VII. The Country Gentleman.

Though strange outlādish spirits praise towns, and

country scorn,

The country is my home, I dwel where I was born:
There profit and command with pleasure I pertake,
Yet do not Haukes and dogs, my sole companions make.
I rule, but not oppresse, end quarrels, not maintaine;
See towns, but dwel not there, t'abridge my charg or train.

VIII. The Bacheler.

How many things as yet are deere alike to me,
The field, the horse, the dog, loue, armes or liberty.
I haue no wife as yet, whom I may call mine owne,
I haue no children yet, that by my name are knowne.
Yet if I married were, I would not wish to thriue,
If that I could not tame the veriest shrew aliue.

IX. The Married Man.

I only am the man, among all married men,

That do not wish the Priest, to be unlinckt agen.

And thogh my shoo did wring, I wold not make my mone,

Nor think my neighbors chance, more happy then mine

Yet court I not my wife, but yeeld obseruance due,
Being neither fond 5 nor crosse, nor iealous, nor vntrue.

X. The Wife.

The first of all our Sex came from the side of man,
I thither am return'd, from whence our Sex began;
I doe not visite oft, nor many, when I doe,

I tell my mind to few, and that in counsell too :

I seeme not sick in health, nor sullen but in sorrow,

I care for somewhat else of, then what to weare to morrow.

XI. The Widdow.

My dying husband knew, how much his death would.

grieue me,

And therefore left me wealth, to comfort and relieue me. Though I no more will haue, I must not loue disdaine, Penelope her selfe did sutors entertaine;

And yet to draw on such, as are of best esteeme,

Nor yonger then I am, nor richer will I seeme.

6 In Sir Egerton Brydges edition of the Rhapsody this line stands

"My dying husband knew," &c.

an interpolation which, though perhaps called for by the metre, does not appear to be justified by either of the four editions supposed to have been printed during the life-time of the original editor. Nicolas. [True, but as it is found in an autograph MS. of the poem, it is inserted. See our Preface. G.]

XII. The Maid.

I marriage would forsweare, but that I heare men tell, That she that dies a maid, must leade an Ape in Hell; Therefore if fortune come, I will not mock and play, Nor driue the bargaine on, till it be driuen away. Tithes and lands I like, yet rather fancy can,

A man that wanteth gold, then gold that wants a man. (pp. 1-4.)

II. A CONTENTION

Betwixt a Wife, a Widdow, and a Maide."

Wife.

7

Widdow, well met, whether goe you to day?
Will you not to this solemne offering go?

You know it is Astreas holy day :

The Saint to whom all hearts deuotion owe.

Widow. Marry, what else? I purpos'd so to doe:
Doe you not marke how all the wiues are fine?
And how they haue sent presents ready too,
To make their offering at Astreas shrine ?

See then, the shrine and tapers burning bright,
Come, friend, and let vs first ourselues ad-

vance,

7 See Introductory Note to the first of these Minor Poems, ante. In Mr. Collier's History of English Dramatic Poetry, Vol. I. p. 323 seqq. interesting details are given of an Entertainment to the Queen at Sir Robert Cecil's "newe house in the Strand," at which she was "royally entertained." From Extracts from a Barrister's Diary among the Harleian MSS. adduced herein, we glean a notice of the present Poem, e. g. "Sundry devises at hir entrance: three women, a maid, a widow and a wife, eache contending [for] their own states, but the virgin preferred." In Nichols' Progs. of Elizabeth (iii. 601) the poem is also ascribed on authority of John Chamber

We know our place, and if we haue our right,
To all the parish we must leade the dance.

But soft, what means this bold presumptuous maid,

To goe before, without respect of vs?

Your forwardnesse (proude maide) must now

be staide :

Where learnd you to neglect your betters thus?

Maide. Elder you are, but not my betters here,
This place to maids a priuiledge must giue:
The Goddesse, being a maid, holds maidens
deare,

And grants to them her own prerogatiue.

Besides, on all true virgins, at their birth.

Nature hath set 8 a crowne of excellence,

lain to Davies (6th December, 1602). See Letters of Chamberlain published by CAMDEN Society, p. 169: December 23rd, 1602. Miss Sarah Williams, in her careful edition of CHAMBERLAIN'S Letters for the Camden Society, by an oversight, has annotated this reference in loco as to Davies of Hereford. Chamberlain calls it a 66 pretty dialogue." The Barrister's Diary supra [Manningham] has been edited for the Camden Society by the late lamented Mr. John Bruce of London. G. 8 Misprinted 'sent.' G.