A false Hector hath my horse, Who dealt with mee so treacherouslìe: And all the geere belongs to mee. When they had sayled other fifty mile, They landed low by Berwicke side, A deputed 'laird' landed Lord Percye. Then he at Yorke was doomde to dye, Who ever was a gallant wight. 220 225 Ver. 224. Fol. MS. reads land, and has not the following stanza. V. MY MIND TO ME A KINGDOM IS. This excellent philosophical song appears to have been famous in the sixteenth century. It is quoted by Ben Jonson in his play of " Every Man out of his Humour," first acted in 1599, act i. sc. 1. where an impatient person says, "I am no such pil'd cynique to believe It is here chiefly printed from a thin quarto Music book, entitled, "Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs of sadnes "and pietie, made into Musicke of five parts: &c. By "William Byrd, one of the Gent. of the Queenes Majesties honorable Chappell.-Printed by Thomas "East, &c." 4to. no date: but Ames in his Typog. has mentioned another edit. of the same book, dated 1588, which I take to have been later than this. Some improvements, and an additional stanza (sc. the 5th), were had from two other ancient copies; one of them in black letter in the Pepys Collection, thus inscribed, "A sweet and pleasant sonet, intitled, My Minde "to me a Kingdom is.' To the tune of In Crete, &c." Some of the stanzas in this poem were printed by Byrd separate from the rest: they are here given in what seemed the most natural order. My minde to me a kingdome is As farre exceeds all earthly blisse, That God or Nature hath assignde : Though much I want, that most would have, Content I live, this is my stay; I presse to beare no haughtie sway; Look what I lack my mind supplies. Loe! thus I triumph like a king, Content with that my mind doth bring. 5 10 I see I see how plentie surfets oft, And hastie clymbers soonest fall: Mishap doth threaten most of all: No princely pompe, nor welthie store, No force to winne the victorie, No wylie wit to salve a sore, No shape to winne a lovers eye; To none of these I yeeld as thrall, For why my mind despiseth all. Some have too much, yet still they crave, I laugh not at anothers losse, I grudge not at anothers gaine; 15. 20 25 30 35 I joy not in no earthly blisse; I weigh not Cresus' welth a straw; For care, I care not what it is; I feare not fortunes fatall law: My mind is such as may not move For beautie bright or force of love. In greatest stormes I sitte on shore, And laugh at them that toile in vaine To get what must be lost againe. 40 45 I kisse not where I wish to kill; I feigne not love where most I hate ; 50 I breake no sleep to winne my will; I wayte not at the mighties gate; The court, ne cart, I like, ne loath; Extreames are counted worst of all: The golden meane betwixt them both Doth surest sit, and fears no fall: This is my choyce, for why I finde, No wealth is like a quiet minde. 55 60 My My welth is health, and perfect ease; Nor by desert to give offence: Thus do I live, thus will I die ; 65 VI. THE PATIENT COUNTESS. The subject of this tale is taken from that entertaining Colloquy of ERASMUS, entitled, "Uxor Meμyamos, sive Conjugium:" which has been agreeably modernized by the late Mr. SPENCE, in his little Miscellaneous Publication, entitled, "MORALITIES, &c. by Sir Harry Beaumont," 1753, 8vo. pag. 42. The following stanzas are extracted from an ancient poem entitled ALBION'S ENGLAND, written by W.WARNER, a celebrated Poet in the reign of Q. Elizabeth, though his name and works are now equally forgotten. The Reader will find some account of him in vol. ii. book ii. song 24. The following stanzas are printed from the author's improved edition of his work, printed in 1602, 4to.; the third impression of which appeared so early as 1592, in bl. let. 4to.-The edition in 1602 is in thirteen Books; and so it is reprinted in 1612, 4to. ; yet in 1606 was published "A Continuance of Albion's England, by the first author, W. W. Lond. 4to. :" this contains Books |