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

On this the bride all blufhing did rife,

The pearlie dropps ftanding within her faire eyes,
O pardon my father, grave nobles, quoth thee,
That throughe blind affection thus doteth on mee.

If this be thy father, the nobles did fay,
Well may he be proud of this happy day;
Yett by his countenance well may wee fee,
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.

60

65

"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.

"[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,

L 4

"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.

85

"At length in the battle on Eveshame plaine “The barons were routed, and Montfort was flaine; « Mofte fatall that battel did prove unto thee,

66

Thoughe thou waft not borne then, my prettye Befsee?

"Along with the nobles, that fell at that tyde, "His eldest fonne 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 lifelesse 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 feeing yong Montfort, where gasping he laye, "Was moved with pitye, and brought him awaye. 100

"In fecrette fhe nurft him, and fwaged his paine, “While hee throughe the realme was beleevd to be flaine; "At lengthe his faire bride shee consented to bee, "And made him glad father of prettye Beffee.

"And nowe left oure foes oure lives fholde betraye, 105

"We clothed ourselves in beggars arraye ;

"Her jewelles fhee folde, and hither came wee:
"All our comfort and care was our prettye Befsee.]

"And here have we lived in fortunes defpite,

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 fonge “Of one, that once to your owne ranke did belong: "And thus have you learned a fecrette from mee, "That ne'er had beene knownè, but for prettye Befsee."

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

With that the sweete maiden they all did embrace,
Saying, Sure thou art come of an honourable race,
Thy father likewife is of noble degree,

And thou art right worthye a ladye to bee.

115

120

Thus was the feaft ended with joye, and delighte, 125 A bridegroome moft happye then was the yong knighte, In joye and felicitie long lived hee,

All with his faire ladye, the prettye Befsee.

IX.

THE STURDY ROCK.

This poem, fubfcribed M. T. [perhaps invertedly for T. Marfball,] is preferved in the The Paradife of daintie devifes, quoted above in pag. 150.-The two firft ftanss may be found accompanied with mufical notes in "An bowres recreation in muficke, &c. " by Richard Alifon, Lond. 1606. 4to." ufually bound up with 3 or 4 Jets of " Madrigals fet to music by Tho. Weelkes. Lond. 1597. 1600. 1608, 4t." One of thefe madrigals is fo compleat an example of the Ba thos, that I cannot forbear prefenting it to the reader.

Thule, the period of cofmographie,

Doth vaunt of Hecla, whofe fulphurious fire Doth melt the frozen clime, and thaw the fkie, Trinacrian Etnas flames afcend not hier : Thefe things feeme wondrous, yet more I, Whofe hart with feare doth freeze, with love doth fry.

The Andelufian merchant, that returnes

Laden with cutchinele and china dishes, Reports in Spaine, how ftrangely Fogo burnes Amidst an ocean full of flying fishes:

These things feeme wondrous, yet more wondrous I, Whofe hart with feare doth freeze, with love doth fry.

Mr. Weelkes feems to have been of opinion with many of bis brethren of later times, that nonfenfe was beft adapted to dif play the powers of mufical compofure.

• Vid, Athen. Oxon. p. 152. 316.

THE

HE fturdy rock for all his ftrength

TH

By raging feas is rent in twaine : The marble stone is pearft at length,

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

The ftately ftagge, that feemes fo ftout,
By yalping hounds at bay is fet:
The swifteft bird, that flies about,

Is caught at length in fowlers net:

The greatest fish, in deepest brooke,
Is foone deceived by fubtill hooke.

Yea man himselfe, unto whofe 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 wafte;
The heavens, the earth consume at last.

But vertue fits triumphing still

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

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

X. YOUNG