I.

BALET, BY ANTHONY WOODVYLE EARL RIVERS.

WRITTEN DURING HIS IMPRISONMENT IN PONTEFRACT

CASTLE, ANNO 1483.

This little piece is preserved by Rouse the historian, and has been reprinted by dr. Percy; but as the use of the Fairfax MS. enabled the present editor to supply a considerable chasm in the printed copies, the curious reader will not be sorry to see it complete *. The measure, which is now properly regulated, was ordinarily adopted by song-writers, from Chaucer to Skelton.

The music of the MS. is (as usual) a composition in three parts, by dr. Fayrfax.

SUM what musyng,

And more mornyng,
In remembring

The unstydfastnes,

* [Mr. Ritson, "professing to follow" the printed copies, and only to supply a chasm, in them, from the Fairfax MS.:-the extract for that purpose being made with his usual accuracy, and distinguished by brackets appears to be very unjustly charged with "discrepancies" in the publication of this ballad; which, it may be added, has been inserted verbatim as completed, in the fourth edition of the "Reliques." Ed.]

This world being
Of such whelyng,
Me contrarieng,

What may I gesse?

I fere dowtles,

Remediles,

Is now to sese

My wofull chaunce

[For unkyndness, Withouten less,

And no redress,

Me doth avaunce.

With displesaunce,
To my grevaunce,
And no suraunce,
Of remedy].

Lo in this traunce,

Now in substance,

Such is my dawnce,

Willyng to dye.

Me thynkys truly
Bowndyn am I,

And that gretly,

To be content;

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Given from the "Boke" of "hawkynge and huntynge," &c. "Enprynted at Westmestre by Wynkyn the Worde the yere of thyncarnacion of oure lorde. M.CCCC. lxxxxvi."

"Dame Julyans Bernes," the compiler of this volume, or at least the authoress of the "boke of [hawkynge and] huntynge "-for, besides this, it contains "liber armorum," "the treatyse of fysshynge wyth an angle," and "the blasynge of armes,”—is generally supposed to have been the daughter of sir James Berners of Berners-Roding in Essex, and sister to Richard lord Berners; she was prioress of the nunnery of Sopewell near St. Albans, and is said to have flourished in and about the year 1460. (See Bale, Ballards Memoirs of British Ladies, &c.)

After the "Explicit" of this last "boke" are some miscellaneous observations, as, 66 Bestys of the chace;""The names of dyvers manere houndes; ""The propritees of a good Grehounde; ""The proprytees of a good horse; several old curious proverbial sentences; "The companyes of bestys & foules; ' "The dewe termys to speke of brekynge or dressynge of dyvers beestys & foules. &c...... And.... of certen fysshes; "The shyres and bysshopryckes [and provynces]...... of Englonde." And then,

but without any title or head, comes the following ballad. [sig. e. vi. b.]

The abovementioned compilation is usually termed the "Boke of St. Albans," where it was originally printed by the anonymous schoolmaster ("John Insomuch") in 1486; but the ballad here printed is not to be found in that edition.

A FAYTHFULL frende wolde I fayne fynde,
To fynde hym there he myght be founde,
But now is the worlde wexte soo unkynde,
That frenship is fall to the grounde:
Now a frende I have founde

That I woll nother banne ne curse;

But, of all frendes in felde or towne,

Ever, Gramercy, myn owne purse!

My purse it is my prevy wyf,

This songe I dare bothe synge and saye,

It partyth men of moche stryfe,

Whan every man for himself shall pay.
As I ryde in riche aray,

For golde and sylver men woll me flouryssh,-
By this matere I dare well say,
Ever, Gramercy, myn own purse!

As I ryde wyth golde so rede,

And have to doo wyth londys lawe,

Men for my money woll make me speede,

And for my goodes they woll me knawe;
More and lesse to me woll drawe,

Bothe the better and the wurse,

By this matere I saye in sawe

Ever, Gramercy, myn owne purse!

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20

A

It fell by me upon a tyme,

As it hath doo by many mo,

My horse, my nete, my shepe, my swyne,
And all my goodes, they fell me fro;

I went to my frendes and tolde theym so,
And home agayne they badde me trusse:

I sayd agayne, whan I was wo,
Ever, Gramercy, myn owne pursse.

Therfore, I rede you, syres all,

To assaye your frendes or ye have nede,
For and ye come downe and have a fall,
Full fewe of theym for you woll grede:
Therfore, assaye theym everychone,
Bothe the better and the wurse.

Our lorde, that shope bothe sonne and mone,
Sende us spendynge in our [own] purse!

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III.

THE PRAISE OF SERVING-MEN,

OR

TROLY LOLY.

This song, which is given from MSS. Sloan. No. 1584, a small book, partly paper, partly parchment, chiefly written by John Gysborn, canon of Coverham, in Yorkshire, whose manual or pocket-book it seems to have been (tempore H. 8.), if it be that mentioned by Langham under the above title, has been once popular, which is the principal inducement to its insertion. In