VI. THE NOT-BROWNE MA Y D. The fentimental beauties of this ancient ballad have always recommended it to Readers of tafte, notwithstanding the ruft of antiquity, which obfcures the ftyle and expreffion. Indeea if it had no other merit, than the having afforded the groundwork to Prior's HENRY AND EMMA, this ought to preferve it from oblivion. That we are able to give it in a more correct manner, than almost any other Poem in thefe volumes, is owing to the great care and exactress of the accurate Editor of the PROLUSIONS 8vo. 1760; who has formed the text from two copies found in two different editions of Arnolde's Chronicle, a book fuppofed to be first printed about 1521. From the correct copy in the Prolufions the following is printed, with a few additional improvements gathered from another edition of Arnolde's book * preferved in the public Library at Cambridge. All the various reading of this Copy will be found here, either received into the text, or noted in the margin. The references to the Prolufions will fhew where they occur. It does honour to the critical fagacity of that gentleman, that almost all his conjectural readings, are found to be the established ones of this edition. In our ancient folio MS. defcribed in the preface is a very corrupt and defective copy of this ballad, which yet afforded a great improvement in one line that will be found in its due place. In It has been a much easier talk to fettle the text of this poem, than to afcertain its date. Mat. Prior published it in the folio edition of his poems, 1718, as then " 300 years old." making this decifion he was probably guided by the learned Wanley, whofe judgment in matters of this nature was most confummate. For that whatever related to the reprinting of this old piece was referred to Wanley, appears from two letters میره This (which a learned friend fuppofes to be the firft Edit on) is in folio: the folios are numbered at the bottom of the leaf: the Song be gins at folio 75. of Prior's, preferved in the British Mufeum [Harl. MSES. N° 3777.] The Editor of the Prolufions thinks it cannot be older than the year 1500, because in Sir Thomas More's tale of THE SERJEANT &c. which was written about that time, there appears a fameness of rhythmus and orthography, ana a very near affinity of words and phrafes with theje of this ballad. But this reafoning is not conclufive; for if Sir Thomas More made this ballad his model, as is very likely, that will account for the fameness of measure, and in fome refpect for that of words and phrafes, even tho' this had been written long before: and as for the orthography it is well known that the old Printers reduced that of most books to the Standard of their own times. Indeed it is hardly probable that an antiquarian like Arnolde would have inferted it among his hiftorical Collections, if it had been then a modern piece; at least he would have been apt to have named its author. But to fhew how little can be inferred from a reSemblance of rhythmus or style, the editor of thefe volumes has in his ancient folio MS. a poem on the Victory of Floddenfield, written in the fame numbers, with the fame alliterations, and in orthography, phrofeology and ftyle nearly reJembling the Vifions of Pierce Plowman, which are yet known to have been compofed above 160 years before that battle. As this poem is a great curiofity, we fhall give a few of the introductory lines, "Grant gracious God, grant me this time, "That I may say, or I ceafe, thy felven to please; "And Mary his mother, that maketh this world; "And all the feemlie faints, that fitten in heaven ; "I will carpe of kings, that conquered full wide, "That dwelled in this land, that was alyes noble ; "Henry the feventh, that foveraigne lord, &c. With regard to the date of the following ballad we have taken a-middle courfe, neither placed it fo high as Wanley and Prior, nor quite fo low as the editor of the Prolufions: we Jhould have followed the latter in dividing every other line into two, but that the whole would then have taken up more room, than could be allowed it in this volume. ΒΕ E it ryght, or wrong, these men among BE Bon women do complayne ; On Affyrmynge this, how that it is A labour spent in vayne, To love them wele; for never a dele They love a man agaynę: For late a man do what he can, Theyr favour to attayne Yet, yf a newe do them perfue, Theyr fyrft true lover than Laboureth for nought; for from her thought I say nat, nay, but that all day 5 10 It is bothe writ and sayd That womans fayth is, as who fayth, 15 All utterly decayd: But, nevertheleffe, ryght good wytnèffe In this cafe myght be layd, That they love true, and continue: Recorde the not-browne mayde; Which, when her love came, her to prove, To her to make his mone, Wolde nat depart; for in her hart She loved but hym alone, Jaz. 2. Woman, Prolufions. Ver. 11. hex, i, e. theika 20 Than Than betwayne us late us dyfcus 25 What was all the manere Betwayne them two: we wyll also Tell all the payne, and fere, That she was in. Nowe I begyn, So that ye me anfwère; Wherfore, all ye, that present be I pray you, gyve an ere. 30 "I am the knyght; I come by nyght, (To theyr owne shame) women to blame, And caufeleffe them accufe: Therfore to you I answere nowe, All women to excufe, Myne owne hart dere, with you what chere? 45 I pray you, tell anone ; For, in my mynde, of all mankynde I love but you alone. HE. |