Reliques of Ancient English Poetry: Consisting of Old Heroic Ballads, Songs ...

Then I wolde have Cheshire and Lancashire both,

To take them mine owne to bee.

Shee saies, I had rather have one kisse,
Child Waters, of thy mouth;

But when shee came to the waters side,
Shee sayled to the chinne:

Than I wolde have Cheshire and Lancashire Except the Lord of heaven be my speed, both,

That lye by north and south.

And I had rather have one twinkling,
Childe Waters, of thine ee:

Now must I learne to swimme.

The salt waters bare up her clothes;

Our Ladye bare upp her chinne:
Childe Waters was a woe man, good Lord,
To see faire Ellen swimme.

And when shee over the water was,

Shee then came to his knee:

Ride softlye, shee sayd, O Childe Waters,
Why doe you ryde soe fast?

I see the hall now, Child Waters,
Of redd gold shines the yate:
God give you good now of yourselfe,
And of your worthye mate.

I see the hall now, Child Waters,

Of redd golde shines the towre:
God give you good now of yourselfe,
And of your paramoure.

There twenty four fayre ladyes were
A playing att the ball:
And Ellen the fairest ladye there,
Must bring his steed to the stall.

There twenty four fayre ladyes were
A playinge at the chesse;
And Ellen the fayrest ladye there,

Must bring his horse to gresse.

And then bespake Childe Waters sister,
These were the wordes said shee:

The childe, which is no mans but thine, 55 You have the prettyest foot-page, brother, My bodye itt will brast.

That ever I saw with mine ee.

But that his bellye it is soe bigg,
His girdle goes wondrous hie:
And let him, I pray you, Childe Watèrs,
Goe into the chamber with mee.

Ver. 84, woldlye, MS.

100

Phillida and Corydon.

THIS Sonnet is given from a small quarto MS. in the Editor's possession, written in the time of Queen Elizabeth. Another copy of it, containing some variations, is reprinted in the Muses Library, p. 295, from an ancient miscellany, entitled England's Helicon, 1600, 4to. The author was Nicholas Breton, a writer of some fame in the reign of Elizabeth; who also published an interlude, entitled "An old man's lesson and a young man's love,” 4to., and many other little pieces in prose and verse, the titles of which may be seen in Winstanley, Ames' Typog., and Osborne's Harl. Catalog., &c.—He is mentioned with great respect by Meres, in his second part of "Wit's Commonwealth," 1598, f. 283, and is alluded to in Beaumont and Fletcher's "Scornful Lady," Act 2, and again in "Wit without Money," Act 3.-See Whalley's Ben Jonson, vol. III., p. 103.

The present Edition is improved by a copy in “England's Helicon," vol. III., edit. 1614,

8vo.

In the merrie moneth of Maye,
In a morne by break of daye,
With a troope of damselles playing
Forthe 'I yode' forsooth a maying:
When anon by a wood side,
Where as Maye was in his pride,
I espied all alone
Phillida and Corydon.

Much adoe there was, god wot;
He wold love, and she wold not.
She sayde, never man was trewe;
He sayes, none was false to you.

He sayde, hee had lovde her longe:
She sayes, love should have no wronge.
Corydon wold kisse her then:

She sayes, maydes must kisse no men,
Tyll they doe for good and all.
When she made the shepperde call
All the heavens to wytnes truthe,
Never loved a truer youthe.

Then with manie a prettie othe,
Yea and nay, and faith and trothe;

Ver. 4, the wode, MS.

†† The foregoing little pastoral of “ Phillida and Corydon" is one of the songs in "The Honourable Entertainment gieven to the Queenes Majestie in Progresse at Elvetham in Hampshire, by the R. H. the Earle of Hertford, 1591," 4to. [Printed by Wolfe. No name of author.] See in that pamphlet,

"The thirde daies entertainment. "On Wednesday morning about 9 o'clock, as her Majestie opened a casement of her gallerie window, ther were 3 excellent musitians, who being disguised in auncient country attire, did greete her with a pleasant song of Corydon and Phillida,' made in three parts of purpose. The song, as well for the worth of the dittie, as the aptnesse of the note thereto applied, it pleased her Highnesse after it had been once sung to command it againe, and highly to grace it with her cheerefull acceptance and commendation.

"THE PLOWMAN'S SONG.

"In the merrie month of May, &c."

The splendour and magnificence of Elizabeth's reign is no where more strongly 10 painted than in these little diaries of some of her summer excursions to the houses of her nobility; nor could a more acceptable present be given to the world, than a republi cation of a select number of such details as this of the entertainment at Elvetham, that at Killingworth, &c., &c., which so strongly mark the spirit of the times, and present us with scenes so very remote from modern

manners.

**Since the above was written, the Pub20 lic hath been gratified with a most complete work on the foregoing subject, entitled "The Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth, &c. By John Nichols, F. A. S., Edinb. and Perth, 1788," 2 vols., 4to.

XI.

Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard.

THIS ballad is ancient, and has been popu- | I have a bower at Bucklesford-bury,* lar; we find it quoted in many old plays. See Beaum. and Fletcher's Knight of the Burning Pestle, 4to., 1613, Act 5. The Varietie, a comedy, 12mo., 1649, Act 4, &c. In Sir William Davenant's play, "The Witts," Act 3, a gallant thus boasts of himself:

Full daintilye bedight,

If thoult wend thither, my little Musgrave,
Thoust lig in mine armes all night.

"Limber and sound! besides I sing Musgrave,

And for Chevy-chace no lark comes near mee."

In the Pepys Collection, vol. III., p. 314, is an imitation of this old song, in 33 stanzas, by a more modern pen, with many alterations, but evidently for the worse.

This is given from an old printed copy in the British Museum, with corrections; some of which are from a fragment in the Editor's folio MS. It is also printed in Dryden's Collection of Miscellaneous Poems.

As it fell out on a highe holye daye,

As many bee in the yeare,

Quoth hee, I thanke yee, ladye faire,

This kindness yee shew to mee;
And whether it be to my weale or woe,
This night will I lig with thee.

All this beheard a litle foot-page,

By his ladyes coach as he ranne: Quoth he, thoughe I am my ladyes page, Yet Ime my Lord Barnardes manne.

My Lord Barnàrd shall knowe of this,
Although I lose a limbe.

And ever whereas the bridges were broke,
He layd him downe to swimme.

Asleep or awake, thou Lord Barnard,
As thou art a man of life,
Lo! this same night at Bucklesford-Bury
Litle Musgrave's in bed with thy wife. 40

When yong men and maides together do goe, If it be trew, thou litle foote-page,
Their masses and mattins to heare,

This tale thou hast told to mee,
Then all my lands in Bucklesford-Bury
I freelye will give to thee.

But and it be a lye, thou litle foot-page, 45
This tale thou hast told to mee,

On the highest tree in Bucklesford-Bury
All hanged shalt thou bee.

And then came in my Lord Barnardes wife, Rise up, rise up, my merry men all,

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