IV.

Margaret Meke.

FROM a parchment book, temp. Henry VIII, in the possession of the editor. The music is in three parts by a composer who signs himself "Browne." Another copy of both words and music is contained in the Fayrfax MS. in the British Museum (Add. MSS. No. 5465, fol. 102 b). On the margin of the editor's MS. is written in a contemporary hand-" In prayse of ye kyngs sister."

Margaret Meke,

Whom I now seke,

Ther is none lyke I dare well say ;

Her lusty chere,
Her eyes most dere,

I know no fere

In her beaute:

Both Cate and Bes,

Mawde and Anes,

Sys is witnes

Of her fetysnesse.

My Margaret

I cannot mete

In feeld ne strete,

Wofull am I;

Leve love this chaunce,

Your chere avaunce,

And let us daunce

Herk my Lady.2

2 Probably the name of some ancient dance-tune, now forgotten.

V.

Satirical Song on the Flemings.

THE following piece of satire is preserved in the Fairfax MS., which once belonged to Ralph Thoresby, and is now among the additional MSS. in the British Museum (5465, fol. 114). Sir John Hawkins, who has printed it with the music, tells us that it "is supposed to be a satire on those drunken Flemings who came into England with the princess Anne of Cleves, upon her marriage with Henry VIII." (History of Music, vol. iii, p. 2.) But the song probably relates to "rutterkyns" of a much earlier period. It is not unlikely to be the composition of Skelton.

In the Interlude of Magnyfycence, Courtly Abusyon exclaims

"Rutty bully, joly rutterkyn, heyda!"

Dyce's Skelton, vol. i, p. 249. "Rutter," says the Rev. A. Dyce, "which properly means a rider, a trooper (Germ. reiter, reuter), came to be employed, like its diminutive rutterkin, as a cant term, and with various significations. (See Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. q. iii, ed. 1530; Drant's Horace his Arte of Poetrie, &c., sig. D ii, ed. 1567.)"

HOYDA, joly rutterkyn, hoyda,
Lyke a rutterkyn hoyda.

Rutterkyn is com vnto oure towne,
In a cloke without cote or gowne,

Save a raggid hode to kover his crowne,
Like a rutter hoyda.

Rutterkyn can speke no englissh,

His tonge rennyth all on buttyrd fyssh,
Besmerde with grece abowte his disshe,
Like a rutter hoyda.

Rutterkyn shall bryng you all good luk,
A stoup of bere up at a pluk,

Till his brayne be as wyse as a duk,
Like a rutter hoyda.

When rutterkyn from borde will ryse,
He will piss a galon pott full at twise,
And the ouerplus undir the table of the newe

gyse,

Like a rutter hoyda.

VI.

King Henry VIII's Expedition to France.

THE Song here printed relates to the war with France, when Henry, joining the confederacy, interfered with the quarrel between Louis the Twelfth of France and Pope Julius the Second. The red rose was King Henry's badge of cognizance; the Emperor Maximilian wore it at the siege of Terouenne, as his volunteer.

From the volume in the Editor's library, mentioned on p. 29. Another copy, but without the music, is in Cotton. MS., Domit. A, xviii.3

THE Rosse wolle in to Fraunce spryng,
Almyghty God hym thyder bryng,
And save this flour whyche ys our kyng:
This Rosse, this Rosse, this ryall Rosse,
Whych ys callyd a nobyll thyng,
The flowr of Englond, and souldier kyng.
Thys Apryll showrys, wyche ar ful swet,
Hath bownd thys Rosse, not yet ful blowne;
In Fraunce he will hys levys schote,
Hys ryzth to conquer, hys enemys to knowne.

3 See Sir Henry Ellis's Original Letters, first series, vol. i, p. 79.