Rd. of Owyn Rogers, for his lycense for pryntinge of a ballett intituled the sounge of pacyente Gressell unto hyr make [mate] iiij d. Rd. of Wylliam greffeth, for his lycense for pryntinge of ij ballettes to the tune of pacyente gressell iiij d. Now the second of these entries seems to point to an earlier ballad, as it must have taken some time for the tune of Patient Grissell to become so popular; and therefore there is great probability in Mr. Chappell’s conjecture that the original ballad was published before 1557, in which year the Registers commence. All the ballads of Griselda now in existence are essentially the same as that printed in _The Garland of Goodwill_ by Thomas Deloney; and, as the same ballad, divided into chapters with prose chapters at the beginning and end, is printed in _The Pleasant and Sweet History of Patient Grissell_ (reprinted by Mr. Collier for the Percy Society), it has been suggested that this tract was also written by Deloney. This famous ballad-monger is supposed to have commenced writing about the year 1586, so that it is probable that the ballad of 1565–6, and the even earlier one suggested above, have ceased to exist. The following is a list of the different titles of Deloney’s ballad:— A most pleasant Ballad of patient Grissell, to the tune of “The Bride’s Good-morrow.” The earliest known edition, printed in _Collection of Seventy-nine Black-Letter Ballads and Broadsides_, 1870. P. 17. (_Roxburghe Ballads_, ed. W. Chappell, vol. ii. p. 268.) Of Patient Grissel and a Noble Marquess. To the tune of “The Bride’s Good-morrow.” T. Deloney’s Garland of Good-Will. 1678. Part 2. (Percy Society. No. 112. 1851.) The earliest edition of the _Garland_ must have been published before 1600, as Deloney died in that year. A most excellent and vertuous Ballad of the Patient Grissell. To the tune of “The Bride’s Good-morrow.” London. Printed by John Wright. [1640?] (_Roxburghe Ballads_, vol. i. pp. 302–3.) The first part ends— “My gracious Lord Must have his will obeyd.” And the second begins— “She tooke the Babies Even from the nursing ladies.” There is a copy of the ballad (in one, not two parts) in the Percy Folio Manuscript. See Hales and Furnivall’s edition, 1868, vol. iii. p. 421. An excellent Ballad of a Noble Marquiss and Patient Grissel. (_Collection of Old Ballads_, 1723, vol. i. p. 252.) The following entries in the Stationers’ Registers would appear to refer to the _Ancient, True, and Admirable History_ printed in this volume. It is stated to be translated from the French, but this statement is of no value, and it is evidently of pure English manufacture. The edition of 1619 is the earliest known to exist:—