Now, if you are a courteous knighte,
Tell me what is your name?

Some do call mee Jacke, sweet heart,
And some do call mee Jille;

15

But when I come to the kings fair courte
They calle me Wilfulle Wille.

20

He sett his foot into the stirrup,
And awaye then he did ride;

She tuckt her girdle about her middle,
And ranne close by his side.

But when she came to the brode water,
She sett her brest and swamme;

25

And when she was got out againe,
She tooke to her heels and ranne.

He never was the courteous knighte,
To saye, faire maide, will ye ride?
And she was ever too loving a maide
To saye, sir knighte abide.

When she came to the kings faire courte,
She knocked at the ring;

So readye was the king himself

To let this faire maide in.

Now Christ you save, my gracious liege,
Now Christ you save and see,

You have a knighte within your courte
This daye hath robbed mee.

What hath he robbed thee of, sweet heart?

He brought her downe full fortye pounde,
Tyed up withinne a glove:

Faire maid, Ile give the same to thee;

Go, seeke thee another love.

60

O Ile have none of your gold, she sayde,
Nor Ile have none of your fee;

But your faire bodye I must have,

The king hath granted mee.

Sir William ranne and fetchd her then
Five hundred pound in golde,
Saying, faire maide, take this to thee,
Thy fault will never be tolde.

65

Tis not the gold that shall mee tempt,
These words then answered shee,
But your own bodye I must have,

The king hath granted mee.

70

Ver. 50. His bodye Ile give to thee. This was agreeable to the feudal customs: the lord had a right to give a wife to his vassals. See Shakspeare's All's well that ends well.

I never had come to the kings faire courte,
To crave any love of thee.

If

you make me ladye of one good towne, Ile make you lord of three.

95

Ah! cursed bee the gold, he sayd,
If thou hadst not been trewe,
I shold have forsaken my sweet love,

And have changed her for a newe.

And now their hearts being linked fast,
They joyned hand in hande:

Thus he had both purse, and person too,
And all at his commande.

100

XIV.

The Shepherd's Address to his use.

THIS poem, originally printed from the small MS. volume mentioned above in no. x., has been improved by a more perfect copy in England's Helicon, where the author is discovered to be N. Breton.

GOOD Muse, rocke me aslepe
With some sweete harmony:
This wearie eyes is not to kepe
Thy wary company.

Sweet Love, begon a while,

Thou seest my heavines:

Beautie is borne but to beguyle

My harte of happines.

5

See how my little flocke,

That lovde to feede on highe,

10

Doe headlonge tumble downe the rocke,
And in the valley dye.

Lord Thomas and Fair Ellinor,

Is given (with corrections) from an ancient copy in blackletter in the Pepys collection, entitled, "A tragical ballad on the unfortunate love of lord Thomas and fair Ellinor, together with the downfall of the browne girl." In the same collection may be seen an attempt to modernize this old song, and reduce it to a different measure: a proof of its popularity.

LORD Thomas he was a bold forrester,
And a chaser of the kings deere:

Faire Ellinor was a fine woman,

And Lord Thomas he loved her deare.