"Sith you have had your wille of mee, And put me to open shame, Now, if you are a courteous knighte, "Some do call mee Jacke, sweet heart, 15 But when I come to the kings faire courte 20 He sett his foot into the stirrup, And awaye then he did ride; She tuckt her girdle about her middle, But when she came by the brode watèr, And when she was got out againe, He never was the courteous knighte, To saye, 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 leige, Now Christ you save and see, You have a knighte within your courte "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, But he hath gotten my maiden head, 25 30 35 40 45 "Now, if he be a batchelor, His bodye Ile give to thee; He called downe his merrye men all, Sir William used to bee the first, He brought her downe full fortye pounde, "Faire maid, Ile give the same to thee; "O, Ile have none of your gold," she sayde, But your faire bodye I must have, 50 55 60 Sir William ranne and fetched her then 65 Saying, "faire maide, take this to thee, "Tis not the gold that shall mee tempt, 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! 70 75 Would I had drank the puddle foule, Rather than ever a shepherds brat Shold tell me such a tale !" 80 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." "A shepherds brat even as I was, You mote have let me bee, I never had come othe kings faire courte, He sett her on a milk-white steede, But when they came unto the place, "Now marrye me, or not, sir knight, If you make me ladye of one good towne, "Ah! cursed bee the gold," he sayd, I shold have forsaken my sweet love, And now their hearts being linked fast, 85 90 95 100 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 iş discovered to be N. Breton. GOOD Muse, rocke me aslepe With some sweete harmony: Sweete Love, begon a while, See, howe my little flocke, That lovde to feede on highe, Doe headlonge tumble downe the rocke, The bushes and the trees, That were so freshe and greene, Doe all their deintie colors leese, The blacke birde and the thrushe, With all the rest, are now at hushe, 5 10 15 20 The flowers have had a frost, 25 The herbs have loste their savoure; And Phillida the faire hath lost For me her wonted' favour. Thus all these careful sights, So kill me in conceit; That now to hope upon delights, It is but meere deceite. And therefore, my sweete Muse, Doe nowe thy heavenlie conninge use 30 35 And in a dreame bewraie What fate shal be my frende; -40 XV. LORD THOMAS AND FAIR ELLINOR, -is given (with corrections) from an ancient copy in black letter, in the Pepys collection, intitled, "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 was a bold forrestèr, Faire Ellinor was a fine woman, And lord Thomas he loved her deare. "Come riddle my riddle, dear mother," he sayd, Whether I shall marrye with faire Ellinòr, "The browne girl she has got houses and lands, And therefore I charge thee on my blessing, And as it befelle on a high holidaye, Lord Thomas he went to faire Ellinòr, That should have been his bride. And when he came to faire Ellinors bower, He knocked there at the ring, 5 10 15 |