Do you see yonders little boye,

A toffing of the balle?

That is earl marshalls eldest fonne,

And I love him the best of all.

Do you fee yonders little boye,
A catching of the balle?

That is king Henryes youngest fonne,
And I love him the worst of all.

65

His head is fafhyon'd like a bull;

His nofe is like a boare.

70

No matter for that, king Henrye cryd,

I love him the better therfore.

The king pulled off his fryars coate,

And appeared all in redde:

She flirieked, and cryd, and wrung her hands, 75
And fayd she was betrayde.

The king lookt over his left shoulder,

And a grimme look looked hee,

Earl marfhall, he fayd, but for my oathe,

Or hanged thou shouldst bee.

80

V. 63, 67. She means that the eldest of these two was by the earl marshall, the youngest by the king.

IX. THE

1

IX.

THE STURDY ROCK.

This poem, fubfcribed M. T. [perhaps invertedly for T. Marfball is preferved in The Paradife of daintie devifes, quoted above in page 138.--The two firft ftanzas may be found accompanied with musical notes in "AB bowres recreation in muficke, &c. by Richard Alifon, Lond. 1606, 4to:" ufually bound up with 3 or 4 sets of " Madrigals fet to mufic by Tho. Weelhes, Lond. 1597, 1600, 1608, 4to." One of thefe madrigals is fo compleat an example of the Bathos, that I cannot forbear prefenting it to the reader.

Thule, the period of cofmographie,

66

Doth vaunt of Hecla, whofe fulphureous fire
Doth melt the frozen clime, and thaw the skie,
Trinacrian Etna's flames afcend not hier:
Thefe things feeme wondrons, yet more wondrous I,
Whofe heart with feare doth freeze, with love doth frỳ.

The Andelufian merchant, that returnes

Laden with cutchinele and china dishes,
Reports in Spaine, how ftrangely Fogo burnes
Amidst an ocean full of flying fishes:

Thefe things feeme wondrous, yet more wondrous I
Whofe heart with feare doth freeze, with love doth fry.

Mr. Weelkes feems to have been of opinion with many of his brethren of later times, that nonfenfe was beft adapted to difplay the powers of musical compofure.

* Vid. Athen, Oxon. p. 152. 316.

THE

HE turdy rock for all his ftrength

THE

By raging feas is rent in twaine : The marble ftone is peart at length,

With little drops of drizling rain: The oxe doth yeeld unto the yoke, The steele obeyeth the hammer ftroke.

The stately stagge, that seemes fo ftout,
By yalping hounds at bay is fet:
The swifteft bird, that flies about,

Is caught at length in fowlers net:
The greatest fish, in deepest brooke,
Is foon deceived by fubtill hooke.

Yea man himselfe, unto whose will
All things are bounden to obey,
For all his wit and worthie skill,

Doth fade at length, and fall away.
There is nothing but time doeth waste;
The heavens, the earth confume at laft.

But vertue fits triumphing still

Upon the throne of glorious fame:
Though fpiteful death mans body kill,
Yet hurts he not his vertuous name:
By life or death what fo betides,
The state of vertue never flides.

5

10

15

20

VOL. II.

M

X. THE

X.

THE BEGGAR's DAUGHTER OF

BEDNALL-GREEN.

This popular old Ballad was written in the reign of Elizabeth, as appears not only from ver. 23, where the arms of England are called the "Queenes armes;" but from its tune's being quoted in other old pieces, written in her time. See the Ballad on MARY AMBREE in this volume.-The late Mr. GUTHRIE affured the Editor, that he had formerly feen another old song on the same subject, composed in a different measure from this; which was truly beautiful, if we may judge from the only ftanza he remembered. In this it was faid of the old Beggar, that “ down his neck

his reverend lockes

In comelye curles did wave;
And on his aged temples grewe
The bloffomes of the grave."

The following Ballad is chiefly given from the Editor's folio MS. compared with two ancient printed copies: the concluding ftanzas, which contain the old Beggar's difcovery of himself, are not however given from any of thefe, being very different from thofe of the vulgar Ballad. Nor yet does the Editor offer them as genuine, but as a modern at· tempt to remove the abfurdities and inconfiftencies, which fo remarkably prevailed in this part of the fong, as it flood before: whereas by the alteration of a few lines, the story is rendered much more affecting, and is reconciled to probability and true history. For this informs us, that at the decifive battle of Evesham, (fought Aug. 4, 1265.) when Simon de Montfort, the great Earl of Leicefter, was flain at the head of the barons, his eldeft fon Henry fell by his

fide, and, in confequence of that defeat, his whole family funk for ever, the king beftowing their great honours and poffeffions on his fecond fon Edmund earl of Lancaster.

PART THE FIRST.

TT was a blind beggar, had long lost his fight,

He had a faire daughter of bewty moft bright;

And many a gallant brave fuiter had fhee,

For none was foe comelye as pretty Beffee.

And though thee was of favor most faire,
Yett seeing shee was but a poor beggars heyre,
Of ancyent housekeepers defpifed was shee,
Whose fonnes came as fuitors to prettye Beffee.

Wherefore in great forrow faire Beffy did fay,
Good father, and mother, let me goe away
To feeke out my fortune, whatever itt bee.
-This suite then they granted to prettye Bessee.

S

10

Then Beffy, that was of bewtye foe bright,

All cladd in gray ruffett, and late in the night

Shee went till fhee came to Stratford-le-Bow;

Then knew fhee not whither, nor which way to goe: With teares fhee lamented her hard destinie,

So fadd and foe heavy was pretty Beffee.

M 2

20

Shee