The Gods by musicke have theire prayse; In seas, whom pyrats would destroy, O heavenly gyft, that rules the mynd, To comforte manne, whom cares would nippe! Since thow both man and beste doest move, What beste ys he, wyll the disprove? VI. KING COPHETUA AND THE BEGGAR MAID. -is a story often alluded to by our old Dramatic Writers. Shakespeare, in his Romeo and Juliet, A. II. Sc. 1, makes Mercutio say, Her (Venus's) purblind son and heir, Young Adam 1 Cupid, he that shot so true, When King Cophetua loved the beggar-maid.' 6 As the 13th line of the following ballad seems here particularly alluded to, it is not improbable but Shakespeare wrote it 'shot so trim,' which the players or printers, not perceiving the allusion, might alter to true.' The former, as being the more humorous expression, seems most likely to have come from the mouth of Mercutio.2 In the 2d Part of Hen. IV. A. 5, Sc. 3, Falstaff is introduced affectedly saying to Pistoll, 'O base Assyrian knight, what is thy news? These lines, Dr Warburton thinks, were taken from an old bombast play of King Cophetua. No such play is, I believe, now to be found; but it does not therefore follow that it never existed. Many dramatic pieces are referred to by old writers, which are not now extant, or even mentioned in any List. In the infancy of the stage, plays were often exhibited that were never printed. 1 See above, Preface to Song I. Book II. of this vol. p. 116.-2 Since this conjecture first occurred, it has been discovered that 'shot so trim' was the genuine reading. See Shakesp. Ed. 1793, XIV. 393. See Meres Wits Treas. f. 283. Arte of Eng. Poes. 1589, p. 51, 111, 143, 169. It is probably in allusion to the same play that Ben Johnson says, in his Comedy of Every Man in his Humour, A. 3, Sc. 4. 'I have not the heart to devour thee, an' I might be made as rich as King Cophetua.' At least there is no mention of King Cophetua's riches in the present ballad, which is the oldest I have met with on the subject. It is printed from Rich. Johnson's Crown Garland of Goulden Roses,' 1612, 12mo. (where it is intitled simply A Song of a Beggar and a King:) corrected by another copy. I READ that once in Affrica A princely wight did raine, From natures lawes he did decline, But did them all disdaine. But, marke, what hapned on a day, He saw a beggar all in gray, The which did cause his paine. The blinded boy, that shootes so trim, From heaven downe did hie; He drew a dart and shot at him, In place where he did lye: Which soone did pierse him to the quicke, Which in his tender heart did sticke, < 6 He looketh as he would dye. What sudden chance is this,' quoth he, That I to love must subject be, Which never thereto would agree, But still did it defie?' 5 10 15 20 Then from the window he did come, 25 And laid him on his bed, A thousand heapes of care did runne For now he meanes to crave her love, And now he seekes which way to proove 30 How he his fancie might remoove, And not this beggar wed. Or els he would be dead. And, as he musing thus did lye, How he might have her companye, 35 That so did 'maze his eyes. 40 In thee,' quoth he, 'doth rest my life; For surely thou shalt be my wife, Or else this hand with bloody knife The Gods shall sure suffice.' Then from his bed he soon arose, Full little then this begger knowes The gods preserve your majesty,' Our childrens food to buy.' The king to them his pursse did cast, That after them did hye. The king he cal'd her back againe, And unto her he gave his chaine; 45 50 55 And said, 'With us you shal remaine For thou,' quoth he, shalt be my wife, As shortly shall be seene: What is thy name, faire maid?' quoth he. 60 65 70 A trim one as I weene. Thus hand in hand along they walke Unto the king's pallàce: The king with courteous comly talke 75 And when the wedding day was come, 85 1 Shakespeare (who alludes to this ballad in his 'Love's Labour lost,' Act IV. Sc. 1.) gives the Beggar's name Zenelophon, according to all the old editions: but this seems to be a corruption; for Penelophon, in the text, sounds more like the name of a Woman.—The story of the King and the Beggar is also alluded to in K. Rich. II. Act V. Sc. 3. The noblemen both all and some He knowth not his estate. Here you may read, Cophetua, 90 95 100 He that did lovers lookes disdaine, To do the same was glad and faine, Or else he would himselfe have slaine, In storie, as we read. Disdaine no whit, O lady deere, But pitty now thy servant heere, And thus they led a quiet life During their princely raigne; And in a tombe were buried both, As writers sheweth plaine. The lords they tooke it grievously, The commons cryed pitiously, 105 110 115 Their death to them was paine, Ver. 90, i.e. tramped the streets.-Ver. 105, Here the poet addresses himself to his mistress.-Ver. 112, Sheweth was anciently the plur. numb. |