Seeft thou not yonder hall, Ellèn ?

Of red golde shines the towre:

There are twenty four fayre ladyes there,

80

The fayrest is my paramoure.

I fee the hall now, Childe Waters,

Of red golde fhines the yate:
God give you good now of yourselfe,
And of your worthye mate.

I fee the hall now, Childe Waters;
Of red golde fhines the towre:

God give you good now of yourfelfe,
And of your paramoure.

There twenty four fayre ladyes were

A playing at the ball:

85

90

And then befpake Childe Waters fister,
These were the wordes fayd fhee:
You have the prettyeft page, brother,

That ever I did fee.

Ver. 84. worldlye, MS.

100

But

But that his bellye it is foe bigge,

His girdle ftands foe hye:

And ever I pray you, Childe Watèrs,

Let him in my chamber lye.

It is not fit for a little foot page,

That has run throughe moffe and myre, To lye in the chamber of any ladye,

That weares foe riche attyre.

It is more meete for a little foot page,
That has run throughe moffe and myre,

To take his fupper upon his knee,
And lye by the kitchen fyre.

Now when they had fupped every one,

To bedd they tooke theyr waye:

He fayd, come hither, my little foot-page,

115

And hearken what I faye.

Goe thee downe into yonder towne,

And lowe into the streete;

The fayreft ladye that thou canst finde,

Hyre in mine armes to fleepe,

And take her up in thine armes twaine,
For filing of her feete.

*

Ellen is gone into the towne,

And lowe into the streete :

*i. e. defling.

120

The

The fayreft ladye that shee colde finde,
She hyred in his armes to sleepe;
And tooke her up in her armes twayne,

125

For filing of her feete.

I praye you nowe, good Childe Watèrs,
Let mee lye at your feete:

130

For there is noe place about this house,
Where I may faye a fleepe.

This done the nighte drove on a pace,
And when it was neare the daye,

135

Hee fayd, Rife up, my little foot-page,
Give my fteede corne and haye ;

And give him nowe the good black oats,

To carry mee better awaye.

Up then rofe the fayre Ellèn

And

gave his fteede corne and haye:

And foe fhee did the good black oates,

140'

And that beheard his mother deare,

Shee heard 'her woefull woe :'

159

Shee fayd, Rife up, thou Childe Watèrs,

And when he came to the ftable dore,

Full ftill there hee did stand,

That hee mighte heare his fayre Ellèn,

Howe fhee made her monànd.

Shee fayd, Lullabye, mine own dear childe,

165

Lullabye, deare childe, deare:

I wolde thy father were a kinge,

Thy mothere layd on a biere.

Peace nowe, hee fayd, good faire Ellèn,

Bee of good cheere, I praye;

And the bridall and the churchinge bothe

Shall bee upon one daye.

F

Ver. 164. i. e. moaning, bemoaning, &c.

170

XI. PHIL

XI.

PHILLIDA AND CORYDON.

From a fmall quarto MS in the editor's poffeffion, written in the time of 2. Elizabeth: It's author unknown.

With a troope of damfelles playing
Forthe I yode' forfooth a maying:

When anon by a wood fide,
Where that Maye was in his pride,
I espied all alone
Phillida and Corydon.

Muche adoe there was, god wot:
He wold love, and fhe wold not.
She fayde, never man was trewe:
He fayes, never falfe to you.

He fayde, hee had lovde her longe:
She fayes, love cold have no wronge.

Ver. 4. the wode. MS.

5

10

Corydon