XXII.

THE SPANISH LADY's LOVE.

This beautiful old ballad most probably took its rife from one of thofe defcents made on the Spanish coafts in the time of queen Elizabeth; and in all likelihood from that which is celebrated in the foregoing ballad.

It is printed from an ancient black-letter copy, corrected in part by the Editor's folio MS.

WILL you hear a Spanish lady,

How she wooed an English man?

Garments gay as rich as may be

Decked with jewels fhe had on.

Of a comely countenance and grace was she,
And by birth and parentage of high degree.

As his prisoner there he kept her,
In his hands her life did lye;

Cupid's bands did tye them faster

By the liking of an eye.

In his courteous company was all her joy,
To favour him in any thing she was not coy.

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But at last there came commandment

For to fet the ladies free,

With their jewels ftill adorned,

None to do them injury.

Then faid this lady mild, Full woe is me,
O let me ftill fuftain this kind captivity!

Gallant captain, fhew fome pity

To a ladye in distresse;

Leave me not within this city,

For to dye in heavinesse :

Thou haft fet this prefent day my body free,
But my heart in prifon ftill remains with thee.

"How fhould't thou, fair lady, love me,
Whom thou knowft thy countrys foe?
Thy fair wordes make me fufpe&t thee:
Serpents lie where flowers grow."

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All the harm I wifhe to thee, most courteous knight, God grant the fame upon my head may fully light. 30

Bleffed be the time and feafon,

That you came on Spanish ground;

If you may our foes be termed,

Gentle foes we have you found :

With our city, you have won our hearts each one, 35

Then to your country bear away, that is

your own.

"Reft

"Reft you ftill, moft gallant lady;

Rest

you still, and weep no more;

Of fair lovers there are plenty,

Spain doth yield you wonderous flore."

Spaniards fraught with jealoufy we oft do find,

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But Englishmen throughout the world are counted kind.

Leave me not unto a Spaniard,

Thou alone enjoyft my heart;

I am lovely, young, and tender,
Love is likewise my defert:

Still to ferve thee day and night my mind is preft;
The wife of every Englishman is counted bleft.

I'll quickly change myself, if it be fo,

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Any fuch without offence."

And like a page will follow thee, where'er thou

go,

"I have neither gold nor filver

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To maintain thee in this cafe,

And to travel is great charges,

As you know in every place."

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My chains and jewels every one fhall be thy own,
And eke ten thousand pounds in gold that lies unknown.

500, MS.

" On

"On the feas are many dangers,

Many ftorms do there arife,
Which will be to ladies dreadful,

And force tears from watery eyes.”

Well in troth I fhall endure extremity,

For I could find in heart to lose my life for thee.

"Courteous ladye, leave this fancy,

Here comes all that breeds the ftrife;

I in England have already

A fweet woman to my wife;

I will not falfify my vow for gold nor gain,

Nor yet for all the fairest dames that live in Spain."

O how happy is that woman

That enjoys fo true a friend!
Many happy days God fend her;

Of my fuit I make an end :

On my knees I pardon crave for my offence,

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Which did from love and true affection first commence.

Commend me to thy lovely lady,

Bear to her this chain of gold;

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And these bracelets for a token;

Grieving that I was fo bold:

All my jewels in like fort bear thou with thee,
For they are fitting for thy wife, but not for me.

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t

I will

I will spend my days in prayer,
Love and all his laws defye;

In a nunnery will I shroud mee

Far from any companye:

But ere my prayers have an end, be sure of this,
To pray for thee and for thy love I will not miss.

Thus farewell, most gallant captain!

Farewell too my

heart's content!

Count not Spanish ladies wanton,

Though to thee my love was bent:

Joy and true prosperity goe still with thee!
The like fall ever to thy fhare, most fair ladìe.

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XXIII.

ARGENTILE AND CURAN,

-Is extracted from an ancient hiftorical poem in XIII Books, intitled ALBION'S ENGLAND by WILLIAM WARNER: "An author (Jays a former editor) only unhappy in "the choice of his fubject, and measure of his verfe. His poem is an epitome of the British history, and written "with great learning, fenfe, and spirit. In fome places fine to an extraordinary degree, as I think will eminently appear "in the enfuing episode [of Argentile and Curan]. A tale 'full of beautiful incidents, in the romantictafte, extremely af"fecting, rich in ornament, wonderfully various in ftyle; and