C.

Aftonyed lay the heire of Linne,

Ne knewe if he were live or dead,
At length he looked, and fawe a bille,
And in it a key of gold fo redd.

He took the bill, and lookt it on,

Strait good comfort found he there :

It told him of a hole in the wall,

In which there stood three chefts in-fere .

Two were full of the beaten golde,

The third was full of white money;

And over them in broad lettèrs

These words were written fo plaine to fee:

"Once more, my fonne, I fette, thee clere;

"Amend thy life and follies paft;

"For but thou amend thee of thy life,

"That rope muft be thy end at last.”

And let it bee, fayd the heire of Linne;
And let it bee, but if I amend ‡ :
For here I will make mine avow,

This reade || fhall guide me to the end.

Away then went the heire of Linne;

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Away he went with a merry cheare;

I wis,

tin-fere, i. e. together. i. e. advice, counsel.

~‡i.e. unless I amend.

ANCIENT POEMS.

I wis, he neither flint ne ftayd,

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Till John o' the Scales house he came neare. 60

And when he came to John o' the Scales,

Up at the speere * then looked hee;
There fate three lords at the bordes end,
Were drinking of the wine fo free.

And then befpake the heire of Linne
To John o' the Scales then louted hee:

I

pray thee now, good John o' the Scales,
One forty pence for to lend mee.

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To John o' the Scales wife then spake he:
Madame, fome almes on me bestowe,

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*Perhaps the Hole in the door or window, by which it was fpeered, i. e. fparred, faftened, or fout.-In Bale's 2d Part of the Acts of Eng. Votaries, we have this phrase, (fo. 38.) "The dore therof oft tymes opened and Speared agayne.",

For if we fhold hang any lofel heere,
The first we wold begin with thee.

Then befpake a good fellowe,

Which fat at John o' the Scales his bord : Sayd, Turn againe, thou heire of Linne;

Some time thou wat a well good lord:

Some time a good fellow thou hast been,
And fparedft not thy gold and fee,
Therefore Ile lend thee forty pence,

And other forty if need bee.

And ever, I pray thee, John o' the Scales,
To let him fit in thy companee:

For well I wot thou hadft his land,

And a good bargain it was to thee.

Up then spake him John o' the Scales,
All wood he anfwer'd him againe:
Now Chrifts curfe on my head, he fayd,
But I did lose by that bargaine.

And here I proffer thee, heire of Linne,
Before thefe lords fo faire and free,

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Thou shalt have it backe again better cheape,
By a hundred markes, than I had it of thee. 100

I drawe you to record, lords, he faid.
With that he gave him a gods pennèe:

Now