Sir, faid fhe, what shall I do,

If I commit this Evil,

And yield my felf in Love with you;
I hope you will prove civil?

You talk of Ribbons, Gloves and Rings,
And likewife Gold and Treasure :

Oh, let me first enjoy those things,

And then you shall have your Pleasure.

Sure thy Will fhall be obey'd,

Said I, my own dear Honey,
Then into her Lap I lay'd

Full Forty Pounds in Money;
We'll to the Market Town this Day,
And ftraitway end this Quarrel,
And deck thee like a Lady gay,
In flourishing rich Apparel.

All my Gold and Silver there
To her I did deliver :
On the Road we did repair,
Out-coming to a River,

Whose Waters are both deep and wide,
Such Rivers I ne'er fee many,
She leapt her Mare on the other Side,
And left me not one Penny.

Then my Heart was funk full low,
With Grief and Care furrounded,
After her I could not go,

For fear of being drowned;
She turn'd about, and fay'd, Behold,
I am not for your Devotion,
But, Sir, I thank you for my Gold,
'Twill serve to inlarge my Portion.

I began

I began to stamp and stare,
To see what she had acted;
With my Hands I tore my Hair,

Like one that was quite diftracted.
Give me my Money then I cry'd,
Good Faith, I did but lend it,
But the full faft away did ride,
And vow'd she did not intend it.

XXIX. The

XXIX. The

famous Flower of Ser

ving-Men : Or, The Lady turn'd Serving-Man.

To the Tune of, Flora's Farewell: Or, Summer time: Or, Love's Tide.

Having now inferted all the Hiftorical Ballads which I had defign'd for this Collection, I will give my Readers a few of the best old Fabulous Songs, for fo I am oblig'd to call 'em; not that I think the Subject of them all the Invention of the Poet, but because I have not hitherto been able to trace them out in Hiftory. Perhaps, tho' written on Perfons of Note, yet being confin'd to Particulars, the Facts they treat of may have efcaped the Hiftorians; or perhaps, that being chiefly founded on amorous Intrigues, they would not, or durft not, take Notice of'em; or, which is as probable as any of the former Conjectures, perhaps I may havepaed 'em over. Nor can this always be accounted a Fault, for I believe it very poffible to read a Song, and the Story on which it is written at the fame time, yet not know that they both treat of the fame Thing; for being moftly compos'd in the Days of

thofe

thofe Perfons of whom they speak, our Poets have, to difguife Truth, blended Truth and Fiction fo much together, that without having been Perfonally acquainted with the Heroes and Heroines, 'tis impoffible to know them. Perhaps fome Perfons who are better acquainted with antique Stories, or have more Leifure upon their Hands, may, upon the perufing of this Story,difcover and bring the World acquainted with the King and fair Elife, whofe Praifes are here recorded.

Yo

YOU beauteous Ladies great and small,
I write unto you one and all,

Whereby that you may understand
What I have fuffer'd in this Land:

I was by Birth a Lady fair,
My Father's chief and only Heir,
But when my good old Father dy'd,
Then I was made a young Knight's Bride.

And then my Love built me a Bower,
Bedeck'd with many a fragrant Flower;
A braver Bower you never did fee,
Than my true Love did build for me.

But there came Thieves late in the Night, They robb'd my Bower, and flew my Knight, And after that my Knight was flain,

I could no longer there remain.

My Servants all from me did flye,

In the midst of my Extremity,

And left me by my felf alone,

With a Heart more Cold than any Stone.

Yet though my Heart was full of Care, Heaven would not fuffer me to despair; Wherefore in hafte I chang'd my Name, From fair Elife to fweet William.

And therewithal I cut my Hair,
And drefs'd my felf in Man's Attire,
My Doublet, Hofe, and Beaver Hat,
And a Golden Band about my Neck ;

With a Silver Rapier by my fide,
So like a Gallant I did ride;
The thing that I delighted on,

It was to be a Serving-Man.

Thus in my fumptuous Man's Array,
I bravely rode along the Way;
And at the last it chanced fo,
That I to the King's Court did go.

Then to the King I bow'd full low,
My Love and Duty for to fhow;
And fo much Favour I did crave,

That I a Serving-man's Place might have.

Stand up, brave Youth, the King reply'd,
Thy Service shall not be deny'd;

But tell me first what thou canst do,
Thou shalt be fitted thereunto.

Wilt thou be Ufher of my Hall,

To wait upon my Nobles all?
Or wilt thou be Tafter of my Wine,
To wait on me when I do dine?

Or wilt thou be my Chamberlain, To make my Bed both soft and fine? Or wilt thou be one of my Guard, And I will give thee thy Reward?

Sweet