(vi) 'The Songe after Dinner at the two Ladies entrance.'
Celebrates the setting free by a prince's grace, of captive knights
and ladies, and bids farewell to inconstancy.
(vii) 'The Ladies Thankesgeuing for theire Deliuerie from Unconstancie.'
A speech to the Queen, in the same vein as (vi), followed by a dialogue
between Li[berty], or Inconstancy, and Constancy. This is datable
in 1592 from another copy printed in The Phoenix Nest (1593), with
the title 'An Excellent Dialogue betweene Constancie and Inconstancie:
as it was by speech presented to her maiestie, in the last
Progresse at Sir Henrie Leighes house'. Yet another copy, in Inner
Temple Petyt MS. 538, 43, f. 299. 'A Dialogue betweene Constancie
and Inconstancie spoken before the Queenes Majestie at Woodstock'
is ascribed to 'Doctor Edes'.
(viii) 'The last Songe.'
A rejoicing on the coming of Eliza, with references to constancy and
inconstancy, the aged knight, and the pillar and crown.
(ix) 'The second daies woorke where the Chaplayne maketh this
Relation.'
An Oration to the Queen by the chaplain of Loricus, 'an owlde
Knight, now a newe religiouse Hermite'. The story of Loricus was
once told [in 1575] 'by a good father of his owne coate, not farr from
this coppies'. Once he 'rann the restles race of desire. . . . Sometymes
he consorted with couragious gentelmen, manifesting inward joyes by
open justes, the yearly tribute of his dearest Loue. Somtimes he
summoned the witnesse of depest conceiptes, Himmes & Songes &
Emblemes, dedicating them to the honor of his heauenlye mistres'.
Retiring, through envy and age, to the country, he found the speaker
at a homely cell, made him his chaplain, and built for their lodging
and that of a page 'the Crowne Oratory', with a 'Piller of perpetual
remembraunce' as his device on the entrance. Here he lies, at point
of death, and has addressed his last testament to the Queen. This is
in verse, signed 'Loricus, columnae coronatae custos fidelissimus', and
witnessed by 'Stellatus, rectoriae coronatae capellanus', and 'Renatus,
equitis coronatae servus obseruantissimus'.
(x) 'The Page bringeth tydings of his Maister's Recouerie & presenteth
his Legacie.'
A further address to the Queen, with a legacy in verse of the whole
Mannor of Loue, signed by Loricus and witnessed by Stellatus and
Renatus.
This exhausts the Ferrers MS., but I can add from the Petyt MS. f. 300^v—
(xi) 'The melancholie Knights complaint in the wood.'
This, like (vii), is ascribed in the MS. to 'Doctor Edes'. It
consists of 35 lines in 6 stanzas of 6 lines each (with one line missing)
and begins:
What troupes are theis, which ill aduised, presse
Into this more than most vnhappie place.
