336 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



abed, spoile both her complexion and conditions ; Nature hath taught het; 

 too immoderate sleepe is rust to the Sotile : she rises therefore with Chaun* 

 ticleare 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 Aromatiqtie 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 le^ t ;ri3' ' ers by the same hand that fell'd 

 them. Her breath is her own, which sei.. ill the yeare long of June, 

 like a new-made Haycock, fthe nakes her hand hard with labor, and 

 her heart soft with pitty ; and vhun winter evenings fall early (sitting ai: 

 her mery wheele) she sings ; lefiance to the giddy wheels of Fortune. 

 She doth all things with so s\veet 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 chusing her garments, counts no brav- 

 ery i' th' world like decency. The Garden and Bee-hive are all her Phy- 

 sic k and Chyrurgery, and she ives che longer for 't. She dares goe 

 alone, and unfolds sheepe i' th' light, and feares no manner of ill, be- 

 cause she meanes none: yet to ay tiuth, she is never alone, for she is 

 still accompanied with old songs honest thoughts, and prayers, but short 

 ones, yet they have their efficacy in that they are not pauled with insuing, 

 idle cogitations. Lastly, her Irriames are so chaste, that shee dare tell 

 them : only a Fridaie's dreame is all her mpentition : that shee conceales 

 for feare of anger. Thus lives sne, and all hei care is that she may die in 

 the Springtime, to have store of flowers stucke upon her winding-sheet." 

 Character 51, sign. L. 7. Frone tht copy in the Library of Sion College, 

 London. 



Page 101. The choice songs, etc. 



The Song of Old Tom of Bedlam will be found in Percy's Reliques of 

 Ancient English Poetry, vol. ii. p. 356. It is also printed in Playford's 

 " Antidote against Melancholy," 1669, 8vo ; "and with the Music, com- 

 posed by H. Lawes, in a work entitled Choice Ayres, Songs, and Dia- 

 logues, to the Theorbo-Lute and Base- Viol." Fol. 1675. Hawkins. In 

 the volume of Ancient Songs already cited, pp. 261, 265, there are two 

 different songs, both called Tom of Bedlam, which are stated to have been 

 taken out of an old Miscellany, entitled " Le Prince d' Amour, or the 

 Prince of Love, with a Collection of Songs, by the Wits of the Age." 

 Lond. 1660, 8vo. The Editor adds, however, that the above were in- 

 serted in the collection in burlesque, on the love of the English for ballads 

 on the subject of madness. See Percy's Reliques, vol. ii. p. 350. The 

 song of "The Hunter in hjs Career," also mentioned in the text, is re- 

 printed for the first time in Mr. Pickering's edition of the Complete 



