This beautiful old ballad moft probably took its rife from one of thofe defcents made on the Spanish coafts in the time of queen Elizabeth: in all likelihood from that which is celebrated in the foregoing ballad.

Printed from an ancient black letter copy, corrected in part by the Editor's folio MS.

ILL you hear a Spanish lady,

W!!

How fhe wooed an English man?

Garments gay as rich as may be

Decked with jewels she had on.

Of a comely countenance and grace was fhe,
And by birth and parentage of high degree.

As his prifoner there he kept her,

In his hands her life did lye;

Cupid's bands did tye them fafter

By the liking of an eye.

In his courteous company was all her joy,

To favour him in any thing fhe was not coy.

But at last there came commandment

For to fet the ladies free,

With their jewels ftill adorned,

None to do them inju y.

Then faid this lady mild, Full woe is me,
O let me ftill fuftain this kind captivity!

Gallant captain, fhew fome pity
To a ladye in distresse;

Leave me not within this city,

For to dye in heavineffe:

Thou haft fet this present day my body free,
But my heart in prifon ftill remains with thee.

"How fhould't thou, fair lady, love me, Whom thou knowft thy countrys foe? Thy fair wordes make me fufpect thee:

"Serpents lie where flowers grow."

All the harm I wifhe to thee, moft courteous knight, God grant the fame upon my head may fully light. 30

Bleffed be the time and season,

That you came on Spanish ground;

If you may our foes be termed,

Gentle foes we have you found:

With our city, you have won our hearts each one,
Then to your country bear away, that is your own.

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"Ref

"Reft you ftil, most gallant lady;

Reft ftill,
you

and weep no more;

Of fair lovers there are plenty,

Spain doth yield you wonderous flore.”

Spaniards fraught with jealousy we oft do find,

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But English men throughout the world are counted kind.

Leave me not unto a Spaniard,

Thou alone enjoyft my heart;

I am lovely, young and tender,

Love is likewise my defert ;

Still to ferve thee day and night my mind is preft;

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The wife of every English man is counted bleft.

"It would be a shame, fair lady,

For to bear a woman hence;

English foldiers never carry

Any fuch without offence."

I'll quickly change myself, if it be fo,

And like a page will follow thee, where'er thou go,

"I have neither gold nor filver

To maintain thee in this cafe,

And to travel is great charges,

As you know in every place."

My chains and jewels every one fhall be thy own,

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And eke ten thousand pounds in gold tha: lies unknown,

"On the feas are many dangers,

Many ftorms do there arise, Which will be to ladies dreadful,

And force tears from watery eyes." Well in troth I fhall endure extremity,

For I could find in heart to lose my life for thee.

"Courteous ladye, leave this fancy,

Here comes all that breeds the ftrife;

I in England have already

A fweet woman to my wife;

I will not falfify my vow for gold nor gain,

Nor yet for all the fairest dames that live in Spain."

On my knees I pardon crave for my offence,

Which did from love and true affection firft commence.

Commend me to thy lovely lady,

Bear to her this chain of gold;

And these bracelets for a token';

Grieving that I was fo bold:

All my jewels in like fort bear thou with thee,
For they are fitting for thy wife, but not for me.

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70

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80

I will spend my days in prayer.

Love and all his laws defye;

In a

nunnery will I fhrowd mee,

Far from any companye:

But ere my prayers have an end, be sure of this,
Το pray for thee and for thy love I will not miss.

Thus farewell, moft gallant captain!
Farewell too my heart's content!
Count not Spanish ladies wanton,

Though to thee my love was bent:

Joy and true prosperity goe ftill with thee!
The like fall ever to thy fhare, moft fair ladje.

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XXIII.

ARGENTILE AND CURAN,

NER:

-Is extracted from an ancient hiftorical poem in XIII Books, intitled ALBION'S ENGLAND by WILLIAM WAR"An author, (Jays a former editor) only unhappy in "the choice of his fubject, and measure of bis verfe. His poem is an epitome of the British hiftory, and written "with great learning, fenfe, and fpirit. In fome places fine to an extraordinary degree, as I think will eminently appear "in the enfuing episode [of Argentile and Cuean]. A tale full of beautiful incidents, in the romantic tafte, extremely affecting, rich in ornament, wonderfully various in file; " and

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