The Lady shall stand us among,

Her own choice shall set her free.

If thou'l do so, Lord Phenix said,

To lose her by her own choice 'tis honesty, Chuse whether I get her or go her without, Forty pounds I will give thee.

But when they in that lane were 1 set,
The wit of a woman for to prove,

By the faith of my body, the Lady said,
Then Tom Pots must needs have his love.

Towards Tom Pots the Lady did hie,
To get on behind him hastily;
Nay stay, nay stay, Lord Phenix said,
Better proved it shall be.

Stay you with your Maidens here,

In number fair they are but three;
Tom Pots and I will go behind yonder wall,
That one of us two be proved to dye.

But when they came behind the wall,
The one came not the other nigh,
For the lord Phenix had made a vow,

That with Tom Pots never would fight he.

1 Old ed. has was.

360

370

2 Old ed. has he never would fight. Even nigh and he are not very good rhymes, unless we presume the old spelling of nigh (nie) to have been pronounced nee.

O give me this choice, Lord Phenix said,
Το

prove whether true or false she be,

And I will go to the Lady fair,

And tell her Tom Pots slain is he.

When he came from behind the wall,

With his face all bloody as it might be, O Lady sweet, thou art my own,

For Tom Pots slain is he.1

Now slain have I him, Tommy Pots,

And given him death wounds two or three;

O lady sweet, thou art my own:

Of all loves wilt thou live with me?

If thou hast slain him, Tommy Pots,

And given him deaths wounds two or three,

I'le sell the state of my fathers Lands,

But hanged shall Lord Phenix be.

With that the Lady fell in a swound:
For a grieved woman, God wot, was she;
Lord Phenix he was ready then,

To take her up so hastily.

O Lady sweet, stand thou on thy feet,
Tom Pots alive this day may be;
I'le send for thy Father Lord Arundel,
And he and I the wedding will see :

I'le send for thy Father, Lord Arundel,
And he and I the Wedding will see ;

1 Slain have I-Utterson's copy.

380

390

400

If he will not maintain you well,

Both Lands and livings you'st have of me.

I'le see this Wedding, Lord Arundel said,
Of my daughters luck that is so fair,
Seeing the matter will be no better,

Of all my lands Tom Pots shall be the heir.

With that the Lady began for to smile:
For a glad woman, God wot, was she,
Now all my Maids, the Lady said,
Example you may take by me.

But all the Ladies of Scotland fair,

And lasses of England, that well would prove, Neither marry for Gold nor Goods,

Nor marry for nothing but only love:

For I had a lover true of my own,

A Serving-man of low degree;

Now from Tom Pots I'le change his name,
For the young Lord Arundel he shall be.

410

420

THIS

The Motbrowne Mayde.

HIS chaste and celebrated composition is extant in the first and second editions of "Arnold's Chronicle," at sig. N 6, and it is here reprinted from the text which Mr. Wright made public in 1836, formed from a collation of the earliest issue (supposed to have appeared at Antwerp, from the press of John Doesborcke, about 1502), with the issue of 1521. There is a third old impression which is also sine ullâ notâ.

The Notbrowne Mayde was included in the Muses' Mercury for June, 1707, and by Capel in his Prolusions, 1760, 8vo, from the second edition. It is also in Percy's Reliques, taken from Capel.

The present editor, seeing that the readings given by Mr. Wright from the impression of 1521 are, in a few cases, manifestly superior to those from Doesborcke's (supposed) edition, has imported them into the body of the production, instead of merely making them in the foot-notes.

The two editions are quoted as Ed. A and Ed. B, respectively. As regards the antiquity of the Notbrowne Mayde, the generally received opinion that it cannot be referred to a date much anterior to its publication in "Arnold's Chronicle," is no doubt correct; had it not been for that irrefragable piece of evidence, it might have been placed as far down in the chronological scale as the middle of the 16th century; and when we consider that it belongs beyond a question to the reign of Henry VII, we cannot fail to be agreeably surprised at the writer's ease of style, felicity of diction, and harmony of rhythm.

Sarah Chapone, Mrs. Delany's friend, obtained the soubriquet

If he will not maintain you well,

Both Lands and livings you'st have of me.

I'le see this Wedding, Lord Arundel said,
Of my daughters luck that is so fair,
Seeing the matter will be no better,

Of all

my lands Tom Pots shall be the heir.

With that the Lady began for to smile :
For a glad woman, God wot, was she,
Now all my Maids, the Lady said,
Example you may take by me.

But all the Ladies of Scotland fair,

And lasses of England, that well would prove, Neither marry for Gold nor Goods,

Nor marry for nothing but only love:

For I had a lover true of my own,

A Serving-man of low degree;

Now from Tom Pots I'le change his name,

For the

young

Lord Arundel he shall be.

410

420