He brought her downe fulle fortye pounde,
Tyed up withinne a glove:

"Faire maid, Ile give the same to thee;

Go seeke thee another love."

60

66

"O Ile have none of your gold," she sayde,

"Nor Ile have none of your fee;

But your faire bodye I must have,

The king hath granted mee."

Sir William ranne and fetchd her then
Five hundred pound in golde,

65

Saying, "Faire maide, take this to thee,
Thy fault will never be tolde."

"Tis not the gold that shall mee tempt,"
These words then answered shee,

70

Ver. 50.

His bodye Ile give to thee. This was agreeable to the feudal customs: the lord had a right to give a wife to his vassals.-See Shak

speare's All's well that ends well.

I never had come to the kings faire courte,

To crave any love of thee."

"Now marrye me, or not, Sir Knight,
Your pleasure shall be free:

If you make me ladye of one good towne,
Ile make you lord of three."

95

"Ah! cursed bee the gold;" he sayd,
"If thou hadst not been trewe,

I shold have forsaken my sweet love,
And have changed her for a newe.
And now their hearts being linked fast,
They joyned hand in hande :

Thus he had both purse, and person too,
And all at his commande.

100

XIV.

The Shepherd's Address to his Muse.

This poem, originally printed from the small MS. volume mentioned above in No. x., has been improved by a more perfect copy in England's Helicon, where the author is discovered to be N. Breton.

GOOD Muse, rocke me aslepe

With some sweete harmony;

This wearie eye is not to kepe

Thy wary company.

5

Sweet Love, begon a while,

Thou seest my heavines; Beautie is borne but to beguyle My harte of happines.

See how my little flocke,

That lovde to feede on highe,

10

Doe headlonge tumble downe the rocke,
And in the valley dye.

XV.

Lord Thomas and Fair Ellinor

is given (with corrections) from an ancient copy in black-letter in the Pepys Collection, entitled, “A tragical ballad on the unfortunate love of Lord Thomas and fair Ellinor, together with the downfall of the browne girl." In the same collection may be seen an attempt to modernize this old song, and reduce it to a different measure: a proof of its popularity.

LORD Thomas he was a bold forrester,

And a chaser of the kings deere ;

Faire Ellinor was a fine woman,

And Lord Thomas he loved her deare.

"Come riddle my riddle, dear mother," he sayd,

"And riddle us both as one;

5

Whether I shall marrye with faire Ellinor,
And let the browne girl alone?"

"The browne girl she has got houses and lands,

Faire Ellinor she has got none;

10

And therefore I charge thee on my blessing,

To bring me the browne girl home."

"What newes, what newes, Lord Thomas," she sayd;

"What newes dost thou bring to mee?"

"I am come to bid thee to my wedding, And that is bad newes for thee."

"O God forbid, Lord Thomas," she sayd,
"That such a thing should be done ;

I thought to have been the bride my selfe
And thou to have been the bridegrome."

25

"Come riddle my riddle, dear mother," she sayd,
"And riddle it all in one;

Whether I shall goe to Lord Thomas his wedding,
Or whether shall tarry at home ?...”

"There are manye that are your friendes, daughter,
And manye a one your foe;

Therefore I charge you on my blessing,

To Lord Thomas his wedding don't goe."

"There are manye that are my friendes, mother;

But were every one my foe,

Betide me life, betide me death,

To Lord Thomas his wedding I'ld goe."

She cloathed herself in gallant attire,
And her merrye men all in greene;
And as they rid through every towne,
They took her to be some queene.

30

35

40

But when she came to Lord Thomas his gate,
She knocked there at the ring;

45

And who was so readye as Lord Thomas,

To lett faire Ellinor in.

"Is this your bride ?" fair Ellinor sayd;
"Methinks she looks wonderous browne;
Thou mightest have had as faire a woman
As ever trod on the grounde."

50

For better I love thy little finger,
Than all her whole bodèe."

55

This browne bride had a little penknife,

That was both long and sharpe,

And betwixt the short ribs and the long,
She prick'd faire Ellinor's harte.

60

Ver. 29, It should probably be, Reade me, read, &c., i. e. Advise me,

advise.