Ther the space of dayes thre

He herd the noyse* of the flode;
At the last he seid, "Wo is me!

Almost I dye for fawte of foode!"

She led hym in to a fayr herbere,
That frute groand was gret plenté;
Peyres and appuls, bothe ripe thei were,
The darte, and also the damsyn tre. †

which, in Scotland, or in Germany, would signify a birke, under the dominion of Elves, or frequented by them. It is since this note was written, that the editor has received the transcripts of the Linc. and Cott. MSS., in the former of which the stanza runs thus:

"She ledde him in at Eldone Hill,
Undernethe a derne lee,

Where it was derke als mydnight merke,
And ever the water till his kne."

In MS. Cott. it is,

"She ledde hym furth with all her myzt,

Undir nethe the derne lee;

Wher it was as derke as at mydnyzt,

And evyr in water unto the kne."

These readings, perhaps, do away the observation concerning the Eldryn Birke. There is something uncommonly romantic and poetical in Thomas's going under ground with the queen of Elfland, as Æneas does with the Sibyl; marching for three days in pitchy darkness, and hearing nothing but the swechyng and swowyng (i.e. swinging and booming) of the waves over his head.

* MS. Linc. sweghynge; MS. Cott. swowyng; both preferable to MS. Camb. as being more expressive of the noise of the sea,

-“On some wide-watered shore, Swinging slow with sullen roar."

† MS. Linc. and MS, Cott, damasee.

MILTON.

The fygge, and also the wynne bery ;*
The nyghtyngale byggyng hir nest;
The papyngay fast about can flye;

The throstill song wolde have no rest.

He presed to pul the frute with his honde : "As man for fode wex nere honde feynte." She seid, "Thomas, let that stond,

Or ellis the feend will the atteynt.

"If thu pulle, the sothe to sey,

Thi soule goeth to the fyre of hell;
Hit comis never out til domis day,
But ther ever in payne to dwell."

She seid, "Thomas, I the hight,
Come, lay thi hed on my kne,
And thu shal see the feyrest sight,
That ever saw mon of the cuntre."

He leyd downe his hed as she hym badde,
His hed upon hair kne he leide;

Hir to pleese he was full gladde;

And then that lady to him she seide,

*In the north of Scotland, the common currant is called the wine berry:

"Sees thu zonder is fayr way,

That lyes over zonder mounteyne? Zonder is the way to heven for ay,

Whan synful souls have duryd ther peyne.

"Seest thu now, Thomas, zonder way,
That lyse low under zonder rise?
Wide is the way, the sothe to say,
Into the joyes of paradyse.

"Seest thu zonder thrid way,

That lyes over zonder playne? Zonder is the way, the sothe to say, That sinful soules shall drye to payne.

"Seest thu zonder fourt way,

That lyes over zonder felle ? Zonder is the way, the sothe to say, Unto the brennand fyre of hell.

"Seest thu now zonder fayre castell, That stondis upon zonder fayre hill? Off towne and toure it berith the bell;

In mydull erth is non like ther till.

"In faith, Thomas, zonder is myne owne,
And the kyngus of this cuntre;

But me wer better be honged and drawyn,
Then he wist that thu lay be me.

66

My lorde is served at ilk a messe
With xxx knyghts fayre and fre;
And I shalle say, sittand at the dese

I toke thi speche be zonde the lee. *

"Whan thu comes to zonder castell

I

pray the curtese man to be;
And what so ever any man to the say,
Loke thu answer non but me."

gay,

Thomas styll als stone he stode,+
And be helde that lady gay;
She was as feyre, and as gode, ‡
And as riche on hir palfray.

Her injunction, that Thomas must speak to no one but herself, and her pretence that she has deprived him of the faculty of speech, proceeds from a fear of his blabbing and betraying her to the jealousy of her husband, the king of Elfland. Sic. in MS. Linc.

MS. Cott. Than was sche fayr and ryche anone.

Hir grey houndis fillid with dere blode; Hir rachis coupuld, be my fay;

She blew hir horne on hir palfray gode,* And to the castell she toke the way.

In to a hall sothely she went;
Thomas folud at hir hande;

Ladis come, bothe faire and gent,
Fful curtesly to hir kneland.

Harpe and fidul both thei fande,
The getern and also the sautry;
The lute, and the ribybe, both gangand,
And all maner of minstralcy.

Knigts dawnsyng be thre and thre: Ther was revel, both game and play; The fearé ladys fayre and fre

Dawnsyng with + [thaim in] ryche aray.

The gretest ferly ther Thomas thozt, When xxx harts lay upon [the] flore; dere in were brozt,

And

as many
That was largely long and store.

* MS. Linc. with mayne and moae.
+ MSS. Cott. and Linc. sat and sang.