ARGENTILE AND CURAN.

FROM "Albion's England," by William Warner. The story is believed to be the invention of the poet. Campbell remarks that Argentile and Curan' has some beautiful touches, but requires to be weeded of many lines to be read with unqualified pleasure." Though here divided into stanzas, the metre is the old Alexandrine of fourteen syllables.

THE Bruton's being' departed hence
Seaven kingdoms here begonne,
Where diversly in divers broyles
The Saxons lost and wonne.

King Edel and king Adelbright
In Diria jointly raigne;
In loyal concorde during life
These kingly friends remaine.

When Adelbright should leave his life,
To Edel thus he sayes;

By those same bondes of happie love,
That held us friends alwaies;

By our by-parted crowne, of which
The moyetie is mine;

By God, to whom my soule must passe,
And so in time may thine;

I pray thee, nay I conjure thee,
To nourish, as thine owne,
Thy niece, my daughter Argentile,
Till she to age be growne;
And then, as thou receivest it,
Resigne to her my throne.

A promise had for his bequest,
The testator he dies;
But all that Edel undertooke
He afterwards denies.

Yet well he fosters for a time
The damsell that was growne
The fairest lady under heaven;
Whose beautie being knowne,

A many princes seeke her love;
But none might her obtaine;
For grippell' Edel to himselfe

Her kingdome sought to gaine;
And for that cause from sight of such
He did his ward restraine.

By chance one Curan, sonne unto
A prince in Danske,2 did see
The maid, with whom he fell in love,
As much as man might bee.

Unhappie youth, what should he doe?
His saint was kept in mewe ;3
Nor he nor any noble-man
Admitted to her vewe.

One while in melancholy fits
He pines himselfe awaye;
Anon he thought by force of arms
To win her if he maye:

And still against the king's restraint
Did secretly invay.

At length the high controller Love,
Whom none may disobay,

Imbased him from lordlines
Into a kitchen drudge,
That so at least of life or death
She might become his judge.

Accesse so had to see and speake,
He did his love bewray,

And tells his birth: her answer was,

She husbandles would stay.

Meane while the king did beate his braines,

His booty to atchieve,

Nor caring what became of her,

So he by her might thrive; At last his resolution was

Some pessant should her wive.

1 Grippell-griping.

2 Danske-probably Denmark.

3 Mewe-cage.

And (which was working to his wish)
He did observe with joye

How Curan, whom he thought a drudge,
Scapt many an amorous toye.'

The king, perceiving such his veine,
Promotes his vassal still,

Lest that the basenesse of the man
Should lett, perhaps, his will.

Assured therefore of his love,
But not suspecting who
The lover was, the king himselfe
In his behalf did woe.

The lady resolute from love,
Unkindly takes that he

Should barre the noble, and unto
So base a match agree:

And therefore shifting out of doores,
Departed thence by stealth;
Preferring povertie before

A dangerous life in wealth.

When Curan heard of her escape,
The anguish in his hart
Was more than much, and after her
From court he did depart;

Forgetfull of himselfe, his birth,
His country, friends, and all,
And only minding (whom he mist)
The foundresse of his thrall.

Nor meanes he after to frequent
Or court, or stately townes,

But solitarily to live

Amongst the country grownes.3

A brace of vears he lived thus,
Well pleased so to live,

And shepherd-like to feed a flocke

Himselfe did wholly give.

The construction is, "How that many an amorous toy, or foolery of love, 'scaped Curan"-i. e. escaped from him, being off his guard.

2 Lett-hinder.

3 Grownes-grounds.

So wasting, love, by worke, and want,
Grew almost to the waine:
But then began a second love,
The worser of the twaine.

A country wench, a neatherd's maid,
Where Curan kept his sheepe,
Did feed her drove and now on her
Was all the shepherd's keepe.1

He borrowed on the working daies
His holy russets2 oft,

And of the bacon's fat, to make
His startops3 blacke and soft.

And least his tarbox should offend,
He left it at the folde:

Sweete growte, or whig," his bottle had,
As much as it might holde.

A sheeve of bread as browne as nut,
And cheese as white as snow,
And wildings, or the season's fruit
He did in scrip bestow.

And whilst his py-bald curres did sleepe,
And sheep-hooke lay him by,

On hollow quilles of oten straw
He piped melody.

But when he spyed her his saint,

He wip'd his greasie shooes,

And clear'd the drivell from his beard,
And thus the shepheard wooes.

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I have, sweet wench, a peece of cheese, "As good as tooth may chawe, "And bread and wildings souling9 well, (And therewithall did drawe

1 Keepe-care, or notice.
Holy-day russets-i.e. his best clothes.

3 Startops-buskins, or half-boots.

4 Growte-small beer variously made.
5 Whig-whey, or buttermilk.

Sherve-a great slice.

8 Curre-dog.

7 Wildings-wild apples.

9 Souling-victualling.

His lardrie1) and in 'yeaning' see

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Yon crumpling ewe, quoth he,

"Did twinne this fall, and twin shouldst thou, "If I might tup with thee.

"Thou art too elvish, faith thou art,

"Too elvish and too coy:

"Am I, I pray thee, beggarly,
"That such a flocke enjoy?

"I wis I am not yet that thou
"Doest hold me in disdaine
"Is brimme" abroad, and made a gybe
"To all that keepe this plaine.

"There be as quaint' (at least that thinke
"Themselves as quaint) that crave
"The match, that thou, I wot not why,
"Maist, but mislik'st to have.

"How wouldst thou match? (for well I wot, "Thou art a female) I

"Her know not here that willingly "With maiden-head would die.

"The plowman's labour hath no end, "And he a churle will prove :

"The craftsman hath more worke in hand "Then fitteth unto love:

"The merchant, traffiquing abroad, "Suspects his wife at home:

"A youth will play the wanton; and

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An old man prove a mome."

"Then chuse a shepheard: with the sun "He doth his flocke unfold,

"And all the day on hill or plaine "He merrie chat can hold;

"And with the sun doth folde againe ; "Then jogging home betime,

6

"He turnes a crab, or turnes a round,

1 Lardrie-larder.

2 Crumpling crooked-horned. 3 Brimme-public.

* Quaint-nice, or fantastical. 5 Mome-a dull person. 6i.e. roasts a crab, or apple.