first part without large promises of still greater entertainment in the second. This was a necessary piece of art to incline the hearers to be at the expense of a second groat'sworth. Many of the old romances extend to eight or nine FITS, which would afford a considerable profit to the reciter. To return to the word FIT; it seems at one time to have peculiarly signified the pause, or breathing-time, between the several parts, (answering to PASSUS in the Visions of Pierce Plowman): thus in the ancient ballad of ChevyChase, vol. i. p. 9, the first part ends with this line, "The first FIT here I fynde :" i. e. here I come to the first pause or intermission. (See also vol. i. p. 27.) By degrees it came to signify the whole part or division preceding the pause. (See the concluding verses of the First and Second Parts of " Adam Bell, Clym of the Clough, and William of Cloudsly," in vol. i.) This sense it had obtained so early as the time of Chaucer; who thus concludes the first part of his rhyme of Sir Thopas, (writ in ridicule of the old ballad romances): The word FIT indeed appears originally to have signified a poetic strain, verse, or poem: for in these senses it is used by the Anglo-Saxon writers. Thus King Alfred in his Boetius, having given a version of lib. 3, metr. 5, adds, pare pirdom thar thar fitte arunzen hærde, page 65, i. e. "when wisdom had sung these [FITTS] verses." And in the Proem to the same book fon on fitte, "put into [FITT] verse." So in Cedmon, p. 45. feond on fitte, seems to mean composed a song," or poem." The reader will trace this old Saxon phrase in the application of the word fond, in the foregoing passage of Chaucer. See Glossary. 66 66 a strain of Spenser has used the word fit to denote " music." See his poem entitled, "Collin Clout's come home again," where he says, The Shepherd of the ocean [Sir Walt. Raleigh] And when he heard the music which I made It is also used in the old ballad of King Estmere, vol. i. p. 76, v. 243. From being applied to music, this word was easily transferred to dancing; thus, in the old play of Lusty Juventus, (described in p. 121, and p. 143, vol. i.,) Juventus says, By the masse I would fayne go dance a FITTE. And from being used as a part or division in a ballad, poem, &c. it is applied by Bale to a section or chapter in a book, though I believe in a sense of ridicule or sarcasm; for thus he entitles two chapters of his English Mocaryes, part ii. viz. — fol. 49, "The fyrst FYTT of Anselme with Kynge Wyllyam Rufus."-fol. 50, "An other FYTT of Anselme with kynge Wyllyam Rufus.” XI. Fancy and Desire. BY THE EARL OF OXFORD. Edward Vere, Earl of Oxford, was in high fame for his poetical talents in the reign of Elizabeth: perhaps it is no injury to his reputation, that few of his compositions are preserved for the inspection of impartial posterity. To gratify curiosity, we have inserted a sonnet of his, which is quoted with great encomiums for its "excellencie and wit," in Puttenham's Arte of Eng. Poesie,* and found entire in the Garland of Good-will. A few more of his sonnets (distinguished by the initial letters E. O.) may be seen in the Paradise of daintie Devises. One of these is entitled "The Complaint of a Lover, wearing blacke and tawnie." The only lines in it worth notice are these, A crowne of baies shall that man beare' For black and tawnie will I weare, Which mourning colours be. We find in Hall's Chronicle, that when Queen Catharine of Arragon died, Jan. 8, 1536; "Queen Anne [Bullen] ware YELLOWE for the mourning." And when this unfortunate princess lost her head, May 19, the same year, the ascencion day following, the kyng for mourning ware WHYTE," fol. 227, 228. 66 on Edward, who was the 17th Earl of Oxford, of the family of Vere, succeeded his father in his title and honours in 1562, and died an aged man in 1604. See Mr. Walpole's Noble Authors. Athen. Oxon, &c. * Lond. 1589, By whom, sweet boy, wert thou begot? What was thy meate and dayly foode? "Sad sighes with great annoy." What hadst thou then to drinke? 66 Unsavoury lovers teares." What cradle wert thou rocked in? "In hope devoyde of feares." 5 10 15 What lulld thee then asleepe? "Sweete speech, which likes me best." Tell me, where is thy dwelling place? 20 "In gentle hartes I rest." What thing doth please thee most? "To gaze on beautye stille." Whom dost thou thinke to be thy foe? Doth companye displease? "Yes, surelye, many one." Where doth Desire delighte to live? "He loves to live alone." Doth either tyme or age Bringe him unto decaye? "No, no, Desire both lives and dyes Then, fond Desire, farewelle, Thou art no mate for mee; I sholde be lothe, methinkes, to dwelle With such a one as thee. XII. Sir Andrew Barton. I cannot give a better relation of the fact, which is the subject of the following ballad, than in an extract from the late Mr. Guthrie's Peerage; which was begun upon a very elegant plan, but never finished. Vol. i. 4to. p. 22. "The transactions which did the greatest honour to the earl of Surrey and his family at this time, [a. D. 1511,] was their behaviour in the case of Barton, a Scotch seaofficer. This gentleman's father having suffered by sea from the Portuguese, he had obtained letters of marque for his two sons to make reprisals upon the subjects of * * Thomas Howard, afterwards created Duke of Norfolk. 35 309 25 |