The armes, the which that Cupyde bare,
Wer pearced hartes with teares befprent,
In filver and fable to declare

The ftedfaft love, he alwaies ment.

There myght you fee his band al dreft
In colours lyke to white and blacke,
With powder and with pellets preft
To bring the fort to spoyle and facke.

Good-wil, the maister of the fhot,
Stode in the rampire brave and proude,
For fpence of powder he spared not
Affault! affault! to crye aloude.

There might you heare the cannons rore;
Eche piece discharged a lovers loke;
Which had the power to rent, and tore
In any place wheras they toke.

And even with the trumpets fowne

The scaling ladders wer up fet,

And Beauty walked up and downe,
With bow in hand, and arrowes whet.

Then firft Defire began to fcale,

And shrouded him under his targe;

As one the worthieft of them al,

And apteft for to geve the charge.

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30

Then

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10

Then pushed fouldiers with their pykes,

And halberders with handy ftrokes ; The argabufhe in fleshe it lightes,

And duns the ayre with misty fmokes.

And as it is now' fouldiers ufe
When shot and powder gyns to want,
I hanged up my flagge of truce,
And pleaded for my livès grant.

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And Beauty entred with her bande,

When Fanfy thus had made her breache,

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With bag and baggage, fely wretch,

I yelded into Beauties hand.

Then Beauty bad to blow retrete,
And every fouldiour to retyre,
And Mercy milde' with spede to fet
Me captive bound as prifoner.

Madame, quod I, fith that this day

Hath ferved you at all affayes,

I yelde to you without delay

Here of the fortreffe all the kayes:

And fith that I have ben the marke,

At whom you fhot at with your eye; Nedes must you with your handy warke Or falve my fore, or let me die.

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IX. Sir

IX.

SIR ALDINGA R.

This old fabulous legend is given from the Editor's folio MS, with a few conjectural emendations, and the infertion of 3 or 4 fianzas to Jupply defects in the original copy.

UR kyng he kept a false stewàrde,

Sir Aldingar they him call;

A falfer fteward than he was one,
Servde not in bower nor hall.

He wolde have layne by our comelye queene,

Her deere worshippe to betraye:

Our queene thee was a good woman,
And evermore fayd him naye.

Sir Aldingar was wrothe in his mind,
With her hee was never content,

Till traiterous meanes he colde devyfe,
In a fyer to have her brent.

There came a lazar to the gs gate,

A lazar both blinde and kne:
He tooke the lazar upon his backe,

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And on the queenes

bed him layne.

Lye

Lye ftill, lazar, wheras thou lyeft,

Looke thou go not hence away;

Ile make thee a whole man and a found

In two howers of the day."

Then went him forth fir Aldingar,

And hyed him to our king:

"If I might have grace, as I have space, "Sad tydings I could bring."

Saye on, faye on, fir Aldingar,

Saye on the foothe to mee.

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"But he hath chofe her a lazar man,

"A lazar both blinde and lame."

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If this be true, fir Aldingar,

The tydings thou telleft to me,

Then I will make thee a riche riche knight,

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Riche both of golde and fee.

But if it be falfe, fir Aldingar,

As God nowe grant it bee!

Thy bodye, I sweare by the holye rood,

Shall hang on the gallows tree.

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He

He brought our king to the queenes chambèr,
And opend to him the dore.

A lodlye love, king Henrye fayd,
For our queene dame Elinore!

If thou wert a man, as thou art none,

Here on my fword thouft dye;

But a payre of new gallowes fhall now be built,
And there fhalt thou hang on hye.

Forth then hyed our king, I wyfse,

And an angry man was hee;

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And foone he found queene Elinore,
That bride fo bright of blee.

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Now God you fave, our queene, madame,
And Chrift you fave and fee;

Heere have chosen a newe newe love,

you

If you had chofen a right good knight,

The leffe had been your shame:

Therfore a fyer there fhall be built

And brent all fhalt thou bee.

Now out alacke! fayd our comlye queene,

Sir Aldingar's false to mee,

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60

Now