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He prayed the people, that wer there,
That they all still wold' stand,
For he that shoteth for such a wager

Behoveth a stedfast hand.

Muche people prayed for Cloudeslè,
That his lyfe saved myght be,

250

And whan he made hym redy to shote,
There was many weeping ee.

255

'But' Cloudeslè clefte the apple in two,

"His soone he did not nee.'

Over Gods forbode, sayde the kinge,

That thou shold shote at me.

I geve thee eightene pence a day,
And my bowe shalt thou bere,
And over all the north countrè
I make the chyfe rydère.

260

And I thyrtene pence a day, said the quene, 265
By God, and by my fay;

Come feche thy payment when thou wylt,

No man shall say the nay.

Wyllyam, I make the a gentleman

Of clothyng, and of fe:

And thy two brethren, yemen of my chambre,

For they are so semely to se.

270

Ver. 252. steedye. MS. Ver. 265. And I geve the xvij pence. PC.

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And, Wyllyam,bring me your wife,said the quene,

Me longeth her sore to se:

She shall be my chefe gentlewoman,

Το governe my nurserye.

The yemen thanked them all curteously.

To some byshop wyl we wend,

Of all the synnes, that we have done,

To be assoyld at his hand.

So forth be gone these good yemen,

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As fast as they might he ;'*

And after came and dwelled with the kynge,

And dyed good men all thre.

Thus endeth the lives of these good yemen;

God send them eternall blysse ;

And all, that with a hand-bowe shoteth:
That of heven may never mysse. Amen.

280

285

290

Ver. 282. And sayed to some Bishopp wee will wend. MS. hie, hasten. See the Glossary.

*he. i. e.

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II.

THE AGED LOVER RENOUNCETH LOVE.

The Grave-digger's song in HAMLET, act v. is taken from three stanzas of the following poem, though greatly altered and disguised, as the same were corrupted by the ballad-singers of Shakspeare's time; or perhaps so designed by the poet himself, the better to suit the character of an illiterate clown. The original is preserved among Surrey's Poems, and is attributed to Lord VAUX, by George Gascoigne, who tells us, it was thought by some to be made upon his death-bed;" a popular error which he laughs at. (See his Epist. to Yong Gent. prefixed to his Posies, 1575, 4to.) It is also ascribed to Lord Vaux in a manuscript copy preserved in the British Museum. This Lord was remarkable for his skill in drawing feigned manners, &c. for so I understand an ancient writer. "The Lord Vaux his commendation lyeth "chiefly in the facilitie of his meetre, and the apt"nesse of his descriptions such as he taketh upon him "to make, namely in sundry of his Songs, wherein "he showeth the COUNTERFAIT ACTION very lively "and pleasantly." Arte of Eng. Poesie, 1589, p. 51. See another Song by this Poet in vol. ii. No. VIII.

I LOTH that I did love,

In youth that I thought swete,

Harl. MSS. num. 1703. § 25. The readings gathered from that copy are distinguished here by inverted commas. The text is printed from the "Songs, &c. of the Earl of Surrey and others, 1557, 4to."

As time requires: for my behove

Me thinkes they are not mete.

5

My lustes they do me leave,

My fansies all are fled;

And tract of time begins to weave
Gray heares upon my hed.

For Age with steling steps

Hath clawde me with his crowch,

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And lusty Youthe' awaye he leapes,

As there had bene noue such.

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10

15

And day by day to me she cries,

Leave off these toyes in tyme.

The wrinkles in my brow,

The furrowes in my face

Say, Limping age will lodge' him now,
Where youth must geve him place.

20

Ver. 6. be. PC. [printed copy in 1557.] V. 10. Crowch per

haps should be clouch, clutch, grasp.

she. PC.

V. 18. This. PC.

V. 11, Life away

V. 23. So Ed. 1583; 'tis hedge in Ed.

1557. hath caught him. MS.

The harbenger of death,

25

To me I se him ride,

The cough, the cold, the gasping breath,
Doth bid me to provide

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Thus must 1 youth geve up,

Whose badge I long did weare:
To them I yeld the wanton cup,
That better may it beare.

Lo here the bared skull;

By whose balde signe I know,

*Alluding perhaps to Eccles. xii. 3.

45

V. 30. wyndynge-sheete. MS. V. 34. bell. MS. V. 35. wofull. V. 38. did. PC. V. 39. clene shal be. PC. V. 40. not V. 45. bare-hedde. MS. and some PCC.

PC.

PC.

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