Then, with a sweet and loving kiss, They parted presently, And at their parting brinish tears Stood in each others eye. At length the wish'd-for day was come, On which this beauteous maid, With 'longing' eyes, and strange attire, Come riding o'er the plain, She thought it was her own true love, Then did she weep, and sore bewail Her most unhappy state; Then did she speak these woeful words, When succourless she sate: O false, forsworn, and faithless wretch, Hast thou forgot thy promise made, And hast thou now forsaken me, Which thou might'st well redress? That flattering tongue of thine! Would god that I had never seen The tears of thy false eyne! [V. 83. lovely.] 80 90 100 VOL. II. I And thus, with many a sorrowful sigh, No rest came in her watery eyes, In travail strong she fell that night, With many a bitter throe; What woeful pangs she then did feel, Doth each good woman know. She called up her waiting-maid, Weep not, said she, but shut the door, Let none bewail my wretched state, But keep all persons out. "O mistress, call your mother dear, Of women you have need, And of some skilful midwifes help, "Call not my mother, for thy life, The midwifes help comes all too late My death I do not fear." 6 With that the babe sprang from' her womb, No creature being nigh, And with a sigh, which brake her heart, This gallant dame did die. 110 120 130 [V. 105. a sorrowful sigh.] [V. 126. call the.] [V. 129. in.] The lovely' little infant young, The mother being dead, Resign'd his new received breath To him that had him made. Next morning came her lover true, Affrighted at this news, No joy 'thenceforth' could have. Take heed, you dainty damsels all, Have you a special care. Too true, alas! this story is, As many [a] one can tell: By others harms learn to be wise, [V. 133. This living.] [V. 144. of them.] 150 XXVIII. LITTLE MUSGRAVE AND LADY BARNARD. The only genuine copy of this old ballad, known to be extant, is preserved in Drydens "collection of miscellaneous poems." Dr. Percy, indeed, by some mistake, gives it as from an old printed copy in the British museum; observing that "In the Pepys collection, is an imitation of this old song, in a different measure, by a more modern pen, with many alterations, but evidently for the worse It is very true, and not less so, that the only copies in the Museum (for there are two) are more recent impressions of this identical imitation. As it fell [out] one holyday, As many be in the year, When young men and maids together did go Their masses and matins to hear. Little Musgrave came to the church-door, The priest he was at mass; But he had more mind of two fair women, Than he had of our ladys grace. The one of them was clad in green, The other was clad in pall; And then came in my lord Barnards wife, The fairest among them all. She cast an eye on little Musgrave, [V. 7. the.] 10 Quoth she, I have lov'd thee, little Musgrave, Full long and many a day. "So have I loved you, lady fair, Yet word I never durst say." "I have a bower at Bucklesford-Bury, Full daintily bedight, If thou wilt wend thither, my little Musgrave, Quoth he, I thank ye, lady fair, This kindness you show to me; All this was heard by a little tiny page, My lord Barnard shall know of this, And ever whereas the bridges were broke, "Asleep or awake, thou lord Barnard, As thou art a man of life, For little Musgrave is at Bucklesford-Bury, A-bed with thine own wedded wife." "If this be true, thou little tiny page, 20 30 40 |