agreeably modernized by the late Mr. Spence, in his little miscellaneous publication,
intitled, "Moralities, &c. by Sir Harry Beaumont," 1753, 8vo. p. 42.
The following stanzas are extracted from an ancient poem intitledAlbion's
England, written by W. Warner, a celebrated poet in the reign of Queen Elizabeth,
though his name and works are now equally forgotten. The reader will find some
account of him in book v. song. 24.
The following stanzas are printed from the author's improved edition of his
work, printed in 1602, 4to.; the third impression of which appeared so early as 1592,
in black-letter, 4to. The edition in 1602 is in thirteen Books; and so it is reprinted in
1612, 4to.; yet in 1606 was published "A Continuance of Albion's England, by the
first author, W. W. Lond. 4to.:" this contains Books xiv. xv. xvi. In Ames's
Typographyis preserved the memory of another publication of this writer's, intitled,
Warner's Poetry, printed in 1580, 12mo. and reprinted in 1602. There is also extant,
under the name of Warner, "Syrinx, or seven fold Hist. pleasant, and profitable,
comical, and tragical," 4to.
It is proper to premise that the following lines were not written by the author
in stanzas, but in long Alexandrines of fourteen syllables: which the narrowness of
our page made it here necessary to subdivide.
IMPATIENCE chaungeth smoke to flame,
But jelousie is hell;
Some wives by patience have reduc'd
Ill husbands to live well:
As did the ladie of an earle,
Of whom I now shall tell.
An earle there was had wedded, lov'd;
Was lov'd, and lived long
Full true to his fayre countesse; yet
At last he did her wrong.
Once hunted he untill the chace,
Long fasting, and the heat
Did house him in a peakish graunge
Within a forest great.
Where knowne and welcom'd (as the place
And persons might afforde)
Browne bread, whig, bacon, curds and milke
Were set him on the borde.
A cushion made of lists, a stoole
Half backed with a hoope
Were brought him, and he sitteth down
Besides a sorry coupe.
The poore old couple wisht their bread
Were wheat, their whig were perry,
Their bacon beefe, their milke and curds
Were creame, to make him merry.
Mean while (in russet neatly clad,
With linen white as swanne,