Can any one tell what I ayle?

Come all you wanton wenches

Come in, Tom longtayle, come short hose & round
Come, sitt thee downe by these Coole streames
Cooke Laurell wold needs haue the devill his guest

Last night I thought my true loue I caught.

Louers: harke! an alarum is sounding; nou loue cryes

Men that more to the yard northe church

PAGE

. 101

. 87

[THESE two songs, having unsuspicious titles, were not examined in time for the former part of this volume. On preparing the third volume of the Ballads and Romances for press, it became clear that this couple could not go into it, and they are therefore added as a Supplement to the Loose and Humorous Songs. -F.]

Watt where art tho.'

IFF: mourne I may in tyme soe glad,
or mingle ioyes with dytty sadd,

lend me your eares, lend watt your eyes,
4 & see you where shee tombed lyyes.

too simple ffoote,2 alas, containes

the Lasse that Late on downes & plaines made horsse & hound & horne to blowe. 8 O watt! where art thow? who, ho, ho!

O where is now thy fflight so ffleete,3 thy iealous brow & ffearffull ffeete, thy suttle traine & courses stronge, 12 thy capers hye & dances Longe?

who sees thee now in couert creepe, to stand & harke, or sitt & weepe, to Coole thy ffeet, to ffoyle thy ffoe? 16 O watt! where art thou? who, ho, ho!

where is thy vew & sweating sent that soe much blood & breath hath spent? thy magicke ffriske & cirkelles round, 20 thy ingling ffeates to mocke the hound?

A hunting song on The death of the Hare.-P. See the curious burlesque "Oreisoun in the worshipe of the hare," containing his 78 names, in Reliq. Antiq. i. 133.-F.

2 Two simple foot.-P.

[page 448]

Come and

see where the hare lies buried

who lately gave us a burst.

Where are now his

turns and runs?

Oh where?

Where are

his frisks

and tricks to cheat the hounds?

O WATT WHERE ART THO.

why didst thou not, this doome to scape,
vpon thee take some witches shape,
& shrowd thy selfe in cottage Lowe ?
O watt! where &c.

But why shold wee thinke watt soe wise
as Ioulers noyse,1 or Iumbells cryes,2
or Ladyes Lipps3 ? on watt alone
must needs by many 5 be ore-throwen.

but as I moane thy liffe soe short,

soe will I sing thy royall sport,
& guiltelesse gaine6 of all I know.

32 O watt &c.

36

40

why didst thou not then ffly this ffate?

9

ffrom fforth her 7 fforme put forth thy make 8 ?
as some good wiffe, when deathes att doore,
will put her goodman fforth before.
thy enuious leaues, & thy muse,10
as perffect once as maidens scusell;
thy tracke in snow, like widowes woe.
O watt &c.

Once cold 12 thou strangly see behind;
now art thou round about thee blyind.
both Male & ffemale once wert thou 13;
O neither Male nor ffemall now!

Percy puts two red brackets round on, for omission; but it means one.-F. many.-P. One stroke too few in the MS.-F.

5

most guiltless game, sic legerm—P. And from her.-P.

8 mate.-P. A.-S. maca, a husband; mace, a wife.-F.

9 One stroke too few in the MS.-F. 10 mewse.-P. Muse. A hole in a hedge through which game passes. "But the good and aproved hounds on the