This elegant little sonnet is found in the third act of an old play, intitled, "Alexander and Campaspe," written by John Lilye, a celebrated writer in the time of Queen Elizabeth. That play was first printed in 1591: but this copy is given from a later edition. CUPID and my Campaspe playd At cardes for kisses; Cupid payd: Ver. 29, It should probably be Reade me, read, &c. i. e. Advise me, advise. He stakes his quiver, bow and arrows, THE LADY TURNED SERVING-MAN. 217 XVII. THE LADY TURNED SERVING-MAN. -is given from a written copy, containing some improvements (perhaps modern ones), upon the popular ballad, intitled, "The famous flower of Serving-men; or the Lady turned Serving-man," You beauteous ladyes, great and small, What I have suffered in the land. Wilt thou be usher of my hall, Or wilt thou be my chamberlaine, 50 About my person to remaine? Chuse, gentle youth, said he, thy place. The king then smiling gave consent, Now marke what fortune did provide ; 55 60 65 20 No longer now a ladye gay. 20 25 35 30 30 335 And seeing me weepe, upon the same Askt who I was, and whence I came. 40 Then to his grace I did replye, Stand up, faire youth, the king reply'd, 45 And meeting with a ladyes vest, And taking up a lute straitwaye, " My father was as brave a lord, As ever Europe might afford; My mother was a lady bright: My husband was a valiant knight: "And I myself a ladye gay "I had my musicke every day "But now, alas! my husband's dead, And fetching many a tender sigh, XVIII. GIL MORRICE. A SCOTTISH BALLAD. The following piece hath run through two editions in Scotland: the second was printed at Glasgow in 1755, 8vo. Prefixed to them both is an advertisement, setting forth that the preservation of this poem was owing "to a lady, who favoured the printers with a copy, as it was carefully collected from the mouths of old women and nurses ;" and any reader that can render it more correct or complete," is desired to oblige the public with such improvements. In consequence of this advertisement, sixteen additional verses have been produced and handed about in manuscript, which are here inserted in their proper places: (these are from verse 109 to verse 121, and from verse 124 to verse 129, but are perhaps, after all, only an ingenious interpolation.) As this poem lays claim to a pretty high antiquity, we have assigned it a place among our early pieces: though, after all, there is reason to believe it has received very considerable modern improvements : for in the Editor's ancient MS collection is a very old imperfect copy of the same ballad: wherein though the leading features of the story are the same, yet the colouring here is so much improved and heightened, and so many additional strokes are thrown in, that it is evident the whole has undergone a revisal. N. B. The Editor's MS. instead of "Lord Barnard," has "John Stewart ;" and instead of "Gil Morrice," "Child Maurice," which last is probably the original title. See above, p. 209. GIL Morrice was an erlès son, It was nae for his great riches, Nor zet his mickle pride; That livd on Carron side. 5 Quhair sall I get a bonny boy, That will win hose and shoen; That will gae to Lord Barnards ha', And bid his lady cum? And ze maun rin my errand, Willie ; And ze may rin wi' pride; Quhen other boys gae on their foot, On horse-back ze sall ride. O no! Oh no! my master dear! For to triest furth his wife. How can ze strive against the stream? For I sall be obeyd. Bot, O my master dear! he cryd, Gi owre sic thochts, I walde ze rede, Gae bid hir take this gay mantèl, 'Tis a' gowd bot the hem; Bid bir cum to the gude grene wode, And bring nane bot hir lain : And there it is, a silken sarke, Hir ain hand sewd the sleive; And bid hir cum to Gill Morice, Speir nae bauld barons leave. Ver. 11, something seems wanting here. V. 32, an. 68, perhaps, 'bout the hem. As gin he were mine ain; I'll neir forget the dreiry day On which the zouth was slain. This little pathetic tale suggested the plot of the tragedy of" Douglas." Since it was first printed, the Editor has been assured that the foregoing ballad is still current in many parts of Scotland, where the hero is universally known by the name of " Child Maurice," pronounced by the common people Cheild or Cheeld; which occasioned the mistake. It may be proper to mention, that other copies read ver. 110 thus: "Shot frae the golden sun." And ver 116 as follows: THE END OF THE FIRST BOOK. "His een like azure sheene." SERIES THE THIRD. BOOK II. I. THE LEGEND OF SIR GUY contains a short summary of the exploits of this famous champion, as recorded in the old story books; and is commonly intitled, "A pleasant song of the valiant deeds of chivalry achieved by that noble knight Sir Guy of Warwick, who, for the love of fair Phelis, became a hermit, and dyed in a cave of craggy rocke, a mile distant from Warwick." The history of Sir Guy, though now very properly resigned to children, was once admired by all readers of wit and taste: for taste and wit had once their childhood. Although of English growth, it was early a favourite with other nations: it ap he peared in French in 1525; and is alluded to old Spanish romance Tirante el blanco, which, it is believed, was written not long after the year 1430. See advertisement to the French translation, 2 vols. 12mo. The original whence all these stories are extracted is a very ancient romance in old English verse, which is quoted by Chaucer as a celebrated piece even in his time, (viz.) "Men speken of romances of price, Of Bevis, and Sir Guy, &c." R. of Thop) |