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,
His mothers doves, and teame of sparrows;
Loses them too; then down he throws
The coral of his lippe, the rose
Growing on's cheek (but none knows how)
With these, the crystal of his browe,
And then the dimple of his chinne;
All these did my Campaspe winne.
At last he set her both his eyes,
She won, and Cupid blind did rise.
O Love! has she done this to thee?
What shall, alas! become of mee?

XVII.

-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,
I write unto you one and all,
Whereby that you may understand

What I have suffered in the land.

Wilt thou be usher of my hall,
To wait upon my nobles all?
Or wilt be taster of my wine,
To 'tend on me when I shall dine?

Or wilt thou be my chamberlaine,

About my person to remaine?
Or wilt thou be one of my guard,
And I will give thee great reward?

Chuse, gentle youth, said he, thy place.
Then I reply'd, If it please your grace
To shew such favour unto mee,
Your chamberlaine I faine would bee.

The king then smiling gave consent,
And straitwaye to his court I went;
Where I behavde so faithfullìe,
That hee great favour showd to mee.

Now marke what fortune did provide ;
The king he would a hunting ride
With all his lords and noble traine,
Sweet William must at home remaine.

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,
I am a poore and friendlesse boye,
Though nobly borne, nowe forc'd to bee
A serving-man of lowe degree.

Stand up, faire youth, the king reply'd,
For thee a service I'll provyde;
But tell me first what thou canst do;
Thou shalt be fitted thereunto.

45

And meeting with a ladyes vest,
Within the same myself I drest;
With silken robes and jewels rare,
I deckt me, as a ladye faire :

And taking up a lute straitwaye,
Upon the same I strove to play;
And sweetly to the same did sing,
As made both hall and chamber ring.

"

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
Bedeckt with gorgeous rich array;
The happiest lady in the land
Had not more pleasure at command.

"I had my musicke every day
Harmonious lessons for to play;
I had my virgins fair and free
Continually to wait on mee.

"But now, alas! my husband's dead,
And all my friends are from me fled,
My former days are past and gone,
And I am now a serving-man.'

And fetching many a tender sigh,
As thinking no one then was nigh,
In pensive mood I laid me lowe,
My heart was full, the tears did flowe.

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,
His name it waxed wide;

It was nae for his great riches,

Nor zet his mickle pride;
Bot it was for a lady gay,

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!
I dare nae for my life;
I'll no gae to the bauld barons,

For to triest furth his wife.
My bird Willie, my boy Willie;
My dear Willie, he sayd;

How can ze strive against the stream? For I sall be obeyd.

Bot, O my master dear! he cryd,
In grene wod ze're zour lain;

Gi owre sic thochts, I walde ze rede,
For fear ze should be tain.
Haste, haste, I say, gae to the ha',
Bid bir cum here wi speid:
If ze refuse my heigh command,
Ill gar zour body bleid.

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:

"His een like azure sheene."

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 Horne childe and Ippotis,

Of Bevis, and Sir Guy, &c." R. of Thop)