See the bwildinge. [Page 56 of MS.] THIS song is to be found in the Roxburghe Collection of Black-letter Ballads, I. 454, with the title "A well-wishing to a place of pleasure. To an excellent new tune," and with six more lines in each stanza. We quote it here for contrast sake. A WELL-WISHING TO A PLACE OF PLEASURE. See the building To an excellent new Tune. Where whilst my mistris lived in Was pleasures essence, See how it droopeth And how nakedly it looketh Without her presence: 2 Every creature That appertaines to nature 'bout this house living, Doth resemble, If not dissemble, due praises giving.2 Harke, how the hollow Windes do blow And seem to murmur in every corner, for her long absence: The which doth plainly show The causes why I do now All this grief and sorrow show. See the garden Where I receivde reward in the Gods might move. 2 The Queene of plenty With all the fruits are dainty, delights to please 1 Not inelegant.-P. Note on a separate slip of paper: "This was once a very popular song, as appears from a parody of it inserted (as a solemn piece of music) in Hemming's Flora springing Is ever bringing Dame Venus ease.2 Oh see the Arbour where that she with joy did ravish me. The pretty nightingale did sing melodiously. Haile to those groves Where I injoyde those loves so many dayes. Let the flowers be springing, And sweet birds ever singing their Roundelayes, 2 Many Cupids measures And cause for true Loves pleasures, Let all contentment this day be found 2: And may the grass grow ever green where we two lying have oft been trying More severall wayes than beauties lovely Queen When she in bed with Mars by all the gods was seen. Jew's Tragedy, act 4, 4to, 1662.-N. B. The marginal corrections are made from this Parody."-P. 2 Not in the Percy Folio copy.-F. Mr. W. Chappell says that the "excellent new tune of this song was adopted for other songs." was pleasures asseince 2 ! see how it droopeth, & how Nakedly it looketh with-out her presence! heearke how the hollow winds doe blowe, & how thé 3 Murmer in every corner for her being absent, from whence they cheefly grow! the cause that I doe now this greeffe & sorrow showe. See the garden where oft I had reward in for my trew loue! see the places where I enioyed those graces 5 oft in this arbour, whiles that shee with melting kisses disstilling blisses Haile to those groves where wee ínioyed our loues May the trees be springing, & the pretty burds be wheron wee, lying, haue oft beene tryinge More seuerall wayes of pleasure then loues queene, which once in bedd with Mars by all the godds was seene. lling [half a page missing.] 1 where once.-P. 2 With pleasure's essence.-P. 3 they.-P. 5 the.-P. Walking in a Meadow gren. [Page 93 of MS.] PERHAPS the following may have been suggested by the ballad of "The Two Leicestershire Lovers; to the tune of And yet methinks I love thee," a copy of which is in the Roxburghe Collection, I. 412. The subject of each is two lovers; both poems are in nearly the same metre, and begin with the same line. The difference is in the after-treatment. The "Two Leicester shire Lovers" begins thus: Walking in a meadow green For recreation's sake, To drive away some sad thoughts I spied two lovely lovers, Did hear each other's woe, This was printed by John Trundle, at the sign of "The Nobody," in Barbican—the ballad-publisher immortalized by Ben Jonson in his "Every Man in his Humour." ("Well, if he read this with patience, I'll go and troll ballads for Master John Trundle yonder, the rest of my mortality.") The printed copy is therefore as old as the manuscript.-W. C. WALKING in a meadowe greene, where p[r]imrose rankes did stand on bankes Walking out, |