A false Armstrong he hath my spurres, When they had sayled other fifty mile, They landed low by Berwicke side, Then he at Yorke was doomde to dye, V. 224, fol. MS. reads land, and has not the following stanza. 220 225 V. My Mind to me a Kingdom is. This excellent philosophical song appears to have been famous in the sixteenth century. It is quoted by Ben Jonson in his play of Every man out of his Humour, first acted in 1599, act i. sc. 1, where an impatient person says, "I am no such pil'd cynique to believe When the lanke hungrie belly barkes for foode." It is here chiefly printed from a thin quarto music-book, entitled "Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs of Sadnes and Pietie, made into Musicke of five parts, &c. By William Byrd, one of the Gent. of the Queenes Majesties Honorable Chappell. Printed by Thomas East," &c. 4to. no date: but Ames, in his Typog. has mentioned another edition of the same book, dated 1588, which I take to have been later than this. Some improvements, and an additional stanza (sc. the 5th) were had from two other ancient copies; one of them in black letter, in the Pepys Collection, thus incribed, "A sweet and pleasant Sonet, intitled My Mind to me a Kingdom is. To the tune of In Crete," &c. Some of the stanzas in this poem were printed by Byrd separate from the rest: they are here given in what seemed the most natural order. My minde to me a kingdome is; That God or nature hath assignde: Though much I want, that most would have, Content I live, this is my stay; I seek no more than may suffice: Look what I lack my mind supplies. Loe! thus I triumph like a king, Content with that my mind doth bring. I see how plentie surfets oft, 5 10 And hastie clymbers soonest fall: I see that such as sit aloft 15 Mishap doth threaten most of all: These get with toile, and keep with feare: No princely pompe, nor welthie store, No force to winne the victorie, No wylie wit to salve a sore, No shape to winne a lovers eye; To none of these I yeeld as thrall, For why my mind dispiseth all. 20 Some have too much, yet still they crave, 25 They are but poore, tho' much they have; They poor, I rich; they beg, I give; They lacke, I lend; they pine, I live. 30 I laugh not at anothers losse, I grudge not at anothers gaine; No worldly wave my mind can tosse, I brooke that is anothers bane: I feare no foe, nor fawne on friend; I loth not life, nor dread mine end. I joy not in no earthly blisse: I weigh not Cresus' welth a straw; For care, I care not what it is; I feare not fortunes fatall law : My mind is such as may not move For beautie bright or force of love. I wish but what I have at will : I wander not to seeke for more; 35 40 I like the plaine, I clime no hill; In greatest stormes I sitte on shore, I kisse not where I wish to kill; I faine not love where most I hate ; I wayte not at the mighties gate; Extreames are counted worst of all; The golden meane betwixt them both, My welth is health, and perfect ease; I never seeke by brybes to please, Nor by desert to give offence: 45 50 55 60 Thus do I live, thus will I die; 65 Would all did so as well as I! VI. The Patient Countess. The subject of this tale is taken from that entertaining colloquy of Erasmus, entitled, Uxor Meμiyaμos, sive Conju : gium which has been agreeably modernised by the late Mr. Spence in his little miscellaneous publication entitled "Moralities, &c., by Sir Harry Beaumont," 1753, 8vo. p. 42. The following stanzas are extracted from an ancient poem entitled Albion's England, written by W. Warner, a celebrated poet in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, though his name and works are now equally forgotten. The reader will find some account of him in vol. ii. book ii. song 24. The following stanzas are printed from the author's improved edition of his work, printed in 1602, 4to; the third impression of which appeared so early as 1592, in bl. let. 4to. The edition in 1602 is in thirteen books, and so it is reprinted in 1612, 4to.; yet in 1606, was published "A Continuance of Albion's England by the first Author, W. W. Lond. 4to.:" this contains books xiv. xv. xvi. In Ames's Typography, is preserved the memory of another publication of this writer's, entitled Warner's Poetry, printed in 1580, 12mo., and reprinted in 1602. There is also extant under the name of Warner, "Syrix, or sevenfold Hist. pleasant, and profitable, comical, and tragical," 4to. It is proper to premise, that the following lines were not written by the author in stanzas, but in long Alexandrines of fourteen syllables; which the narrowness of our page made it here necessary to subdivide. IMPATIENCE chaungeth smoke to flame, Some wives by patience have reduc'd Ill husbands to live well: As did the ladie of an earle, Of whom I now shall tell. 5 |