As the 13th line of the following ballad seems here particularly alluded to, it is not improbable that Shakspeare wrote it "shot so trim," which the players or printers, not perceiving the allusion, might alter to "true." The former, as being the more humorous expression, seems most likely to have come from the mouth of Mercutio.†

In the 2d part of Hen. IV., act v. sc. 3, Falstaff is introduced affectedly saying to Pistoll,

"O base Assyrian knight, what is thy news? Let King Cophetua know the truth thereof."

These lines, Dr. Warburton thinks, were taken from an old bombast play of "King Cophetua." No such play is, I believe, now to be found; but it does not therefore follow that it never existed. Many dramatic pieces are referred to by old writers, which are not now extant, or even mentioned in any list. In the infancy of the stage, plays were often exhibited that were never printed.

It is probably in allusion to the same play that Ben Jonson says, in his Comedy of "Every Man in his Humour," act iii. sc. 4,

*See above, Preface to Song i. Book ii. of this vol. p. 158. + Since this conjecture first occurred, it has been discovered that "shot so trim" was the genuine reading. See Shakspeare ed. 1793, xiv. 393.

See Meres Wits Treas. f. 283. Arte of Eng. Poes. 1589, p. 51, 111, 143, 169.

"I have not the heart to devour thee, an' I

might be made as rich as King Cophetua." At least there is no mention of King Cophetua's riches in the present ballad, which is the oldest I have met with on the subject.

It is printed from Rich. Johnson's "Crown Garland of Goulden Roses," 1612, 12mo. (where it is entitled simply "A Song of a Beggar and a King"): corrected by another copy.

And, as he musing thus dyd lye,

He thought for to devise

How he might have her companye,

That did so 'maze his eyes.

In thee, quoth he, doth rest my life:
For surely thou shalt be my wife,
Or else this hand with bloody knife
The Gods shall sure suffice.
Then from his bed he soon arose,
And to his pallace gate he goes ;
Full little then this begger knowes
When she the king espies.

The Gods preserve your majesty,
The beggers all gan cry:
Vouchsafe to give your charity

Our childrens food to buy.

The king to them his pursse did cast, And they to part it made great haste ; This silly woman was the last

That after them did bye.

40

45

50

That you wil take me for your choyce,

And my degree's so base.

And when the wedding day was come, 85

The king commanded strait

The noblemen both all and some

Upon the queene to wait.
And she behaved herself that day,
As if she had never walkt the way:
She had forgot her gown of gray,

Which she did weare of late.
The proverbe old is come to passe,
The priest, when he begins his masse,
Forgets that ever clerke he was;

He knowth not his estate.

Here you may read, Cophetua,

Though long time fancie-fed, Compelled by the blinded boy

90

35

95

The king he cal'd her back againe,

And unto her he gave his chaine; And said, With us you shal remaine Till such time as we dye:

For thou, quoth he, shalt be my wife,
And honoured for my queene;
With thee I meane to lead my life,
As shortly shall be seene:
Our wedding shall appointed be,
And every thing in its degree:

Come on, quoth he, and follow me,

Thou shalt go shift thee cleane.

What is thy name, faire maid? quoth he.
Penelophon, O king, quoth she:
With that she made a lowe courtsèy;
A trim one as I weene.

During their princely raigne: And in a tombe were buried both, As writers sheweth plaine. The lords they tooke it grievously, The ladies tooke it heavily, The commons cryed pitiously,

110

115

70

*Shakspeare (who alludes to this ballad in his "Love's Labour lost," act. iv. sc. 1), gives the Beggar's name Zenelophon, according to all the old editions: but this seems to be a corruption; for Penelophon, in the text, sounds more like the name of a woman.-The story of the King and the Beggar is also alluded to in K. Rich. II. act v. sc. 3.

Their death to them was paine,
Their fame did sound so passingly
That it did pierce the starry sky,
And throughoute all the world did flye
To every princes realme.*

V. 90, i. e. tramped the streets. V. 105, Here the Poet addresses himself to his mistress. V. 112, Sheweth was anciently the plur. numb.

*An ingenious friend thinks the two last stanzas should change place.

ballad. The reader here has an ancient copy in the English idiom, with an additional stanza (the 2d) never before printed. This curiosity is preserved in the Editor's folio MS., but not without corruptions, which are here removed by the assistance of the Scottish Edition. Shakspeare, in his Othello, act ii., has quoted one stanza, with some variations, which are here adopted: the old MS. readings of that stanza are however given in the margin.

THIS winters weather itt waxeth cold,
And frost doth freese on every hill,
And Boreas blowes his blasts soe bold,

That all our cattell are like to spill;
Bell my wiffe, who loves noe strife,
Shee sayd unto me quietlye,
Rise up, and save cow Cumbockes liffe,
Man, put thine old cloake about thee.

HE.

O Bell, why dost thou flyte 'and scorne?' Thou kenst my cloak is very thin:

Itt is soe bare and overworne

A cricke he theron cannot renn:
Then Ile no longer borrowe nor lend,
For once Ile new appareld bee,
To-morrow Ile to towne and spend,'

For Ile have a new cloake about mee.

SHE.

Cow Crumbocke is a very good cowe,

5

10

SHE.

15

Shee ha beene alwayes true to the payle Shee has helpt us to butter and cheese, I trow, And other things shee will not fayle; 20

I wold be loth to see her pine,

Good husband, councell take of mee,
It is not for us to go soe fine,
Man, take thine old cloake about thee.

King Stephen was a worthy peere,

His breeches cost him but a crowne, He held them sixpence all too deere; Therefore he calld the taylor Lowne.

He was a wight of high renowne,

45

50

And thouse but of a low degree: Itt's pride that putts this countrye downe, 55 Man, take thine old cloake about thee.

HE.

'Bell my wife she loves not strife, Yet she will lead me if she can; And oft, to live a quiet life,

I am forced to yield, though Ime goodman ;' 60 Itt's not for a man with a woman to threape, Unlesse he first gave oer the plea :

As wee began wee now will leave,

And Ile take mine old cloake about mee.

V. 41, flyte, MS. V. 49, King Harry.. ..a very good king, MS. V. 50, I trow his hose cost but, MS. V. 51, He thought them 12d. to deere, MS. V. 52, clowne, MS. V. 53, He was king and ware the crowne, MS.