If you do not when you may you shall not when you will, sir

From a totally other song?

Cynthia Gooding, dont recall title:

There was a knight and he was gay a-riding along the way, sir
And there he met a lady fair among the cocks of hay, sir (bis)

Quoth he, shall you and I, lady, all on the grass lie down-O
And I will have especial care of a-rumpling of your gown-O (bis)

If you will go along with me unto my father's hall, sir
You shall enjoy my maidenhead and my estate and all, sir (bis)

So he mounted her on a milk-white steed, himself upon another
And thus they rid upon the road, like sister and like brother (bis)

And when they came to her father's hall, which was moated round about, sir
She steppèd straight within the gate and shut that young knight out, sir (bis)

Here is a purse of gold, she said, take it for your pains, sir
And I will send my father's man to go home with you again, sir (bis)

And if you meet a lady gay as you go through the next town, sir
You must not fear the dewy grass nor the rumpling of her gown, sir (bis)

And if you meet a lady fair as you go by the hill, sir
If you do not when you may, you shall not when you will, sir (bis)


So my question was, what was so offensive about the care of the gown? Did that denote a lack of passion? I never understood this song. I believe I started a thread on that, back in the aughties.

My dad's question was, he understood how he could mount her on a horse, but not how he could mount himself, on or off a horse.

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Moved from here (click). Hope that was a good thing to do. -Joe Offer-