ull dearly shall her buy.

And thus having ended this merry wedding,
The bride she looked like a queen!
And so they returned to the merry green wood,
Amongst the leaves so green.

FOOTNOTES:

[131] Stop.

VALENTINE AND URSINE.

PART THE FIRST.

When Flora 'gins to deck the fields
With colours fresh and fine,
Then holy clerks their matins sing
To good Saint Valentine!

The king of France that morning fair
He would a hunting ride:
To Artois forest prancing forth
In all his princely pride.

To grace his sports a courtly train
Of gallant peers attend;
And with their loud and cheerful cries
The hills and valleys rend.

Through the deep forest swift they pass,
Through woods and thickets wild;
When down within a lonely dell
They found a new-born child;

All in a scarlet kercher laid
Of silk so fine and thin:
A golden mantle wrapt him round
Pinn'd with a silver pin.

The sudden sight surpris'd them all;
The courtiers gather'd round;
They look, they call, the mother seek;
No mother could be found.

At length the king himself drew near,
And as he gazing stands,
The pretty babe look'd up and smil'd,
And stretch'd his little hands.

Now, by the rood, king Pepin says,
This child is passing fair:
I wot he is of gentle blood;
Perhaps some prince's heir.

Go bear him home unto my court
With all the care ye may:
Let him be christen'd Valentine,
In honour of this day:

And look me out some cunning nurse;
Well nurtur'd let him be:
Nor aught be wanting that becomes
A bairn of high degree.

They look'd him out a cunning nurse,
And nurtur'd well was he;
Nor aught was wanting that became
A bairn of high degree.

Thus grew the little Valentine,
Belov'd of king and peers;
And show'd in all he spake or did
A wit beyond his years.

But chief in gallant feats of arms
He did himself advance,
And ere he grew to man's estate
He had no peer in France.

And now the early down began
To shade his youthful chin;
When Valentine was dubb'd a knight,
That he might glory win.

A boon, a boon, my gracious liege,
I beg a boon of thee!
The first adventure that befalls
May be reserv'd for