VI. A Dyttie to Hey Downe. COPIED from an old MS. in the Cotton library [Vesp. A. 25], entitled "Divers things of Hen. viij's time." WHO sekes to tame the blustering winde, Or els against dame nature's kinde To 'change' things frame by cunning skyll: Thoughe that his laboure be in vaine. Who strives to breake the sturdye steele, Who thinks to stryve against the streame, Unlesse he thinks perhapps to faine, His travell ys forelorne and waste; So he lykewise, that goes about To please eche eye and every eare, A golden gyft with him to beare; Ver. 4, causse. MS. 20 AN ingenious friend thinks that the following old ditty (which is printed from the Editor's folio MS.) may possibly have given birth to the Tragedy of The Orphan, in which Polidore intercepts Monimia's intended favours to Castalio. See what is said concerning the hero of this song (who is celebrated by Chaucer under the name of Glaskyrion), in the Essay prefixed to vol. i., note (1), part iv. (2.) GLASGERION was a kings owne sonne, And soe did hee in the queens chambere, And then bespake the kinges daughter; Strike on, strike on, Glasgèrion, Theres never a stroke comes oer thy harpe, Ver. 6, wood. MS. Faire might he fall, ladye, quoth hee, I have loved you, ladye, seven longe yeere But come to my bower, my Glasgeriòn, When all men are att rest: As I am a ladie true of my promise, Home then came Glasgèrion, 15 20 A glad man, lord! was hee. my boy; For the kinges daughter of Normandye 25 And att her chambere must I bee O master, master, then quoth hee, 30 For I will waken you, master deere, But up then rose that lither ladd, A coller he cast upon his necke, Hee seemed a gentleman. And when he came to the ladyes chambere, He thrild upon a pinn1. The lady was true of her promise, And rose and lett him inn. V. 16, harte. MS. 35 40 1 This is elsewhere expressed 'twirled the pin,' or 'tirled at the pin,' [see b. ii. s. vi. v. 3,] and seems to refer to the turning round the button on the outside of a door, by which the latch rises, still used in cottages. He did not take the lady gaye To boulster nor to bed: 'Nor thoughe hee had his wicked wille, A single word he sed.' He did not kisse that ladyes mouthe, Nor when he came, nor yode: And sore that ladye did mistrust, He was of some churls bloud. 45 But home then came that lither ladd, 50 Awake, awake, my deere master, 55 For I have saddled your horse, mastèr, Well bridled I have your steede: And I have served you a good breakfast: 60 Glasgèrion swore a full great othe, O then it was your lither foot-page, He hath beguiled mee. Then shee pulled forth a little pen-kniffe, That hanged by her knee: Sayes, there shall never noe churlès blood Within my bodye spring: The daughter of a kinge. 75 80 No churlès blood shall eer defile Home then went Glasgèrion, 85 And woe, good lord, was hee. Sayes, come thou hither, Jacke my boy, If I had killed a man to night, Jacke, I would tell it thee: 90 But if I have not killed a man to night, And he puld out his bright browne sword, And he smote off that lither ladds head, 95 Who did his ladye grieve. He sett the swords poynt till his brest, The pummil untill a stone: Throw the falsenesse of that lither ladd, 100 |