachim’s house was all their trade,
who was Susanna’s husband then,
Joachim was a great rich man,
Lady, Lady,
These Elders oft to his house came
for this Lady.

Joachim had an orchard by,
fast joining to his house or place,
Whereas Susanna commonly
her self did daily there solace,
And that these Elders soon espied,
Lady, Lady,
And privately themselves did hide
for that Lady.

Her chaste and constant life was tried,
by these two Elders of Babylon,
A time convenient they espied,
to have this Lady all alone,
In his Orchard it came to pass,
Lady, Lady.
Where she alone her self did wash
her fair body.

These Elders came to her anon,
and thus they said, fair dame God spied,
Thy doors are fast, thy maids are gone,
consent to us, and do this deed:
For we are men of no mistrust,
Lady, Lady,
And yet to thee we have a lust,
O fair Lady.

If that to us thou dost say nay,
a testimonial we will bring,
We will say that one with thee lay;
how can thou then avoid the thing and
Therefore consent and to us turn,
Lady, Lady,
For we to thee in lust do burn,
O fair Lady.

Then did she sigh, and said alas,
now woe is me on every [text unidentifiable],
Was ever wretch in such a case?
shall I consent and do this deed?
Whether I do or do it not,
Lady, Lady,
It is my death right well I [text unidentifiable],
O true Lady.

Better it were for me to fall
into your hands this day guiltless,
Then that I would consent at all,
to this your shameful wickedness,
And even with that (whereas she stood)
Lady, Lady,
Unto to the Lord she cried aloud
pitifully.

These Elders both likewise again,
against Susanna aloud they cried,
Their filthy lust could not obtain,
their wickedness, they sought to hide
Unto her friends they then her brought
Lady, Lady,
And with all speed the life they sought
of that Lady.

The second part. To the same tune.

On the morrow she was brought forth
before the people there to stand,
That they might hear and know the truth
how these two Elders Susanna found,

The Elders swore and thus did say,
Lady, Lady,
Now that they saw a young man lay
with that Lady.

Judgment there was, for no offence,
Susanna causeless then must die,
These Elders bore such evidence,
against her they did verify,
Who were believed then indeed,
Lady, Lady,
Against Susanna to proceed,
that she should die.

Susanna’s friends that stood her by,
they did lament, and were full woe,
When as they saw no remedy,
but that to death she then must go,
Lady, Lady,
In God was all her hope and trust,
to him did cry.

The Lord her voice heard and beheld,
the Daughter’s cry of Israel,
His spirit he raised in a child,
whose name was called young Daniel,
Who cried aloud whereas he stood,
Lady, Lady,
I am clear of the guiltless blood
of this Lady.

Are you such fools quoth Daniel then?
in judgment you have not done well,
For yet the right way have you gone,
to judge a daughter of Israel,
By this witness of false disdain,
Lady, Lady,
Wherefore to judgment turn again
for that Lady.

And when to judgment they were set,
he called for those wicked men:
And soon he did them separate,
putting the one from the other, then,
He asked the first where he did see
that fair Lady,
He said under a Mulberry tree[i],
who lied falsely.

Thou lies said Daniel, on thy head,
thy sentence is before the Lord,
He bid that forth he might be led.
and bring the other that bore record,
To see how they two did agree
for this Lady,
He said under a Pomegranate tree[ii],
who lied falsely.

Said Daniel as he did before,
behold the messenger of the Lord
Stands waiting for you at the door,
even to cut thee with a sword.
And even with that the multitude,
aloud did cry,
Give thanks to God, so to conclude
for this Lady.

They dealt like with these wicked men
according as the Scripture says,
They did as with their neighbor then,
by Moses law were put to death,
The innocent preserved was,
Lady, Lady,
As God by Daniel brought to pass,
for this Lady.

Finis.

Printed at London for John
Wright, near pie-corner.

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[i] The Mulberry tree is commonly found featured in stories in which ancient biblical battles are fought and biblical kings receive instructions from God in order to persevere against their enemies.

[ii] The Pomegranate is a symbol for righteousness because it is said to have 613 seeds corresponding to the number of commandments in the Torah.