This thing by art the wise-men found, 45 50 Against the Sarazens so rude Fought he full long and many a day; Where many gyaunts he subdu'd, In honour of the Christian way • Now, as the story plain doth tell, Within that country there did rest A dreadful dragon fierce and fell, Whereby they were full sore opprest: Who by his poisonous breath each day, Did many of the city slay. The grief whereof did grow so great The wise men all before the king His skin more hard than brass was found, 10 Untimely crop some virgin flowr, Till all the maids were worn away, And none were left him to devour: Saving the king's fair daughter bright, Her father's only heart's delight. She is, quoth he, my kingdom's heir: O let us all be poisoned here, Then rose the people presently, And to the king in rage they went; They said his daughter dear should dye, The dragon's fury to prevent: Our daughters all are dead, quoth they, And have been made the dragon's prey : And by their blood we rescued were, And thou hast sav'd thy life thereby ; And now in sooth it is but fair, For us thy daughter so sould die. O save my daughter said the king; And let ME feel the dragon's sting. Then fell fair Sabra on her knee, LOVE WILL FIND OUT THE WAY. Where the midge dares not venture, If love come, he will enter, You may esteem him A child for his might; Or you may deem him A coward from his flight: But if she, whom love doth honour, This little beautiful sonnet is reprinted from a small volume of "Poems by Thomas Carew, Esq. one of the gentlemen of the privie-chamber, and sewer in ordinary to his majesty (Charles I.) Lond. 1610." This elegant and almost-forgotten writer, whose poems have been deservedly revived, died, in the prime of his age, in 1639. In the original follows a third stanza; which, not being of general application, nor of equal merit, I have ventured to omit. HEE, that loves a rosie cheeke, Or from star-like eyes doth seeke But a smooth and stedfast mind, Gentle thoughts, and calme desires, Hearts with equal love combin'd, Kindle never-dying fires: Where these are not, I despise Lovely cheekes, or lips, or eyes. VI. GEORGE BARNWELL. The subject of this ballad is sufficiently popular from the modern play which is founded upon it. This was written by George Lillo, a jeweller of London, and first acted about 1730.-As for the ballad, it was printed at least as early as the middle of the last century. It is here given from three old printed copies, which exhibit a strange intermixture of Roman and black letter. It is also collated with another copy in the Ashmole Collection at Oxford, which is thus intitled, "An excellent ballad of George Barnwell, an apprentice of London, who ..thrice robbed his master and murdered his vncle in Ludlow." The tune is The Merchant." This tragical narrative seems to relate a real fact; but when it happened I have not been able to dis cover. THE FIRST PART. ALL youth of fair England That dwell both far and near, Regard my story that I tell, And to my song give ear. |