THE OLD CAP; OR, TIME'S ALTERATION.

Reprinted from "Elegant Extracts."

HEN this old cap was new,

'Tis since two hundred year,

No malice then we knew,

But all things plenty were:

All friendship now decays
(Believe me, this is true),
Which was not in those days
When this old cap was new.

The nobles of our land

Where much delighted then

To have at their command
A crew of lusty men,

Which by their coats were known,
Of tawny, red, or blue,

With crests on their sleeves shown,
When this old cap was new.

Now pride hath banish'd all,
Unto our land's reproach,

When he whose means are small

Maintains both horse and coach;

Instead of an hundred men,

The coach allows but two;
This was not thought on then,

When this old cap was new.

Good hospitality

Was cherished then of many;
Now poor men starve and die,
And are not help'd by any;

For charity waxeth cold,

And love is found in few: This was not in time of old, When this old cap was new.

Wherever you travell'd then,

You might meet on the way Brave knights and gentlemen, Clad in their country grey,

That courteous would appear,

And kindly welcome you :

No puritans then were,

When this old cap was new.

Our ladies, in those days,

In civil habit went;

Broad cloth was then worth praise,
And gave the best content;

French fashions then were scorn'd;
Fond fangles then none knew;
Then modesty women adorn'd,
When this old cap was new.

The Holly-tree was poll'd

At Christmas for each hall; There was fire to curb the cold,

And meat for great and small :

The neighbours were friendly bidden,
And all had welcome true;

The poor from the gates were not chidden
When this old cap was new.

Black jacks to every man

Were filled with wine and beer;

No pewter pot nor can

Did in those days appear.

Good cheer in a nobleman's house
Was counted a seemly show;
We wanted no brawn nor souse,
When this old cap was new.

We took not such delight

In cups of silver fine;
None under degree of a knight
In plate drank beer or wine.

Now each mechanical man

Hath a cupboard of plate for show;

Which was a rare thing then,

When this old cap was new.

God save our gracious king,

Oh, send him long to live! And mischief on them bring

That will not their alms give ;

But seek to rob the poor

Of that which is their due: This was not in the time of yore, When this old cap was new.

THE HEIR OF LINNE.

"The original of this ballad is found in the Editor's folio MS. the breaches and defects in which rendered the insertion of supplementary stanzas necessary. These it is hoped the reader will pardon, as indeed the completion of the story was suggested by a modern ballad on a similar subject. From the Scottish phrases here and there discernible in this poem, it would seem to have been originally composed beyond the Tweed."-PERCY.

PART THE FIRST.

ITHE and listen, gentlemen,

To sing a song I will beginne:
It is of a lord of faire Scotland,

Which was the unthrifty heire of Linne.

His father was a right good lord,

His mother a lady of high degree;

But they, alas! were dead him froe,
And he lov'd keeping companie.

To spend the daye with merry cheare,
To drinke and revell every night,
To card and dice from eve to morne,
It was, I ween, his hearts delighte.

To ride, to runne, to rant, to roare,
To alwaye spend and never spare,
I wott, an' it were the king himselfe,
Of gold and fee he mote be bare.

Soe fares the unthrifty lord of Linne

Till all his gold is gone and spent ;
And he maun sell his landes so broad,
His house, and landes, and all his rent.