When she came to the kings faire courte,

She knocked at the ring;

So readye was the king himself

To let this faire maide in.

'Now Christ you save, my gracious liege, Now Christ you save and see,

You have a knighte within your courte

This daye hath robbed mee.'

'What hath he robbed thee of, sweet heart?

Of purple or of pall?

Or hath he took thy gaye gold ring

From off thy finger small?'

· He hath not robbed mee, my liege,
Of purple nor of pall:

But he hath gotten my maiden head,
Which grieves mee worst of all.'

'Now if he be a batchelor,

His bodye Ile give to thee;
But if he be a married man,
High hanged he shall bee.'

He called downe his merrye men ail,
By one, by two, by three;

Sir William used to bee the first,

But nowe the last came hee.

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

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 Shakespeare's 'All's well that ends well.'

Faire maid, 'Ile give the same to thee;
Go, seeke thee another love.'

'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,
Saying, faire maide, take this to thee,
Thy fault will never be tolde.'

'Tis not the gold that shall mee tempi,'
These words then answered shee,
'But your own bodye I must have,
The king hath granted mee.'

'Would I had dranke the water cleare,

When I did drinke the wine,

Rather than any shepherds brat

Shold bee a ladye of mine!

Would I had drank the puddle foule,
When I did drink the ale,
Rather than ever a shepherds brat

Shold tell me such a tale!'

'A shepherds brat even as I was,

You mote have let me bee,

I never had come to the kings faire courte,
To crave any love of thee.'

He sett her on a milk-white steede,
And himself upon a graye;

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He hung a bugle about his necke,
And soe they rode awaye.

But when they came unto the place,
Where marriage-rites were done,
She proved herself a dukes daughtèr,
And he but a squires sonne.

If

Now marrye me, or not, sir knight,
Your pleasure shall be free:

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

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.

*

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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 eyes is not to kepe
Thy wary company.

Sweete Love, begon a while,

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

See howe my little flocke,

That lovde to feede on highe,

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

The bushes and the trees,

That were so freshe and greene, Doe all their deintie colors leese, And not a leafe is seene.

The blacke birde and the thrushe,
That made the woodes to ringe,

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15

With all the rest, are now at hushe,
And not a note they singe.

20

And therefore, my sweete Muse,
That knowest what helpe is best,
Doe nowe thy heavenlie conninge use
To sett my harte at rest:

And in a dreame bewraie

What fate shal be my frende;
Whether my life shall still decaye,

Or when my sorrowes ende.

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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.1

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;

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,

And therefore I charge thee on my blessing,
To bring me the browne girl home.'

10

1 Dr Jamieson took down from the lips of a lady in Arbroath, and printed, a long ballad, entitled, 'Sweet Willie and Fair Aunie,' on the same subject.-ED.