gium: which has been agreeably modernised by the late Mr. Spence in his little miscellaneous publication entitled "Moralities, &c., by Sir Harry Beaumont,” 1753, 8vo. p. 42.

The following stanzas are extracted from an ancient poem entitled Albion's England, written by W. Warner, a celebrated poet in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, though his name and works are now equally forgotten. The reader will find some account of him in vol. ii. book ii. song 24.

The following stanzas are printed from the author's improved edition of his work, printed in 1602, 4to; the third impression of which appeared so early as 1592, in bl. let. 4to. The edition in 1602 is in thirteen books, and so it is reprinted in 1612, 4to.; yet in 1606, was published "A Continuance of Albion's England by the first Author, W. W. Lond. 4to.:" this contains books xiv. xv. xvi. In Ames's Typography, is preserved the memory of another publication of this writer's, entitled Warner's Poetry, printed in 1580, 12mo., and reprinted in 1602. There is also extant under the name of Warner, "Syrix, or sevenfold Hist. pleasant, and profitable, comical, and tragical," 4to.

It is proper to premise, that the following lines were not written by the author in stanzas, but in long Alexandrines of fourteen syllables; which the narrowness of our page made it here necessary to subdivide.

IMPATIENCE chaungeth smoke to flame,

But jelousie is hell;

Some wives by patience have reduc'd

Ill husbands to live well:

As did the ladie of an earle,

Of whom I now shall tell.

5

An earle there was' had wedded, lov'd;

Was lov'd, and lived long

Full true to his fayre countesse; yet

At last he did her wrong.

Once hunted he untill the chace,

Long fasting, and the heat

Did house him in a peakish graunge

Within a forest great.

10

Where knowne and welcom'd (as the place

15

And persons might afforde)

Browne bread, whig, bacon, curds and milke

Were wheat, their whig were perry, Their bacon beefe, their milke and curds Were creame, to make him merry.

25

Meane while (in russet neatly clad,

With linen white as swanne,

Herselfe more white, save rosie where

The ruddy colour ranne:

30

Whome naked nature, not the aydes

Of arte made to excell)

The good man's daughter sturres to see
That all were feat and well;

The earle did marke her, and admire

Such beautie there to dwell.

Yet fals he to their homely fare,

And held him at a feast:

But as his hunger slaked, so

An amorous heat increast.

When this repast was past, and thanks,

And welcome too; he sayd

35

40

Unto his host and hostesse, in

The hearing of the mayd:

Yee know, quoth he, that I am lord
Of this, and many townes;

45

I also know that you be poore,
And I can spare you pownes.

Soe will I, so yee will consent,

That yonder lasse and I

May bargaine for her love; at least,

Doe give me leave to trye.

Who needs to know it? nay who dares

Into my doings pry?

VOL. I.

Р

50

First they mislike, yet at the length

For lucre were misled;

And then the gamesome earle did wowe

The damsell for his bed.

He took her in his armes, as yet

So coyish to be kist,

As mayds that know themselves belov'd,

And yieldingly resist.

In few, his offers were so large

She lastly did consent;

With whom he lodged all that night,

And early home he went.

65

60

55

How may I winne him to myself?

He is a man, and men

Have imperfections; it behooves

Me pardon nature then.

To checke him were to make him checke,*

Although hee now were chaste :

A man controuled of his wife,

To her makes lesser haste.

If duty then, or daliance may
Prevayle to alter him;

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85

* To check is a term in falconry, applied when a hawk stops and turns away from his proper pursuit. To check also signifies to reprove or chide. It is in this verse used in both senses.