The proverbe old is come to passe,
The priest, when he begins his masse,
Forgets that ever clerke he was;
He knowth not his estate.

Here you may read, Cophetúa,
Though long time fancie-fed,
Compelled by the blinded boy

The begger for to wed:
He that did lovers lookes disdaine,
To do the same was glad and faine,
Or else he would himselfe have slaine,

In storie, as we read.
Disdaine no whit, O lady deere *,
But pitty now thy servant heere,
Least that it hap to thee this yeare,
As to that king it did.

And thus they led a quiet life
Duringe their princely raigne;
And in a tombe were buried both,
As writers sheweth + plaine.
The lords they tooke it grievously,
The ladies tooke it heavily,
The commons cryed pitiously,

Their death to them was paine,
Their fame did sound so passingly,
That it did pierce the starry sky,
And throughout all the world did flye
To every princes realme‡.

* Here the poet addresses himself to his mistress. "Sheweth" was anciently the plural number.

+

An ingenious friend thinks the two last stanzas should change place.

VII. TAKE THY AULD CLOAK ABOUT THEE.

This is supposed to have been originally a Scotch ballad. The reader here has an ancient copy in the English idiom, with an additional stanza (the second) never before printed. This curiosity is preserved in the Editor's folio manuscript, but not without corruptions, which are here removed by the assistance of the Scottish edition. Shakspeare, in his "Othello," act ii. has quoted one stanza, with some variations, which are here adopted: the old manuscript readings of that stanza are however given in the margin.

THIS winters weather it waxeth cold,
And frost doth freese on every hill,
And Boreas blowes his blasts sae bold,
That all our cattell are like to spill;
Bell my wiffe, who loves noe strife,
She sayd unto me quietlye,
Rise up, and save cow Crumbockes liffe,
Man, put thine old cloake about thee.

HE.

O Bell, why dost thou flyte' and scorne?"
Thou kenst my cloak is very thin:
Itt is soe bare and overworne

A cricke he theron cannot renn :
Then Ile noe longer borrowe nor lend,
For once Ile new appareld bee,
To-morrow Ile to towne and spend,'
For Ile have a new cloake about mee.

SHE.

Cow Crumbocke is a very good cowe,

Shee has beene alwayes true to the payle, Shee has helpt us to butter and cheese, I trow, And other things shee will not fayle;

I wold be loth to see her pine,

Good husband, councell take of mee, It is not for us to go soe fine,

Man, take thine old cloake about thee.

HE.

My cloake it was a verry good cloake,
Itt hath been alwayes true to the weare,
But now it is not worth a groat;
I have had it four and forty yeere:
Sometime itt was of cloth in graine,
'Tis now but a sigh clout as you may see,
It will neither hold out winde nor raine;
And Ile have a new cloake about mee.

SHE.

It is four and fortye yeeres agoe

Since the one of us the other did ken,

And we have had betwixt us towe

Of children either nine or ten;

Wee have brought them up to women and men; In the feare of God I trow they bee;

And why wilt thou thyselfe misken?

Man, take thine old cloake about thee.

HE.

O Bell my wiffe, why dost thou ' floute*!'
Now is nowe, and then was then:
Seeke now all the world throughout,

Thou kenst not clownes from gentlemen. They are cladd in blacke, greene, yellowe, or

'gray,'

Soe far above their owne degree:
Once in my life Ile doe as they,'
For Ile have a new cloake about mee.

SHE.

King Stephen + was a worthy peere,
His breeches cost him but‡ a crowne,
He held them sixpence all too deere§;
Therefore he calld the taylor Lowne ||.

* "Flyte." MS.

+ "King Harry....a verry good king." MS.

He was a wight of high renowne*,
And thouse but of a low degree:
Itt's pride that putts this countrye downe,
Man, take thine old cloake about thee.

HE.

' Bell my wife she loves not strife, Yet she will lead me if she can;

And oft, to live a quiet life,

I am forced to yield, though Ime good-man; ' Itt's not for a man with a woman to threape, Unlesse he first gave oer the plea: As wee began wee now will leave, And Ile take mine old cloake about mee.

* " He_was king and wore the crowne." MS.