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makes it probable that the history of Guy was one of his earliest performances.-There are extant of his (1.) The betraying of Christ, Judas in dispaire, the seven words of our Saviour on the crosse, with other 66 poems on the passion, &c. 1598, 4to. [Ames Typ. 66 p. 428.]-(2.) A Theatre of delightful Recreation. "Lond. printed for A. Johnson, 1605," 4to. (Penes editor.) This is a book of poems on subjects chiefly taken from the Old Testament. (3.) "Memory of "Christ's miracles, in verse. Lond. 1618, 4to." (4.) "Heaven's glory, earth's vanity, and hell's hor"ror." Lond. 1638, 8vo. [These two in Bod. Cat.] In the present edition the foregoing poem has been much improved from the printed copy.

III.

THE AULD GOOD-MAN.

A SCOTTISH SONG.

I have not been able to meet with a more ancient copy of this humorous old song, than that printed in the Tea-Table Miscellany, &c. which seems to have admitted some corruptions.

LATE in an evening forth I went
A little before the sun gade down,
And there I chanc't, by accident,
To light on a battle new begun :
A man and his wife wer fawn in a strife,
I canna weel tell ye how it began;
But aye she wail'd her wretched life,
Cryeng, Evir alake, mine auld goodman!

HE.

Thy auld goodman, that thou tells of,

The country kens where he was born,

Was but a silly poor vagabond,

And ilka ane leugh him to scorn:

For he did spend and make an end

Of gear his fathers nevir' wan;

He gart the poor stand frae the door;

5

10

15

Sae tell nae mair of thy auld goodman.

THE AULD GOOD-MAN.

163

SHE.

My heart, alake! is liken to break,

Whan I think on my winsome John, His blinkan ee, and gait sae free,

Was naithing like thee, thou dosend drone ; 20 Wi' his rosie face, and flaxen hair,

And skin as white as ony swan,

He was large and tall, and comely withall;
Thou'lt nevir be like mine auld goodman.

HE.

Why dost thou plein? I thee maintein;
For meal and mawt thou disna want:
But thy wild bees I canna please,

Now whan our gear gins to grow scant:
Of houshold stuff thou hast enough;
Thou wants for neither pot nor pan;

Of sicklike ware he left thee bare;
Sae tell nae mair of thy auld goodman.

SHE.

Yes I may tell, and fret my sell,

To think on those blyth days I had,

Whan I and be together ley

In armes into a well-made bed:

But now I sigh and may be sad,

Thy courage is cauld, thy colour wan,

Thou falds thy feet, and fa's asleep;

25

30

35

Thou'lt nevir be like mine auld goodman. 40

Then coming was the night sae dark,
And gane was a' the light of day:
The carle was fear'd to miss his mark,
And therefore wad nae longer stay:
Then up he gat, and ran his way,

I trowe, the wife the day she wan;
And aye the owreword of the fray
Was, Evir alake! mine auld goodman,

45

IV.

FAIR MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM.

This seems to be the old song quoted in Fletcher's "Knight of the Burning Pestle," Acts 2d and 3d; although the six lines there preserved are somewhat different from those in the ballad, as it stands at present. The Reader will not wonder at this, when he is informed that this is only given from a modern printed copy picked up on a stall. Its full title is, "Fair "Margaret's Misfortunes; or Sweet William's fright"ful dreams on his wedding night, with the sudden "death and burial of those noble lovers,"

The lines preserved in the play are this distich, "You are no love for me, Margaret,

"I am no love for you."

And the following stanza,

"When it was grown to dark midnight,
"And all were fast asleep,

"In came Margarets grimly ghost
"And stood at Williams feet.

These lines have acquired an importance by giving birth to one of the most beautiful ballads in our own or any language. See the song intitled MARGARET'S GHOST, at the end of this volume.

Since the first edition some improvements have been inserted, which were communicated by a lady of the first distinction, as she had heard this song repeated in her infancy.