VIII.

The subject of this ballad is taken from a folio collection of tragical stories, entitled, "The theatre of God's judgments, by Dr. Beard and Dr. Taylor, 1642." Pt. 2, p. 89.—The text is given (with corrections) from two copies; one of them in blackletter in the Pepys collection. In this every stanza is accompanied with the following distich by way of burden:

"Oh jealousie! thou art nurst in hell:
Depart from hence, and therein dwell."

ALL tender hearts, that ake to hear
Of those that suffer wrong;

All you, that never shed a tear,

Give heed unto my song.

Much woe and misery.

And adders, snakes, and toads therein
As afterwards was known,
Long in this loathsome vault had bin,
And were to monsters grown.

XII.

The old story-book of Valentine and Orson (which suggested the plan of this tale, but it is not strictly followed in it) was originally a translation from the French, being one of their earliest attempts at romance. See "Le Bibliotheque de Romans, &c."

The circumstance of the bridge of bells is taken from the old metrical legend of Sir Bevis, and has also been copied in the Seven Champions. The original are,

"Over the dyke a bridge there lay,
That man and beest might passe away:
Under the bridge where sixty belles;
Right as the Romans telles;

That there might no man passe in,
But all they rang with a gyn."

Sign. E. iv.

In the Editor's folio MS. was an old poem on this subject, in a wretched corrupt state, unworthy the press: from which were taken such particulars as could be adopted.

PART THE FIRST.

WHEN Flora 'gins to decke the fields With colours fresh and fine,

Then holy clerkes their mattins sing

To good Saint Valentine!