[Footnote 37: esteem.]

[Footnote 38: heraldry.]

[Footnote 39: such.]

[Footnote 40: unwilling.]

[Footnote 41: much.]

[Footnote 42: wisdom, council.]

[Footnote 43: if.]

[Footnote 44: perchance.]

[Footnote 45: them.]

[Footnote 46: Greybeards.]

[Footnote 47: curiously.]

[Footnote 48: lessened.]

[Footnote 49: small.]

[Footnote 50: that.]

[Footnote 51: allow.]

[Footnote 52: cart-horse.]

[Editor's note: ll. 15-16 _See Introduction_ p. xli]

[Footnote 53: broken.]

[Footnote 54: elegantly.]

[Footnote 55: declared, expressed.]

[Footnote 56: a pen, used metaphorically, as a muse or genius.]

[Footnote 57: boundless.]

[Footnote 58: subject.]

[Footnote 59: nervous, worthy of praise.]

ENTRODUCTIONNE.

Somme cherisounce[60] it ys to gentle mynde, Whan heie have chevyced[61] theyre londe from bayne[62], Whan theie ar dedd, theie leave yer name behynde, And theyre goode deedes doe on the earthe remayne; Downe yn the grave wee ynhyme[63] everych steyne, 5 Whylest al her gentlenesse ys made to sheene, Lyche fetyve baubels[64] geasonne[65] to be seene.

aeLLA, the wardenne of thys[66] castell[67] stede, Whylest Saxons dyd the Englysche sceptre swaie, Who made whole troopes of Dacyan men to blede, 10 Then seel'd[68] hys eyne, and seeled hys eyne for aie, Wee rowze hym uppe before the judgment daie, To saie what he, as clergyond[69], can kenne, And howe hee sojourned in the vale of men.

[Footnote 60: comfort.]

[Footnote 61: preserved.]

[Footnote 62: ruin.]

[Footnote 63: inter.]

[Footnote 64: jewels.]

[Footnote 65: rare.]

[Footnote 66: Bristol.]

[Footnote 67: castle.]

[Footnote 68: closed.]

[Footnote 69: taught.]

aeLLA.

CELMONDE, att BRYSTOWE.

Before yonne roddie sonne has droove hys wayne Throwe halfe hys joornie, dyghte yn gites[1] of goulde, Mee, happeless mee, hee wylle a wretche behoulde, Mieselfe, and al that's myne, bounde ynne myschaunces chayne.

Ah! Birtha, whie dydde Nature frame thee fayre? 5 Whie art thou all thatt poyntelle[2] canne bewreene[3]?

Whie art thou nott as coa.r.s.e as odhers are?-- Botte thenn thie soughle woulde throwe thy vysage sheene, Yatt shemres onn thie comelie semlykeene[4], Lyche nottebrowne cloudes, whann bie the sonne made redde, 10 Orr scarlette, wythe waylde lynnen clothe ywreene[5], Syke[6] woulde thie spryte upponn thie vysage spredde.

Thys daie brave aella dothe thyne honde & harte Clayme as hys owne to be, whyche nee fromm hys moste parte.

And cann I lyve to see herr wythe anere[7]! 15 Ytt cannotte, muste notte, naie, ytt shalle not bee.

Thys nyghte I'll putte stronge poysonn ynn the beere, And hymm, herr, and myselfe, attenes[8] wyll slea.

a.s.syst mee, h.e.l.le! lett Devylles rounde mee tende, To slea mieselfe, mie love, & eke mie doughtie[9] friende. 20