great wisdome and pacience dissembled it, writeth this dittie most sweet and sententious, not hiding from all such aspiring minds the danger of their ambition and disloyaltie which afterwards fell out most truly by th' exemplary chastisement of sundry persons, who in favour of the said Scot. Qu. declining from her majestie, sought to interrupt the quiet of the realme by many evill and undutifull practizes."

This sonnet seems to have been composed in 1569, not long before the Duke of Norfolk, the Earls of Pembroke and Arundel, the Lord Lumley, Sir Nich. Throcmorton, and others, were taken into custody. See Hume, Rapin, &c. It was originally written in long lines, or Alexandrines, each of which is here divided into two.

The present edition is improved by some readings adopted from a copy printed in a collection from the papers of Sir John Harrington, intituled, Nuga Antiquæ, Lond. 1769, 12mo., where the verses are accompanied with a very curious letter, in which this sonnet is said to be "of her Highness own inditing.... My Lady Willoughby did covertly get it on her Majesties tablet, and had much hazzard in so doing; for the Queen did find out the thief, and chid for her spreading evil bruit of her writing such toyes, when other matters did so occupy her employment at this time; and was fearful of being thought too lightly of for so doing.” * **

THE doubt of future foes

Exiles my present joy ;

And wit me warnes to shun such snares,

As threaten mine annoy.

Ver. 1, dread. al. ed.

For falshood now doth flow,

5

And subjects faith doth ebbe :

Which would not be, if reason rul'd,

Or wisdome wove the webbe.

That discord ay doth sowe,

Shall reape no gaine where former rule
Hath taught stil peace to growe.

No forreine bannisht wight

Shall ancre in this port ;

V. 9, toyes. al. ed.

2 She evidently means here the Queen of Scots.

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Our realme it brookes no strangers force,

Let them elsewhere resort.

Our rusty sworde with rest

Shall first his edge employ,

To poll the toppes, that seeke such change,
Or gape for such like joy.

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*** I cannot help subjoining to the above sonnet another distich of Elizabeth's, preserved by Puttenham, (page 197,) "which (says he) our soveraigne lady wrote in defiance of fortune."

Never thinke you, Fortune can beare the sway,
Where Vertue's force can cause her to obay.

The slightest effusion of such a mind deserves attention.

XVI.

King of Scots and Andrew Browne.

THIS ballad is a proof of the little intercourse that subsisted between the Scots and English before the accession of James I. to the crown of England. The tale which is here so circumstantially related, does not appear to have had the least foundation in history, but was probably built upon some confused hearsay report of the tumults in Scotland during the minority of that prince, and of the conspiracies formed by different factions to get possession of his person. It should seem, from ver. 97, to have

been written during the regency, or at least before the death, of the Earl of Morton, who was condemned and executed, June 2, 1581, when James was in his 15th year.

The original copy (preserved in the Archives of the Antiquarian Society, London,) is entitled, “ A new Ballad, declaring the great treason conspired against the young King of Scots, and how one Andrew Browne, an Englishman, which was the king's chamberlaine, prevented the same. To the tune of Milfield, or els to Green Sleeves.” At the end is subjoined the name of the author, W. Elderton. 66 Imprinted at London for Yarathe James, dwelling in Newgate Market, over against Ch. Church," in black-letter, folio.

This Elderton, who had been originally an attorney in the sheriffs' courts of London, and afterwards (if we may believe Oldys) a comedian, was a facetious fuddling companion, whose tippling and rhymes rendered him famous among his contemporaries. He was author of many popular songs and ballads; and probably other pieces in these volumes, besides the following, are of his composing. He is believed to have fallen a victim to his bottle before the year 1592. His epitaph has been recorded by Camden, and translated by Oldys.

HIC SITUS EST SITIENS, ATQUE EBRIUS ELDERTONUS,
QUID DICO HIC SITUS EST? HIC POTIUS SITIS EST.

Dead drunk here Elderton doth lie;

Dead as he is, he still is dry:

So of him it may well be said,
Here he, but not his thirst, is laid.

See Stow's Lond. [Guild-hall.]-Biogr. Brit. [Drayton, by Oldys, Note B.]-Ath. Ox.-Camden's Remains. The Exale-tation of Ale, among Beaumont's Poems, 8vo. 1653.

Our alas!' what a griefe is this

That princes subjects cannot be true,
But still the devill hath some of his,

Will play their parts whatsoever ensue ;
Forgetting what a grievous thing
It is to offend the anointed king?

Alas for woe, why should it be so,
This makes a sorrowful heigh ho.

In Scotland is a bonnie kinge,

As proper a youth as neede to be, Well given to every happy thing,

That can be in a kinge to see: Yet that unluckie country still, Hath people given to craftie will. Alas for woe, &c.

On Whitsun eve it so befell,

A posset was made to give the king, Whereof his ladie nurse hard tell,

And that it was a poysoned thing:

She cryed, and called piteouslie;
Now help, or els the king shall die!

Alas for woe, &c.

One Browne, that was an English man,

And hard the ladies piteous crye,

Out with his sword, and bestir'd him than,

25

Out of the doores in haste to flie;