in the evening walke disguised all about the towne. It so fortuned, as he was walking late one night, he found a countrey fellow dead drunke, snorting on a bulke; he caused his followers to bring him to his palace, and there stripping him of his old clothes, and attyring him after the court fashion, when he wakened, he and they were all ready to attend upon his excellency, and persuade him that he was some great duke. The poor fellow admiring how he came there, was served in state all day long; after supper he saw them dance, heard musicke, and all the rest of those courtlike pleasures; but late at night, when he was well tipled, and again faste asleepe, they put on his old robes, and so conveyed him to the place where they first found him. Now the fellow had not made them so good sport the day before, as he did now, when he returned to himself; all the jest was to see how he looked upon it. In conclusion, after some little admiration, the poore man told his friends he had seen a vision, constantly believed it, would not otherwise be persuaded, and so the jest ended."-Burton's Anat. of Melancholy, pt. ii. sec. 2, mem. 4. 2d. ed. 1624, fol. This ballad is given from a black letter copy in the Pepys Collection, which is entitled as above. "To the tune of" Fond boy." Now as fame does report a young duke keeps a court, The duke said to his men, William, Richard, and Ben, 10 O'er a horse he was laid, and with care soon convey'd And they put him to bed for to take his repose. Having pull'd off his shirt, which was all over durt, Now he lay something late, in his rich bed of state, Tho' he seem'd something mute, yet he chose a rich suit, Which he straitways put on without longer dispute; 26 With a star on his side, which the tinker offt ey'd, And it seem'd for to swell him 'no' little with pride; For he said to himself, Where is Joan my sweet wife? Sure she never did see me so fine in her life. 30 From a convenient place, the right duke his good grace Did observe his behaviour in every case. To a garden of state, on the tinker they wait, Trumpets sounding before him: thought he, this is great: Where an hour or two, pleasant walks he did view, 35 With commanders and squires in scarlet and blew. A fine dinner was drest, both for him and his guests, He was plac'd at the table above all the rest, 6 In a rich chair or bed,' lin❜d with fine crimson red, As he sat at his meat, the musick play'd sweet, 40 While the tinker did dine, he had plenty of wine, Then the duke did ordain, they should strip him amain, And restore him his old leather garments again : 50 'Twas a point next the worst, yet perform it they must, And they carry'd him strait, where they found him at first; Then he slept all the night, as indeed well he might; But when he did waken, his joys took their flight. 6 55 For his glory to him' so pleasant did seem, sought For a pardon, as fearing he had set him at nought; But his highness he said, Thou'rt a jolly bold blade, Such a frolick before I think never was plaid. 60 Then his highness bespoke him a new suit and cloak, Which he gave for the sake of this frolicksome joak; Nay, and five hundred pound, with ten acres of ground, Thou shalt never, said he, range the counteries round, Crying old brass to mend, for I'll be thy good friend, 65 Nay, and Joan thy sweet wife shall my duchess attend. Then the tinker reply'd, What! must Joan my sweet bride Be a lady in chariots of pleasure to ride? 70 Must we have gold and land ev'ry day at command? XVIII. The Friar of Orders Gray. Dispersed through Shakspeare's plays are innumerable little fragments of ancient ballads, the entire copies of which could not be recovered. Many of these being of the most beautiful and pathetic simplicity, the Editor was tempted to select some of them, and with a few supplemental stanzas to connect them together, and form them into a little Tale, which is here submitted to the reader's candour. One small fragment was taken from Beaumont and Fletcher. Now Christ thee save thou reverend friar, I pray thee tell to me, If ever at yon holy shrine 5 His flaxen locks that sweetly curl'd, 15 O lady, he is dead and gone! Lady, he's dead and gone! And at his head a green grass turfe, And at his heels a stone. Within these holy cloysters long He languisht, and he dyed, Lamenting of a ladyes love, And 'playning of her pride. 20 * These are the distinguishing marks of a Pilgrim. The chief places of devotion being beyond sea, the pilgrims were wont to put cockle-shells in their hats to denote the intention or performance of their devotion. Warb. Shaksp. vol. viii. p. 224. |