* * SINCE the foregoing Song was first printed off, reafons have occurred, which incline me to believe that Lord VAUX the poet was not the Lord NICHOLAS VAUX, who died in 1523, but rather a fucceffor of his in the title. For in the first place it is remarkable that all the old writers mention Lord Vaux, the poet, as contemporary or rather pofterior to Sir THOMAS WYAT, and the E. of SURREY, neither of which made any figure till long after the death of the firft Lord Nicholas Vaux. Thus Puttenham in his "Art of English Poefie, 1589." in p. 48, having named SKELTON, adds, “In the latter end of the fame kings raigne [Henry VIII] Sprong up a new company of "courtly Makers, [Poets] of whom Sir THOMAS WYAT "th' elder, and Henry Earl of SURREY were the two "chieftaines, who having travailed into Italie, and there "tafted the fweet and stately measures and file of the "Italian poefie.. greatly polished our rude and homely manner of vulgar poefie In the SAME TIME, or NOT LONG AFTER was the Lord NICHOLAS VAUX, "a man of much facilitie in vulgar makings *."-Webbe in his Difcourfe of English Poetrie, 1586, ranges them in the following order, "The E of Surrey, the Lord Vaux, Norton, Briftow." And Gafcoigne, in the place quoted in the 1ft vol. of this work, [B.II. No. II.] mentions Lord VAUX after Surrey.Again, the file and measure of Lord VAUX's pieces feem too refined and polished for the age of Henry VII and rather refemble the fmoothness and harmony of Surrey and Wyat, than the rude metre of Skelton and Hawes But what puts the matter out of all doubt, in the British Mufeum is a copy of his poem, I lothe that I did love, [vid vol. I. ubi fupra] with this title, "A dyttye or "fonet made by the Lord VAUS, in the time of the noble "Quene Marye, representing the image of Death." Harl. MSS. No. 1703, §. 25. It is evident then that Lord VAUX the poet was not he that flourished in the reign of Henry vij. but either his fon, or grandfon: and yet according to Dugdale's Baronage, the former was named THOMAS, and the latter WILLIAM: but this i. e. Compofitions in English. E VOL. II. difficulty difficulty is not great, for none of the old writers mention the chriftian name of the poetic Lord Vaux * except Puttenham; and it is more likely that he might be mistaken in that Lord's name, than in the time in which he lived, who was fo nearly his contemporary. THOMAS Lord VAUX, of Harrowden in Northamp'onfhire, was fummoned to parliament in 153. When he died does not appear; but he probably lived till the latter end of Queen Mary's reign, fince his fon. WILLIAM was not fummoned to parl. till the last year of that reign, in 1558. This Lord died in 1595. See Dugdale, V. II. p. 304.— -Upon the whole I am inclined to believe that Lord THOMAS was the POET. In the Paradife of Dainty Devises, 1596, he is called fimply "Lord Vaux the elder." This old fabulous legend is given from the Editor's folie MS with conjectural emendations, and the infertion of fome additional ftanzas to fupply and compleat the flory. It has been fuggefted to the Editor, that the Author of this Poem feems to have had in his eye the ftory of Gunhilda, who is fometimes called Eleanor, and was married to the Emperor (here called King) Henry. UR king he kept a false stewàrde, Sir Aldingar they him call; A falfer fteward than he was one, Servde not in bower nor hall. He wolde have layne by our comelye qucene, 5 Her deere worshippe to betraye: Our Our queene fhe was a good woman, Sir Aldingar was wrothe in his mind, With her hee was never content, There came a lazar to the kings gate, 10 He tooke the lazar upon his backe, 15 Him on the queenes bed has layne. "Lye ftill, lazàr, wheras thou lyest, "Looke thou goe not hence away; "In two howers of the day Then went him forth fir Aldingar, And hyed him to our king: "If I might have grace, as I have space, "Sad tydings I could bring." Say on, fay on, fir Aldingar, Saye on the foothe to mee. "Our queene hath chosen a new new love, 20 25 He probably infinuates that the king should heal him by his power of touching for the King's Evil. E 2 "If fhee had chofen a right good knight, "The leffe had beene her shame; "But the hath chofe her a lazar man, “A lazar both blinde and lame.” 30 If this be true, thou Aldingar, The tyding thou telleft to me, Then will I make thee a rich rich knight, 35 Rich both of golde ånd fee. But if it be false, fir Aldingar, As God nowe grant it bee! Thy body, I fweare by the holye rood, Shall hang on the gallows tree. He brought our king to, the queenes chambèr, And opend to him the dore. A lodlye love, king Harry fays, For our queene dame Elinore! If thou were a man, as thou art none, Here on my fword thouft dye; But a payre of new gallowes fhall be built, 40 45 Forth then hyed our king, I wysse, And an angry man was hee; 50 Now Now God you fave, our queene, madame, If you had chofen a right good knight, But Therfore a fyer there shall be built, And brent all fhalt thou bee.-"Now out alacke! faid our comly queene, Sir Aldingar's false to mee. Now out alacke! fayd our comlye queene, I had thought fwevens had never been true; I dreamt in my sweven on thursday eve, In my bed wheras I laye, I dreamt a grype and a grimlie beast My gorgett and my kirtle of golde, And all my faire head-geere: 55 60 65 70 And he wold worrye me with his tulh 75 And to his neft y-beare: E 3 Saving |