KING COPHETUA AND THE BEGGAR-MAID. This story is often alluded to by our old dramatic writers. Shakspeare, in his "Romeo and Juliet," act ii. sc. 1, makes Mercutio say, .Her (Venus's) purblind son and heir, As the thirteenth line of the following ballad seems here particularly alluded to, it is not improbable that Shakspeare wrote it " shot so trim," which the players or printers, not perceiving the allusion, might alter to "true." The former, as being the more humorous expression, seems most likely to have come from the mouth of Mercutio +. In the Second Part of Henry IV. act v. sc. 3, Falstaff is introduced affectedly saying to Pistoll, O base Assyrian knight, what is thy news? Let King Cophetua know the truth thereof. * See above, Preface to No. 1. Book ii. + Since this conjecture first occurred, it has been discovered that " shot so trim" was the genuine reading. See Shaksp. ed. 1793, xiv. 393. KING COPHETUA AND THE BEGGAR MAID. 315 These lines, Dr. Warburton thinks, were taken from an old bombast play of "King Cophetua." No such play is, I believe, now to be found; but it does not therefore follow that it never existed. Many dramatic pieces are referred to by old writers *, which are not now extant, or even mentioned in any list. In the infancy of the stage, plays were often exhibited that were never printed. It is probably in allusion to the same play that Ben Jonson says, in his Comedy of "Every Man in his Humour," act iii. sc. 4, I have not the heart to devour thee, an' I might be made as rich as King Cophetua. At least there is no mention of King Cophetua's riches in the present ballad, which is the oldest I have met with on the subject. It is printed from Rich. Johnson's "Crown Garland of Goulden Roses," 1612, 12mo. (where it is intitled simply "A Song of a Beggar and a King :") corrected by another copy. I READ that once in Affrica * See Meres' Wits Treas. f. 283. Arte of Eng. Poes. 1589, p. 51, 111, 143, 169. But, marke, what hapened on a day, The which did cause his paine. The blinded boy, that shootes so trim, He drew a dart and shot at him, Which soone did pierse him to the quicke, He looketh as he would dye. Then from the window he did come, A thousand heapes of care did runne For now he meanes to crave her love, And not this beggar wed. And, as he musing thus did lye, How he might have her companye, The Gods preserve your majesty, Our childrens food to buy. That after them did hye. For thou, quoth he, shalt be my wife, What is thy name, faire maid? quoth he. Thus hand in hand along they walke The king with curteous comly talke She was in such amaze. At last she spake with trembling voyce, And when the wedding day was come, Which she did weare of late. * Shakspeare (who alludes to this ballad in his " Love's Labour lost," act iv. sc. 1.) gives the Beggar's name "Zenelophon," according to all the old editions: but this seems to be a corruption; for "Penelophon," in the text, sounds more like the name of a woman. The story of the King and the Beggar is also alluded to in King Richard II. act v. sc. 3. † i. e. tramped the streets. |