rather chuse one amongst them to command the rest." Secondly (they have a manner of phrase whereby they call men but a moytie one of another.) "They had perceived there were men amongst us full gorged with all sortes of commodities, and others which, hunger-starved and bare with need and povertie, begged at their gates: and found it strange these moyties so needy could endure such an injustice, and that they tooke not the others by the throate, or set fire on their houses." I talked a good while with one of them, but I had so bad an interpreter, who did so ill apprehend my meaning, and who through his foolishnesse was SO troubled to conceive my imaginations, that I could draw no great matter from him. Touching that point, wherein I demanded of him what good he received by the superioritie he had amongst his countriemen (for he was a Captaine and our Marriners called him King), he told me it was to march foremost in any charge of warre: further, I asked him how many men did follow him, hee shewed me a distance of place, to signifie they were as many as might be contained in so much ground, which I guessed to be about 4 or 5 thousand men moreover, I demanded if when warres were ended, all his

authoritie expired; he answered, that hee had only this left him, which was, that when he went on progresse, and visited the villages depending of him, the inhabitants prepared paths and highwaies athwart the hedges of their woods, for him to passe through at ease. All this is not verie ill; but what of that? They weare no kinde of breeches nor hosen.

183

THE INCHANTED ISLAND.

THE following ballad, quoted by Mr. Collier in his "Further Particulars concerning Shakespeare and his Works," is, no doubt, later than the Tempest:

IN Aragon there livde a king,

Who had a daughter sweete as spring,
A little playfull childe:

He lovde his studie and his booke;

The toyles of state he could not brooke,
Of temper still and milde.

He left them to his Brother's care,

Who soone usurpde the throne unware,

And turnd his brother forth:
The studious king Geraldo hight
His daughter Ida, deare as sight
To him who knew her worth.

The brother who usurpd the throne
Was by the name Benormo knowne, ·
Of cruell hart and bolde.

He turned his niece and brother forth To wander east, west, south, or north, All in the winter colde.

Long time, he journeyd up and downe, The head all bare that wore a crowne, And Ida in his hand,

Till that they reachd the broad sea side Where merchant ships at ankor ride From many a distant land.

Imbarking, then, in one of these,
They were, by force of winds and seas,
Driven wide for many a mile;

Till at the last they shelter found,
The master and his men all drownd,
In the inchanted Isle.

Geraldo and his daughter faire,

The onelie two that landed there,

Were savde by myracle;

And, sooth to say, in dangerous houre He had some more than human powre, As seemes by what befell.

He brought with him a magicke booke,
Whereon his eye did oft times looke,

That wrought him wonders great :
A magicke staffe he had alsoe,
That angrie fiendes compelld to goe
To doe his bidding straight.

The spirites of the earth and aire,
Unseene, yet fleeting every where,
To crosse him could not chuse.
All this by studie he had gainde,
While he in Arragon remainde,

But never thought to use.

When landed on th' inchanted Isle,
His little Ida's morning smile
Made him forgett his woe:

And thus within a caverne dreare
They livde for many a yeare ifere,
For heaven had willd it soe.

His blacke lockes turnd all silver gray, But ever time he wore away

To teach his child intent;