ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub
[blocks in formation]

Which made him rend his milk-white locks,

And tresses from his head,

And all with blood bestain his cheeks,

With

age and honour spread.

To hills and woods and watry founts

He made his hourly moan,

Till hills and woods, and sensless things,

Did seem to sigh and groan.

140

Even

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

He swooning fell upon her breast,
From whence he never parted:
But on her bosom left his life,

That was so truly hearted.

The lords and nobles when they saw

The end of these events,

The other sisters unto death

They doomed by consents;

And being dead, their crowns they left

Unto the next of kin :

Thus have you seen the fall of pride,

And disobedient sin.

175

180

XVI.

YOUTH AND AGE,

-is found in the little collection of Shakespeare's Sonnets, entitled the PASSIONATE PILGRIME *, the greatest part of which seems to relate to the amours of Venus and Adonis, being little effusions of fancy, probably written while he was composing his larger Poem on that subject. The following seems intended for the mouth of Venus, weighing the comparative merits of youthful Adonis and aged Vulcan. In the "Garland of

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

"Good Will" it is reprinted, with the addition of four more such stanzas, but evidently written by a meaner pen.

[blocks in formation]

15

[ocr errors][ocr errors]

Age, I do abhor thee,

Youth, I do adore thee;

O, my love, my love is young:
Age, I do defie thee ;

Oh sweet shepheard, hie thee,

For methinks thou stayst too long.

See MALONE'S Shakesp. vol. x. p. 325.

[blocks in formation]

XVII, THE

XVII.

THE FROLICKSOME DUKE, OR THE TINKER'S GOOD FORTUNE.

The following ballad is upon the same subject, as the INDUCTION to Shakespeare's TAMING OF THE SHREW: whether it may be thought to have suggested the hint to the Dramatic poet, or is not rather of later date, the reader must determine.

[ocr errors]

The story is told * of PHILIP the GooD, Duke of Burgundy and is thus related by an old English writer: The said Duke, at the marriage of Eleonora, sister to "the king of Portugall, at Bruges in Flanders, which was solemnised in the deepe of winter; when as by reason of unseasonable weather he could neither hawke nor “hunt, and was now tired with cards, dice, &c. and such "other domestick sports, or to see ladies dance; with "some of his courtiers, he would in the evening walke disguised all about the towne. It so fortuned, as he "was walking late one night, he found a countrey fel"low dead drunke, snorting on a bulke; he caused his "followers to bring him to his palace, and there strip

66

66

ping him of his old clothes, and attyring him after the "court fashion, when he wakened, he and they were "all ready to attend upon his excellency, and persuade "him that he was some great Duke. The poor fellow admiring how he came there, was served in state all day long after supper he saw them dance, heard mu"sicke, and all the rest of those court-like pleasures: "but late at night, when he was well tipled, and again

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

* By Ludov. Vives in Epist. and by Pont. Heuter. Rerum Burgund. 1. 4.

82

"fast

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »