ANCILLA

¶No, no, Madam, he will ere long be with you, you may trust. ¶When First I came into the Court, where we do serve and dwell, What I did think would move you laugh, if I that tale should tell. ¶I herd once in my father's house, a Gentleman declare, The worthy customs of the court, and ache the Princely fare, The gorgeous Garments of eke Dame, their tyne and famous life, The noble works of amorous Knights, their stout and loving strife, The pleasure of eke worthy Dame, how they do hunt and hawk, And wearied with eke pastime thus, the streets how they did walk The noble masks that were showed forth in every winter's night, The Revels and the reveling cheer, that did eke heart delight, Musicians how they did devise, with songs to please the ear, And Musics art by instrument that gladded hearts to hear, And sometime the poor men child, that there is placed to be, To honour climbs for virtues sake, and brought to hie degree, Tush, then was I on fire set, till I could get the grace, Of Father's and of mother's grant, to dwell in such a place, They granted me, and I was glad, thus came I here to dwell, But now I think both you and I, another tale can tell, And yet can none of us deny, but that his words were true, But that pertains not to my state, nor yet belongs to you. For we but waiters are on them, that lead these happy days, We trudge and travail and take pain, they do possess the praise, Thus when I think how wide I shot, when I shot at this mark, I laugh to see how ready youth is still to change his work, I leapt from ease and Quiet state, within my native soil, And came into a stranger air, to travail and to toil. ¶Yea Madam each thing is pr st, and shall be in good hour, He is right careful for his part, I do it you assure. ¶What is that Madam? ¶Prove with your foot, if that the Door, as we were had he locked, ¶How say you friend and fellow both, did we not go hence well, Gods blessing have his honest heart, that First did found that bell. You S worser if you remember well when I did tell my tale, To recompense the same with Like, you said you would not fail. ¶Hark Serva, hark, the clock strikes one, 'tis time for us to go, It is a point of policy, to love and fear a throw. ¶Not long ago I herd one say, I think he meant by us, A latten sense, and this it was, Nemo suam sort contentus, Women are inquisitive, I asked him what he meant, He said not one in all this world, was with his chance content,