When long she had been wrong'd, and sought

The foresayd meanes in vaine,

She rideth to the simple graunge

But with a slender traine.

She lighteth, entreth, greets them well,

105

And then did looke about her :

The guiltie houshold knowing her,

Did wish themselves without her;

So poore a wench, but gold might tempt?
Sweet errors lead them both.

Scarse one in twenty that had bragg'd

Of proffer'd gold denied,

Or of such yeelding beautie baulkt,

But, tenne to one,

had lied.

Thus thought she and she thus declares

Her cause of coming thether;

115

120

My lord, oft hunting in these partes,
Through travel, night or wether.

But, for you have not furniture

Beseeming such a guest,

I bring his owne, and come myselfe

To see his lodging drest.

125

130

And, Damsell, quoth shee, for it seemes

This houshold is but three,

And for thy parents age, that this

Shall chiefely rest on thee;

Do me that good, else would to God

He hither come no more.

145

So tooke she horse, and ere she went

Bestowed gould good store.

Full little thought the countie that

150

But when he knew those goods to be
His proper goods; though late,
Scarce taking leave, he home returnes

The matter to debate.

The countesse was a-bed, and he

With her his lodging tooke;

160

Sir, welcome home (quoth shee); this night 165 For you I did not looke.

Then did he question her of such

His stuffe bestowed soe. Forsooth, quoth she, because I did

Your love and lodging knowe:

Your love to be a proper wench,
Your lodging nothing lesse ;

170

I held it for your health, the house
More decently to dresse.

Well wot I, notwithstanding her,
Your lordship loveth me;

175

And greater hope to hold you such
By quiet, then brawles, 'you' see.

6

He said, and did it; so each wife

Her husband may' recall.

VII.

Dowsabell.

The following stanzas were written by Michael Drayton, a poet of some eminence in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, James I. and Charles I.* They are inserted in one of his Pastorals, the first edition of which bears this whimsical title. "Idea. The Shepheards Garland fashioned

* He was born in 1563, and died in 1631.-Biog. Brit.

in nine Eglogs. Rowlands sacrifice to the nine muses. Lond. 1593, 4to." They are inscribed with the author's name at length, "To the noble and valerous gentleman master Robert Dudley," &c. It is very remarkable, that when Drayton reprinted them in the first folio edition of his works, 1619, he had given those Eclogues so thorough a revisal, that there is hardly a line to be found the same as in the old edition. This poem had received the fewest corrections, and therefore is chiefly given from the ancient copy, where it is thus introduced by one of his shepherds :

Listen to mee, my lovely shepheards joye,

And thou shalt heare, with mirth and mickle glee,

A prettie tale, which when 1 was a boy,

My toothles grandame oft hath tolde to me.

The author has professedly imitated the style and metre of some of the old metrical romances; particularly that of Sir Isenbras,* (alluded to in v. 3,) as the reader may judge from the following specimen :

Lordynges, lysten, and you shal here, &c.

This ancient legend was printed in black letter, 4to.,

* As also Chaucer's Rhyme of Sir Topas, v. 6.