With that the lords and the

company

round With hearty laughter were readye to swound; At laft fayd the lords, Full well wee may see, The bride and the beggar's beholden to thee.

60

On this the bride all blufhing did rise,
The pearlie' dropps ftanding within her faire eyes,
O pardon my father, grave nobles, quoth thee,
That throughe blind affection thus doteth on mee.

65

if this be thy father, the nobles did say,

Well may he be proud of this happy day; : Yett by his countenance well may wee see,

His birth and his fortune did never agree :

And therfore blind man, we pray thee bewray,
(And looke that the truth thou to us doe say)
Thy birth and thy parentage, what it may bee,
For the love that thou bearest to prettye Bessee.

“ Then give me leave, nobles and gentles, each one,
" One fong more to fing, and then I have done
“ And if that itt may not winn good report,
“ Then do not give me a groat for my sport.

75

" [Sir Simon de Montfort my subject shal bee;
“ Once chiefe of all the great barons was hee,
" Yet fortune fo cruelle this lorde did abase,
“ Now lofte and forgotten are hee and his race.

80 " When

“ When the barons in armes did king Henrye oppose, “ Sir Simon de Montfort their leader they chose; “ A leader of courage undaunted was hee, * And oft-times hee made their enemyes flee.

“ At length in the battle on Eveshame plaine 85 “ The barons were routed, and Montfort was slaine; “ Molte fatall that battel did prove unto thee, “ Thoughe thou waft not borne then, my prettye Bessee!

“ Along with the nobles, that fell at that tyde, “ His eldest sonne Henrye, who fought by his fide, 90 “ Was fellde by a blowe, he receivde in the fight?

A blowe that deprivde him for ever from fight.

“ Among the dead bodyes all lifeleffe he laye,
“ Till evening drewe on of the following daye,
“ When by a yong ladye discoverd was hee;
“ And this was thy mother, my prettye Bessee!

95

“ A barons faire daughter stept forth in the nighte “ To search for her father, who fell in the fight, “ And seeing yong Montfort, where gafping he laye, “ Was moved with pitye, and brought him awaye. 100

“ In fecrette the nurst him, and fwaged his paine, “ While hee through the realme was beleevd to be laine; “ At lengthe his faire bride thee consented to bee, “ And made him glad father of prettye Beffee.

« And

" And nowe left oure foes oure lives sholde betraye, 105 “ We clothed ourselves in beggars arraye ; “ Her jewelles shee folde, and hither came wee : “ All our comfort and care was our prettye Bessee. ]

“ And here have we lived in fortunes despite, 109

Thoughe meane, yet contented with humble delighte: “ Thus many longe winters nowe have I beene “ The fillye blinde beggar of Bednall-greene.

“ And' here, noble lordes, is ended the songe “ Of one, that once to your owne ranke did belong : “ And thus have you learned a secrette from mee, 115 “ That ne'er had beene knownė, but for prettye Bessee.”

Now when the faire companye everye one,
Had heard the strange tale in the song he had showne,
They all were amazed, as well they might bee,
Both at the blind beggar, and prettye Bessee.

120

With that the sweete maiden they all did embrace,
Saying, Sure thou art come of an honourable race,
Thy father likewise is of noble degree,
And thou art right worthye a ladye to bee.

Thus was the feast ended with joye, and delighte, 12;
A bridegroome most happye then was the yong knighte,
In joye and felicitie long lived hee,
All with his faire ladye, the pre Bessee.

IX.

THE STURDY ROCK.

This poem, subscribed M. T. (perhaps invertedly for 1. Marshall*,) is preferved in the The Paradise of dainfu devises, quoted above in pag. 150.-The two first fianzas may be found accompanied with mufical notes in - An bowires recreation in muficke, &c. “ by Richard Alifon, Lond. 1606

. 460. :" usually bound up with 3 or 4 sets of " Madrigals set to music by Tho. Weelkes. Lond. 1597. 1600. 1608, 4tr" One of these madrigals is to compleat an example of the Ba. thos, that I cannot forbear presenting it to the reader.

Thule, the period of cosmographie,

Doth vaunt of Hecla, whose fulpburious fire Doth melt the frozen clime, and thaw the skie,

Trinacrian Ætnas flames ascend not hier : These things seeme wondrous, yet more I, Whose hart with feare doth freeze, with love dotb figu The Andelufian merchant, that returnes

Laden with cutchinele and china dishes,
Reports in Spaine, how strangely Fogo burnes

Amidst an ocean full of flying fishes :
These things seeme wondrous, yet more wondrous I,

Whole hart with feare doth freeze, with love doth fry: Mr. Weelkes seems to bave been of opinion with many of his brethren of later times, that nonjenje was beft adapted to difplay the powers of musical composure.

THE

• Vid, Atben. Oxon. Pe 152. 336.

G!

TH

HE sturdy rock for all his strength

By raging seas is rent in twaine :
The marble stone is pearst at length,

With little drops of drizling rain :
The oxe doth yeeld unto the yoke,
The fteele obeyeth the hammer stroke.

5

The stately ftagge, that seemes so stout,

By yalping hounds at bay is set:
The swiftest bird, that flies about,

Is caught at length in fowlers net:
The greatest fish, in deepest brooke,
Is soone deceived by subtill hooke.

15

Yea man himselfe, unto whose will

All thinges are bounden to obey,
For all his wit and worthie skill,

Doth fade at length, and fall away.
There is nothing but time doeth waste;
The heavens, the earth consume at last,

20

But vertue fits triumphing till

Upon the throne of glorious fame :
Though spiteful death mans body kill,

Yet hurts he not his vertuous name :
By life or death what so betides,
The state of vertue never slides,

X. YOUNG