High trolollie, lollie, loe, high trolollie, lee,
Though others think they have as much,
Yet he that sayes so lies:

Then, come away, turn count[r]y-man with me.

IX.

THE THREE RAVENS.

A DIRGE.

From Ravenscrofts "Melismata. Musical Phansies. Fitting the Cittie, and Countrey Humours. To 3, 4, and 5 voyces. Lond. 1611." 4to; where it is inserted under the head of "Country Pastimes." This ballad is much older, not only than the date of the book, but than most of the other pieces contained in it. The immediately following article is "The marriage of the frogge and the mouse." The mean, tenor, and bass parts are only for the chorus or burthen.

THERE were three ravens sat on a tree,

Downe, a downe, hay down, hay downe, There were three ravens sat on a tree,

With a downe,

There were three ravens sat on a tre,

They were as blacke as they might be,

With a downe, derrie, derrie, derrie, downe, downe.

The one of them said to his 'make,'

Where shall we our breakefast take?

[V. 8. mate.]

"Downe in yonder greene field,

There lies a knight slain under his shield.

His hounds they lie downe at his feete,
So well they their master keepe.

His haukes they flie so eagerly,
There's no fowle dare him come nie."

Downe there comes a fallow doe,
As great with yong as she might goe.

She lift up his bloudy hed,

And kist his wounds that were so red.

She buried him before the prime,

She was dead herselfe ere even-song time.

God send every gentleman

Such haukes, such hounds, and such a leman.

10

20

X.

THE TOO COURTEOUS KNIGHT.

From "Deuteromelia: or the Second part of Musicks melodie, or melodious Musicke. Of pleasant Roundelaies; K. H. [King Henrys] mirth or Freemens Songs, and such delightful Catches. Lond. 1609." 4to. This is a sequel to " Pammelia," a collection

of a similar nature, published in the same year; and, like it, "contains a great number of fine vocal compositions of very great antiquity," See Hawkinses Hist. Music, vol. iv. p. 18. This song is in the first volume of some editions, the third in others, of Durfeys Pills to purge Melancholy; and in a different volume is a modernised copy of it, with considerable variations, beginning

"There was a knight, and he was young."

Bp. Percy found the subject worthy of his best improvements; see Reliques, vol. ii. p. 341.

In Major Pearsons collection of Old Ballads is a different copy, intitled, "The Politick Maid," beginning

"There was a knight was wine dronke."

YONDER comes a courteous knight,
Lustely raking over the lay,

He was well ware of a bonny lasse,

As she came wandering over the way.

Then she sang Downe a downe, hey downe derry.

Jove you speed, fayre lady, he said,

Among the leaves that be so greene;

If I were a king and wore a crowne,

Full soone, faire lady, shouldst thou be a queen. Then she sang, Downe, &c.

Also Jove save you faire lady,

Among the roses that be so red;

If I have not my will of

you,

Full soone faire lady shall I be dead. Then she sang, &c.

10

Then he lookt East, then hee lookt West,

Hee lookt North, so did he South; He could not finde a privy place,

For all lay in the divels mouth. Than she sang, &c.

If you will carry me, gentle sir,
A mayde unto my fathers hall,

Then you shall have your will of me,
Under purple and under paule.
Than she sang, &c.

He set her up upon a steed,

And him selfe upon another:

And all the day he rode her by,

As though they had been sister and brother. Then she sang, &c.

When she came to her fathers hall,

It was well walled round about;

She yode in at the wicket gate

And shut the foure ear'd foole without. Then she sang, &c.

You had me (quoth she) abroad in the field,

Among the corne, amidst the hay;

Where you might had your will of mee,
For, in good faith sir, I never said nay.
Then she sang, &c.

20

30

40

Ye had me also amid the field,

Among the rushes that were so browne;

Where you might had will of me,

your

But you had not the face to lay me downe. Then she sang, &c.

He pulled out his nut-browne sword,

And wipt the rust off with his sleeve;
And said, Joves curse come to his heart,
That any woman would believe.
Then she sang, &c.

XI.

JOHN DORY.

This celebrated old ballad, which, could due proof be obtained of its real antiquity, would, in all probability, be found to belong to the preceding, or, possibly, even to an anterior, class, is given from the publication last described, where it is inserted among the "Freemens songs of 3 voices." This was the favourite performance of the English Minstrels so lately as the reign of King Charles II. "Hunger," says Bp. Earle in his character of a poor Fiddler, "is the greatest pain he takes, except a broken head sometimes, and the labouring JOHN DORY:" and Dryden, in one of his lampoons, refers to it as to the most hackneyed thing of the time:

"But Sunderland, Godolphin, Lory,

These will appear such chits in story,
"Twill turn all politics to jests,

TO BE REPEATED LIKE JOHN DORY,

WHEN FIDLERS SING AT FEASTS."

In the Chances, by Fletcher, first printed in 1647, but written long