difficulty is not great, for none of the old writers mention the
chriftian name of the poetic Lord Vaux †,
, except Puttenham ;
and it is more likely that he might be mistaken in that Lord's
name, than in the time in which he lived, who was so nearly
his contemporary.

THOMAS Lord VAUX of Harrowden in Northampton-
fbire, was fummoned to parliament in 1531. When he died,
does not appear; but he probably lived till the latter end of
Queen Mary's reign, fince his fon

WILLIAM was not fummoned to parl. till the last year of
that reign, in 1558. This Lord died in 1595. See Dug-
dale, V. 2. p. 304⋅⋅
Upon the whole I am inclined to

believe that Lord THOMAS was the POET.

+ In the Paradife of Dainty Devises, 1596, he is called fimply “Lord, "Vaux the elder."

This old fabulous legend is given from the Editor's folio MS, with fe conjectural emendations, and the infertion of sever 2. Final/ of for & Ranzas to supply defecte in the original copy of compleat to

It has been fuggefted to the Editor, that the Author of this Poem feems to have had in his eye the ftory of Gunhilda, who is fometimes called Eleanor, and was married to the Emperor (bere called King) Henry.

UR king he kept a falfe ftewàrde,

OUR

Sir Aldingar they him call;

A falfer fteward than he was one,

Servde not in bower nor hall.

He wolde have layne by our comelye queene,

Her deere worshippe to betraye:

4

As

5

Our

This old fabulous legend is given from the Editor's folio MS with donjectur adfcendations, and the inforhon of several tanzas to supply & compleat the Hory.

ANCIENT POE M S.

Our queene she was a good woman,
And evermore faid him naye.

Sir Aldingar was wrothe in his mind,
With her hee was never content,
Till traiterous meanes he colde devyfé,
In a fyer to have het brent.

There came a lazar to the kings gate,
a

A lazar both blinde and lame :

He took the laza upon his backe,
And on the queenes bed layne.

66

in

'Lye ftill, lazàr, wheras thou lyeft,
e

"Looke thou go not hence away;

"Ile make thee a whole man and a found

"In two howers of the day

Then went him forth fir Aldingar,

And hyed him to our king:

"If I might have grace, as I have space,
"Sad tydings I could bring,"

Say on, fay on, fir Aldingar,

Saye on the foothe to mee.

"Our queene hath chofen a new new love,

"And shee will have none of thee.

E 2

He probably infinuates that the king should beal bim by his power

of touching for the King's Evil.

I thou

"If fhee had chosen a right good knight,
"The leffe had beene her shame;

But he hath chofe her a lazar man,
"A lazar both blinde and lame."

30

Then will make thee a rich rich knight,
Rich both of golde and fee.

35

But if it be falfe, fir Aldingar,

As God nowe grant it bee!

Thy body, I sweare by the holye rood,

Shall hang on the gallows tree.

He brought our king to the queenes chamber,
And opend to him the dore.

40

! Marry

A lodlye love, king Kenye fayd
For our queene dame Elinore!

If thou werf a man, as thou art none,

Here on my fword thouft dye;

But a payre of new gallowes fhall be built,
And there fhalt thou hang on hye.

45

Forth then hyed our king, I wyfse,

And an angry man was hee;
And foone he found queene Elinore,

50

That bride fo bright of blee.

Now

ग

.