But what helps complaining? In vaine I complaine:

O willow, &c.

I must patiently suffer her scorne and disdaine.
O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow, &c.

Come, all you forsaken, and sit down by me,

O willow, &c.

Fo

He that 'plaines of his false love, mine's falser than she.

O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow, &c.

The willow wreath weare I, since my love did fleet;

O willow, &c.

A garland for lovers forsaken most meete.

O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland!'

PART THE SECOND.

'Lowe lay'd by my sorrow, begot by disdaine; O willow, willow, willow!

Against her too cruell, still still I complaine,

O willow, willow, willow!

O willow, willow, willow!

Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland!

O love too injurious, to wound my poore

O willow, &c.

heart!

To suffer the triumph, and joy in my smart:
O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow, &c.

O willow, willow, willow! the willow garland,
O willow, &c.

A sign of her falsenesse before me doth stand:
O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow, &c.

10

15

As here it doth bid to despair and to dye,

O willow, &c.

So hang it, friends, ore me in grave where I lye:
O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland.

In grave where I rest mee, hang this to the view
O willow, &c.

Of all that doe knowe her, to blaze her untrue.
O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow, &c.

With these words engraven, as epitaph meet,

O willow, &c.

20

25

"Here lyes one, drank poyson for potion most sweet."

Cause once well I loved her, and honoured her name:

O willow, &c.:

Sing, O the greene willow, &c.

The name of her sounded so sweete in mine eare,
O willow, &c.、

It rays'd my heart lightly, the name of my deare;
O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland.

40

45

As then 'twas my comfort, it now is my griefe;

O willow, &c.

It now brings me anguish, then brought me reliefe.

O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow, &c.

Farewell, faire false hearted: plaints end with my breath!

O willow, willow, willow!

50

Thou dost loath me, I love thee, though cause of my

death.

O willow, willow, willow!

O willow, willow, willow!

Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland."

55

IX.

SIR LANCELOT DU LAKE.

This ballad is quoted in Shakespeare's second Part of Henry IV. A. 2. The subject of it is taken from the ancient romance of K. Arthur (commonly called Morte Arthur) being a poetical translation of Chap. cviii, cix, cx, in Pt. 1st, as they stand in Ed. 1634, 4to. In the older Editions the Chapters are differently numbered. This song is given from a printed copy, corrected in part by a fragment in the Editor's folio MS.

In the same play of 2 Henry IV. Silence hums a scrap of one of the old ballads of Robin Hood. It is taken from the following stanza of Robin Hood and the Pindar of Wakefield.

All this beheard three wighty yeomen,

Twas Robin Hood, Scarlet, and John : -
With that they espy'd the jolly Pindàr
As he sate under a thorne.'

That ballad may be found on every stall and therefore is not here reprinted.

WHEN Arthur first in court began,

And was approved king,

By force of armes great victorys wanne,

And conquest home did bring.

Then into England straight he came
With fifty good and able
Knights, that resorted unto him,
And were of his round table:

And he had justs and turnaments,

Wherto were many prest,

Wherin some knights did farr excell

And eke surmount the rest.

But one Sir Lancelot du Lake,

Who was approved well,

He for his deeds and feats of armes,

All others did excell.

When he had rested him a while,
In play, and game, and sportt,

He said he wold goe prove himselfe
In some adventurous sort.

5

10

15.

20.

He armed rode in a forrest wide,

And met a damsell faire,
Who told him of adventures great,
Wherto he gave great eare.

'Such wold I find,' quoth Lancelott:

"Thou seemst,' quoth shee, a knight full good,

And I will bring thee thither.

Wheras a mighty knight doth dwell,

That now is of great fame:

Therefore tell me what wight thou art,

And what may be thy name.'

Ver. 18, to sportt, MS.-Ver 29, Where is often used by our old writers for whereas here it is just the contrary.

'My name is Lancelot du Lake.'

Quoth she, it likes me than;

Here dwelles a knight who never was
Yet matcht with any man:

Who has in prison threescore knights
And four, that he did wound;

Knights of king Arthurs court they be,

And of his table round.'

She brought him to a river side,

And also to a tree,

Whereon a copper bason hung,

And many shields to see.

He struck soe hard, the bason broke;
And Tarquin soon he spyed:
Who drove a horse before him fast,
Whereon a knyght lay tyed.

Sir knyght,' then sayd Sir Lanceldtt, 'Bring me that horse-load hither, And lay him downe, and let him rest; Weel try our force together:

For, as I understand, thou hast,

Soe far as thou art able,
Done great despite and shame unto

The knights of the Round Table.'

If thou be of the Table Round,'
Quoth Tarquin speedilye,
Both thee and all thy fellowship
I utterly defye.'

60