House. would have given him all the money she had in the house, but he returned her thanks, and told her that he had so ill kept his own, that he would not tempt his governor with more; but that if she would give him a shirt or two, and some handkerchiefs, he would keep them as long as he could for her sake. She fetched him some shifts of her own, and some handkerchiefs, saying, that she was ashamed to give them to him, but having none of her son's shirts at home, she desired him to wear them. Thus passed the time till orders came to carry my husband to Whitehall, where, in a little room, (yet standing in the Bowling-green,) he was kept prisoner without the speech of any (so far as they knew) for ten weeks, and in expectation of death. They then examined him, and at last he grew so ill in health, by the cold and hard marches he had undergone, and being pent up in a room close and small, that the scurvy brought him down almost to death's door. During the time of his imprisonment I failed not, constantly, when the clock struck four in the morning, to go with a dark lanthorn in my hand, all alone and on foot, from my lodgings in Chancery Lane, at my cousin Young's, to Whitehall, by the entry that went out of King's Street into the Bowling-green. There I would go under his window, and call him softly. He, excepting the first time, never afterwards failed to put out his head at the first call. Thus we talked together, and sometimes I was so wet with rain that it went in at my neck, and out at my heels. My husband directed me how to make my addresses for his delivery to the General Cromwell, who had a great respect for your father, and would have bought him off to his service upon any terms. 52. THE NUT-BROWN MAID. 6 6 [IN a singular book, first printed about 1502. called Arnold's Chronicle,' the strangest medley of the most prosaic things-appears, for the first time, as far as we know, the ballad of The Nut-Brown Maid.' Upon this ballad Prior founded his poem of Henry and Emma.' Thomas Warton, in his History of English Poetry,' truly says that Prior" paraphrased the poem without improving its native beauties;" and he adds, there is hardly an obsolete word, or that requires explanation, in the whole piece." Prior spoilt the story, enfeebled the characters, and utterly obliterated the simplicity of his 66 original. The reader will bear in mind that the poem, after the first sixteen lines, is conducted in dialogue. We distinguish the beginning and end of each speech by inverted commas.] Be it right or wrong, these men among, on women do complain, To love them well, for never a deal they love a man again; For let a man do what he can their favour to attain, Yet if a new do them pursue, their first true lover than * Laboureth for nought, for from her thought he is a banished man. I say not nay, but that all day it is both writ and said, That woman's faith is, as who saith, all utterly decayed; But, nevertheless, right good witness in this case might be laid, Then between us let us discuss, what was all the manere + 66 And I your will for to fulfil, in this will not refuse; Mine own heart dear, with you what cheer? I pray you tell anon, "It standeth so; a deed is do wherefore much harm shall grow, My destiny is for to die a shameful death I trow, Or else to flee; the one must be; none other way I know ■ then. VOL. I. † manner. + counsel. A A "O Lord, what is the worlde's bliss, that changeth as the moon, "I can believe it shall you grieve, and somewhat Shall soon aslake, and ye shall take comfort to you again. Why should ye nought? for to make thought your labour were in vain, And thus I do, and pray you lot, as heartily as I can, For I must to the green wood go, alone, a banished man." 66 Now sith that ye have shewed to me the secret of your mind, I shall be plain to you again, like as ye shall me find; Sith it is so, that ye will go, I will not leave behind, Shall never be said, the Nut-Brown Maid was to her love unkind; Make you ready, for so am I, although it were anon, For, in my mind, of all mankind, I love but you alone." "Yet I you rede to take good heed what men will think and say, 66 Though it be sung of old and young that I should be to blame, "I counsel you, remember how it is no maiden's law, Nothing to doubt, but to run out to wood with an outlaw : * part. † mark. + those. For ye must there in your hand bear a bow ready to draw, By which to you great harm might grow, yet had I liefer then "I think not nay, but as ye say, it is no maiden's law, "For an outlaw this is the law, that men him take and bind *; "Full well know ye that women be full feeble for to fight, "Yet take good heed for ever I drede ‡ that ye could not sustain "Sith I have here been partynere ¶ with you of joy and bliss, I must also part of your woe endure, as reason is; Yet am I sure of one pleasure; and, shortly, it is this, That where ye be me seemeth, perdie, I could not fare amiss; Without more speech, I you beseech, that we were soon agone; 66 If ye go thider*, ye must consider, when ye have lust to dine, There shall no meat be for you get, nor drink, beer, ale, nor wine, Nor sheetes clean to lie between, maden of thread and twine; None other house, but leaves and boughs, to cover your head and mine: Lo, mine heart sweet, this ill diet should make you pale and wan, Wherefore I to the wood will go, alone, a banished man." that ye Among the wild deer, such an archere, as men say be, With which in hele †, I shall righte wele endure, as ye shall see; For, in my mind, of all mankind, I love but you alone." Lo yet before, ye must do more, if ye will go with me, As cut your hair up by your ear, your kirtle by your knee; "I shall as now, do more for you than 'longeth to womanhede, Nay, nay, not so, ye shall not go, and I shall tell you why; |