One sweet word of comfort give; Lift up thy fair eyes,

Listen to my cries,

Think in what great grief I live. All in vain fhe fued,

All in vain she wooed,

The prince's life was fled and gone, There stood she still mourning,

Till the funs returning,

And bright day was coming on.

In this great distress,

Quoth this royal lady,

Who can now exprefs,

What will become of me ?

To my fathers court

Never will I wander,

But fome service seek,

Where I may placed be.

Whilft the thus made her moan,
Weeping all alone,

In this deep and deadly fear,

A forester, all in green,

Moft comely to be feen,

Ranging the wood, did find her there,

Round befet with forrow

Maid, quoth he, good morrow,

What hard hap hath brought you here Harder hap did never

Chance to a maiden ever,

Here lies flain my brother dear.

VOL. II.

R

Where

Where might I be plac'd?
Gentle forefter, tell me;
Where might I procure

A fervice in my need?
Pains I will not spare,

But will do my duty;
Eafe me of my care,
Help my extreme need.
The forefter, all amazed,
On her beauty gazed,
Till his heart was fet
If, fair maid, quoth he,
You will go with me,

on fire

;

You fhall have your hearts defire.
He brought her to his mother,
And above all other

He fet forth this maidens praise ;
Long was his heart inflamed,
At length her love he gained,
So fortune did his glory raise.

Thus unknown he match'd

With the kings fair daughter, Children feven he had

Ere fhe to him was known ; But when he understood

She was a royal princess,

By this means at last

He fhewed forth her fame;

He cloth'd his children then,
Not like to other men,

In party colours ftrange to fee,

The

The right fide cloth of gold,
The left fide to behold

Of woolen cloth ftill framed he:
Men thereat did wonder,

Golden fame did thunder

This ftrange deed in every place : The king of France came thither, Being pleasant weather,

In the woods the hart to chase.

The children there did ftand,
As their mother willed,

Where the royal king

Muft of force come by ; Their mother richly clad In fair crimson velvet ; Their father all in grey, Moft comely to the eye. When this famous king,

Noting every thing,

Did afk how he durft be fo bold

To let his wife to wear,

And deck his children there,

In coftly robes of pearl and gold.

The forefter bold replied,

And the cause defcried,

And to the king he thus did fay, Well may they, by their mother, Wear rich clothes with other,

Being by birth a princess gay.

The king, upon thefe words,

Moft heedfully beheld them,
Till a crimson blush

His conceit did crofs:
The more I look, quoth he,
Upon thy wife, and children,
The more I call to mind
My daughter whom I loft.
I am that child, quoth fhe,
Falling on her knee,

Pardon me my fovereign liege.
The king perceiving this,
His daughter dear did kifs,

Till joyful tears did ftop his fpeech:
With his train he turned,

And with her fojourned;

Straight he dubb'd her husband knight;

He made him earl of Flanders,

One of his chief commanders,

Thus was their forrow put to flight.

BALLAD

XII.

THE FAMOUS FLOWER OF SERVING-MEN:

Or,

THE LADY TURN'D SERVING-MAN.

OU beauteous ladies great and small,

You

YI write unto you one and all,

Whereby that you may understand
What I have fuffer'd in this land.

I was

I was by birth a lady fair,
My fathers chief and only heir,
But when my good old father died,
Then I was made a young knights bride.

And then my love built me a bower,
Bedeck'd with many a fragrant flower;
A braver bower you ne'er did fee,
Than my true love did build for me.

But there came thieves late in the night,
They robb'd my bower, and flew my knight,
And after that my knight was flain,

I could no longer there remain.

My fervant, all from me did fly,
In th' midst of my extremity,

And left me by myself alone,

With a heart more cold than any ftone.

Yet, though my heart was full of care,
Heaven would not fuffer me to despair,
Wherefor in hafte I chang'd my name
From fair Elife to Sweet William.

And therewithall I cut my hair,
And drefs'd myself in man's attire,
My doublet, hofe, and beaver hat,
And a golden band about my neck.

R 3

With