by Bale to a Section or Chapter in a Book, (though I believe in a sense of ridicule or sarcasm (for thus he intitles two Chapters of his English Votarpes, pt. 2d. viz. -fol. 49, The fyrst Fytt of Anselme with Kynge Wyllyam -fol. 50, An other Fytt of Anselme with kynge Wyllyam Rufus.'

Rufus.'

XI.

FANCY AND DESIRE.

BY THE EARL OF OXFORD.

Edward Vere, Earl of Oxford, was in high fame for his poetical talents in the reign of Elizabeth: perhaps it is no injury to his reputation that few of his compositions are preserved for the inspection of impartial posterity. To gratify curiosity, we have inserted a sonnet of his, which is quoted with great encomiums for its 'excellencie and wit,' in Puttenham's 'Arte of Eng. Poesie,"1 and found entire in the Garland of Good-will.' A few more of his sonnets (distinguished by the initial letters E. O.) may be seen in the 'Paradise of Daintie Devises." One of these is intitled, The Complaint of a Lover, wearing blacke and tawnie.' The only lines in it worth notice are these,

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A crowne of baies shall that man [beare]

Who triumphs over me;

For black and tawnie will I weare,

Which mourning colours be.

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We find in Hall's Chronicle, that when Q. Catharine of Arragon died, Jan. 8, 1536; Queen Anne [Bullen] ware yellowe for the mourning.' And when this unfortunate princess lost her head, May 19, the same year, on the ascencion day following, the kyng for mourning ware whyte.' Fol. 227, 228. Edward, who was the XVIIth earl of Oxford, of the family of Vere, succeeded his father in his title and honours in 1562, and died an aged man in 1604. See Mr. Walpole's 'Noble Authors.' Athen. Oxon. &c.2

COME hither shepherd's swayne:'

'Sir, what do you require?'

praye thee, shewe to me thy name.'
'My name is Fond Desire.'

'When wert thou borne, Desire?'

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In pompe and pryme of May.'

'By whom, sweet boy, wert thou begot?'

'By fond Conceit men say.'

1 Lond. 1589, p. 172.-2 He sate Great Chamberlain of England on the trial of Mary Queen of Scots, and distinguished himself at the time of the Armada, by fitting out ships at his private cost.-ED.

'What was thy meate and dayly foode?'

'Sad sighes and great annoy.

'What cradle wert thou rocked in?'

'In hope devoyde of feares.'

'What lulld thee then asleepe?'

'Sweete speech, which likes me best.' 'Tell me, where is thy dwelling place?' 'In gentle hartes I rest.'

'What thing doth please thee most?' 'To gaze on beautye stille.'

'Whom dost thou thinke to be thy foe?' 'Disdayn of my good wille.'

'Doth companye displease?'

'Yes, surelye, many one,'

'Where doth Desire delighte to live?'

'He loves to live alone.'

'Doth either tyme or age

Bringe him unto decaye?'

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'No, no, Desire both lives and dyes

Ten thousand times a daye.'

'Then, fond Desire, farewelle,

Thou art no mate for mee;

I sholde be lothe, methinkes, to dwelle

With such a one as thee.'

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XII.

SIR ANDREW BARTON.

I cannot give a better relation of the fact, which is the subject of the following ballad, than in an extract from the late Mr. Guthrie's Peerage; which was begun upon a very elegant plan, but never finished. Vol. I. 4to. p. 22.

'The transaction which did the greatest honour to the earl of Surrey 1 and his family at this time [A.D. 1511.] was their behaviour in the case of Barton, a Scotch sea-officer. This gentleman's father having suffered by sea from the Portuguese, he had obtained letters of marque for his two sons to make reprisals upon the subjects of Portugal. It is extremely probable, that the court of Scotland granted these letters with no very honest intention. The council board of England, at which the earl of Surrey held the chief place, was daily pestered with complaints from the sailors and merchants, that Barton, who was called Sir Andrew Barton, under pretence of searching for Portuguese goods, interrupted the English navigation. Henry's situation at that time rendered him backward from breaking with Scotland, so that their complaints were but coldly received. The earl of Surrey, however, could not smother his indignation, but gallantly declared at the council board, that while he had an estate that could furnish out a ship, or a son that was capable of commanding one, the narrow seas should not be infested.

Sir Andrew Barton, who commanded the two Scotch ships, had the reputation of being one of the ablest sea officers of his time. By his depredations, he had amassed great wealth, and his ships were very richly laden. Henry, notwithstanding his situation, could not refuse the generous offer made by the earl of Surrey. Two ships were immediately fitted out, and put to sea with letters of marque, under his two sons, Sir Thomas 2 and Sir Edward Howard. After encountering a great deal of foul weather, Sir Thomas came up with the Lion, which was commanded by Sir Andrew Barton in person; and Sir Edward came up with the Union, Barton's other ship, [called by Hall, the Bark of Scotland.] The engagement which ensued was extremely obstinate on both sides; but at last the fortune of the Howards prevailed. Sir Andrew was killed fighting bravely, and encouraging his men with his whistle, to hold out to the last; and the two Scotch ships with their crews, were carried into the river Thames [Aug. 2, 1511.]

This exploit had the more merit, as the two English commanders were in a manner volunteers in the service, by their father's order. But it seems to have laid the foundation of Sir Edward's fortune; for, on the 7th of April 1512, the king constituted him (according to Dugdale) admiral of England, Wales, &c. King James insisted' upon satisfaction for the death of Barton, and capture of his ship: tho' Henry had generously dismissed the crews, and even agreed that the parties accused might appear in his courts of admiralty by their attornies, to vindicate themselves. This affair was in a great measure the cause of the battle of Flodden, in which James IV. lost his life.

1 Thomas Howard, afterwards created Duke of Norfolk.-2 Called by old historians lord Howard, afterwards created earl of Surrey in his father's life-time. He was father of the poetical E. of Surrey.

In the following ballad will be found perhaps some few deviations from the truth of history: to atone for which it has probably recorded many lesser facts, which history hath not condescended to relate. I take many of the little circumstances of the story to be real, because I find one of the most unlikely to be not very remote from the truth. In Pt. 2, v. 156, it is said, that England had before but two ships of war.' Now the Great Harry had been built only seven years before, viz. in 1504: which was properly speaking the first ship in the English navy. Before this period, when the prince wanted a fleet, he had no other expedient but hiring ships from the merchants.' Hume.

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This ballad, which appears to have been written in the reign of Elizabeth, has received great improvements from the Editor's folio MS. wherein was an ancient copy, which, though very incorrect, seemed in many respects superior to the common ballad; the latter being evidently modernized and abridged from it. The following text is however in some places amended and improved by the latter (chiefly from a black-letter copy in the Pepys collection) as also by conjecture.

THE FIRST PART.

[WHEN Flora with her fragrant flowers
Bedeckt the earth so trim and gaye,
And Neptune with his daintye showers
Came to present the monthe of Maye;]1
King Henrye rode to take the

ayre,

Over the river of Thames past hee; When eighty merchants of London came, And downe they knelt upon their knee.

'O yee are welcome, rich merchants;

Good saylors, welcome unto mee.'

They swore by the rood, they were saylors good, But rich merchants they could not bee:

To France nor Flanders dare we pass: Nor Bourdeaux voyage dare we fare; And all for a rover that lyes on the seas, Who robbs us of our merchant ware.'

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King Henrye frownd, and turned him rounde,
And swore by the Lord, that was mickle of might,

Ver. 15, 83, robber, MS.

1 From the pr. copy.

'I thought he had not beene in the world, Durst have wrought England such unright.' The merchants sighed, and said, alas!

And thus they did their answer frame, 'He is a proud Scott, that robbs on the seas, And Sir Andrewe Barton is his name.'

The king lookt over his left shouldèr,

And an angrye look then looked hee: 'Have I never a lorde in all my realme,

Will feitch yond traytor unto mee?' 'Yea, that dare I;' lord Howard sayes;

'Yea, that dare I with heart and hand; If it please your grace to give me leave, Myselfe wil be the only man.'

Thou art but yong;' the kyng replyed:
"Yond Scott hath numbred manye a yeare.'
'Trust me, my liege, Ile make him quail,

Or before my prince I will never appeare.'
'Then bowemen and gunners thou shalt have,
And chuse them over my realme so free;
Besides good mariners, and shipp-boyes,
To guide the great shipp on the sea.'

The first man, that lord Howard chose,
Was the ablest gunner in all the realm,
Though he was threescore yeeres and ten:
Good Peter Simon was his name.
'Peter,' sais hee, I must to the sea,

To bring home a traytor live or dead:
Before all others I have chosen thee;
Of a hundred gunners to be the head.

Ver. 29, lord Charles Howard, MS.

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