Traditional as "Nightingales Song" and several other titles.

 This late issue, c 1682-45, seems to be the only one extant, but the tunes cited were long out of fashion by the 1680's are of
 c 1625 and 1635, respectively. The ballad was probably that entered in the Stationers' Register entered in Nov. 1639 under
 a different title, "The Souldier and his knapsack." Late reissues sometimes changed titles rather drastically.

Here's a version of 1682-4

 The Nightingales Song; Or The Souldiers rare Musick,
 and Maides Recreation
 The Song adviseth Maidens have a care,
 And of a Souldiers knap-sack to beware,
 To the Tune of, No, No, No, not I, Or, Peggy and the Souldier.

 As I went forth one Sun-shining Day,
 A dainty young Couple were gathering May;
 The one a fair Damosel of beauty most clear,
 The other a Souldier, as it doth appear.

 With kisses and compliments, to her he said
 Good morrow sweet honey thou well favour'd Maid,
 I think my self happy, I met with you here
 As you are a Virgin, and I a Souldier.

 And now if you pleased be, I will you bring,
 Wheras you shall hear the sweet nightingale sing:
 With other rare pastimes, my skill shall be try'd
 If you will walk with me, to the merry green-wood side.

 Sweet Sir (said the Damosel) If you will do so,
 Then hand in hand with you, along I will go,
 It is recreation for maids in the Spring,
 To see Flowers grow, and hear the Nightingale sing.

 And having thus spoken, together they went,
 Unto the merry green-wood, where some time they spent,
 In walking and talking, of many an odd thing,
 But yet could not hear the Nightingale sing.

 A danty clear river, was running them by,
 A Bank of sweet Violets, and Primroses nigh:
 Then said the young Gallant, sit down by this spring,
 We'l here take our pleasure till the Nightingale sing.

 The Maid seem'd unwilling, and said she'd be gone,
 And yet she was loath for to leave him alone,
 At last she resolved her self to the thing,
 To stay till they heard, the sweet Nightingale sing.

 Amongst the sweet flowers they Straightway sat down,
 The young-man in kindness, gave her a green Gown,
 He also presented to her a Gold Ring,
 'Cause she should stay there, till the Nightingale sing.

 And having thus done, he took her about the middle,
 And forth of his Knap-sack, he pull'd a fare Fiddle,
 And plaid her a fit, made the Vallies to ring,
 Oh now (quoth she) I hear the Nightingale sing.

 Then now said the Souldier 'tis time to give ore,
 Nay prithee (quoth she) play me one Lesson more:
 I like both the setting, and tuning the string,
 Far better than hearing the Nightingale sing.'

 He struck up his musick, unto a high strain,
 And plaid the tune over again and again:
 Gramercy brave Souldier (quoth she) that did bring
 Me hither to hear the rare Nightingale sing.

 Their sport being ended, then homeward they went,
 Each one thought the time to be very well spent:
 It was quoth the Damosel, a very rare thing,
 Whilst thou play'd thy part, to hear the Nightingale sing.

 At last with a deep sigh, these words spake she,
 I pray thee good Souldier wilt thou marry me:
 Else my hasty pleasure, sweet Sorrows will bring,
 And I may repent I heard the Nightingale sing.

 Oh no, quoth the Souldier, I may not do so,
 Along with my Captain, to morrow I must go,
 But if I come this way, again the next Spring,
 We'll walk once more to hear the sweet Nightingale sing.

 You Maides of the City, and Country that be,
 Addicted to pleasure, take warning by me,
 Let no flattering Young-man tempt ye to this thing,
 To go to the wood to hear the Nightingale sing.

 Make bargain before hand, for fear you miscarry,
 Know whether or no they are minded to marry:
 If I had been wise, and I had done such a thing,
 I need not repent I heard the Nightingale sing.

 Incidently, "The Bold Soldier/ Grenedier" is the title of a different song, originally "The Master-piece of Love-songs", by
 Abraham Miles. ("Jolly Soldier", Laws M27, in DT). (The soldier fights with his love's father and brothers in order to take
 her away.) There is another broadside version in which a Seaman replaces the Soldier/Keeper. This is no relation to our
 song here.

 X:1
 T:Peggie is over Ye Sie wi' ye Souldier
 L:1/8
 M:3/8
 K:Am
 cde|edd|geg|a3::c'ba|bag|c'2b|a2b|c'ba|geg|a2a|A3|]

 The Sweet Nightingale
 Source: English, 19th Century, from Surrey.
 Edition: Lucy Broadwood and J. A. Fuller Maitland, English County Songs, Leadenhall Press, London, and Scribners,
 New York, 1893, page 124.

 One morning in May by chance I did rove
 I sat myself down by the side of a grove
 and there did I hear the sweet nightingale sing,
 I never heard so sweet as the birds in the Spring

 All on the grass I sat myself down
 where the voice of the nightingale echoed around;
 don't you hear how she quivers the notes ? I declare
 no music, no songster with her can compare.

 Come all you young men, I'll have you draw near,
 I pray you now heed me these words for to hear,
 that when you're grown old you may have it to sing,
 that you never heard so sweet as the birds in the Spring.

 SOLDIER AND THE MAIDEN
 (Traditional)

 One morning, one morning, one morning in May
 I spied a young couple they were making their way
 One was a maiden so bright and so fair
 And the other was a soldier and a brave volunteer

 Good morning, good morning, good morning , said he
 And where are you going my pretty lady?
 I'm going out a-walking on the banks of the sea
 Just to see the waters glide and hear the nightingales sing

 Now they had not been standing but a minute or so
 When out of his knapsack a fiddle he drew
 And the tune that he played made the valleys to ring
 Oh hark, cried the maiden, hear the nightingales sing

 Oh maiden, fair maiden, 'tis time to give o'er
 Oh no, kind soldier, please play one tune more
 For I'd rather hear your fiddle with the touch of one string
 Than to see the waters glide and hear the nightingales sing

 Oh soldier, kind soldier, will you marry me?
 Oh no, pretty maiden, that never shall be
 I've a wife down in London and children twice three
 Two wives and the army's too many for me

 Well I'll go back to London and I'll stay there for a year
 It's often that I'll think of you my little dear
 And if ever I return it'll be in the spring
 To see the waters glide and hear the nightingales sing

 Source: Crowdy Crawn: Brenda Wooten and Robert Bartlett 'No Song To Sing?' Sentinel LP SENS 1021 (1974).

 Oh as I walk-ed out one morning in May
 There I saw a young couple together at play
 Oh one was a lady, I'll vow and declare,
 And the other a soldier, a bold grenadier.

 "Oh now", said the soldier, "shall we walk together?"
 He wrapped his coat round her to keep her from the weather.
 They walked till they came down to yonder spring
 Where the small birds they whistle and the nightingales sing.

 The soldier he caught up the lady by the middle
 And out of his knapsack, he pulled out a fiddle
 And he played her such merry tunes, called The Valleys Do Ring
 "Hark, hark", said the lady, "how the nightingales sing."

 "O now", said the soldier, "it's time to give o'er"
 "O no", said the lady, "play me one tune more.
 It's the charms of your music and the gauge of your string
 "Hark, hark", said the soldier, "how the nightingales sing."

 "Oh now", said the lady, "will you marry me.?"
 "O no", said the soldier, "That never can be.
 I've a wife and three children in the North count-e-ry
 And a prettier woman did your eyes ever see.

 And to the East Indies, love I am bound out,
 To enjoy the sweet wine and the city* brown stout [*bitter?]
 But if I ever return again, it will be in the spring
 Where the small birds they whistle and the nightingales sing".

 Collected from Charlie Carver at the Gardeners Arms, Tostock, Suffolk, 1960.

 The Nightingales Sing  as recorded by the Clancy Brothers, apparantly; with tune.
 The Nightingales Sing  Appalachian version, with tune.
 The Brave Volunteer  Apparantly an American version, with tune.
 The Wild Rippling Waters  American version, with tune.
 

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