XIV.

GENTLE HERDSMAN, TELL TO ME. DIALOGUE BETWEEN A PILGRIM AND HERDSMAN. The fcene of this beautiful old ballad is laid near Walfingham, in Norfolk, where was anciently an image of the Virgin Mary, famous over all Europe for the numerous pilgrimages made to it, and the great riches it poffeffed. Erafmus has given a very exact and humorous defcription of the fuperftitions practifed there in his time. See his account of the VIRGO PARATHALASSIA, in his colloquy, intitled, PER EGRINATIO RELIGIONIS ERGO. He tells us, the rich offerings in filver, gold, and preciouo ftones, that were there fhean him, were incredible, there being fearce a perfon of any note in England, but what fome time or other paid a vifit, or fent a prefent to OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM *. At the diJolution of the monafteries in 1538, this fplendid image, with another from Ipfwich, was carried to Chelsea, and there burnt in the prefence of commiffioners; who, we trust, did not burn the jewels and the finery.

This poem is printed from a copy in the Editor's folio MS. which had greatly fuffered by the hand of time; but veftiges of feveral of the lines remaining, fome conjectural fupplements have been attempted, which, for greater exactness, are in this one ballad diftinguished by Italicks.

G

ENTLE heardfinan, tell to me,
Of curtesy I thee pray,

Unto the towne of Walfingham

Which is the right and ready way.

See at the end of this Ballad an account of the annual offerings of

the Earls of Northumberland.

"Unto

"Unto the towne of Walfingham

"The way is hard for to be gon; "And verry crooked are thofe pathes "For you to find out all alone."

Weere the miles doubled thrife,

And the way never foe ill,

Itt were not enough for mine offence;
Itt is foe grievous and foe ill.

"Thy yeeares are young, thy face is faire, Thy witts are weake, thy thoughts are greene; "Time hath not given thee leave, as yett, "For to committ fo great a finne."

Yes, heardsman, yes, foe woldest thou say,
If thou knewest foe much as I;
My witts, and thoughts, and all the rest,
Have well deferved for to dye,

I am not what I seeme to bee,

My clothes and fexe doe differ farr:

I am a woman, woe is me!

Born to greeffe and irksome care.

For my beloved, and well-beloved,

My wayward cruelty could kill:
And though my teares will nought avail,

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Moft dearely I bewail him still.

He

He was the flower of noble wights,
None ever more fincere colde bee;
Of comely mien and shape hee was,
And tenderlye bee loved mee.

When thus I faw he loved me well,
1 grewe fo proud his paine to fee,

That I, who did not know myselfe,
Thought fcorne of fuch a youth as hee.

* And grew foe coy and nice to please,
As women's lookes are often foe,
He might not kiffe, nor hand forfooth,
Unleffe I willed him foe to doe.

Thus being wearyed with delayes
To fee I pittyed not his greeffe,

He gott him to a fecrett place,

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And there he dyed without releeffe.

And

* Three of the following stanzas have been finely paraphrased by Dr. GOLDSMITH, in his charming ballad of EDWIN AND EMMA; the reader of taste will have a pleasure in comparing them with the original 'And' ftill I try'd each fickle art,

Importunate and vain;

And while his passion touch'd my heart,

I triumph'd in his pain.

'Till quite dejected with my fcorn,

He left me to my pride;

And fought a folitude forlorn,
In fecret, where he dy'd.

VOL. II.

G

But

And for his fake these weeds I weare,
And facriffice my tender age;
And every day Ile begg my bread,
To undergoe this pilgrimage.

Thus every day I fast and pray,
And ever will doe till I dye;

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And gett me to some secrett place,
For foe did hee, and foe will I.

Now, gentle heardsman, aske no more,
But keepe my fecretts I thee pray;

Unto the towne of Walfingam

Show me the right and readye way.

"Now goe thy wayes, and God before!
"For he must ever guide thee still:
"Turne downe that dale, the right hand path,
"And foe, faire pilgrim, fare thee well!"

But mine the forrow, mine the fault,
And well my life fhall pay;

I'll feek the folitude he fought,

And fretch me where he lay.

And there forlorn despairing hid,
I'll lay me down and die:
'Twas fo for me that Edwin did
And fo for him will I.

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**To fhew what conftant tribute was paid to OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM, I shall give a few extracts from the "HousHOLD-BOOK OF HENRY ALGER NON PERCY, 5th Earl of Northumberland." Printed 1770, 8vo.

Sect.

Sec. XLIII. pag. 337, &c.

ITEM, My Lorde ufith yerly to fend afor Michaelmas for his Lordfchip's Offerynge to our Lady of Walfyngeham.—iiij d. ITEM, My Lorde ufith ande accuftumyth to fende yerely for the upholdynge of the Light of Wax which his Lordfchip fyndith birnynge yerly befor our Lady of Walfyngham, contenynge xj lb. of Wax in it after vij d. ob. for the fyndynge of every lb. redy wrought by a covenaunt maid with the Channon by great, for the hole yere, for the fyndinge of the faid Lyght byrnning,-vis. viiij d.

ITEM, My Lord ufeth and accuftomith to fyende yerely to the Channon that kepith the Light before our Lady of Walfyn gham, for his reward for the hole yere, for kepynge of the faid Light, lightynge of it at all fervice tymes dayly thorout the yere, xij d.

ITEM, My Lord ufith and accuftomyth yerely to fend to the Preft that kepith the Light, lyghtynge of it at all fervice tymes daily thorort the yere,―ijs. iiij d.

XV.

K.EDWARD IV. AND TANNER OF TAMWORTH

66

Was a ftory of great fame among our ancestors. The author of the ART OF ENGLISH POESIE, 1589, 4to, Seems to fpeak of it as a real fact.-Defcribing that vicious mode of Speech, which the Greeks called ACYRON, i. e. "When we ufe a dark and obfcure word, utterly repugnant to "that we should exprefs;" he adds, "Such manner of un"couth Speech did the Tanner of Tamworth use to king Ed"ward the fourth; which Tanner, having a great while "miftaken him, and ufed very broad talke with him, at "length perceiving by his traine that it was the king, was "afraide he should be punished for it, [and] faid thus, with a certain rude repentance,

"I hope I fhall be hanged to-morrow,
Ga

"for