Up he lope, and the window brake, 1 Who have we here? lord Bodwell fayd: Who have we here? lord Bodwell fayd, 1 Ile pitty thee as much, hee fayd, And as much favour fhow to thee; Through halls and towers the king they ledd, Through an arbor into an orchard, There on a peare - tree hangd him hye. When the governor of Scotland heard, He perfued the queen fo bitterlye, That in Scotland fhee dare not remaine. But fhe is fledd into merry England, In England now fhee doth remaine. 45 50 55 60 65 XV. A SONNET BY Q. ELIZABETH. The following lines, if they display no rich vein of poe try, are yet so strongly characteristic of their great and Spiri ted authoreß, that the insertion of them will be pardoned. They are preferved in Putterham's Arte of Eng. Poefie; a book in which are many fly addresses to the queen's foible of Shining as a poeteß. The extraordinary manner in whichthese verses are introduced, Shews what kind of homage was exacted from the courtly writers of those times, viz. 3 "I find, Says this antiquated critic, none example in "English metre, So well maintaining this figure [Exargafla, or the Gorgeous, Lat. Expolitio] as that dittie of her "majesties owne making, passing Sweete and harmonicall; "which figure beyng as his very originall name purporteth "the most bewtifull and gorgious of all others, it asketh in "reason to be reserved for a last complement, and desci"phred by a ladies penne, herselfe beyng the most bewtifull, (C or rather bewtie of queenes *. And this was the occafion: EC our foveraigne lady perceiving how the Scottish queenés reCC fidence within this realme at fo' great libertie and ease (as were skarce meete for So great and dangerous a prisoner) "bred Secret factions among her people, and made many of "the nobilitie incline to favour her partie: Some of them de"firous of innovation in the state: others afpiring to greater CC fortunes by her libertie and life. The queene our fove"raigne ladie to declare that she was nothing ignorant of "thofe fecret practizes, though she had long with great wis"dome and pacience diffembled it writeth this dittie moft 66 "Sweete * She was at this time near threescore. "Sweete and fententious, not hiding from all such aspiring "minds the danger of their ambition and difloyaltie: which " afterwards fell out most truly by th' exemplary chastisement "of fundry perfons, who in favour of the Said Sc. Q. decli "ning from her majestie, fought 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 D. of Norfolk, the earls of Pembroke and Arundel, the lord Lumley, fir Nich. Throcmorton, and others, were taken into cuftody. See Hume, Rapin, &c. It was originally written in long lines or alexandrines, each of which is here divided into two. THE doubt of future foes Exiles my present joy, And wit me warnes to fhun fuch fnares, As threaten mine annoy. Then dazeld eyes with pride, Which great ambition blindes, The daughter of debate, That eke difcord doth fowe, Shal reape no gaine where former rule No forreine bannifht wight Shall ancre in this port; Our realme it brookes no strangers force, Let them elsewhere refort. Our rufty fworde with rest Shall firft his edge employ, Shall 'quickly' poll their toppes, that feeke Such change, and gape for joy. 20 30 XVI. KING OF SCOTS AND ANDREW BROWNE. This ballad is a proof of the little intercourse that was between the Scots and English, before the accession of Ja The tale which is here fo mes I. to the crown of England. circumftantially related does not appear to have had the least foundation in history, but was probably built upon Some confufed hearsay report of the tumults in Scotland during the minority of that prince, and of the confpiracies formed by different factions to get poffeffion of his perfon. It Should Seem from ver. 102, to have been written during the regency, or at at least before the death, of the earl of Morton, who was condemned and executed Jun. 2. 1581; when James was in bis 15th year. The original copy (preferved in the archives of the Antiquarian Society London) is intitled “A new Ballad, decla"ring the great treafon confpired against the young king of "Scots, and bow one Andrew Browne an English-n - man "which was the king's chamberlaine, prevented the fame. "To the tune of Milfield, or els to Green-Sleeves. At the end is fubjoined the name of the author W. ELDERTON. "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, whofe tippling and his rhymes rendered him famous among his contemporaries. He was author of many popular Songs and ballads; and probably other pieces in these volumes, befides the following, are of his compofing, He is believed to have fallen a martyr to his bottle before the year 1592. epitaph has been recorded by Camden, and tranflated by Oldys. Hic fitus eft fitiens, atque ebrius Eldertonus Quid dico hic fitus eft? hic potius fitis eft. Dead drunk here Elderton doth lie ; Dead as he is, be still is dry: His So of him it may well be faid, Here he, but not his thirst is laid. The Ex See Stow's Lond. [ Guild-hall.] — Biogr. Brit. [DRAYTON, 'OUT 1 |