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

Shall chiefely rest on thee;

135

140

145

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 For you I did not looke.

Then did he question her of such

His stuffe bestowed soe.

Forsooth, quoth she, because I did

Your love and lodging knowe :

Your love to be a proper wench,

Your lodging nothing lesse ;

I held it for your health, the house
More decently to dresse.

Well wot I, notwithstanding her,
Your lordship loveth me;

And greater hope to hold you such
By quiet, then brawles, 'you' see.

Then for my duty, your delight,

And to retaine your favour, All done I did, and patiently

Expect your wonted 'haviour.

170

175

180

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.

DOWSABELL.

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 "Garland fashioned in nine Eglogs. Rowlands sa"crifice 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 to mee, my lovely shepheards joye,
And thou shalt heare, with mirth and mickle
A pretie tale, which when I was a boy, [glee,
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.

*

Ye shall well heare of a knight,
That was in warre full wyght,
And doughtye of his dede:
His name was Syr Isenbras,

10

Man nobler than he was

Lyved none with breade.

He was lyvely, large, and longe,

With shoulders broade, and armes stronge,

That myghtie was to se:

He was a hardye man, and hye,

All men hym loved that hym se,

For a gentyll knight was he:

Harpers loved him in hall,
With other minstrells all,

For he gave them golde and fee, &c.

15

20

This ancient Legend was printed in black-letter, 4to, by WYLLYAM COPLAND; 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 in the countrey of Arden,

There won'd a knight, hight Cassemen,

As bolde as Isenbras:
Fell was he, and eger bent,
In battell and in tournament,

As was the good Sir Topas.

He had, as antique stories tell,
A daughter cleaped Dowsabel,

A mayden fayre and free:
And for she was her fathers heire,
Full well she was y-cond the leyre

Of mickle curtesie.

The silke well couth she twist and twine,
And make the fine march-pine,

And with the needle werke:
And she couth helpe the priest to say

His mattins on a holy-day,

And sing a psalme in kirke.

She ware a frock of frolicke greene,

Might well beseeme a mayden queene,

Which seemly was to see;

A hood to that so neat and fine,
In colour like the colombine,

Y-wrought full featously.