Wings from the wind to please her mind, To give my Love good-morrow; Wake from thy nest, Robin red-breast, 34 ROBIN GOODFELLOW. AUTHOR UNKNOWN-apparently of the 16th century. FROM Oberon,1 in fairy-land, The king of ghosts and shadows there, Mad Robin I, at his command, stare, starling. 2 elves, fairy-like creatures. 1 Oberon, king of the fairies. Am sent to view the night-sports here What revel rout3 Is kept about, In every corner where I go, And merry be, And make good sport, with ho, ho, ho! More swift than lightning can I fly And, in a minute's space, descry Or ghost shall wag, Or cry "'Ware goblins!" where I go; Their feats will spy, And send them home, with ho, ho, ho! Whene'er such wanderers I meet, Through woods, through lakes, 3 revel rout, noisy pleasure gatherings. Revel is a riotous or tumultuous feast. 4 airy welkin, the sky, or region of the clouds. Ger. wolkè, a cloud. 5 hag, a witch. 6 counterfeiting, lit., to make the counter, or opposite. Or else, unseen, with them I go, To play some trick, And frolic it, with ho, ho, ho! Sometimes I meet them like a man, To trip and trot about them round. My back they stride, Through pools and ponds, I hurry, laughing, ho, ho, ho! By wells and rills, in meadows green, And babes new-born steal as we go; And elf 10 in bed, We leave instead, And wend11 us, laughing, ho, ho, ho! all in the nick, at the proper instant. Ger. nicken, to wink. 8 heyday guise, in jovial, frolicing dress or way. 9 Sing by moonlight. 11 wend, lit., to wind, to go off. From hag-bred Merlin's 12 time have I The hags and goblins do me know; My feats have told, 35 MY MIND TO ME A KINGDOM IS. AUTHOR UNKNOWN. This excellent philosophic song was famous in the 16th century. It is quoted by Ben Jonson in one of his plays. My mind to me a kingdom is; That God or Nature hath assigned. Though much I want, that most would have,1 12 Merlin, a fabled Welsh wizard. 14 vale, Lat., farewell. 1 That most people would like to have. Content I live: this is my stay; I I seek no more than may suffice; press to bear no haughty sway; But what I lack my mind supplies. I see how plenty surfeits2 oft, Mishap doth threaten most of all: No princely pomp, nor wealthy store, No wily wit to salve a sore, Some have too much, yet still they crave, They poor, I rich; they beg, I give; I laugh not at another's loss, 2 surfeits, cloys, lit., to overdo, as in eating, &c. F |