In earth they laid her then, For hungry wormes a preye; At length be brought to claye. 130 XIII. DULCINA. Each Given from two ancient copies, one in black-print, in the Pepys collection; the other in the Editor's folio MS. of thefe contained a stanza not found in the other. feemed the best readings were felected from both. What This fong is quoted as very popular in Walton's Compleat Angler, chap. 2. It is more ancient than the ballad of ROBIN GOOD-FELLOW printed below, which yet is fuppofed to have been written by Ben. Fonfon. S at noone Dulcina rested In her sweete and fhady bower; Came a fhepherd, and requested In her lapp to fleepe an hour. But from her looke A wounde he tooke Soe deepe, that for a further boone The nymph he prayes. Wherto fhee fayes, Forgoe me now, come to me foone. But in vayne fhee did conjure him To depart her presence soe; Having a thousand tongues to allure him, And eyes delight, And cheekes, as fresh as rofe in june, What boots, the fay, Forgoe me now, come to me foone? He demands what time for pleasure Can there be more fit than now: She fayes, night gives love that leyfure, He fayes, the fight 'Improves delight. 'Which the denies: Nights mirkie noone In Venus' playes Makes bold, fhee fayes; 15 20 25 Forgoe me now, come to mee foone. 30 But what promife or profeffion From his hands could purchase scope? Who would fell the sweet pofleffion Of fuche beautye for a hope? Or for the fight Of lingering night 35 Forgoe Foregoe the prefent joyes of noone? Her speeches were, Forgoe me now, come to me foone. How, at last, agreed thefe lovers ? Shee was fayre, and he was young: The tongue may tell what th'eye discovers; Did fhee confent, Or he relent; Accepts he night, or grants fhee noone; Left he her a mayd, 40 45 66 XIV. THE LADY ISABELLA's TRAGEDY. This ballad is given from an old black-letter copy in the Pepys collection, collated with another in the British Mufeum, H. 263. folio. It is there intitled, "The Lady Ifabella's Tragedy, or the Step-Mother's Cruelty: being 66 a relation of a lamentable and cruel murther, committed on the body of the lady Ifabella, the only daughter of a "noble duke, &c. To the tune of, The Lady's Fall." To fome copies are annexed eight more modern fianzas, intitled, "The Dutchess's and Cook's Lamentation." 66 THERE TH HERE was a lord of worthy faine, Attended by a noble traine Of gentrye by his fide. And while he did in chase remaine, This lord he had a daughter deare, She was belov'd, both far and neare, Of many a lord and knight. Fair Ifabella was she call'd, A creature faire was thee; She was her fathers only joye; Therefore her cruel step-mothèr Did envye her so much; That daye by daye fhe fought her life, Her malice it was fuch. She bargain'd with the mafter-cook, To take her life awaye: And taking of her daughters book, She thus to her did faye. 5 10 15 20 Go Go home, fweet daughter, I thee praye, 25 Go haften prefentlie; And tell unto the mafter-cook These wordes that I tell thee. And bid him dreffe to dinner freight 30 Her meffage for to tell; And there the fpied the mafter-cook, Who did with malice fwell. Nowe, master-cook, it must be foe, Do that which I thee tell: You needes muft dreffe the milk-white doe, 40 |