tray thyselfe to infamie,
When thou art once discerned by the eye.

Ah, little knew Matilda of thy being,
Those times were pure from all impure complection;
Then Love came of Desert, Desert of seeing,
Then Vertue was the mother of Affection,
But Beautie now is under no subjection;
Then women were the same that men did deeme,
But now they are the same they doo not seeme.

What faemale now intreated of a king
With gold and jewels, pearles and precious stones,
Would willingly refuse so sweete a thing,
Onely for a little show of Vertue ones?
Women have kindnes grafted in their bones.
Gold is a deepe-perswading orator,
Especially where few the fault abhor.

But yet shee rather deadly poyson chose,
Oh cruell bane of most accursed clime!
Than staine that milk-white mayden virgin rose,
Which shee had kept unspotted till that time,
And not corrupted with this earthly slime.
Her soule shall live, inclosd eternally
In that pure shrine of immortality!

This is my doome, and this shall come to passe,
For what are pleasures but still vading joyes?
Fading as flowers, brittle as a glasse,
Or potters clay, crost with the least annoyes?
All things in this life are but trifling toyes,
But Fame and Vertue never shall decay,
For Fame is toomblesse, Vertue lives for aye!

FINIS.

NOTES.

P. 6, l. 1.--_Blin._] To cease.

Mon that loveth falsnesse and nule never _blynne_,
Sore may him drede the lyf that he is ynne.

_Wright's Political Songs_, p. 212.

P. 7, l. 25.--_Her hart more hard than adamant or steele._] Compare
"Midsummer Night's Dream," ii. 2.--

"You draw me, _you hard-hearted adamant_;
But yet you draw not iron, for my heart
Is true as steel: leave you your power to draw,
And I shall have no power to follow you."

P. 8, l. 15.--_Ban._] Curse.

P. 9, l. 13.--_Crownets._] Coronets. The term occurs in Shakespeare.

P. 9, l. 22.--_Hunts-up._] Mr. Collier has printed a very curious song,
from which it appears that the _hunts-up_ was known as early as 28 Henry
VIII. The following extract will show the nature of it:--

"The hunt is up, the hunt is up, &c.
The Masters of Art and Doctors of Divinity
Have brought this name out of good unity,
Three noblemen have this to stay,--
My lord of Norfolk, Lord of