XI.

Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard.

THIS ballad is ancient, and has been popu- | I have a bower at Bucklesford-bury,*

lar; we find it quoted in many old plays. See Beaum. and Fletcher's Knight of the Burning Pestle, 4to., 1613, Act 5. The Varietie, a comedy, 12mo., 1649, Act 4, &c. In Sir William Davenant's play, "The Witts," Act 3, a gallant thus boasts of himself:

"Limber and sound! besides I sing Musgrave,

Full daintilye bedight,

If thoult wend thither, my little Musgrave,
Thoust lig in mine armes all night.

Quoth hee, I thanke yee, ladye faire,

This kindness yee shew to mee;
And whether it be to my weale or woe,
This night will I lig with thee.

And for Chevy-chace no lark comes near All this beheard a litle foot-page, mee."

In the Pepys Collection, vol. III., p. 314, is an imitation of this old song, in 33 stanzas, by a more modern pen, with many alterations, but evidently for the worse.

This is given from an old printed copy in the British Museum, with corrections; some of which are from a fragment in the Editor's folio MS. It is also printed in Dryden's Collection of Miscellaneous Poems.

As it fell out on a highe holye daye,
As many bee in the yeare,

By his ladyes coach as he ranne: Quoth he, thoughe I am my ladyes page, Yet Ime my Lord Barnardes manne.

My Lord Barnard shall knowe of this,
Although I lose a limbe.

And ever whereas the bridges were broke,
He layd him downe to swimme.

25

30

36

Asleep or awake, thou Lord Barnàrd,
As thou art a man of life,
Lo! this same night at Bucklesford-Bury
Litle Musgrave's in bed with thy wife. 40

When yong men and maides together do goe, If it be trew, thou litle foote-page,
Their masses and mattins to heare,

This tale thou hast told to mee,
Then all my lands in Bucklesford-Bury
I freelye will give to thee.

15 Then some they whistled, and some they

And riddle us both as one;
Whether I shall marrye with faire Ellinor,
And let the browne girl alone?

6

-Isgiven (with corrections) from an ancient | Come riddle my riddle, dear mother, he sayd, copy in black-letter, in the Pepys collection, entitled "A tragical ballad on the unfortunate love of Lord Thomas and fair Ellinor, together with the downfall of the browne girl." In the same collection may be seen an attempt to modernize this old song, and reduce it to a different measure: a proof of its popularity.

LORD Thomas he was a bold forrester,
And a chaser of the kings deere;
Faire Ellinor was a fine woman,

And Lord Thomas he loved his deare.

The browne girl she has got houses and lands,
Fair Ellinor she has got none,
10
And therefore I charge thee on my blessing,
To bring me the browne girl home.

And as it befelle on a high holidaye,
As many there are beside,
Lord Thomas he went to faire Ellinor,
That should have been her bride.

15