The swayne that saw her squint eide kind,
Heigh ho squint eide kinde,

His arms about her body twind,

And faire lasse, how faire yee? well.

The country Kit said well forsooth,
Heigh ho, well forsooth,

But that I haue a longing tooth,
A longing tooth that makes me crie:
Alas, said he, what garres thy griefe?
Heigh ho, what garres thy grife?
A wounde, quoth she, without reliefe;
I feare a maide that I shall die.

If that be all, the shepheard said,
Heigh ho, shepheard said,

He make thee wiue it, gentle maide,
And so secure thy maladie,

Hereon they kist with many an oath,
Heigh ho, with many an oath,

And fore god Pan did plight their troth,
And to the church they hied them fast.

And God send euery pretty peate,
Heigh ho, the pretty peate
That feares to die of this conceite,
So kind a friend to helpe at last.

EPIGRAM

I HAVE by no means exhausted the subject of rare Poetical Tracts, which are to be found, either in the Museum, or in the Collections of my friends; but wishing to exhibit to the reader as various amusement as possible, I shall close this part of my work with a brief description of some rarer Epigrammatic productions of the earliest period.

1. "THE LETTING OF HUMORS BLOOD IN THE HEAD-VAINE, with a New Morissco, daunced by Seven Satyres upon the bottom of Diogenes Tubbe.

1

Imprinted at London, by W. White. 1611"

This must have been a very popular work in its day, as there were several editions of it under various titles. The author was Samuel Rowlands.

The following specimen shows how much Tarlton was praised and followed for his performance of the Clown's part.

EPIG. 31.

When Tarlton clown'd it in a pleasant vainé,
And with conceites did good opinions gaine
Upon the stage his merry humours shop,..

Clownes knew the Clowne by his great clownish slop:

But

But now the're gulled, for present fashion sayes,
Dick Tarlton's part gentlemens breeches plaies
In every streete where any gallant goes,

The swaggring sloppe is Tarlton's clownish hose.

EPIG.

Alas, Delfridus keepes his bed, God knowes,
Which is a signe his worships very ill,

His griefe beyond the grounds of phisicke goes,
No doctor that comes neare it with his skill,
Yet doth he eate, drinke, talke, and sleepe profound,
Seeming to all mens judgment healthfull found,
Then gesse the cause he thus to bed is drawne,
What thinke you so may such a hap procure it.
Well tis very true, his hose are out at pawne,
A breechlesse chaunce is coine he must endure it,
His hose to Brokers jayle committed are,
His singular and only velvet paire.

"THE MOUSE TRAP.

Uni si possim placere sat est.

Printed at London, for F. B. dwelling at the Flower de Luce and Crowne, in Pauls Church Yard. 1606."

This collection of Epigrams is not mentioned by Warton. It is inscribed by the author "To his no little respected Friend, little John Buck, I dedicate this my little."

EPIG. 11.

Brutus, that brave and compleat Cavalier,
Who thus of late in Fleet Street flourished,
Thought then no pleasure or expence too deare;
But see how soon the case is altered,

As that constrained to divide the streete,
He now betakes himselfe unto the Fleete.

EPIG. 14.

Faunus for feates of fencing beares the bell,
For skill in musick on each instrument,
For dancing, carving, and discoursing well,
With other sundry gifts more excellent;
But striving still to make his credit stronger,
The taylor will not trust him any longer.

EPIG. 32.

Persuade not Romulus to take a wife,
Who is to wedlock sworne an enemie,

And ever vowes to lead a single life,

Which he accompts most honest purity.
Besides a thousand reasons that coustraines him,
Amongst the rest, a marchants wife maintains him.

EPIG. 74.

Paulus, a pamphlet doth in proze present

Unto his Lord, "The Fruites of idle Time," Who far more carelesse then therewith content, Wished he would convert it into rime,

I

Which

Which done, and brought him at another season,
Said now tis rime, before nor rime nor reason.

EPIG. 86.

The wicked reape what other men do sowe,
But cuckolds are excepted, that you know,

JOHN HEATH.

This Poet is not mentioned by Ritson, or any of our poetical Biographers, but he was the author, among other works, of the following:

"Two CENTURIES OF EPIGRAMMES. Written by John Heath, Bachelour of Arts, and Fellow of New Colledge in Oxford,

Quicquid agunt homines, votum, timor, ira, voluptas, Gaudia, discursus; nostri farrago libelli est.

London. Printed by John Windet. 1610."

EPIG. 17.

I tooke the wall, one thrust me rudely by,
And told me the highway did open lie;
I thankt him that he did me so much grace,
To take the worse, leave me the better place;
For if by th' owners we esteeme of things,
The walks a subjects, but the ways the kings.