The knight errant: being a witty, notable and true relation of the strange adventures of Sir William Hart now prisoner in the tower: his severall exploits, cheats, and most witty tricks by him acted ever since his first beeing untill his proclaiming the Scotch king at Worcester, in August last. Written by J.B. Gent.

How Sir William Hart being taken a Prisoner at Worcester had leave to lie in a Burgesses house of the towne, where a certaine Dancing master taught, by reason of which he fell in league with a young Gentlewoman one Mris. Dorothy, whom he cheated of ten pounds.

OUr Sir William having played Ie∣gier du pirde from London, steers his course by the north west roade for Scotland, it being then the receptacle of such blades, the great number of Eng∣lish that came in with the Scots, consist∣ing for the most part of such hacks. But at or neare unto Sturbridge in Wor∣cestershire, our Knight is taken by some of the County troope upon suspition, being armed with Pistols he and his man, hee pretends to belong to the

Army, but there his tale failing him, he is brought before Colonel James the governor of Worcester, where after examination he is committed a pri∣soner to a townsemans house in the Cookeing-street where one Hall a dance∣ing master taught severall young Gentlewomen to dance; this Le Frisk our dancing master had been an arch Cavalier in the former warres; into whom our knight insinuates himselfe spending upon him most liberally, which causes him (Cats guts and ros∣sen) to sweare to all his acquaintance, that he was for certaine some disguised Prince, and so commends him amongst his scholars, that severall of the female Cavaliers begins to resent him, and one amongst the rest especially affects him, which love of hers, may be from these reasons, she being the governesse of her Grandmother, and of her joynture some three hundred pounds a yeare, not far from that City; the indulgence of the old Gentlewoman being the ruine of the yon∣ger, her feature and complexion being none of the rarest; her portion but reaso∣nable,

but her thoughts ambitions, proud, as Ixions; this Lady fancies our Sir William, loves him, who perceaves her a Platonick lover, he frames accordingly severall glan∣ces, sighes, wringing of the hands, trem∣bling kisses, and amorous verses, which brings our Gentlewoman into so strong a conceite of being a Lady, that she observes the distance of one already: She invites her servant to her Grandmother hoame unto severall Suppers and Collations, and in the hight of all this their joylity, comes the Scotch King with his tarpallians to town, and then hey boyes, who but our Knight proclames him at the market Cross and the next day to Court as Bravely har∣nessed as one of the Goulden fellowes that strikes the Quarters at Bow church in Cheape side, and afterwards to their old exercise of Carowsing and feasting, where our Lady Dorothy is seated at the upper end of the board, our Knight sends to his Mistris for ten peeces; which is sent imme∣diately, the next day he meets her, and to congratulate her favour, presents her with a blew bead Ring worth six pence, under the notion of a turkey stone, likewise in∣vites her and her Grandmother that night to supper, to a pig and other rare dishes. But in the interim, marke what befalls, our

forces the same day routs the Bullyes, and all the fats in the fire, our Knights taken, brought to London and clapt prisoner in the Tower: Mris. Dorothy followes, but there contrary to her expectation findes Sir William Harts Wife with three or foure Children, whereupon she sent to him for herten pounds, and receives in liew there∣of a bad answer, the griefe of which caused the rivulets of her eyes to inundate the marygolds of her cheeks, (roses I should have said, but I am jack tell troath) and back to Worcester-shire she is gon with a sad heart God wot.

Thus Mris. Dorothy with a pensive minde, Is gon and left her Ladyship behinde. The ring proves falce, her monie's lost, And thus you see how her Ambition's crost. Thus Reader maist thou gexesse pede Hercules, Our Knights whole life to have done such pranks as these. And if thou fanciest this our Sir William Hart, I doe assure thee of a second part.