When she had seen the beauteous wench

(Then blushing fairnes fairer)

Such beauty made the countesse hold
Them both excus'd the rather.

Who would not bite at such a bait ?
Thought she and who (though loth)
So poore a wench, but gold might tempt ?
Sweet errors lead them both.

Scarse one in twenty that had bragg'd

Of proffer'd gold denied,

Or of such yeelding beautie baulkt,

But, tenne to one, had lied.

Thus thought she and she thus declares

:

Her cause of coming thether;

115

120

But, for you have not furniture

Beseeming such a guest,

I bring his owne, and come myselfe

To see his lodging drest.

130

With that two sumpters were discharg'd,
In which were hangings brave,
Silke coverings, curtens, carpets, plate,

And al such turn should have.

When all was handsomly dispos'd,
She prayes them to have care
That nothing hap in their default,
That might his health impair:

And, Damsell, quoth shee, for it seemes

This houshold is but three,

And for thy parents age, that this

135

140

145

No sooner sat he foote within

The late deformed cote,

But that the formall change of things

His wondring eies did note.

Y 2

155

But

But when he knew those goods to be
His proper goods; though late,
Scarce taking leave, he home returnes
The matter to debate.

The countesse was a-bed, and he

With her his lodging tooke;

160

Sir, welcome home (quoth shee); this night 165 you I did not looke.

For

Her patience, witte and answer wrought
His gentle teares to fall:

When (kissing her a score of times)

Amend, sweet wife, I shall :

He said, and did it; so each wife

'Her husband may' recall.

185

VII.

DOWS A BELL.

The following stanzas were written by MICHAEL DRAYTON, a poet of some eminence in the reigns of Q. Elizabeth, James I, and Charles I* They are inserted in one of his Pastorals, the first edition of which bears this whimsical title. "Idea. The Shepheards Gar"land fashioned in nine Eglogs. Rowlands sacrifice to "the nine muses. Lond. 1593." 4to. They are inscribed with the Author's name at length "To the noble "and valerous gentleman master Robert Dudley, &c." It is very remarkable that when Drayton reprinted them in the first folio edit. of his works, 1619, he had given those Eclogues so thorough a revisal, that there is hardly a line to be found the same as in the old edition. This poem had received the fewest corrections, and therefore is chiefly given from the ancient copy, where it is thus introduced by one of his Shepherds:

He was born in 1563, and died in 1631. Biog. Brit.

Listen

Listen to mee, my lovely shepheards joye,
And thou shalt heare, with mirth and mickle glee,
A pretie tale, which when I was a boy,

My toothles grandame oft hath tolde to me.

The Author has professedly imitated the style and metre of some of the old metrical Romances, particularly that of SIR ISENBRAS*, (alluded to in v. 3.) as the Reader may judge from the following specimen :

Lordynges, lysten, and you shal here, &c.

For a gentyll knight was he :

Harpers loved him in hall,
With other minstrells all,

For he gave them golde and fee, &c.

20

This ancient Legend was printed in black-letter, 4to, by pipam optand; no date.-In the Cotton Library (Calig. A. 2.) is a MS. copy of the same Romance containing the greatest variations. They are probably two different translations of some French Original.

As also Chaucer's Rhyme of Sir Topas, v.6.

FARRE