NOTES. 395 



was discovered in a manuscript belonging to the late Richard 

 Heber, Esq. and was printed in Mr. Pickering's edition of "The 

 Complete Angler," from the communication of Mr. T. Rodd. 



Page 78. Come lire with me and be my love. 



The notes of various Shakspearian commentators on the Co- 

 medy of The Merry Wires of Windsor, contain the principal in- 

 formation now extant concerning this Song; but the propriety 

 of ascribing it to Shakspeare, is also considered in Dr. Percy's 

 Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, vol. i. p. 322, where it is 

 printed under the title of The Passionate Shepherd to his Lore. 

 Dr.Warburton assigns it to Shakspeare, perhaps because Sir Hugh 

 Evans, in Act iii. Sc. 1. of the above play, sings four lines of it; 

 and it was printed, with some variations, in a collection of 

 Poems said to be Shakspeare's, printed by Thomas Cotes for 

 John Benson, 1640. 12mo. 



Page 79. Sir Thomas Orerbury's Milk Maid's Wish. 



See the preceding list, No. 32, in which the following exqui- 

 site character is delineated with a simple beauty of language, 

 that is the very counterpart of Walton's own. 



" A faire and happy Milk-Maid 



Is a Countrey Wench, that is so farre from making her selfe 

 beautifull by Art, that one looke of hers is able to put all face - 

 Physicke out of countenance. She knowes a faire looke is but 

 a Dumbe Orator to commend vertue, therefore minds it not. All 

 her excellencies stand in her so silently, as if they had stolne 

 upon her without her knowledge. The lining of her apparell 

 (which is her selfe) is farre better than outsides of Tissew : for 

 though she be not arrayed in the spoile of the Silke-ivorme, 

 shee is deckt in innocency, a far better wearing. She doth not, 

 with lying long abed, spoile both her complexion and condi- 

 tions ; Nature hath taught her, too immoderate sleepe is rust 

 to the Soule : she rises therefore with Chaunticleare her dame's 

 cock, and at night makes the Lamb her Curfew. In milking a 

 Cow, a-straining the Teats through her fingers, it seems that 

 so sweet a Milk-presse makes the Milk the whiter or sweeter; 

 for never came Almond Glove or Aromutique oyntment on her 

 palme to taint it. The golden eares of corne fall and kisse her 

 feet when shee reapes them, as if they wisht to be bound and 

 led prisoners by the same hand that fell'd them. Her breath 

 is her own, which sents all the yeare long of June, like a new- 

 made Haycock. She makes her hand hard with labour, and her 

 heart soft with pitty ; and when winter evenings fall early (sit- 

 ting at her mery wheele) she sings a defiance to the giddy wheele 

 of Fortune. Shedoth all things with so sweet a grace, it seems 

 ignorance will not suffer her to doe ill, being her mind is to doe 

 well. Shee bestowes her yeare's wages at next faire ; and in 



