The grave-digger's song in Hamlet, act v. is taken from three stanzas of the following poem, though greatly altered and disguised, as the same were corrupted by the ballad-singers of Shakespeare's time: or perhaps so designed by the poet himself, the better to suit the character of an illiterate clown. The original is preserved among Surrey's Poems, and is attributed to Lord Vaux, by George Gascoigne, who tells us, it "was thought by some to be made upon his death-bed;" a popular error which he laughs at. (See his Epist. to Yong Gent. prefixed to his Posies, 1575, 4to.) It is also ascribed to Lord Vaux in a manuscript copy preserved in the British Museum*. This lord was remarkable for his skill in drawing feigned manners, &c. for so I understand an ancient

writer.

"The Lord Vaux his commendation lyeth chiefly in the facilitie of his meetre, and the aptnesse of his descriptions such as he taketh upon him to make, namely in sundry of his songs, wherein he showeth the counterfait action very lively and pleasantly." Arte of Eng. Poesie, 1589, p. 51. See another song by this poet in Series the Second, No. VIII

10

Gray heares upon my hed.

For Age with steling steps

Hath clawde me with his crowch,

As there had bene none such.

What youthful yeres did sow.

For Beautie with her band,

These croked cares had wrought, And shipped me into the land, From whence I first was brought.

And ye that bide behinde,

As

20

Ver. 282, Aud sayd to some Bishopp wee will wend, MS. Ver. 6, be PC. [printed copy in 1557.-V. 10. Crowch perhaps should be clouch, clutch, grasp.-V. 11, Life away she PC.-V. 18, This P.C.

Harl. MSS. num. 1703. § 25. The readings gathered from that copy are distinguished here by inverted commas. The text is printed from the " Songs, &c. of the Earl of Surrey and others, 1557, 4to.

Have ye none other trust:

of claye were cast by kinde, ye So shall ye 'turne' to dust.

Ver. 23, So Ed. 1583; 'tis hedge in Ed. 1557. hath caught him MS.-V. 30, wyndynge-sheete. MS-V. 34, bell. MS.V. 35, wofull. PC.-V. 38, did PC.-V. 39, clene shal be. PC.-V. 40, not FC.-V. 45, bare hedde. MS. and some PCC.-V. 48, Which. PC.-That MS. What is conject.V. 56. wast. PC.

he i. e. hie, hasten. See the Glossary + Alluding perhaps to Eccles. xii. 3.

:

IN Shakespeare's Hamlet, act ii. the hero of the play takes occasion to banter Polonius with some scraps of an old ballad, which has never appeared vet in any collection for which reason, as it is but short, it will not perhaps be unacceptable to the reader; who will also be diverted with the pleasant absurdities of the composition. It was retrieved from utter oblivion by a lady, who wrote it down from memory, as she had formerly heard it sung by her father. I am indebted for it to the friendship of Mr. Steevens.

It has been said, that the original ballad, in blackletter, is among Anthony à Wood's Collections in the Ashmolean Museum. But, upon application lately made, the volume which contained this song was missing, so that it can only now be given as in the former edition.

The banter of Hamlet is as follows:

66

Ham. Nay, that follows not.

'Polon. What follows then, my lord?

"Ham. Why, 'As by lot, God wot:' and then you know, 'It came to passe, As most like it was.' The first row of the pious chanson will shew you more." Edit. 1793, vol. xv. p. 133.

Have you not heard these many years ago,
Jeptha was judge of Israel?

He had one only daughter and no mo,

The which he loved passing well:

And, as by lott,

God wot,

It so came to pass,

5

As Gods will was,

IV.

In his "Twelfth Night," Shakespeare introduces the clown singing part of the two first stanzas of the following song; which has been recovered from an ancient MS. of Dr. Harrington's at Bath, preserved among the many literary treasures transmitted to the

ingenious and worthy possessor by a long line of most respectable ancestors. Of these only a small part hath been printed in the " Nuge Antique," 3 vols, 12mo; a work which the public impatiently wishes to see continued.