songs were written about 1560, and that the play was revised to its present form about 1576, although the old songs were retained. But evidently the song quoted above does not favor his theory.
30. "A proper Sonet, of an vnkinde Damsell, to her faithful Louer. To, the nine Muses."
Attention should be called to the fact that this ballad is incorrectly named, for it is not supposed to be written by "an vnkinde Damsell," but is a complaint made by a man against a faithless mistress. Perhaps this is another instance of how the unscrupulous Mr. Richard Jones tried to deceive prospective buyers into believing that the Handfull was made up of new delights. The ballad is an imitation of Surrey's "The louer describes his restlesse state" (Tottel's Miscellany, ed. Arber, p. 24). The former begins,
The ofter that I view and see,
That plesant face and faire beautie,
whereto my heart is bound:
The neer my Mistresse is to me,
My health is farthest off I see:
and fresher is my wound:
Like as the flame doth quench by fire,
or streams consume by raigne. . . .
Surrey's poem begins,
As oft as I behold and se
The soueraigne bewtie that me bound:
The nier my comfort is to me,
Alas the fresher is my wound.
As flame doth quenche by rage of fire,
And running stremes consume by raine. . . .
It seems probable that this ballad was in the 1566 edition.
31. "The Louer complaineth the absence of his Ladie, wisheth for death. To, the new Almaine."
I can find out nothing about this ballad. For other "Almains," see footnote 23 above.
32. "The Louer compareth him self to the painful Falconer. To the tune, I loued her ouer wel."
The tune indicates that this ballad was probably in the 1566 edition. Cf. No. 27, above.
To summarize: Nos. 3, 7, 14, and 29 were certainly not in the 1566 edition; perhaps Nos. 1 and 15 were not; and there is no evi-
