[The following is the version of the ballad in the Percy Folio, which is entitled Captaine Carre. Bishop Percy's Folio MS., ed. J. W. Hales and F. J. Furnivall, 1867, vol. i., pp. 79-83.

ffaith, Master, whither you will,
whereas you like the best,
Unto the castle of Bittons borrow,
and there to take your rest.

But yonder stands a Castle faire,

is made of lyme and stone, Yonder is in it a fayre lady,

her lord is ridden and gone.

The lady stood on her castle wall,

she looked upp and downe, She was ware of an hoast of men

came rydinge towards the townc.

See you not my merry men all,

and see you not what I doe see? Methinks I see a hoast of men

I muse who they shold be.

She thought it had beene her lovly Lord,
he had come ryding home:
it was the traitor, Captaine Carre
the Lord of Westerton towne

They had noe sooner super sett,
and after said the grace
but the traitor Captaine Carre
was light about the place.

Give over thy house, thou lady gay

I will make thee a band [i. e. bond] all night within mine armes thoust lye,

to-morrow be the heyre of my land.

Ile not give over my house, shee said
neither for ladds nor man,

nor yet for traitor Captaine Carre,
Untill my lord come home

But reach me my pistoll pee [i. e. piece]
and charge you well my gunne,

Ile shoote at the bloody bucher

the lord of westerton.

But when he looket this writing on,
Lord in is hart he was woe!
saies, I will find thee, Captain Carre,
wether thou ryde or goe!

[ printed London in the edition of the MS.]

Buff yee, bowne yee, my merry men all with tempered swords of steele, for till I have found out Captaine Carre, My hart it is nothing weele.

But when he came to dractons Borrow, soe long ere it was day, and ther he found him, Captaine Carre; that night he ment to stay.]

[Half a page missing.]

THE END OF THE FIRST BOOK.

RELIQUES OF ANCIENT POETRY, ETC.

SERIES THE FIRST.

BOOK II.

BALLADS THAT ILLUSTRATE

SHAKESPEARE.

Our great dramatic poet having occasionally quoted many ancient ballads, and even taken the plot of one, if not more, of his plays from among them, it was judged proper to preserve as many of these as could be recovered, and, that they might be the more easily found, to exhibit them in one collective view. This Second Book is therefore set apart for the reception of such ballads as are quoted by Shakespeare, or contribute in any degree to illustrate his writings: this being the principal point in view, the candid reader will pardon the admission of some pieces that have no other kind of merit.