第22章

'Alas! honest young man,' her father replied, 'I heartily wish she'd been wedded to you, For then we this sorrow had never gone through.'

Sweet Henry he made them this answer again;'I am newly come home from the kingdom of Spain, From whence I have brought me a beautiful bride, And am to be married to-morrow,' he cried;'And if you will go to my wedding,' said he, 'Both you and your lady right welcome shall be.'

They promised they would, and accordingly came, Not thinking to meet with such persons of fame.

All decked with their jewels of rubies and pearls, As equal companions of lords and of earls, Fair Ruth, with her love, was as gay as the rest, So they in their marriage were happily blessed.

Now, as they returned from the church to an inn, The father and mother of Ruth did begin Their daughter to know, by a mole they behold, Although she was clothed in a garment of gold.

With transports of joy they flew to the bride, 'O! where hast thou been, sweetest daughter?' they cried, 'Thy tedious absence has grieved us sore, As fearing, alas! we should see thee no more.'

'Dear parents,' said she, 'many hazards I run, To fetch home my love, and your dutiful son;Receive him with joy, for 'tis very well known, He seeks not your wealth, he's enough of his own.'

Her father replied, and he merrily smiled, 'He's brought home enough, as he's brought home my child;A thousand times welcome you are, I declare, Whose presence disperses both sorrow and care.'

Full seven long days in feasting they spent;The bells in the steeple they merrily went, And many fair pounds were bestowed on the poor, -The like of this wedding was never before!

Ballad: THE BERKSHIRE LADY'S GARLAND.

IN FOUR PARTS.

To the tune of THE ROYAL FORESTER.

[WHEN we first met with this very pleasing English ballad, we deemed the story to be wholly fictitious, but 'strange' as the 'relation' may appear, the incidents narrated are 'true' or at least founded on fact. The scene of the ballad is Whitley Park, near Reading, in Berkshire, and not, as some suppose, Calcot House, which was not built till 1759. Whitley is mentioned as 'the Abbot's Park, being at the entrance of Redding town.' At the Dissolution the estate passed to the crown, and the mansion seems, from time to time, to have been used as a royal 'palace' till the reign of Elizabeth, by whom it was granted, along with the estate, to Sir Francis Knollys; it was afterwards, by purchase, the property of the Kendricks, an ancient race, descended from the Saxon kings. William Kendrick, of Whitley, armr. was created a baronet in 1679, and died in 1685, leaving issue one son, Sir William Kendrick, of Whitley, Bart., who married Miss Mary House, of Reading, and died in 1699, without issue male, leaving an only daughter. It was this rich heiress, who possessed 'store of wealth and beauty bright,' that is the heroine of the ballad. She married Benjamin Child, Esq., a young and handsome, but very poor attorney of Reading, and the marriage is traditionally reported to have been brought about exactly as related in the ballad. We have not been able to ascertain the exact date of the marriage, which was celebrated in St. Mary's Church, Reading, the bride wearing a thick veil; but the ceremony must have taken place some time about 1705.

In 1714, Mr. Child was high sheriff of Berkshire. As he was an humble and obscure personage previously to his espousing the heiress of Whitley, and, in fact, owed all his wealth and influence to his marriage, it cannot be supposed that IMMEDIATELY after his union he would be elevated to so important and dignified a post as the high-shrievalty of the very aristocratical county of Berks. We may, therefore, consider nine or ten years to have elapsed betwixt his marriage and his holding the office of high sheriff, which he filled when he was about thirty-two years of age. The author of the ballad is unknown: supposing him to have composed it shortly after the events which he records, we cannot be far wrong in fixing its date about 1706. The earliest broadside we have seen contains a rudely executed, but by no means bad likeness of Queen Anne, the reigning monarch at that period.]

PART I.

SHOWING CUPID'S CONQUEST OVER A COY LADY OF FIVE THOUSAND A YEAR.

BACHELORS of every station, Mark this strange and true relation, Which in brief to you I bring, -Never was a stranger thing!

You shall find it worth the hearing;

Loyal love is most endearing, When it takes the deepest root, Yielding charms and gold to boot.

Some will wed for love of treasure;

But the sweetest joy and pleasure Is in faithful love, you'll find, Graced with a noble mind.

Such a noble disposition Had this lady, with submission, Of whom I this sonnet write, Store of wealth, and beauty bright.

She had left, by a good grannum, Full five thousand pounds per annum, Which she held without control;Thus she did in riches roll.

Though she had vast store of riches, Which some persons much bewitches, Yet she bore a virtuous mind, Not the least to pride inclined.

Many noble persons courted This young lady, 'tis reported;But their labour proved in vain, They could not her favour gain.

Though she made a strong resistance, Yet by Cupid's true assistance, She was conquered after all;How it was declare I shall.

Being at a noble wedding, Near the famous town of Redding, A young gentleman she saw, Who belonged to the law.

As she viewed his sweet behaviour, Every courteous carriage gave her New addition to her grief;Forced she was to seek relief.

Privately she then enquired About him, so much admired;Both his name, and where he dwelt, -

Such was the hot flame she felt.

Then, at night, this youthful lady Called her coach, which being ready, Homewards straight she did return;But her heart with flames did burn.

PART II.

SHOWING THE LADY'S LETTER OF A CHALLENGE TO FIGHT HIM UPON HISREFUSING TO WED HER IN A MASK, WITHOUT KNOWING WHO SHE WAS.

Night and morning, for a season, In her closet would she reason With herself, and often said, 'Why has love my heart betrayed?