POEMS, SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN WRITTEN AT BRISTOL, IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY, By THOMAS ROWLEY, Priest, &c. WITH A COMMENTARY, IN WHICH THE ANTIQUITY -OF THEM IS CONSIDERED, AND DEFENDED. BY JEREMIAH MILLES, D. D. DEAN OF EXETER. RENASCENTUR -SLVjE JAM CECIDERE. . HOR. BE ARTE POETICA. LONDON: PRINTED FOR T. PAYNE, AND SON, AT THE MEWS GATE. M. DCC.LXXXII, 8^306 nu ADVERTISEMENT. CT^HE Reader is informed, that the following Poems are printed verbatim from the former Editions , with the Errata corrected. 'The Pre- face, and Introductory Account, prefixed to thofe Editions, are added, on account of the variety of ufeful information which they contain* The order of the latter is tranfpofed, that it may corre- fpond with the prefent arrangement of the Poems. The Glojfary which accompanied the text in the former Editions, and was copied fro?n JVLSS. in the hand-writing of Thomas Chatterton, is reprinted entire, in Roman characters. The additions and alterations [ « ] alterations in the prefent Edition, are dijlinguifhed by Italics ; and the fame rule is ohferved in the alphabetical GlqJJary at the end of the Volume, which is greatly enlarged, both in words and references, of which the Reader will be more par- ticularly informed in the Advertifement prefixed to that Gloffary. THE - . - ■ - THE CONTENTS OF THIS VOLUME. Page PREFACE to the former Editions, — — . v ii Introductory Account to ditto, — — x ii Preliminary Diflertation, — — — j Preface to Battle of Haftings, N° i. — — 23 Battle of Haftings, N° i . — — — 4* Preface to Battle of Haftings, N* 2. — — gr Battle of Haftings, N° 2. — — — — 97 General obfervations on JElla., — — _ irn Epiftle to Maftre Canynge on Ella, — — . 16 c Letter to the dygne Maftre Canynge, — — - 170 Preface to Ella, — — — * — 1 7^ Entroductionne, — — _ I0 ^ Tragedy of Ella, — — . — — !^6 Prologue to Goddwyn, — — _ _ 2 8o Preface to Goddwyn, — — — _ 282 Goddwyn, a Tragedie, — — — — 28 c Preface to the Tournament, — — — 301 The Tournament, an interlude, — — — 306 Preface vi THE CONTENTS OF THIS VOLUME. Page Preface to the Briftowe Tragedie, — — — 3 2 ° Briftowe Tragedie, or the Dethe of Syr Charles Bawdin, 328 Preface to the Englyfh Metamorphofis, — — 353 Englyth Metamorphofis, — — — — 355 Preface to the Balade of Charitie, — — — 3 6 4 An excelente Balade of Charitie, — — — 3^6 Preface to the Songe to Ella, — — — 375 Challenge, and Songe to Ella, — — — 3 8z Preface to the Eclogues, — — — 3°9 Eclogue the Firft, — — — — 39 1 Preface to Eclogue the Second, — — — 39^ Eclogue the Second, — — — 4°° Preface to Eclogue the Third, — — — 407 Eclogue the Third, — — — — 408 Preface to Eclogue the Fourth, or Elinoure and Juga, — 414 Eclogue the Fourth, or Elinoure and Juga, — — 416 Preface to the Poem onn oure Ladies Churche, — 419 Onn oure Ladies Churche, — — — 4 2 3 On the fame, — — — — 4 2 4 Epitaph on Robert Canynge, — — — 427 Preface to the Storie of William Canynge, — — 428 The Storie of William Canynge, — — 430 On Happieneffe, by William Canynge, — — 447 Onn John a Dalbenie, by the fame, — — 449 The Goulers Requiem, by the fame, — — ibid. The Accounte of W. Canynges Feaft, — — 451 Additional Evidence, — — ' 453 Anfwer to the Appendix, — — 4 6 4 Gloflary — — "T "" 5 2 l PREFACE PREFACE TO THE FORMER EDITIONS. TH E Poems, wKlch make tlie principal part of this Col- lection, have for fome time excited much curiofity, as the fuppofed productions of Thomas Rowley, aprieft of Briflol, in the reigns of Henry VI. and Edward IV. They are here faith- fully printed from the moil authentic MSS. that could be pro- cured ; of which a particular defcription is given in the Introduc- tory Account of the fever al pieces contained in this volume, fubjoined to this Preface. Nothing more therefore feems neceffary at prefent, than to inform the Reader fhortly of the manner in which thefe Poems were firft brought to light, and of the autho- rity upon which they are afcribed to the perfons whofe names they bear. This cannot be done fo fatisfactorily as in the words of Mr. George Catcott of Briflol, to whofe very laudable zeal the Public is indebted for the mofb considerable part of the following collection. His account of the matter is this : " The firft difcovery of certain " MSS. having been depofited in Redclift church, above three '* centuries ago, was made in the year 1768, at the time of open- " ing the new bridge at Briftol, and was owing to a publication *' in Farley's Weekly Journal, 1 October 1768, containing an " Account of the ceremonies obferved at the opening of the old bridge \ 3 " taken, VI 11 PREFACE TO THE FORMER EDITIONS. *' taken, as it was faid, from a very antient MS. This excited " the curiofity of fome per Ions to enquire after the original. The " printer, Mr. Farley, could give no account of it, or of the " perfon who brought the copy; but after much enquiry it was " difcovered, that the perfon who brought the copy was a youth, " between fifteen and fixteen years of age, whofe name was " Thomas Chattcrton, and whofe family had been fextons of " Redclift church for near one hundred and fifty years. His ° father, who was now dead, had alfo been mafter of the free- " fchool in Pile-ftreet. The young man was at firft: very un- ■' willing to difcover from whence he had the original j but, after " many promifes made to him, he was at lafl prevailed on to ac- " knowledge, that lie had received this, together nuith many other ** MSS, from his father, who had found them in a large cheft in " an upper room over the chapel on the north fide of Redclift •' church." Soon after this, Mr. Catcott commenced his acquaintance with young Chatterton *, and, partly as prefents, partly as purchafes, procured from him copies of many of his MSS. in profe and verfe. Other * The hi (lory of this youth is fo intimately connected with that of the poems now publifhcd, that the Reader cannot be too early apprized of the principal cir- cumftances of his fhort life. He was born on the 20th of November 1752, and educated at a charity-fchool on St. Auguftin's Back, where nothing more was taught than reading, writing, and accounts. At the age of fourteen, he was articled clerk to an attorney, with whom he continued till he left Briftol in April 1770. Though his education was thus confined, he difcovered an early turn towards poetry and Englifh antiquities, particularly heraldry. How foon he began to be an author, is not known. In the Town and Country Magazine for March 1769, are two letters, probably, from him, as they are dated at Briftol, and fub- fcribed with his ufual fignature, D. B. The firft contains fhort extracts from two MSS, " written three hundred years ago by one Rowley, a Monk," concerning drefs in the age of Henry II. ; the other, " Ethelgar, a Saxon poem,'" in bom- baft profe. In the fame Magazine for May 1769, are three communications from Briftol, with the fame fignature, D. B. viz. Cerdick, tranjlated from the Saxon 2 (in PREFACE TO THE FORMER EDITIONS, ix Other copies were difpofed of in the Time way, to Mr. William Barrett, an eminent furgcon at Biiitol, who has long been en- gaged in writing the hiftory of that. city. Mr. Rarrett alio pro- cured fijom him federal fragments, fome of a coniiderable length, written (in the fame ftyle with Ethelgar), p. 233. — Obfervations upon Saxon heraldry, with drawings of Saxon atchievements, &c. p. 245. — Elinoure and Jug a, written three hundred years ago .by T. Rowley, a fecular priefl, p.* 273. This laft poem is reprinted in this volume, (p. 416. of this edition.) In the fubfequent months of 1769 and 1770 there are feveral other pieces in the fame Magazine, which are un- doubtedly of his compofition. In April 1770, he left Brifrol and came to London, in hopes of advancing his fortune by his talents for writing, of which, by this time, he had conceived a very- high opinion. In the profecution of this fcheme, he appears to have almoft entirely depended upon the patronage of a fet of gentlemen, whom an eminent author lone; ago pointed out, as not the very worji judges or rewarders of merit, the bookfellers of this great city. At his firft arrival indeed he was fo unlucky as to find two of his expected Mrecenafes, the one in the King's Bench, and the other in Newgate. But this little difappointment was alleviated by the encouragement which he re- ceived from other quarters ; and on the 14th of May he writes to his mother, in high fpirits upon the change in his fituation, with the following farcaftic reflection upon his former patrons at Briilol. " As to Mr. , Mr. , Mr. , &c. &c. they rate literary lumber fo low, that I believe an author, in their eflhnation, mujl be poor indeed ! But here matters are otherwife. Had Rowley been a Londoner injlead of a Briftov/yan, I could have lived by copying his works.'" In a letter to his fifter, dated 30 May, he informs her, that he is to be employed " in writing a voluminous hiflory of London, to appear in numbers the beginning of " next winter.'" In the mean time, he had written fomething in praife of the Lord Mayor (Beckford), which had procured him the honour of being prefented to his lordfhip. In the letter juft mentioned he gives the following account of his reception, with fome curious obfervations upon political writing : " The Lord Mayor received me as politely as a citizen could. But the devil of the matter is, there is no money to be got of this fide of the question. — But he is a poor author who cannot write on both fides. — EfTays on the patriotic fide will fetch no more than what the copy is fold fof. As the patriots themfelves are fearching for a place, they have no gratuity to fpare. — On the other hand, unpopular efiays will not even be accepted ; and you mull pay to have them printed : but then youfeldom lofe by it, as courtiers are fo fenfible of their deficiency in merit, that they generoufly reward all who know how to dawb them with the appearance of it." b Notwithftahdiiig PREFACE TO THE FORMER EDITIONS. -written upon vellum *, which he alTerted to be part of his origi- nal MSS. In lhort, in the lpacc of about eighteen months, from Odober 1768 to April 1770, befides the Poems now published, he produced as many compoiitions in profe and verfc, under the names of Rowley, Canynge, Sec. as would nearly fill fuch another \ olume. In Apiil 1770 Chatterton went to London, and died there in the Align!! following ; lb that the whole hiftory of this very ex- traordinary t ran faction cannot now probably be known with any linty; Whatever may have been his part in it ; whether he was the author, or only the copier (as he conftantly afferted) of all thefe productions ; he appears to have kept the fecret entirely to himielf, and not to have put it in the power of any other perlbn, to bear certain teftimony either to his fraud or to his veracity. The quefiion therefore concerning the authenticity of thefe Notwithftar.ding his employment on the Hiftory of London, he continued to write inceffantly in various periodical publications. On the nth of July he tells his fifter that he had pieces laft month in the Go/pel Magazine ; the Town and Country, viz. Maria Friendlefs ; Falfe Step; Hunter of Oddities ; To Mifs Bufli, lie. Court and City ; London ; Political Rcgijler, &c. But ail thefe exertions of his genius brought in fo little profit, that he was foon reduced to real indigence ; from which he was relieved by death (in what manner is not certainly known), on the 24th of Auguft, or thereabout, when he wanted near three months to com- plete his eighteenth year. The floor of his chamber was covered with written papers, which he had torn into fmall pieces ; but there was no appearance (as the Editor has been credibly informed) of any writings on parchment or vellum. * One of thefe fragments, by Mr. Barrett's permiflion, has been copied in the manner of a Facfsmilc, by that ingenious artift Mr. Strutt, and an engraving of it is inferted (p. 452 of this edition.) Two other fmall fragments of Poetry are printed (p. 427 and430of this edition.) See the Introduclory Account. The fragments in profe, which are confidcrably larger, Mr. Barrett intends to publifli in his Hiftory of Briftol, which, the Editor has the fatisfaction to inform the Publick, is very far advanced. In the fame work will be inferted A Difcorfe on BriJloiue y and the other hiftorical pieces in profr, which Chatterton at different times delivered out, as copied from Rowley's MSS. ; with fuch remarks by Mr. Barrett, as he of all men living is betl qualified to make, from his accurate refearches into the Antiquities of Briftol. 01 Poems PREFACE TO THE FORMER EDITIONS, xi Poems mud now be decided by an examination of the fragments upon vellum, which Mr. Barrett received from Chatterton as part of his original MSS., and by the internal evidence which the feveral pieces afford. If the Fragments fhall be judged to be genuine, it will ftill remain to be determined, how far their genuinenefs ihould ferve to authenticate the reft of the collection, of which no copies, older than thole made by Chatterton, have ever been produced. On the other hand, if the writing of the Fragments fhall be judged to be counterfeit and forged by Chat- terton, it will not of necelfity follow, that the matter of them was alfo forged by him, and ftill lefs, that all the other compofi- tions, which he profelfed to have copied from antient MSS., were merely inventions of his own. In either cafe, the decilion muft finally depend upon the internal evidence. It may be expected, perhaps, that the Editor mould give an opi- nion upon this important queftion; but he rather choofes, for many reafons, to leave it to the determination of the unprejudiced and in- telligent Reader. He had long been defirous that thefe Poems fhould be printed ; and therefore readily undertook the charge of fuper- intending the edition. This he has executed in the manner, which feemed to him beft fuited to fuch a publication j and here he means that his taffc fhall end. Whether the Poems be really ancient, or modern ; the compofitions of Rowley, or the for- geries of Chatterton ; they muft always be conlidered as a moft lingular literary curiolity, b % INTRO- [ a ] INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT OF THE VERAL PIECES CONTAINED IN THIS VOLUME. BATTLE OF HASTINGS, N" i. BATTLE OF HASTINGS, N" 2 , IN printing the firft of thefe poems, two copies have been made ufe of, both taken from copies of Chatterton's hand- writing, the one by Mr. Catcott, and the other by Mr. Barrett. The prin- cipal difference between them is at the end, where the latter copy lias fourteen lines from ver. 550, which are wanting in the former. The fecond poem is printed from a finglc copy, made by Mr. Barrett from one in Chatterton's hand-writing. It fhould be obferved, that the Poem marked N° 1, was given to Mr. Barrett by Chatterton with the following title; " Battle " of Hajiings, wrote by Turgot the Monk, a Saxon, in the tenth "century, and tranjlated by Thomas Rowlie, parijh preejle of St. " Johns in the city of Brijiol, in the year 1465. — The remainder of " the poem 1 have not been happy enough to meet i:-/th." Being afterwards preft; by Mr. Barreit ro produce any part of this poem in the original hand writing, he at lafl: faid, that he wrote this po: If for a friend ; but that he had another, the copy of an original by Rowley: and being then delired to produce that ? other INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT OF THE, &c. xiii other poem, he, after a confiderable interval of time, brought to Mr. Barrett the poem marked N° 2, as far as ver. 520 incl. with the following title; '* Battle of Hajlyngs by Tu'-gotus, tranflated by " Roulie for W. Canynge Efq." The 1 nes from ver. 521 incl. were brought fome time after, in confequence of Mr. Barrett's repeated follicitations for the concluiion of the porm. jELLA, a tragycal enterlude. This Poem, with the Epijlk, Letter, and Entroduclionne, is printed from a folio MS. furnifhed by Mr. Catcott, in the begin- ning of which he has written, " Chatterton's tranfcript. 1769." The whole tranfcript is of Chatterton's hand- writing. GODDWYN, A TRAGEDIE. This fragment is printed from the MS. mentioned p, xvi. in Chatterton's hand- writing. THE TOURNAMENT. This Poem is printed from a copy made by Mr. Catcott, from one in Chatterton's hand-writing. Sir Simon de Bourton, the hero of this poem, is fuppofed to have been the firft founder of a church dedicated to owe Ladie, in the place where the church of St. Mary Ratcliffe now flands. Mr. Barre'.t has a final 1 leaf of vellum (given to him by Chat- terton as one of Rowley's original MSS.), entitled, " Vita de " Simon de Bourton," in which Sir Simon is fud, as in the poem, to have begun his foundation in confequence of a vow made at a tournament. THE DETHE OF SYR CHARLES BAWDIN. This Poem is reprinted from the copy printed at London in 1772, with a few corrections from a copy made by Mr. Catcott, n one in Chatterton's hand-writing. The perfon here celebrated, under the name of Syr Charles Baiva: xiv INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT OF THE Bawdin, was probably Sir Baldewyn Fit/ford, Knt. a zealous Lan- caftrian, who was executed at Briftol in the latter end of 1461, the firll year of Edward the Fourth. lie was attainted, with many other*, in the general act of Attainder, 1 Edw. IV. but he fecms to have been executed under a fpecial commiflion for the trial of treafons, &c. within the town of Briftol. The fragment of the old chronicle, published by Hearnc at the end of Sprotti Chronica, p. 289. fays only; " Item the fame y 'ere (1 Edw. IV.) " was takin Sir Baldewine Fulford and behedid att Bri/loxv." But the matter is more fully dated in the act which palled in 7 Edw. IV. for the reftitution in blood and eftate of Thomas Fulford, Knt. eldeft fon of Baldewyn Fulford, late of Fulford, in the county of Devonshire, Knt. Rot. Pat. 8 Edw. IV. p. 1. m. 13. The pre- amble of this act, after ftating the attainder by the act 1 Edw. IV. goes on thus : " And alfo the faid Baldewyn, the faid firft yere " of your noble reign, at Briftowe in the (here of Briftowe, be- " fore Henry Erie of EiTex, William Haftyngs of Haftyngs Knt., " Richard Chock, William Canyng Maire of the faid towne of '« Briftowe and Thomas Yong, by force of your letters patentes '* to theym and other directe to here and determine all treefons " 5cc. doon withyn the faid towne of Briftowe before the vth day " of September the firft yere of your faid reign, was atteynt of " dyvers trefons by him doon ayenft your Highnes &c." If the commiflion fate foon after the vth of September, as is mod pro- bable, King Edward might very poflibly be at Briftol at the time of Sir Baldewyn's execution ; for, in the interval between his coronation and the parliament which met in November, he made a progrefs (as the Continuator of Stowe informs us, p. 416.) by the South coaft into the Weft, and was (among other places) at Briftol. Indeed there is a circumftance which might lead us to believe, that he was actually a fpectator of the execution from the minfter-window, as defcribed in the poem. In an old ac- compt of the Procurators of St, Ewin's church, which was then the SEVERAL PIECES CONTAINED IN THIS VOLUME, xv the minfter, from xx March in the i Edward IV. to i April in the year next enfuing, is the following article, according to a copy made by Mr. Catcott from the original book. " Item Jbr wapynge the church payven ageynsl .... Kynge Edward \th is corny nge. \ I11J " ob * ENGLYSH METAMORPHOSIS. This Poem is printed from a fingle fheet in Chatterton's hand- writing, communicated by Mr. Barrett, who received it from Chatterton. BALADE OF CHARITIE. This Poem is alio printed from a fingle fheet in Chatterton's hand-writing. It was fent to the Printer of the 'Town and Country Magazine, with the following letter prefixed : " To the Printer of the Town and Country Magazine. "SIR, " If the Gloffary annexed to the following piece will make the " language intelligible ; the Sentiment, Defcription, and Verfifi- " cation, are highly deferving the attention of the literati. "July 4, i 77 o. D. B." VERSES TO LYDGATE. SO NGE TO iELLA. LYDGATE'S ANSWER. Thefe three fmall Poems are printed from a copy in Mr. Catcott's hand-writing. Since they were printed off, the Editor has had an opportunity of comparing them with a copy made by Mr. Barrett from the piece of vellum, which Chatterton formerly gave XVI INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT OF THE gave to him as the original MS. The variations of importance jfexclufiye of many in the fpelling) are let down below *. ECLOGUE THE FIRST. ECLOGUE THE SECOND. ECLOGUE THE THIRD. Thefe three Eclogues are printed from a MS. furnifhed by * Verfes to Lydgate. In the title, for Ladgate, r. Lydgate. vcr. 2. r. Thatt I and thee. 3. for bee, r. goe. 7. for fygbte, r. zvryte. Sotige to JElla. The title in the vellum MS. was fimply " Songe toe /Elle" with a fmall mark of reference to a note below, containing the following words — " Lorde of thevajlelle of " Bnjlozve ynne dates of yore." It may be proper alfo to take notice, that the whole flung was there written like profe, without any breaks, or divifions into verfes. vcr. 6. for brajlynge, r. burjlyjige. 11. for valyantc, r. bur He- 23. for dyfmall., r. hanore. Lydgate' s anfwer. No title in the vellum MS. ver. 3. for varfes, r. pene. antep. for Lendes, r. St-ndes. ult. for iyne, r. thynge. ■ Mr. Barrett had alfo a copy of thefe Poems by Chatterton, which differed from that, which Chatterton afterwards produced as the original, in the following par- ticulars, among others : In the title of the Verfes to Lydgate. Orig. Lydgate — Chat. Ladgate. ver. 3. Orig. goe. — Chat. doe. 7. Orig. zvryte. — Chat, fygbte. Songe to /Ella. ver. 5. Orig. Dacyane. — Chat. Dacya's. Orig. ivhofe lockes — Chat, whofe hayres. 11. Orig. burlie. — Chat, branded. 22. Orig. kennjl. — Chat, bearjh 23. Orig. honore. — Chat, dy fmall. 26. Orig. Tprauncynge. Chat. Ifrayning. 30. Orig. gloue. — Chat, glare. Mr. SEVERAL PIECES CONTAINED IN THIS VOLUME, xvii Mr. Catcott, in the hand-writing of Thomas Chatterton. It is a thin copy-book in 4to. with the following title in the firft page. ** Eclogues and other toems by Thomas Rowley, 'with a Gloffary " and Annotations by Thomas Chatterton." There is only one other Poem in this book, viz. the fragment of " Goddzvyn, a Tragedie," which fee below, p. 279. ELINOURE AND JUG A. This Poem is reprinted from the 'Town and Country Magazine for May 1769, p. 273. It is there entitled, " Elinoure and Juga. « Written three hundred years ago by T. Roiv/ey a jccular priejl." And it has the following fubfcription ; " D. B. Brifrol, May, •* 1769." Chatterton foon after told Mr. Catcott, that he (Chat- terton) inferted it in the Magazine. The prefent Editor has taken the liberty to fupply [between- hooks] the names of the fpeakers, at ver. 22 and 29, which had probably been omitted by fome accident in the firfi publication ; as the nature of the composition feems to require, that the dia- logue mould proceed by alternate ftanzas. ONN OURE LADIES CHYRCHE. ON THE SAME. The firfl: of thefe Poems is printed from a copy made by Mr. Catcott, from, one in Chatterton's hand-writing. The other is taken from a MS. in Chatterton's hand-writing, furnifhed by Mr. Catcott, entitled, " A Difcorfe on Brijiowe, by ** Thomas Roio/ie." See the Preface, p, x. n. *; EPITAPH ON ROBERT CANYNGE. This is one of the fragments of vellum, given by Chattertcn to Mr.. Barrett, as part of his original MSS. c. T H.R xviii INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT OF THE THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE. The 34 fir ft lines of this Poem are extant upon another c r the jments, given by Chatterton to Mr. Barr tt. The remainder is printed from a copy furniihed by Mr. Catcott, ' fome corrections from another copy, made by Mr. Barrett from in Chatterton's hand-writing. This poem makes part of a profe- work, attributed to Rowley, giving an account of Painters, Carvel' lers, Poets, and other eminent natives of Briftol, from the earlieft times to his own. The whole will be published by Mr. Barrett, with remarks, and large additions ; among which we may expecl: a complete and authentic hiftory of that diftinguiihed citizen of Briftol, Mr. William Canynge. In the mean time, the Reader may fee feveral particulars relating to him in Gambderi s Britannia, Somerfet'. Col. 95. — Rymer's Fcedera, &c. ann. 1449 & 1450.— Tanner's Not. Monaji. Art. Bristol and Westbury. — Dngdak's Warwick/hire, p. 634. It may be proper juft to remark here, that Mr. Canynge's brother, mentioned in ver. 129, who was lord mayor of London in 1456, is called 'Thomas by Stowe in his Lift of Mayors, 6cc. The tranfaction alluded to in the laft Stanza is related at large in fome profe Memoirs of Rowley, of which a very incorrect, copy has been printed in the Town and Country Magazine for Novem- ber 1775. It is there faid, that Mr. Canynge went into orders, to avoid a marriage, propofed by King Edward, bettveen him and a lady of the Widdevile family. It is certain, from the Regifter of the Bifhop of Worcefter, that Mr. Canynge was ordained Aeolytbe by Bifhop Carpenter on 19 September 1467, and received the higher orders of Subdeacon, Deacon, and Priejl, on the 12th of March, 1467, O. S. the 2d and 16th of April, 1468, refpec- tively. O N SEVERAL PIECES CONTAINED IN THIS VOLUME, xix ON H AP PIE NESS E, by William Canynge. ONNE JOHNE A DALBENIE, by the same. THE GOULER'S REQUIEM, by the same. THE ACCOUNTE OF W. CANYNGE'S FEASTE. Of thefe four Poems attributed to Mr. Canynge, the three firft are printed from Mr. Catcott's copies. The lafl is taken from a fragment of vellum, which Chatterton gave to Mr. Barrett as an original. The Editor has doubts about the reading of the fecond word in ver. 7, but he has printed it keene, as he found it fo in other copies. The Reader may judge for himfelf, by examining the Facfmile in the oppofite page. With refpect. to the three friends of Mr. Canynge mentioned in the laft line, the name of Rowley is fufficiently known from the preceding poems. Ifcamm appears as an ador in the tra- gedy of /Ella, p. 158. and in that of Goddwyn, p. 279; and a poem, afcribed to him, entitled " The merry Tricks of Laymington" is inferted in the " Difcorfe of ' Brijlowe." Sir Theobald Gorges was a knight of an ancient family feated at Wraxhall, within a few miles of Brifbol [See Rot. Pari. 3 H. VI. n. 28. Leland's Itin, vol. VII. p. 98.]. He has alfo appeared above as an actor in both the tragedies, and as the author of one of the Mynjlrelles fonves in JEIla, p. 211. His connexion with Mr. Canynge is verified by a deed or the latter, dated 20 Oclober, 1467, in which he gives to truftees, in part of a benefaction of £. 500 to the Church of St. Mary Redcliffe, " certain Jewells of Sir Theobald Gorges, Knt." which had been pawned to him for f. 160. PRELIMINARY NOTE OF REFERENCE TO THE FOLLOWING SHEETS. TH E Reader is referred to page 453, for the Additional Evidence in favour of thefe Poems, which came too late to be inferted in its proper place, and contains a letter written by Mr. Thiftlethwaite, who was an intimate friend of Chatterton, nearly of the fame age, and, like him, had a turn for poetry. Mr. Bryant, in his very able defence of thefe Poems, lately pub- lifhed, page 492, contrails a Poem written by Mr. Thiftlethwaite, called The Confultation, with one by Chatterton, entitled The Ccn~ fuliad, and gives a preference to the former compofition. PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. THE poems of Rowley, fo long and fo impatiently expected, have now made their appearance in the world; and, by be»» ing collected in one volume, have afforded ample fcope to the lovers of ancient poetry, and to the critics in ancient language, to judge of their merit and authenticity. The public is already informed, that the principal materials which compofe the volume, were collected by the laudable in- dustry and indefatigable zeal of Mr. George Catcot of Briftol, who availed himfelf of an early acquaintance with young Chat- terton, to procure from him tranfcripts of thefe poems ; and by the fame means, Mr. Barrett of Briftol was enabled to enlarge the collection, referving to himfelf fuch pieces in poetry and profe, as related particularly to the hiftory of Briftol, which he has for fome time been preparing for the prefs, and (it is hoped) will foon communicate to the public. The uncommon merit of thefe poems could not efcape the penetrating genius of Chatterton from the firft moment of their difcovery : his mother and lifter are ftill living, to atteft the ear- neftnefs with which he collected, perufed, decyphered, and tfan- fcribed thofe ancient parchments, which had been depofited in his father's houfe before he was born : his friends, to whom B he 2 PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. he firft communicated them, beheld, with equal pleafure and furprife, a Superiority in the language and flile, in the fentiment and numbers of this poetry, diflinguifhing it from every other fpeciirun of the fifteenth century hitherto produced. This fu- periority, together with the uncommon circumftances attending the difcovery of thefe parchments, created doubts or fufpicions concerning their authenticity j and the few detached fpecimeno then circulating in private hands, were infufRcient to determine, the judgment of the critics upon this point. In this fituation they attracted the notice of their learned edi- tor, who was neither infenfible of their merit, nor a ftranger to the doubts which had arifen concerning them; but (as a friend to learning, and a lover of ancient poetry) " was defirous that they " mould be printed; and therefore readily undertook the charge " of fuperintending the edition, chuiing at that time, for many " reafons, to decline giving his opinion on the queftion of their V authenticity, which he left to the determination of the unpre- judiced and intelligent reader." If the evidence did not appear at that time fufficient to deter- mine his judgment in their favour, it may be prefumed at lead that his opinion was fufpended in an equal balance ; and that he would not have produced to the world any compofition, which he thought to be fpurious, or which was likely to appear fo in the judgment of the public. On a fubfequent examination, he has changed his opinion of this poetry ; and, from fome words and phrafes which appeared, doubtful to him in point of antiquity, he has condemned the whole collection as fpurious, declaring them, in his Appendix, "not " to have been written by any ancient author, but entirely by " Thomas Chatter ton." Should his opinion be decifive with the- public, have we not great reafon to lament the untoward fate of this excellent poet, whofe merit whilil living was unknown to, or at leaft unnoticed by his contemporaries ; whofe works were configned to oblivion by the zeal of his friend and patron Can- ning for their preservation; and who, being afterwards raifed from. a flumber PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. 3 a 11 umber of three centuries by the fortunate hand of Chatter ton, and ufhered into the world under the patronage of this eminent critic, mould now feel that hand exerted againft him, which had lately been fo inftrumenta-l in reftoring him to a fecond life ? But although the weight of Rowley's antagonists may be great, and the number of his advocates few, yet the genuinenefs of thefe poems is not given up by the literary world; legal as well as poetical juftice requires, that he mould be allowed to fpeak for himfelf before fentence is finally pronounced againft him ; and therefore, with permimon of the critics, we will pay the fame refpecl to his merit, which he paid to that of his favourite Ella, And rowze hym uppe before the judgment daie» To faie what he as Clergyond can kenne, And howe hee fojourned in the vale of Men. Entroductionne to Ella. It may be expected that the exiftence of the poet mould be proved, before his works are made the fubject of a comment, though the authenticity of the poetry does not depend upon this circumftance : for the prefent queftion is not, whether the author was called Rowley or Chatterton ; but, whether the poetry itfelf was compofed by a learned prieft in the fifteenth century, or by an illiterate charity-boy of the prefent age. Mr. Tyrwhit and Mr. Warton have adopted the latter fuppofitionj in which they have been followed by many refpectable pefions, who have not given themfelves the trouble to examine this poetry with a cri- tical impartiality, being ftrongly prepoflelfed with the idea that refined fentiment, poliilied diction, and harmony of numbers (fo •eminently conspicuous in thefe compofitions) are the peculiar fea'tures, and fole property of modern poetry. What weight may be due to this opinion, will appear from the following obferva- *ions. It is^to be remarked, -in the fir ft place, that every circumftance B 2 relating 4 PRELIMINARY DISSERTATIOK relating to this uncommon difcovery feems to reduce us to this al- ternative; either to believe that they were really copied by Chat- terton from parchments found in Redcliff* church, or that they were written by himlclf, and produced to the world under that falfe title. Rowley has hitherto appeared as the reputed author, and ought not to be difpotferlfcd, till fome other perfon can pro- duce a better title : not that a deficiency of evidence in fupport of Rowley's claim, will neceflarily eftablifh that of Chatterton : for the asra of the poems may be later than the fifteenth, and ear- lier than the eighteenth century : They might not have been written either by that learned prieft, or this illiterate youth. Ths difficulties, which on one fide of the queftion are great, on the other are infurmountable. The fubjeet of fome of thefe poems feems to claim a determinate acra, and, as far as the knowledge and atteftation of Chatterton are concerned, they can relate to no other period or author. He perfifted in afierting their authentici- ty, except in one inftance, which will be accounted for hereafter; and never ferioully laid claim to any of them as written by himfelf. If the fact was otherwife, the truth is gone to the graVe with him, alike concealed from the knowledge of the world, from his intimate friends, his family, and neareft relations. In the former editions we may fee fome general lineaments of this extraordinary youth ; but, as the facts and circumftances at- tending his progrefs through a very fhort and unhappy life, will fupply many topics of argument to illuftrate the prefent fubjeel ; it may not be improper to produce the refult of a rnort exact and diligent enquiry, made by a gentleman of great credit and ve- racity, from Chatterton's mother and fifter, and from fuch of his furviving friends, who were enabled to give him information orr this fubject. His mother fays, that he was born November 20th, 1752, and baptized at Redeliff church the ift of January following : That he firft went to fchool at five years of age, was admitted into Colfton's charity-fchool Augufi: 3d,. 1761, was bound apprentice to PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. 5 to Mr. John Lambert, attorney of Briflol, for feven years, on the I ft of July, 1767, removing the fame day from the fchool to his mafler's houfe. The inftrucrion in Colfton's fchool was confined to writing, reading, and arithmetic : the hours appointed for it, during the fummer half year, were from feven to twelve, and from one to five : in the winter, two hours lefs each day. He was al- ways in bed by eight of the clock, and never permitted to be ab- fent, except on Saturdays and faints days, from between one and two till feven or eight at night, When he firft went to fchool, he was obferved to be of flow apprehenfion and uncommonly dull ; was above five years old before he knew his -letters ; his writing-mailer, Mr. Love, who fucceeded Chatterton's father as mailer of the fchool in Pile-ftreet, thought it impoffible to make him learn them ; and he had a fancy to be taught his letters by his mother, from the illuminated initials in an old vellum French MS. treatife on mufic ; and which moft probably came from Redcliff church : fhe taught him afterwards to read, from a black- lettered Teflament (as ihe called it) meaning a Bible. But be- fore he left that fchool he grew fond of reading, and borrowed from Mr. Long, Mr. Shircliff, and particularly from Mr. Green, who had the largefl collection of any bookfeller in Briflol (and to whom he was obliged for Speght's Chaucer,) fuch books as their fhops produced ; but he knew nothing of the parchments taken from Redcliff church, nor of their contents, till he had left Mr. Colflon's fchool. The office-hours at Mr. Lambert's were from feven in the morning till eight at night ; and Mr. Lambert, who attefls the regularity of his attendance, fays that he was never but once known to be out of the honfe after ten of the clock at night : but he then went to bed very late, and rofe very early, feldom fpending more time with his mother and filler than from eight to nine in the evening. He left Mr. Lambert in April 1770, and went to London, where it is fuppofed he put an end to his miferable life in the month of Augufl following. As to the parchments, Mrs. Chatterton fays, that her hufband's uncle^ 6 PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. uncle, John Chatterton, was chofen fexton of Redcliff church March 25, 1725, and dying in that office in 1748, was fucceeded by Humphrey Perrot, who died May 1756; that her hufband keeping a writing-fchool in Pile-ftreet, the uncle furnifhed him with many old parchments for covering the boys copy-books, a little before the death of Mr. Gibbs, vicar of Redcliff, which parchments were taken out of fome ancient chefts in the room over the north porch of Redcliff church, (now empty, and Jffcill to be feen in that room :) That the charity-boys belonging to the ichool in Pile-ftreet brought thefe parchments to her hufband's houfe, and that they filled a large mawnd bafket : That many of them had feals, the figure of a pope or bifhop in a chair ; others hadnoieals: That her hufband put them in cupboards in the ichool, for the purpofe of covering the boys writing-books ; the beft of them were put to that ufe, and the reft remained in the cupboard : fhe thinks her hufband read fome of them, but does not know that he transcribed any, or was acquainted with their value: Being particularly fond of mufic, he employed his leifure hours in writing it for the cathedral, of which he was a finging- man : He had been employed in London in engroffing deeds for the attorneys, and was probably acquainted with the old hands ; he had alio been writin^-ufher to a fchool where the claffics were taught, and thereby knew a little of the Latin tongue : he died Auguft 1752, about three months before his (on was born. — She fays that the parchments in queftion, at the time of her hufband's death, were contained in a cupboard in the fchool-room, where they remained as long a6 the widow continued in the houfe, which was an indulgence granted her for fome time after her hufband's death. On her removal from thence, ihe emptied the cupboard of its contents, partly into a large long deal box, where her hufband ufed to keep his cloaths, and partly into a fquare oak box of a much fmaller fizej carrying both, with their contents, to her lodgings, where, according to her ac- count, they continued neglected and undifturbed, till her fon r firfl PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. 7 firfl difcovered their real value ; who, having examined their contents, told his mother " thit he had found a treafure, and was fo glad nothing could be like it:" That he then removed all thefe parchments out of the large long deal box under the bed, in which his father ufed to keep his cloaths, into a fquare oak box of a fmaller fize : That he was perpetually rummaging and ran- facking every corner in the houfe for more parchments, and, from time to time, carried away thofe he had already found, by pockets- full : That one day, happening to fee Clarke's Hiflory of the Bible covered with one of thofe parchments, he fwore a great oath, and, ftripping the book, put the cover into his pocket, and carried it away ; at the fame time dripping a common little Bible, but finding no writing on the cover, replaced it again very leifurely. Twenty Bibles were prefented to the charity-boys of Pile-flreet, of which Chatterton was mafler, by the Reverend Mr. Gibbs, vicar of Redcliff church, under whofe appointment Chatterton adled, which Bibles were afterwards covered with the parchments taken from the room over the porch. Upon his being informed by his mother from whence, and by what means, his father firfl procured thefe parchments, he went himfelf to the place, and picked up four more, which, if Mrs. Chatterton remembers rights Mr. Barrett has at this time in his polTefiion. Mr. Barrett con- firms this teftimony, with regard to Chatterton's bringing parch- ments to him, which he took from the room over the porch, who alfo faid that he had been there more than once ; but Mr. Barrett obferves that thefe parchments contained deeds of land, &c. in Latin, and that Chatterton defired Mr. Barrett to read them to him, as he neither underflood the language nor character in which they were written. Mrs. Newton his fitter, being afked if (he remembers his having mentioned Rowley's poems, after the difcovery of the parchments; fays, that he was perpetually talking on that fub- JecTt, and once in particular, (about two years before he left Briflol) when a relation, one Mr. Stephens of Salifbury, made them S PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. them a vifit, he talked of nothing elfe; which Mr. Stephens has fince confirmed, as to the general tenor of the converfation, though, at fuch a diftance of time, he does not charge his memory with particulars : Thathe ufed to read Rowley very often to her, and fometimes his own poems ; but, as the latter were almoft wholly fatirical, the mother and grandmother grew uneafy, fearing that they fhould involve him in fome fcrape ; after which he chiefly read Rowley to her; one of the poems on our lady's church (but which of the two fhe does not know) he read from a parchment, and (as fhe believes) the battle of Haftings alio; but is not certain. Being afked if fhe remembered any particular paflages that he had read, flie replied " The language was fo old, that I could not " understand them : they were all to me a mere blank, I had no " kind of relifh for them. This my brother ufed fometimes " to perceive, would grow angry, and fcold at me for want of "itaftej but what I Sickened my poor brother with, I remem- M ber very well, was my inattention to the Battle of Haftings, " which before he ufed to be perpetually repeating." When he was communicative, he would read the play of Ella to his fifter; and fhe recollects his having mentioned the names of Turgot and John Stow : fhe never faw him copying any of thefe •parchments at his mother's, but concluded that he did it at Mr. Lambert's office ; where once, and once only, fhe thinks that fhe faw him transcribing one of them : fhe defcribes thefe parchments as curled and crumpled, and green about the edges. This account, which was given by Mrs. Newton to fome re- fpedtable friends who lamented the untimely fate of her brother, and compafTionated the Situation of her family upon that occafion, is confirmed and illustrated by the following letter, which fhe wrote fome time fince, to the author of a pamphlet, entitled 1 Love and Madnefs," and which he has thought fit to publifh in that work. ■' Confcious PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. 9 " Confcious of my own inability to write to a man of letters, " and reluctant to engage in the painful recollection of the parti- " culars of the life of my dear deceafed brother; together with " the ill ftate of health I've enjoyed fince it has been required of " me, are, Sir, the real caufes of my not writing fooner. But I " am invited to write as to a friend: infpired with the facred name, " I will forget the incorrectnefs of my epiftle, and proceed. '* My brother very early difcovered a third for pre-eminence. " I remember, before he was five years old, he would always pre- " fide over his playmates as their mafter, and they his hired fer- " vants. He was dull in learning, not knowing many letters at " four years old, and always objected to read in a fmall book. He " learnt the alphabet from an old folio mufick- book of my father's, " my mother was then tearing up for wade paper; the capitals at " the beginning of the verfes, I aflifted in teaching him. I recol- " left nothing remarkable till he went into the fchool, which was " in his eighth year, excepting his promifing my mother and me " a deal of finery, when he grew up, as a reward of her care. About " his tenth year he began (with the trifle my mother allowed " him for pocket-money) to hire books from the circulating li- '* brary, and (we were informed by the uflier) made rapid progrefs " in arithmetick. Between his eleventh and twelfth year, he wrote ?* a catalogue of the books he had read, to the number of feventy : '.' Hiftory and divinity were the chief fubjedts : his fchoolmates " informed us, he retired to read at the hours allotted for play. " At twelve years old, he was confirmed by the bifhop: he made " very fenfible ferious remarks on the awfulnefs of the ceremony, " and his own feelings and convictions during it. Soon after this, " in the week he was door-keeper, he made fome verfes on the " lafl day, I think about eighteen lines ; paraphrafed the ninth " chapter of Job ; and, not long after, fome chapters in Ifaiah. " He had been gloomy from the time he began to learn, but we " remarked he was more chearful after he began to write poetry. ** Some fatirical pieces we faw foon after. His intimates in the C " fchool io PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. " lchool were but few, and they folid lads ; and, except the next " neighbours' ions, I know of none acquaintance he had out. He t* was fourteen the twentieth of November, and bound apprentice " the firft of July following. Soon after his apprenticefhip, he " correlponded with one of his fchoolmates, that had been hisbed- " fellow, and was, I believe, bound to a merchant at New-York. " He read a letter at home, that he wrote to his friend, a col- " lection of all the hard words in the Englifh language, and re- " quefted him to anfwer it. He was a lover of truth from the " earlieft dawn of reafon, and nothing would move him fo much " as being belied. When in the fchool, we were informed by the " uflicr, his matter depended on his veracity on all occafions. Till " this time he was remarkably indifferent to females. One day " he was remarking to me the tendency fevere ftudy had to four " the temper, and declared he had always feen all the fex with " equal indifference, but thofe that nature made dear: he thought " of making an acquaintance with a girl in the neighbourhood, " fuppofing it might foften the aufterity of temper ftudy had " occalioned; he wrote a poem to her, and they commenced " correfponding acquaintance. About this time the parchments ** belonging to my father, that were left of covering his boys " books, my brother carried to the office. He would often fpeak " in great raptures of the undoubted fuccefs of his plan for fu- U ture life. He was introduced to Mr. Barrett and Mr. Catcot ; " his ambition increafed daily. His fpirits were rather uneven, " fometimes fo gloom'd, that for many days together he would " fay very little, and that by conftraint. At other times exceed- " ingchearful. When in fpirits, he would enjoy his riling fame; " confident of advancement, he would promife my mother and " me fhould be partakers of his fuccefs. Mr. Barrett lent him V many books on furgery, and I believe he bought many more, as " I remember to have packed them up to fend to him when in " London, and no demand was ever made for them. About this " time he wrote feveral fatirical poems; one in the papers, on c " Mr. PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. u Mr. Catcot's putting the pewter plates in St. Nicholas tower. He began to be univerfally known among the young men. He had many cap acquaintance, but I am confident but few in- timates. At about feventeen, he became acquainted with Mr. Clayheld, diitiller in Caflle-flreet, who lent him many books on Aflronomy. Mr. Cator likewife afiifled him with books on that fubjecT: ; from thence he applied himfelf to that fludy. His hours in the office, were from eight in the morning to eight in the evening. He had little of his mailer's bufinefs to do, fometimes not two hours in a day, which gave him an opportunity to pur- fue his genius. He boarded at Mr. Lambert's,, but we faw him moil evenings before nine, and would, in general, flay to the limits of his time, which was ten. He was feldom two evenings together without feeing us. I had almofl forgot to add, we had heard him frequently fay that he found he fludied beft toward the full of the moon; and would often fit up all night and write by moon-light. A few months before he left Briflol, he wrote letters to feveral bookfellers in London, I be- lieve, to learn if there was any probability of his getting an employment there, but that I cannot affirm, as the fubjecT: was a fecret at home. He wrote one letter to Sir Horace Warpool, and, except his correfpondence with Mil's Rumfey, the girl I before mentioned, I know of no other. He would frequently walk the college green with the young girls that Hated] y paraded there to fhew their finery, but I really believe he was no debau- chee (though fome have reported it) : the dear unhappy boy had faults enough j I faw, with concern, he was proud, and exceed- ingly imperious; but that of venality he could not be juftly accufed with. Mr. Lambert informed me, not two months before he left Briflol, he had never been once found out of the office in the flated hours, as they frequently fent the footman and other fe-rvants there to fee ; nor but once flayed out till eleven ; then he had leave, as we entertained fome friends at our houfe at Chriflmas. C 2 n Thus, j 2 PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. " Thus, Sir, have I given you, as before the Great Searcher of " heart?, the whole truth, as far as my memory has been faithful, " the particulars of my dear brother. The talk has been painfull, " and, for want of earlier recolle&ion, much has been, nay, the " greateii part has been loft. My mother joins with me in beft " refpedlsj which concludes me, « Briftol, "SIR, " Somerfetjhire-fquare, " Your very humble fervant, « Sept. 22, 177b. "MARY NEWTON.'" As the genuinenefs of the letter cannot be doubted, and the writer, like her brother, feems attached to the caufe of truth, it will furnifh the reader with the following fadts. Firft, that there did exift, and come into young Chatterton's pofleffion, parchments belonging to his father, which were left of covering the boys books, and which were carried by him to Mr. Lambert's office ; which parchments appear, by other ac- counts, to have been taken from the room over the porch of Red- cliff church. Secondly, that Chatterton very early difcovered a thirft for pre-eminence ; that his temper was proud and imperious; that his ambition made him fpeak in great raptures of the undoubted fuc- cefs of his plan for future life. Thirdly, that he could not be charged with venality. Fourthly, that he was a lover of truth from the earlieft dawn of reafon, and nothing would move him fo much as being belied •: his mafter depended upon him on all occafions. Every one of thele fads militates in the ftrongeft manner againft the idea of forgery in thefe poems ; it being highly incredible that a perfon of this turn of mind could be at the trouble of pre- paring and difguifing parchments, to give them the appearance of antiquity ; and of tranferibing on them, in a hand affecting to be ancient, not only the poems contained in this volume, but alfo feveral others yet unpublished, together with many treatifes in profe upon various PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. 13 various fubjeits. — That he who commenced apoetat twelve years of age, and from his earl ieft days fhewed fo great a thirft for pre-emi- nence, mould fo far facrffice his own credit, as to deny himfelf to be the author of poems, fuperior to thofe which he had confeffedly written. — That he who was above venality, and {o great a lover, of truth, mould make himfelf a living lie; and impofe upon his neareft relations and the whole world, a forgery which tempted him with no profpedt of honour or advantage, unlefs any could be fuppofed to arife from the reputed antiquity of thefe poems. The fuppofirion of a forgery under fuch circumftances, is ir- reconcileable with every idea of rational conduct, and much more fo. with the -genius and difpofition of this extraordinary youth. The account given by Mr. William Smith of. Briflol (who was one of Chatterton's intimate acquaintance, and to whom he addreffed a fhort letter; fee Love and Madnefs> p. 172, fourth edition) is more circumftantial in other refpects : He fays, that Chatterton read Rowley's poems to him at the time that he was apprentice to Mr. Lambert, and not before; that he fome- times read whole treatifes, fometimes parts only, and that very often ; that is, he read fome ancient pieces of writing, which came from the room over the north porch in Redcliff church ; he does not know that they were all by Rowley, but never heard him mention any other ancient poet: That thefe MSS. were upon vellum ; that he had feen a dozen of them.; fome with the heads of kings and popes :.That he had very often feen him tran- fcribe thefe parchments at Mr. Lambert's office; and that he had read them to him, when he had juft tranfcribed them; but Mr. Smith had at that time no tafte for fuch things. — The account which young Chatterton gave him of thefe parchments was, that he received them from his mother, as belonging to his father, who had them originally from Redcliff church-; that being in his mother's pofieffion, fome were turned into thread-papers, fome into patterns, fome into dolls, and applied to ignoble ufesj that he accidentally difcovered their value, by finding i 4 PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. finding fome writing on one of thcfe thread- papers, which was very old, the hand being different from common hands, and the fubjecl treated in an uncommon manner ; and that, being of an inquifitive and curious turn, he questioned his mother con- cerning them, how and whence they came. — That Chatterton was fond of walking in the fields, and particularly in Redclifr meadows; of talking with him about thefe MSS. and reading them to him: " You and I (fays he) will take a walk in Redcliff " meadow, I have got the clevereft thing for you that ever was : " It is worth half a crown to have a fight of it only, and to hear " me read it to you." He would then produce and read the parchment. He ufed to fix his eyes in a kind of reverie on Redcliff church, and fay, " this fteeple was once burnt by light- " ning : This was the place where they ufed formerly to act " plays." He fpoke of all thefe parchments as ancient; fome as Rowley's, but whether all, he does not know. He never offered to claim them as his own, nor fo much as dropped the leaft hint that way : He never feemed defirous that any one fhould fufpecT, much lefs believe them to be written by him. He had no reafon to be obliged to any man for character : He was one of the moft extraordinary geniufes Mr. Smith ever faw or heard of: He never dropped the leaft hint of any deiign to print the con- tents of thefe parchments, though he was remarkably fond of publishing: He had no knowledge either of Greek or Latin, but expreffed a deiign to teach himfelf Latin; which idea Mr. Smith difcouraged, as an impracticable and ufelefs at- tempt; but advifed him to try at French : It does not appear, however, from any part of his hiftory, that he attempted either. Mr. Smith concludes his teftimony, with wifhing that he had been acquainted formerly with the value of thefe things; as he could have got them all of Chatterton with a word's afking. This teftimony of Mr. Smith is clear and exprefs with regard to Chatterton's poffefllng, reading from, and tranfcrib- ing the contents of thefe ancient parchments; to his never claiming PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. 15 claiming them, or any other compofition as his own, which he did not actually write ; and though, from the exalted ideas he entertained of Chatterton's abilities, he thought him capable of any thing fhort of infpiration, yet he would not admit the idea of his being the author of this poetry ; though this mull have been the higheft compliment to Chatterton, and the moft con- vincing proof of the wonderful extent of his abilities. Mr. Thomas Cary, formerly clerk to Mr. Cruger, late member for Briftol, an intimate friend and acquaintance of Chatterton, and a great admirer of his abilities, and who lamented his death in an elegy fubjoined to the publication of Chatterton's Mifcel- lanies, p. 241, and to whom alfo he addrefled a letter: (See Love and Madnefs, p. 171 ;) yet did not think him capable of writing thefe poems, nor did he doubt their having been written by Rowley, as appears by the following letter, addreffed by him to Mr. George Catcot, in anfwer to his enquiries on that fubject : "SIR, " It being your requeft that I fhould give you my opinion of the " authenticity of Rowley's MSS., I can only fay that I have fre- " quently heard Chatterton make mention of fuch writings being " in his poflemon lhortly after his leaving fchool, when he could " not be more than fifteen years of age ; and, that he had given " Mr. Barrett and Mr. Catcot part of them. Not having any tafte " myielf for ancient poetry, I do not recollect his ever having " Ihewn them to me; but that he often mentioned them, at an age, " when (great as his capacity was,) I am convinced he was inca- " pable of writing them himfelf; I am very clear in, and confefs it " to be aftoniihing, how any perfon, knowing thefe circumftances, *'* can entertain even a fhadow of a doubt of their being the works " of Rowley. Of this I am very certain, that if they are not " Rowley's, they are not Chatterton's : This, I think, I am war- " ranted in afferting, as, from my intimacy with him, I had it in " my power to, and did obferve the progrefs of his genius from " his id PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. " his infancy to the fatal diflblution. His abilities, for his age, •« were beyond conception great, but not equal to the works of " Rowley, particularly at the age that he produced them to light. " I think I need fay no more, to convince any rational being of " their being genuine; in which perfuaiion I reft, " Briftol, ■ "SIR, " Augujl i^tb, " Your moft obedient fervant, « x 77 6. 2 fpit 20 PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. lf)ic jaeet Chomas iRoulep quontiam mercator ac toicecomes fjuiuss uillc DC 15riftoll. qui quioem Cbomas obiit rriii Die nics Jamiam anno £)ni millmo cccclrrtiiii. et sgargatcta uror cj\ que obiit Die menus anno Dni millmo cccclrr. quaf alab' ppitiet 1 De* 3men. This is probably the only record or monument which could have furnifhed him with the name of Rowley ; but the inferip- tion was in Latin, which he did not underftand, and the Gothick letters made it ftill more difficult to be decyphered ; and who knows whether he ever faw the infide of that church or the in- scription ? But, fuppofe him poffeffed of that information, what affiftance could it afford him, or what foundation could it lay for railing on it fo large a fuperftrudture of hiftory and fadts, making him the friend of Canning, and of biffiop Carpenter, &c. Thefe, with many other hints and references to his life and connec- tions, which are interfperfed through thefe poems, could ferve only to embarrafs him in his fubjecl, and to lead to the detec- tion of his forgery. Rejecting therefore fuch improbable fup- pofitions, let us endeavour to procure information from the poems themfelves, and from other records concerning this ex- traordinary man. If we give credit to Chatterton's notes, prefix- ed to the Ballad of Charity, he was born at Norton Malreward, near Brifbol, educated at the convent of St. Kenna, at Keynfham, and died at Weftbury ; but thefe facts being unfupported by other authentic proofs, can only carry fuch weight with the reader, as he may be difpofed to give them : It appears, however, from the poems themfelves, and from their refpeclive titles, that he was a Priejl, (or, as he is juftly calkd in the title prefixed to the Ballad of Charity, a gode Priejl,) his profeffion being plainly enough pointed out in the ftory of Y/illiam Canning, where he fays of himielf,. But PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. 21 But I ne did once think of wanton thoughte, For well I minded what by vow I hete. This hete, or promife, was the vow of chaftity, taken at his or- dination ; the record of which, as far as it relates to the orders of Acolythe, appears in the epifcopal regifter of Wells, wherein Thomas Rowle, Bathon and Wellen dioce~, was admitted to, that order, with others, by John Olonens' epifc (bifhop of Oleron in France) officiating for John (Stafford) bifhop of Bath and Wells, in the parifh-church of Crukerne, in Somerfetfhire, May 30th 1439 ; and this date agrees very well with the other circumftances of his life. The name of Rowley was not uncom- mon at that time in the diocefe, for the fame regifter mentions yohn Roley of Glafton, and Richard Roley ; the former ordained deacon in 1454, the latter fubdeacon and deacon in the fame year, and prieft in 1455. One Richard Rowhigh appears, by bifhop Booth's Epifcopal Regifter at Exeter, to have died vicar of North Molton in Devonfhire, 1469; p. 26. b; poffibly the fame perfon who is mentioned in the Wells Regifter. The Wor- cefter Regifter mentions yohn Rowley, ordained an Acolythe, by Bifhop Carpenter, in the conventual church of Tewkefbury 1457; Thomas Rolegh, batchelor of laws, was admitted to the reclory of Bekyngton, in the diocefe of Bath and Wells, prefented by Thomas St. Mauro (Seymour) knight, Jan. 23d 1478: The faid Thomas Rolegh (elfewhere in the fame regifter fpelt Rowleigh) was inftituted to the re A. v. 462. So finks a tower, that long affaults had flood Of force and fire, its walls befmcared with blood. Pope, B. iv. v. 528. V.59. By the tower of Standrip, mult be meant Staindrop, in the bifhoprick of Dur- ham, the only place of that name in England ; for though there is neither the appear- ance nor tradition of a caftle there, a tower might have antiently flood on that fpot, and have been deftroyed by the Danes ; an event too inconfiderable to be recorded by hiftorians, though perhaps important enough to be preferved in that neighbourhood by tradition. The manor of Staindrop, which was given by King Canute to the Monks of Durham, anno 1020, was granted in 1130, by Algar prior of Durham, to Delphin filius Uctredi. See Leland's Colle&anea, torn. i. p. 378 & 390. V.61. The invocation of Aflem (another anecdote relating to Durham) feems to be made in the perfon of Turgot, who was his friend and contemporary Monk in the monaftcry of Durham ; but Rowley could have no connection with him, for he was ignorant even of the time of his death; though he gives the following cha- racter of him in his lift of fkyllde painters and carvellers. " Aflem a Monke of St. Cuthberte, wythe beforefayde Turgotte Briftowe borne, " a mod fkyllde paynfterr & poett; whann he dyedd is uncouthe." Rowley has done him credit as a painter, which in thofe days was a rare accom- plishment ; but we are probably to underftand by it the art of illuminating manu- fcripts, which was chiefly poflefTed by the Monks. He fays alfo that Aflem was born at Brifto 1 , but probably on no better authority than his affertion concerning Turgot. Duke William is faid in both thefe poems, and in the Minftrells Song ill the Tournament, to have been armed with acrofs-bow, and with bows and arrows, the ufu.il weapons of the Normans; in which they were remarkably expert; [v. 71.] William's bow was proportionable to his ftrength : He is here faid to have taken his brazen crofs-bozv in his hand, and elfewhere, zflrongarblajler, [poem 2d. v. 303,] by which BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 47 Duke Wyllyam fawe hys freende fleyne piteouflie, 65 Hys lovynge freende whome he muche honored, For he han lovd hym from puerilitie % And theie together bothe han bin ybred : O ! in Duke Wyllyam's harte it rayfde a flame, To whiche the rage of emptie wolves is tame. 70 He tooke a brafen crofTe-bowe in his honde, And drewe it harde with all hys myghte amein, Ne doubtyng but the braveft in the londe Han by his foundynge arrowe-lede bene fleyne. Alured's ftede, the fynefl ftede alive, 75 Bye comelie forme knowlached ' from the reft -, But nowe his deflind howre dyd aryve, The arrowe hyt upon his milkwhite brefte : So have I feen a ladie-fmock foe white, Blown in the mornynge, and mowd downe at night. 80 5 Childhood. ' Known, or diflinguijhed. With which is meant the fame weapon. But in other paflages he is faid to have had a longjlrunge bow. Tournament v. 45 ; an enyronned bow- ib. v. 50; an ironne-woven bow. v. 68 ; and znyron interwoven bowe. B. H. p. 2. v. 232. Thefe were bows in the common form, from which the arrows were directed flaming upwards; whereas from the crofs-bows they were levelled horizontally. In the prefent inftance, William only killed a beautiful milk-white horfe of Alured. The poet, however, takes occa- fion from his colour to introduce an allufion, not unlike that made by Homer on the death of Gorguthio. II. 0. v. 306. It wants, however, that elegance and fpirit which his correct pen has given to the fimilies in the other poem. V. 79. The Lady-fmock here alluded to is mentioned by Shakefpear amongft the fpring-flowers. When daifies pied and violets blue, And cuckow-buds of yellow hue, And laJy-fmocks all filver white, Do paint the meadows with delight. Love's Labour Loft, act 5th, fcene the laft. V.83. 48 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ I. With thilk u a force it dyd his bodie gore, That in his tender guttes it entered, In veritee a fulle clothe yarde or more, And downe with flaiten x noyfe he funken dede. Brave Alured, benethe his faithful 1 horfe, 8$ Was fmeerd all over withe the gorie dufte, And on hym laie the recer's lukewarme corfe, That Alured coulde not hymfelf alufte r . The ftandyng Normans drew theyr bowe echone, And broght full manie Englylh champyons downe. 90 u Such. * Undulating, or terrible. " Free, or dlfengage bimfelf. The V. 83. The arrow is faid to have entered the horfe's guts A full cloth yard or more. This expreflion occurs likewife in Chevy-Chacc : An arrow of a cloth yard long, Up to the head drew he. So Edgar in King Lear: That fellow handles his bow like a crow-keeper ; Draw me a clothier's yard. And Drayton fays of Robin Hood's bowfmen, B. 26. They not an arrow drew but was a cloth yard long. It does not follow, however, that this expreflion was borrowed from Chevy-Chacc, though that ballad was extant before Rowley's time ; but the above references (hew that the arrows of that time were generally a yard in length, of fuch meafure as was ufed by the clothiers, and diftinguiflied, probably, from meafures of a diffe- rent kind applied to other goods. V. 84. The flaiten noife and the flatting crie of the Englifh army, which roufed the Normans from their prayers, [Poem 2d, v. 42,] may fignify that undulatory found which is caufed by refpiration ; but Ray, amongft his South and Eaft country wcrds, explain* flaite to affright or fcare. There is an interval of 320 lines between Alured's fall from his horfe and his ap- pearing again remounted in the battle ; thefe different and diffant exhibitions of j the fame warrior may be confidered as a dramatic beauty, and the fame is done with refpecl to the Wellh hero Howel ap Jevah. V. 91. BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N". i. 49 The Normans kept aloofe, at diftaunce ftylle, The Englyfh nete z but fhorte horfe-fpears could welde ; The Englyfh manie dethe-fure dartes did kille, And manie arrowes twang'd upon the flieelde. Kynge Haroldes knyghts delir'de for hendie* ftroke, 95 And marched furious o'er the bloudie pleyne, In bodie clofe, and made the pleyne to fmoke ; Theire fheelds rebounded arrowes back agayne. The Normans ftode aloofe, nor hede b the fame, Their arrowes woulde do dethe, tho' from far of they came. 100 z Nothing. * Hand to hand. b Heeded, or regarded. Duke V. 91. The Norman foldiers are defcribed here, and in the following poem, (agreeably to the accounts of our hiftorians) as keeping their diftance, and annoy- ing the Englifh army with their arrows; but no great ufe is made of this ad- vantage, for at the end of two ftanzas, the poet makes the battle clofe on every fide. In the 2d poem, however, he has been much more indulgent to the fingle combatants, for it is not till the 571ft line, that Duke William gave command each Norman knight Should onward go, and dare to clofer fight. V. 92. It is obferved, that whilft the Englifh fought at a diftance They nete but fhort horfe-fpears could welde; but when the Normans clofed, they changed their weapons, And lifted up their bills with mickle pride, v. 123. This agrees with the difpofition of the Englifh army, as defcribed by William Malmfbury, p. 101 : — " Pedites omnes cum bipennibus conferta ante fe fcutorum tef- " tudine impenetrabilem cuneum faciunt." A circumftance, which (as he obferves) would have given them the victory, if the Norman ftratagem of a pretended flight had notcaufed the Englifh to open their phalanx. In Strutt's Defcription of the ancient Cuftoms and Manners of the Englifti, vol. ii. pi. 20, Guy Earl of Warwick and Sir Pandulf are reprefented fighting with H fp ears ; 5 o BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. i. Duke Wyllyam drewe agen hys arrovve flrynge c , An arrowe withe a fylver-hede drewe he; The arrowe dauncynge in the ayre dyd fynge, And hytt the horfe TofTelyn d on the knee. At this brave Tofslyn threwe his fhort horfe-fpeare ; 105 Duke Wyllyam {looped to avoyde the blowe; The yrone weapon hummed in his eare, And hitte Sir Doullie Naibor on the prowe e : Upon his helme foe furious was the ftroke, It fplete his bever, and the ryvets broke. 11a Downe fell the beaver f by Tofslyn fplete in tweine, And onn his hede expos'd a punie wounde, But on Deftoutvilles {holder came ameine, And fell'd the champyon to the bloudie grounde. c Or boivjiring. i Rather Jofslyn. ' Brow, or head. f Helmet. Then fpears ; and it is faid, " after they went togedre with axes." The two combatants are reprefented in the latter of thefe fituations ; Sir Guy's weapon is a long fword at the end of an handle, Sir Pandulf 's is like an halberd. This drawing is taken from John Rous. V. 106. Duke Wyllyam (looped to avoyde the blowe. So did He&or : — — g" ix.x»fa. U- H. v. 254. And Meriones : — riMuix.ro y^aixxiov eTxoj ripsorw yelp xaTEXuif'f 11. n. v. 6lO« Who ftooping forward, from the death withdrew. Pope, B. xvi. v. 740.. V. 113. On Deftoutvilles fholder came ameine. So Homer, T01. £aA£ St^iov upov tv BsJfiw tvvxK>[jt.ivu rii/a.(nr£ To 7r/iii/, a-rap tote y eVSAoi/ «ei)/isv e^fiiapi^aj E? TlriXri ike'teue, x, ec ©etik ccpyvpoTrtfxv. Oi S" ap 'A^iAA»!» pr\fcrivopi Tripirov cVca-flai ' IXlOV £1? IVTTtoXQV 'tVOL T/3«£ery familiar both to Homer and Rowley, and frequently copied by other poets. The BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 6x And like a ufelefs weede among the haie Amonge the fleine warriours Griel laie. Kynge The chara&er and atchievements of Mervyn ap Tewdor are ftill more fingular than thofe of his friend and countryman Howel ap Jevah : He fhould feem, from his name, to have been the fon of the famous Tewdor Mawr, the grandfon of Oiven, and the great grandfon of Howel Dha; but it is not eafy to afcertain his perfon and rank from true hiftory; though there was a Meyne or Meredith (poflibly the fame name with Mervyn) who was fon of Owen King of South Wales, about the time of Howel ap Jenaf. The defcription of this warrior's drefs and activity, his ftrength and valour, will give more entertainment to the reader than his genealogy : He flew upon the Norman with the rage of a mountain wolf, terrifying him as much by his appearance as he did by his valour 5 for it is truly faid His garb fufficient was to move affright: His armour confiding chiefly of fkins of wild beafts. His gauntletts were the fkynn of Harte of Greece, v. 494. This expreflion occurs in the ballad of Adam Bell, which is more ancient than Shakefpear. Each of them flew a Hart of Greece, The belt that they could fee. Percy, vol. i. p. 161. 2d. edit. Itisfocalledalfoinone of the ballads on Robin Hood, in Evans's Collection, vol. i. p. 36. It may be prefumed to have been anciently the common name for a flag. So Shakefpear, in one of his fongs, fpeaks of a Hart and Hind; and in the battle of Otterbourn, Earl Percy fays, that He will kill the fatteft Harts in all Cheviot. But they were not called Harts of Greece from their fatnefs or graiffe (as Dr. Percy fuppofes in his Gloffary vol. i.) but from Greece, whence they were fuppofed originally to come; for in fact this name takes its origin from the ftory of Her- cules's labours, one of which confifted in purfuing and catching, on mount Meenalus in Arcadia, a Hind facred to Diana, which had gilt horns and brazen hoofs. To this ftory we find frequent allufions in the Roman poets. It is thus that Virgil compliments Auguftus, by comparing him with Hercules: Nee vero Alcides tantum telluris obivit Fixerit JEripedem Cervatn licet, aut Erymanthi Pacarit nemora, aut Lernam tremefecerit arcu. JEn. vi. v. 801. So 62 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ I. Kynge Harolde then he putt his yeomen bie. And ferflie b ryd into the bloudie fyghte ; Erie Ethelwolf, and Goodrick, and Alfie, Cuthbert, and Goddard, mical c menne of myghte, 1 Fiercely. c Men of great might % Ethelwin, So likcwife Seneca, in his Hercules Furens: Maenali pernix fera, Multo decorum praeferens auro caput, Deprenfa curfu eft. There is an ancient tradition, recorded by Camden in his account of Weftmor- land, p. 994, concerning a Hart of Greece, which feems to allude to this fable: " In Whinfeild foreft there is a venerable oak, called Hartjhorn tree, which took " its name from a ftag courfed by a fingle greyhound to the Red Kirk in Scotland, " and back again to this place; where both being fpent, the ftag leaped the pales, '* but died on the other fide, and the greyhound attempting to leap, fell and died on " this fide ; whence they nailed up their heads on the tree, and, the dog's name being " Hercules, they made this rhime upon them : Hercules killed Hart a Greece^ And Hart a Greece kill'd Hercules. Mcrvyn's fword is faid to be ftiort, broad, and keen, " fo that no man's bone " could flop its way," and he wielded it with fuch ftrength and fury as to chine down one of the Normans, to bury it with its hilt in the neck of another, and to break it with the violence of the blow ; to twift, by the mufcular ftrength of his arms, the head of De Laque quite round to his back; and, when pierced through with the Norman arrows, he griped Fitz Piers by the throat 'till he ftrangled him. Thefe are original defcriptions of the rude and vigorous exertions of ancient Britifh valour, and though they fhould not be ftridtly true, yet they are perfectly confonant to the manners of thofe times. The fimile which compares Mervyn to a mountain wolf befet by the hounds, v. 515, if not directly copied from Homer, at leaft bears a great refemblance to his defcription of the wild boar furrounded and bated by peafants and dogs. '&.; £' ot£ xaVpios/ dfAzXXet. II. A. v. 492. As when a torrent, fwell'd with wintry rains, Pours from the mountains o'er the delug'd plains ; And prnes and oaks, from their foundation torn, A country's ruins, to the fea are born. Pope, B. xi. v. 614. V. 229. The alluAon to the fairies, at the end of this ftanza, having no connec- tion in idea with the preceding and following lines, feems to be improperly in- troduced in this place ; but it is ufed with great propriety at line 479, to illufrrate the terror with which the Normans flew from the face of Mervyn, dreading equally his appearance and his valour. The tradition of punifhm=nts inflicted on thofe who fhould ftrike the fairies, or perhaps be feen by them, feems to have originated (at leaft to have been preferved) in Wales, of which Offa's Dyke was the boundary. The word Oapkunt does not occur in our glofiaries; but Elf or Elfin is not un- common, which, according to Skynner, Cgnifies earthly demons ; we ltill call them K fairy 66 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. i. Fitz Salnarville, Duke William's favourite knyghte, To noble Edelwarde his life dyd yielde ; Withe hys tylte launce hee ftroke with thilk a myghte, The Norman's bowels fteemde upon the feeld. Old Salnarville beheld hys fon lie ded, 235 Againft Erie Edelward his bowe-ftrynge drewe ; But Harold at one blowe made tweine his head ; He dy'd before the poignant arrowe flew. So was the hope of all the iflue gone, And in one battle fell the fire and fon. 240 De Aubignee rod fercely thro' the fyghte, To where the boddie of Salnarville laie ; Quod he ; And art thou ded, thou manne of myghte ? I'll be revengd, or die for thee this daie. Die then thou malt, Erie Ethelwarde he faid; 245 I am a cunnynge erle, and that g can tell ; Then drewe hys fwerde, and ghaftlie cut hys hede, And on his freend eftfoons he lifelefs fell, Stretch'd on the bloudie pleyne ; great God forefend h , It be the fate of no fuch truftie freende ! 250 « You is here to be under/} ood : Many Juch ellipfes occur in thefe poems. b Forbid. Then fairy elves ; and Auf or Oaf (an exprcflion commonly ufed for a fool) meant origi- nally a perfon enchanted or ftupified by the operation of demons. This applica- tion of the word ouphant may ferve to confirm Dr. Warburton's correction of that paflage in the Merry Wives of Windfor, aft v. fcene 5, where fairies are impro- perly called the orphan heirs of fixed deftiny, which he changes into ouphen; agree- ably to the title here given them, the ouphen race of deftiny. This coincidence could not have been the work of Chatterton; and Falftaff's obfervation on them is fome- what fimilar to Rowley's. They are fairies j he that fpeaks to them fliall die, BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 6? Then Egwin Sieur Pikeny did attaque ; He turned aboute and vilely fouten ' flie ; But Egwyn cutt fo deepe into his backe, He rolled on the grounde and foon dyd die. His diflant fonne, Sire Romara de Biere, 2 $$ Soughte to revenge his fallen kynfman's lote k , But foone Erie Cuthbert's dented ' fyghtyng fpear Stucke in his harte, and ftayd his fpeed, God wote. He tumbled downe clofe by hys kynfman's fyde, Myngle their ftremes of pourple bloude, and dy'd. 260 And now an arrowe from a bowe unwote m Into Erie Cuthbert's harte eftfoons dyd flee; Who dying fayd ; ah me ! how hard my lote ! Now flayne, mayhap, of one of lowe degree. ' Sought. k Lot, or fate. ' Pointed. m Unknown. So V. 252. The flight of Pikeny gives occafion for another difgraceful reflection on the Norman arms : but poetical juftice is done ; for he is killed, like a coward, by a wound in his back. V. 261. An unknown arrow found its way to Earl Cuthbert's heart: iEneas was wounded in the fame manner. Ecce viro ftridens alis allapfa fagitta Incertum qua pulfa manu, quo turbine ada<3a y Quis tantam Rutulis cladem, Cafufne Deufne Attulerit. JEn. xii. v. 3ig. A winged arrow ftruck the pious prince, But whether 'from fome human hand it came, Or hoftile God, is yet unknown to fame. Dryden, v. 482. It feemed, however, to be a point of fome confequence to determine the quality and rank of the perfon by whom JEnezs was wounded : Earl Cuthbert adopted the fame fcntiments : K 2 Who U BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. So have I feen a leafie elm of yore 265 Have been the pride and glorie of the pleine; But,, when the fpendyng landlord is growne poore, It falls benethe the axe of fome rude fweine ; And like the oke, the fovran of the woode, It's fallen boddie tells you how it ftoode. 270 When Edelward perceevd Erie Cuthbert die, On Hubert ftrongeft of the Normanne crewe, As wolfs when hungred on the cattel flie, So Edelward arnaine upon him flewe.. With thilk a force, he hyt hym to the grounde; 275- And was demafing " howe to take his life,. Mufmg. confidering. When Who dying fayd ; Ah me ! how hard my lote !' Now flayne mayhap of one of lowe degree, v. 263. And when Earl Hereward was wounded by De Vipont.e, — u A fquicr of low " degree," he obferved, that The Erlie, wounded by fo bafe an hind, Rayfed furious doyngs in his noble mind. v. 339-. So it is faid of Alured, v. 41 7* c But noe fuch deflinie awaits hjs hedde,. As to be fleyen by a wight fo meene. v. 417, V. 265. The image of a leafie elm^.hewn by the rude fwain, has the merit offim= plicity, and the much greater one of (hewing the moral turn of the poet; who feems 10 hint at the revolution of all human affairs, and of that principally which arifes from the folly and extravagance of mankind. V. 273. So Virgil, — Irjde lupi fea Raptores — quos improba ventris Exegit csecos rabies. **~- JEn. ii. v. 355, BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. i. 69 When he behynde received a ghaftlie wounde Gyven by de Torcie, with a ifabbyng knyfe j Bafe trecherous Normannes, if fuch acles you doe, The conquer'd maie clame victorie of you. 280 The erlie felt de Torcie's trecherous knyfe Han made his crymfon bloude and fpirits floe ; , And knowlachyng he foon muft quyt this lyfe, Refolved Hubert mould too with hym goe. He held hys truflie fwerd againft his brefte, 285 And down he fell, and peerc'd him to the harte ; And both together then did take their refte, Their foules from corpfes unaknell'd p depart ; And both together foughte the unknown more, Where we fhall goe, where manie's gon before. 290 Kynge Harolde Torcie's trechery dyd fpie, And hie alofe q his temper'd fwerde dyd welde, Cut ofFe his arme, and made the bloude to flie, His proofe fleel armoure did him littel meelde ; ' Knowing. t Not having the funeral knell rung for them. « Aloft. And V. 277. De Torcie, another cowardly Norman, is introduced treacheroufly {tabbing Eurl Edelward in his back. No fuch adlions are attributed by the poet to his countrymen, nor are they fuffered to pafs without his cenfure. In this refpeft alfo he refembles Homer, whofe cowards are all Trojans. V. 289. And both together, &c. So Homer fays of Antenor's fons. •t'JW SofAov cetJof ticrw.— — — II. A. v. 263. The fecial ihades the fame dark journey go. Pope, B. xi. v. 34O1 7 o BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. And not contente, he fplete his hede in twaine, 295 And down he tumbled on the bloudie grounde ; Mean while the other erlies on the playne Gave and received manie a bloudie wounde, Such as the arts in warre han learnt with care, But manie knyghtes were women in men's geer. 300 Herrewald, borne on Sarim's ' fpreddyng plaine, Where Thor's fam'd temple manie ages floude ; Where Druids, auncient preefls, did ryghtes ordaine, And in the middle flied the viclyms bloude; s Salifbury Plain. Where V. 3C1. The achievements of Herrewald (or, as he is called in the 2d poem, v. 545, Herewarde) one of Rowley's favourite heroes, are now introduced, with very high encomiums. He is faid in both poems to have been a native of Old Sarum, and to have had a diftinguifhed command in the battle; whence it might be inferred that he was a real perfonage; but neither his birth, nor any part of his hiftory, comes authenticated by other writers, or agrees with the account of that Hereward, who is highly celebrated by Ingulf, and other hiftorians. He was the fon of Leofric de Brune, and a native of Croyland, remarkable for his ftature and ftrength; and fo violent in his juvenile exercifes, that Edward the Confeflbr, at the requeft of his own father, baniflied him the kingdom. During his exile, he diftinguifhed him- felf fo much by his valour, that the fame of it became the fubjedt of Englifh poetry; " Ejufque gefta fortia etiam Angliam ingreffa canerentur." The Conqueror having granted away his lands, he came to England, and joined himfclf to Earl Si- ward, Morkar, and other Saxon lords, who held out the Ifle of Ely againft the King; and he was the only perfon of confequence who efcaped after that un- fuccefsful enterprize. Ingulf adds, p. 70, that he was made a regular knight, ac- cording to the Saxon ceremonial, by his uncle Brand, then abbot of Peterborough; and being repoffeflld of his lands, and reftored to the King's favour, died in peace. But Rowley s Herewarde is faid in the former poem to have been killed by De Broque; in the latter, his fate is left undecided, but his valour is celebrated in the moft diftinguifhed terms. In the former poem, Three Norman champyons of hie degree, He lefte to fmoke upon the bloudie pleine. v. 323. And BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 71 Where auncient Bardi dyd their verfes fynge 305 Of Caefar conquer'd, and his mighty hoffce, And how old Tynyan, necromancing kynge, Wreck'd all hys fhyppyng on the Brittifh coafte, And And in the latter, He fweeps whole armies to the reaulmes of nyghte. v. 550. He fweepes alle neere hym Iyke a branded floude. v. 558. There is in the pofleflion of the Earl of Northampton, a moft noble pedigree of the Howard family fairly drawn out on vellum, and richly illuminated with their arms, alliances, and defcent, executed in thelaft century by Lilly, Portcullis Herald. The origin of the Howard family is therein deduced from Ingulfs Hereward; and the feveral paflages of that author relating to him are brought as proofs: But it does not feem that the connection of the two names is proved, or the defcent fuf- ficiently authenticated ; Judge Howard, in Edward the firft's reign, being the earlieft perfon of confequence who appears there under that name. This beautiful and valuable pedigree was drawn out for the Earl of Arundel, but never prefented to him; after Lilly's death, it was purchafed, at a fale of his books, by James Earl of Northampton, for 100 guineas; and is now the property of George Lord de Ferrars ; whofe father, Lord Vifcount Town/hend, married the daughter and fole heirefs of that Earl. The place of Hereward's nativity has furnifhed the poet with a curious epifode on the fituation and appearance of Old Sarum, and a defcription of Salisbury plain, much altered fince that time by population and improvements. He has alfo pointed out the origin and ufe of that famous monument of antiquity, Stonehenge, fo little noticed by our ancient writers. He afferts, with great truth, that it was a temple erected by the Britons to Thar, or Tauran, the Celtic Jupiter; for, according to Keyfler, " Thor Celtis eft Taran vel Taram." Antiq. Septent. p. 196. Now Tararr, or Taram, in the Welfh and Irifli languages, fignify thunder : Hence Jupiter Tonans was worfhipped in Britain under the title of Tanarus ; and an altar dedi- cated to him by that appellation was dug up at Chefler, in 1653, and is ftill pre- ferved among the Arundelian marbles at Oxford. See'Prideaux's Marmora Arund. p. 282. It was inferibed I. O. M. TANARO, i. e. Jovi Optimo Maximo Tanaro ; and to the fame deity belonged that altar which Lucan has ftigmatifed for the cruelty of its human facrifices. Et Taranis Scythicje non mitior ara Dianae. — Lib. i. v. 446. Tharan, or Tbarainin, i. e. Jupiter. See Borel's Antiq. Gauloifes. He was alfo ftiled Tharanus, Taranus, Tanarus; all words of the fame import. Compare the following lines of thefe poems with this account. 5 Where ? 2 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ x. And made hym in his tatter'd barks to flie, 'Till Tynyan's dethe and opportunity. 310 To "Where Druids, auncient preefts, did ryghtes ordaine, And in the middle fhed the victyms bloudc. Poem lit. v. 303. Here did the Brutons adoration paye To that falfe God, whom they did Taur'an name, Dyghtynge hys altarre with greete fyers in Maic, Roaftynge their vyctualle round aboute the flame. Poem 2d. v. 535. The fongs recited by the bards in thefe temples, at fuch conventions, are juftly fuppofed by the poet to have celebrated the valour of their countrymen, and their fuccefsful oppofition to Caefar on his firft attempt againft this ifland ; where, by his own account, he loft forty- two of his fhips, befides twelve more on his fecond land- ing. This lofs is poetically afcribed to the powers of Tinyan, a Britifh king, who, according to the fuperftition of thofe times, was fuppofed to be a Necromancer ; and was undoubtedly the fame perfon with Tenantius, or fheomaritius, Duke of Cornwall at the time of Cfefar's invafion; called by Jeoffry of Monmouth, Te- vancius and Tennancius ; and by Lewis, Ttnevan. [Hiftory of Britain, I. iv. p 72.] He was the fon of King Lud, the father of Cunobeline, and nephew to Caflibe- laun, whom he affifted on Casfar's invafion, and fucceeded him in the Britifh throne, which, according to Lewis, he held for twenty years, being " a man valiant in " battle, happy in peace, and a lover of juftice." p. 80. This defcription is ac- companied with an allufion to the infamous maffacre of the Britifh nobility by Hen- gift, which is fuppofed to have been committed at this place; and the perfon of Turgot is aflumed in the recital, by faying, / tho a Saxon yet the truthe will telle, The Saxonnes fteynd the place wyth Brittifh gore, Where nete but bloud of facrifices fell. v. 312. The fact itfelf is recorded by our hiftorians; and it may be inferred from the ancient hiftory of Abbcndon Monaftery, (printed in the Monafticon, torn. i. p. 97.) that the monument took its name from that event. " Eo tempore quo nequiflimus " Hengiftus Paganus apud Stan- Hengeji tot nobiles confutes peremit." Keyfler, indeed, in his Antiq. Septent. would afcribe to Stonehenge a later date, by afljerting it to have been a monumental work of the Saxons; but it is rea- fonable to fuppofe that this treaty was holden, by confent of the Britons, at the place appointed for their religious and civil afi'emblies, which in thofe days were generally convened on the fame foot. 1 iv« BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 73 To make it more renomed than before, (I, tho a Saxon, yet the truthe will telle) The Saxonnes fteynd the place wyth Brittifh gore, Where nete but bloud of facrifices felle. Tho' — — — — — M% crp xyoer\ te viy.is w "Hr d l>, TYI §* x} (Tffll SlUV ETfTSUp^UlTO Sil/AOI. II. A. v. 806. — Where, on the crouded ftrand, The public mart, and courts of juftice ftand ; And altars to the guardian Gods arife. Pope, B. xi. v. 936. So Picus's palace is defcribed by Virgil. Hinc fceptra accipere, & primos attollere fafces Regibus omen erat : Hoc illis curia templum, Hf{^ EfciTctjAov artXExeiriri vimuri, vriiw £ivai. II. IT. v, 482. Then as the mountain oak, or poplar tall, Or pine (fit mart for fome great admiral,) Nods to the axe, and with a groaning found It finks, and fpreads its honours on the ground. Pope, B. xvi. v. 591k It has been afTerted, that Chatterton borrowed his Homerical fimilies from Pope's tranflation ; but the prefent inftancc, amongft many others, will confute that idea. The oak. living again on the fea dignifies Homer's image, which Pope's tranflation had weakened and degraded. BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 83 The erlie nowe an horfe and beaver han, And nowe agayne appered on the feeld ; And manie a miclde knyghte and mightie manne To his dethe-doyng fwerd his life did yeeld j When Siere de Broque an arrowe longe lett flie, ^y^ Intending Herewaldus to have fleyne ; It mifs'd ; butt hytte Edardus on the eye, And at his pole came out with horrid payne. Edardus felle upon the bloudie grounde, His noble foule came roufhyng from the wounde. 380 Thys Herewald perceevd, and full of ire He on the Siere de Broque with furie came ; Quod he; thou'ft. flaughtred my beloved fquier, But I will be revenged for the fame. Into V. 375. So Homer, — •— — — oTrof oltto vivpyqiw ixXKtv ExTOtfoj uvtixpv, (ZxXtetv Sb I i£to Ou^of* K«sl t5 fji.iv p" cc >; 1 XTOI St Ssp) TTXp oy.tpx\6\l' IY. S Ufa TTCKTXI Xu'i/to p^af*«' XoXciSii; — — H« £• V. 525, The gulhing entrails fmok'd upon the ground, And the warm life came ifluing from the wound. Pope, B. iv. v. 608. But the farcafm with which Hereward follows his blow, may be traced from a more ancient original, 1 Sam. chap. xiii. ver. 44. " Come to me" (fays the Phi- liftine to David) " and I will give thy flefh unto the- fowls of the air, and to the «' beafts of the field :" And Homer has more than once ufed the like expreflion. 'EAxwratr' «i'x«?. II- X. v. 335. And again, \\XXu xwf? Tf ■>£, ci'ayoi y.tx,TX naii/TO. SxToi/rat. II. X. V. 354. And in another paflage, 'X2/x»ir«i l/ ipi£si,VV VU% tKOC-Xv^/C. II. E. V. 65CJ. ■ rov it (tx&to; oarir ixsixvipt. II. A. v. 526. — xsctol i' otp^xXpuv xsVut' d%Xv$; II. n. v. 344. Pope 86 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. The noble erlie than, withote a grone, Took flyghte, to fynde the regyons unknowne. 410 Brave Alured from binethe his noble horfe Was gotten on his leggs, with bloude all fmore d ; And now eletten e on another horfe, Eftfoons he withe his launce did manie gore. The cowart Norman knyghtes before hym fledde, 415 And from a diftaunce fent their arrowes keene ; But noe fuch deflinie awaits his hedde, As to be fleyen by a wighte fo meene. Tho oft the oke falls by the villen's fhock, 'Tys moe than hyndes can do, to move the rock. 420 Upon du Chatelet he ferfelie fett, And peere'd his bodie with a force full grete ; The afenglave f of his tylt-launce was wett, The rollynge bloude alonge the launce did fleet. ■* Befmeared. c Alighted. ' The Jleely fart of a lance. Advauncynge, Pope accordingly varies his tranflation. And (hades eternal fettle o'er his eyes. B. iv. v. 527. His eye-balls darken with the {hades of death. v. 575. And deep eternal feals his fwimming eyes. B. xi. v. 310. His fwimming eyes eternal fhades furround. B. xvi. v. 413. V. 423. The meaning of the word afenglave can hardly be miftaken, though not explained in our gloffaries. In the 2d poem, v. 176, it is mentioned as the armour of the Norman crofs-bowmen, who Brave champions eche well learned in the bow, Their afenglaves acrofs their horfes ty'd. It may be there underftood of a fpear, but in the paflage before us, it feems con- fined to the pointed fteel at the extremity of the tik-lance. 3 The BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 8 7 Advauncynge, as a maftie at a bull, 42 c He rann his launce into Fitz Warren's harte ; From Partaies bowe, a wight unmercifull, Within his owne he felt a cruel darte; Clofe by the Norman champyons he han fleine, He fell ; and mixd his bloude with theirs upon the pleine. 430 Erie Ethelbert then hove E , with clinie h juft, A launce^ that ftroke Partaie upon the thighe, And pinn'd him downe unto the gorie dufte ; Gruel, quod he, thou cruellie fhalt die. With that his launce he enterd at his throte; 435 He fcritch'd and fcreem'd in melancholie mood; And at his backe eftfoons came out, God wote, And after it a crymfon itreme of bloude : In agonie and peine he there dyd lie, While life and dethe flrove for the mafterrie, 44P He gryped hard the bloudie murdring launce, And in a grone he left this mortel lyfe. 1 Heaved, lifted. b Proper inclination of the body. Behynde The afenglave of his tylt-launce was wett. If we recur to the etymology of the word, afcia in Latin, hache in French, axe and batcbet in Engl fh, have all the fame meaning. The old French word gleave fignified a fword ; fo Elftrid, in the tragedy of Locrine, when fhe was about to kill herfelf fays, My fingers Are not of force to hold Xh\%Jleely glaive. The Teutonic knights were alfo called port-glaives, or enfiferi. See Skynner. The launccgoy of Sir Thopas, like the afenglave, was compounded of two words, exprefling different weapons j viz. faunce, and zagaye, the latter, according to 88 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. i. Behynde the erlie Fifcampe did advaunce, Bethoghte 1 to kill him with a ftabbynge knife; But Egward, who perceevd his fowle intent, 445 Eftfoons his truflie fwerde he forthwyth drewe, And thilke a cruel blowe to Fifcampe fent, That foule and bodie's bloude at one g:.te flewe. Thilk deeds do all deferve, whofe deeds Co fowle Will black theire earthlie name, if not their foule. 450 When lo ! an arrowe from Walleris honde, Winged with fate and dethe daunced alonge ; 1 Thinking. And to Nicot, fignifies a Moorifh lance, longer and more Mender than a pike. See, Mr. Tyrwht's note, vol. iv. p. 316. V. 443. The cowardly attempt of Fifcamp againft Earl Ethelbert adds another difgrace to the Norman name ; De Torcies againft Harold, v. 78. had been re- venged on him by Egward : A Norman called Fefcamp is mentioned in the 2d poem, v. 331, as flain by the valiant Alfwold, and ftigmatized there as the leckedji or moll infamous knight of all the Norman throng. His fprite was made of malice deflavate, Nc ftioulden find a place in anie fonge. v. 333. Not unlike the character which Homer has given of Therfites : u,iryiro; SI d]/r,p Cwo ' IXiov viAue. ±1. B. v. 2l6. Long had he lived the fcorn of all the Greeks. Pope, B. ii. v. 279. From this fimilarity in the name and character, the fame perfon is probably meant in both paflages, notwithstanding the different accounts of their deaths. The character here given of this mifcreant might have been afterwards enlarged on by the poet, when he reviled his fubjecl: in the l'econd poem, as he has done with regard to Hereward. As to the treatment which Rowley is faid (in the printed Hiflory of Canning's Life fee Wartc n, vol. ii.) to have received from the wife of Mr. Pelham, who was defcended from the family of Fifcamp; that account fliall be left to plead for itfelf. It does not affect the authenticity of the poem ; nor is it neceffary to be- lieve that every paper which has been produced through Chatterton's hands is an undoubted original of Rowley. BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 89 And flewe the noble flower of Powyflonde, Howel ap Jevah, who yclepd k the ftronge. Whan he the firft mifchaunce received han, 455 With horfemans hafte he from the armie rodde ; And did repaire unto the cunnynge marine, Who fange a charme, that dyd it mickle goode ; Then praid Seyncte Cuthbert, and our holie Dame, To bleffe his labour, and to heal the fame. 460 Then drewe the arrowe, and the wounde did feck ', And putt the teint of holie herbies on ; And putt a rowe of bloude-ftones round his neck ; And then did fay ; go, champyon, get agone. And now was comynge Harrolde to defend. 465 And metten with Walleris cruel darte - r His fheelde of wolf-fkinn did him not attend m , The arrow peerced into his noble harte ; As fome tall oke, hewn from the mountayne hed, Falls to the pleine j fo fell the warriour dede. 470 His countryman, brave Mervyn ap Teudor, Who n love of hym han from his country gone, When he perceevd his friend lie in his gore, As furious as a mountayn wolf he ranne. As ouphant°faieries,whan the moone lheenes bryghte, 475 In littel circles daunce upon the greene, All living creatures flie far from their fyghte, Ne by the race of deftinie be ken. ; 1 Was called. ' Suck. m JVas not then with ban, or did not protsft him* ■ The prefofition for is omitted. ° Elfin. N For v $o BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. For what he be that ouphant faieries flryke, Their foules will wander to Kyng Offa's dyke. 480 So from the face of Mervyn Tewdor brave The Normans eftfoons fled awaie aghafle ; And left behynde their bowe and afenglave p , For fear of hym, in thilk a cowart hafte. His garb fufficient were to meve q affryghte j 485 A wolf fkin girded round his myddle was j A bear fkyn, from Norwegians wan in fyghte, Was tytend round his ffioulders by the claws : So Hercules, 'tis funge, much like to him, Upon his fhoulder wore a lyon's fkin. 490 Upon his thyghes and harte-fvvefte legges he wore A hugie goat fkyn, all of one grete peice ; A boar fkyn fheelde on his bare armes he bore ; His gauntletts were the fkynn of harte of greece. They fledde ; he followed clofe upon their heels, 495 Vowynge vengeance for his deare countrymanne ; And Sicre de Sancelotte his vengeance feels ; He peerc'd hys backe, and out the bloude ytt ranne. His bloude went downe the fwerde unto his arme, In fpringing rivulet, alive and warme. 500 His fwerde was fhorte, and broade, and myckle keene, And no mann's bone could ilonde to floppe itts waiej The Normann's harte in partes two cutt cleane, He clos'd his eyne, and clos'd his eyne for aie. p Lance. 9 Meve. Then BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. Then with his fwerde he fett on Fitz du Valle, 505 A knyghte mouch famous for to runne at tylte; With thilk a furie on hyra he dyd falle, Into his neck he ranne the fwerde and hylte ; As myghtie lyghtenynge often has been founds To drive an oke into unfallow'd grounde. 510 And with the fwerde, that in his neck yet ftoke r , The Norman fell unto the bloudie grounde ; And with the fall ap Tewdore's fwerde he broke, And bloude afreihe came trickling from the wounde. As whan the hyndes, before a mountayne wolfe, 515 Flie from his paws, and angrie vyfa^e grym ; But when he falls into the pittie s golphe, They dare hym to his bearde, and battone ' hym ; And caufe he fryghted them fo muche before, Lyke cowart hyndes, they battone hym the more. 520 So, whan they fawe ap Tewdore was bereft Of his keen fwerde, thatt wroghte thilke great difmaie, They turned about, eftfoons upon hym lept, And full a fcore engaged in the fraie. Mervyn ap Tewdore, ragyng as a bear, 525 Seiz'd on the beaver of the Sier de Laque ; And wring'd his hedde with fuch a vehement gier u , His vifage was turned round unto his backe. • Stuck, * Hollow pit. l Beat him ivithjlicks 3 Bajlonner. Cotgrave, ? Turn or twijl. N 2- Backe ar 9 2 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ x. Backe to his harte retyr'd the ufelcfs gore, And felle upon the pleine to rife no more, 530 Then on the mightie Sicre Fitz Pierce he flew, And broke his helm and feiz'd hym hie the throte : Then manie Nermann knyghtes their arrowes drew, That enter'd into Mervyn's harte, God wote. In dying panges he gryp'd his throte more ftronge, 535 And from their focketb ftarted out his eyes ; And from his mouthe came out his blamelefs tonge ; And bothe in peyne and anguilhe eftfoon dies. As fome rude rocke torne from his bed of claie, Stretch'd onn the pleyne the brave ap Tewdore laie. 540 And now Erie Ethelbert and Egward came Brave Mervyn from the Normannes to afTift ; A myghtie y. 536. And from their lockets. So Homer, — TW 0£ 01 00" Duke Tote noit mangierent & burenf Mult le veiller demeuer: Treper Sc faillir & chanter" Lublie crie & IFeiffeil Laticome & drinck heil Drinc hindrewart and drin to me Drinc helf and drinc to me. The ceremony of the JVaffal cup is thus defcribed by Robert Le Brunne. See Warton's Hift. of Englifh Poetry, vol. i. p. 7c. When they are at' the ale or feaft, Ilk man, that lovis quare him think, Salle fay IfoJJeile, and to him drink; He that biddis fhall fay Wajfaile, The t'other falle fay again DrdnkbailU 3 That fays IVaJfeile drinks of the cup; KiiTand his fellow, he gives it up ; Drinkeille, he fays, and drinks thereof, Kiffand him in bourd and feoff. So the king, in Hamlet, is faid to take his rowfe and to keep JVaJjU. Act i. fc. 3. V. 13. It is here faid that Harold's birth-day was on the 13th of October, the day preceding the battle; this is alfo taken notice of by Camden, in his introduc- tion to the Britannia. V. 16. Dancynge and heideignes was the onlie theme. So faid Jean de Wace, Treper, & failler & chanter. Heydegnes fignified a ruftic dance, and is called by Drayton H The Nereids on Trent* brim danced wanton Heydegies. B. 2.6. Hence the word H:yden is given to a romping female, and dancing the ILys kerns t Thus Indian ivory mows, Which with the bordering paint of purple glows, Or lilies damafle'd by the neighbouring rofe. Dryden, v. 105, BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N*. 2. 103 That makes a vallie wherefoe're it lie ; * Fierce as a ryver burftynge from the borne "'-, So fiercelie Gyrthe hitte Fitz du Gore a blowe, And on the verdaunt playne he layde the champyone Iowe. 50 Tancarville thus ; alle peace in Williams name; Let none edraw r his arcublafter' bowe. Girthe cas'd his weppone, as he hearde the fame, And veagynge' Normannes ftaid the flyinge floe. The fire wente onne -, ye menne, what mean ye fo 5$ Thus unprovokd to courte a bloudie fyghte ? Quod Gyrthe ; oure meanynge we ne care to fhowe, Nor dread thy duke wyth all his men of myghte ; * In Turgott's tyme Holenwell braftc of erthe fo fierce that it threw a frone-mell carrying the fame awaie. J. Lydgate ne knowynge this lefte out line. q Brook, cr fountain. r Dravj. i Crofs bow, ' Revenging. Here V. 48. The original note annexed to this line, fuppofed to have been infertcd by Rowley, is defcriptive of the periodical fprings known in Kent by the name of Eyle- iournes. It implies., that the event there referred to happened in Turgot's time ; and that Lidgate had either tranflated Turgot's work, or had at leaft perufed, if not copied this poem ; but it may be a queftion whether Holenzvell means the famous ebul- lient fpring of that name in Flintfhire, or whether this burfting of a river was only the temporary effect of an earthquake: The Saxon Chronicle, Florence of Worcefter, and other hiftorians, mention a violent convulfion of the earth, which happened oa the 3d of the ides of Auguft, anno 1089, and confequctitly in Turgot's time. V. 51. The Sire de Tancarville, by his calm advice and peaceable difpoiitfoii, fetms to have been intended for the Neftor of the poem : Seek not for bloude, Tancarville cahne replied : So likewife old Neftor : 'O, TTQhiy.s igKroit iTn$7ipi)i } oy.puQfuroi. II. I. V. 63. CursM 104 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N*. 2. Here fingle onlie thefe to all thie crewe Shall fhewe what Englyfh handes and heartes can doe. 60 Seek not for bloude, Tancarville calme replyd, Nor joie in dethe, lyke madmen moft diftraught u ; In peace and mercy is a Chryftians pryde ; He that dothe conteftes pryze is in a faulte. And now the news was to Duke William brought, 65 That men of Haroldes armie taken were ; For theyre good cheere all caties w were enthoughte*, And Gyrthe and Eilwardus enjoi'd goode cheere. Quod Willyam ; thus (liall Willyam be founde A friend to everie manne that treades on Englifh ground. 70 Erie Leofwinus throwghe the campe ypafs'd, And fawe bothe men and erlies on the grounde -, They flepte, as thoughe they woulde have flepte theyr laft, And hadd alreadie felte theyr fatale wounde. He ftarted backe, and was wyth (hame aftownd y ; j$ Loked wanne z wyth anger, and he fhooke wyth rage ; " Dijiracled. w Delicacies. * Thought of, or provided. y AJlomjhed. l Pale. When Curs'd be the man, who, void of law and right, Unworthy property, unworthy light, Unfit for public rule, or private care, That wretch, that monfter, that delights in war. Pope, B. ix. v. 87. V. 75. The furprife and concern of Leofwin, on feeing the drunken fituation of the Englifli army, and the effect of thofe paffions on his countenance, are expreffed in terms much refembling thofe ufed by Virgil ; /Kftuat ingens Imo in corde pudor, mixtoque infania luclu. JEn. x. v. 870. 7 and BATTLE OF HASTINGS. NVa ; . 105 When throughe the hollow tentes thefe wordes dyd found, Rowfe from your fleepe, detratours 3 of the age ! Was it for thys the ftoute Norwegian bledde ? Awake, ye hufcarles b , now, or waken wyth the dead. 80 As when the mepfcer c in the fhadie bowre In jintle flumbers chafe d the heat of daie, a Traitors. b Houfe-carles, or menial attendants. c Shepherd. d Chafes, or drives away. Hears and ferve to introduce one of the moft beautiful fimilies that ever was penned: The idea is originally Homer's. 'Q; J* y.vves tteoi jUJiAa SutraowovTcii iv a'jAw, Qnso; a.v.iiC iXiy/.i ' AyaiiSi; o\jv. it \A%ciioi. Il« B. v. 235. O women of Achaia, men no more! Pope, B.ii. v. 293. And the fubftance of his reproof is very fimilar to that of Tarchon in Virgil. Quis metus ! o nunquam dolituri ! o femper inermes Tyrrheni ! qu;E tanta animis ignavia venit ? Quo ferrum, quidve haec geritis tela irrita dextra ? At non in Venerem fegnes, nofturnaque bella, Aut ubi curva choros indixit tibia Bacchi, Expeftare dapes, & plenae pocula menfae. JEn. xi. v. 732. The army felt the weight of the reproof, and ■ ■ addawed hunf abufing its inhabitants, and ridiculing his beft friends in it. The Londoners and Sullcx men are the only provincial troops (befides the men of Kent and Brillol) here diftinguifhed from the menged of the land: Hereward, who commanded thefe two corps, and who was to ply with his menie-men or attendants, and to annoy the fkirts of the enemy, was probably the fame Earl Hereward, who is fo much celebrated in the courfe of thefe two poems. BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. 109 ■ And let the Londoners and SuiTers plie Bie Herewardes memuine s and the lighte fkyrts anie 1 . 120 He faide; and as a packe of hounds belent ", When that the trackyng of the hare is gone, If one perchaunce mall hit upon the fcent, With twa redubbled fhuir x the alans run; So ftyrrd the valiante Saxons everych one; 125 Soone linked man to man the champyones floode j To 'tone for their bewrate y fo foone 'twas done, And lyfted bylls enfeem'd an yron woode; Here glorious Alfwold towr'd above the wites, And feem'd to brave the fuir of twa ten thoufand fights. 130 Thus Leofwine; to day will Englandes dome Be fyxt for aie, for gode or evill flate ; This funnes aunture * be felt for years to come; Then bravelie fyghte, and live till deathe of date. 5 Menle-men, or attendants. ' Annoy. " At a flop. * Fury, y Treachery. z Adventure. Thinke V, 121. The fimile of the hounds may be traced from Homer, though the two poets have not purfued their fport in the fame manner. il; d cts y.z.pyjz?c4<,iiTt o\jw xui/is, ndcri Hr,c-i\; y H xspad , r,\ l.xyucj, 'nrnyirov ipuvA; dih II. K. v. 360. As when two fki'lful hounds the lev'ret wind, Or chafe thro' woods obfcure the trembling hind ; Now loft, now feen, they intercept his way, And from the herd frill turn the trembling prey. Pope, B. x. v. 427. V. 124. Alan, according to Mr. Tyrwhit, is a Spanifh name for a maftiff; but Mr. Warton fuppofes it to be a greyhound. It is well defined by Cam's Leporariu-. no BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. Thinke of brave ./Elfridus, yclept a the grete, 135 From porte to porte the recl-haird Dane he chafd, The Danes, with whorarae not lyoncels b coud mate % Who made of peopled reaulms a barren wade; Thinke how at once by you Norwegia bled, Whilft dethp and viclorie for magyftrie d befted '. 140 Meanwhile did Gyrthe unto Kynge Haroldc ride, And tolde howe he dyd with Duke Willyam fare. Brave Harolde lookd afkaunte f , and thus replyd; And can thie fay E be bowght wyth drunken cheer? Gyrthe waxen hotte; fhuir in his eyne did glare; 145 And thus he faidej oh brother, friend, and kynge, Have I deferved this fremed h fpeche to heare? Bie Goddes hie hallidome ' ne thoughte the thynge. ' Calieel, or entitled. " Lyons. c Match. d Majlery. c Contended for. 1 Jfide, or obliquely. % Faith. h Strange. ' Holy Church. When V. 136. The red-hair'd Dane. This peculiarity of complexion is more than once afcribed to the Danes : So in the fong to Ella, v. 5. When Dacya's fonnes with hayres of blood-red hue. nor is the poet lingular in the obfervation ; for to this day the few Irifh who are of that complexion, are ftigmatized by their countrymen with the reproach of being Danifh baftards. It is obferved by the author of the " Recherches Philofophiques " fur les Egypticns & Chinois," that the Egyptians of old held, and the modern Chinefe frill hold, all red-haired perfons in the utmoft abhorrence and deteftation. The minftrcll in Ella, celebrates the blacknefs of her lover's hair as a remarkable beauty. Slack his oryne as the winter nighte. v. 85 r. V. 148. The oath by Gcd's high Hallidom is of great antiquity : Somner applies It to the holy church, and fo does Sir Thomas More ; fee his works, p. 237. Wil- kins, in his Saxon laws, renders it per SanihiariUm ; but Lye underftands it to refer to the holy reliques. God's halligdom may alfo fignify God's holinefs. Camden fays (Remains, p. 26.) th?y called the facrament haligdome, as holy judgment. 10 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. 2. m When Tortus fent mc golde and fylver rtore, I fcornd hys prefent vile, and fcorn'd hys treafon more. 150 Forgive me, Gyrthe, the brave Kynge Harolde crydj Who can I truft, if brothers are not true? Ithink of Tortus, once my joie and pryde. Girthe faide, with looke adigne k ; my lord, I doe. But what oure foemen are, quod Girth, I'll flic we; 15^ By Gods hie hallidome ' they preertes are. Do not, quod Harolde, Girthe, myrtell m them fo, For theie are everich one brave men at warre. k Of dignity. ' Hcly Church. m Mlfcal!.. Quod V. 151. The converfation between Hnrold and Girth is partly copied from Malmfbury; efpecially Girih's miftaking the Norman fuldicrs for priefts, be- caufe, contrary to the cuftom of the Englifh, their upper lips were fhaven ;• and' fhat author feerns to have furnifhed Rowley with the circumftance of G rth's dif- fuading Harold from engaging the Normans: — " Cum (inquit) tantam fortitu- " dinem Normanni prasdices, indelibcratum sedimo cum illo eonfligere, quo ct " robore & mer.to inferior habearis. p. 101." The arrangement of Duke William's army v. 161. is taken from the fame author : " — Pedites cum arcubus & fagjttis primam frontem muniunt, equites retro diverfis- " alls eonfiftunt." Ordericus Vitalis alfo fay?, lib. iii. p. 501 : — " Dux Nbrmannorum pedites fa- " gittis armatos et baliftis in fronte locavit, item pedites loricatps lecundo loco " conilitixit — in quorum medio fuit ipfedux cum firmiiiinio robore unde in omnem *' partem confuleret voce & manu." According to this pcem, the firfl lii.e confifted of crofs-bow men on foot, the fe- eond of light archers on horfeback, armed with a ("pear or afenglaive, which they tied to their horfes when they difmounted; an 1 difcharged their arrows upwards, Handing either on the iide or behind their ho: > ,. William of Malmfbury alio mentions the fubflance of Duke William's embafly to Harold, by a Monk of Fife-imp, with the anfwer and rough treatment given to the cmbaffadour ; and the iv, I fl idard, , as heje defcribed, agrees with the.follow- ing account of it by the fame author : — " Re:; ipfe petks juxta vexillum flabat cum " fsatribus. Vexillum illud pod viftoriam, Papse Willelmus mifit, quod crat in " bjsmints ^ugnanli ' ... auru & lagii arte furiiptuofa contexturn. P. i< 1 1 e BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. Quod Girthc; why will ye then provoke theyr hate? Quod Harolde; great the foe, lb is the gloria grete. 160 And nowe Duke Willyam marefchalled his band, And ftretchd his armie owte a goodlie rowe. Firft did a ranke of arcublaftries n flande, Next thofe on horfebacke drewe the afcendyng flo % Brave champyones, eche well lerned in the bowe, 165 Theyr afenglave p acroffe theyr horfes ty'd, Or with the loverds q fquier behinde dyd goe, Or waited fquier lyke at the horfes fyde. When thus Duke Willyam to a Monke dyd faie, Prepare thyfelfe wyth fpede, to Harolde hahre awaie. 170 Telle hym from me one of thefe three to take; That hee to mee do homage for thys lande, Or mee hys heyre, when he deceafyth, make, Or to the judgment of Chryfts vicar frande. He faid e; the Monke departyd out of hande, 17^ And to Kyng Harolde dyd this meffage bear; Who faid; tell thou the duke, at his likand r If he can gette the crown hee may itte wear. He faid, and drove the Monke out of his fyghte, And with his brothers rouz'd eachmanne to bloudie fyghte. A ftandarde made of fylke and Jewells rare, iSr Wherein alle coloures wroughte aboute in s bighes, An armyd knyghte was feen deth-doynge there, Under this motte, He conquers or he dies. * Crofs-bow men. ° JrrolV. p Lancts. Lords. r Liking, or choice. $ Jewels. This V. 184. Sec the note in the preceding page. BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 113 This ftandard rych, endazzlynge mortal eyes, 185 Was borne neare Harolde at the Kenters heade, Who charged hys broders for the grete empryze ' That ftraite the heft u for battle fhould be fpredde. To evry erle and knyghte the worde is gyven, And cries a guerre and flughornes " ihake the vaulted heaven. As when the erthe, torne by convulfyons dyre, igi In reaulmes of darknefs hid from human fyghte, The warring force of water, air, and fyre, Braft * from the regions of eternal nyghte, Thro the darke caverns feeke the reaulmes of lyghtj 195 Some loftie mountaine, by its fury torne, Dreadfully moves, and caufes grete affryght; Now here, now there, majeftic nods the bourne y , And awfulle fhakes, mov'd by the almighty force, Whole woods and forefts nod, and ryvers change theyr courfe. ' Enterprife. u Command. " Trumpet, or military born. * Burjl. r Promontory, or projecting rock. So V. 198. The word bourne has various figniflcations. It fignifles a burnijhed fubjlance, a brook, or a boundary. Here it feems applicable only in the laft of thefe fenfes, im- plying the outline or boundary of the rock, anfwering to the — ctixiSioi; lyjj.ct.Ttx, wlfgJj? in the original, and to the "mountain's craggy forehead'' in Pope's tranflation. In this fenfe it is ufed by Edgar in Lear, who calls the top of Dover cliff The dread fummit of this chalky bourn. Act iv. fc. 5. V. 200. The fliout of A- guerre by Harold's army is the very expreflion ufed by Matt. Weftminfter; exclamatur ad arma, p. 223. The refpeclive fignals for en- gagement are mentioned in the preceding poem. The firft onfet is illuftrated by a molt majeftic fimile, which fhevvs the poet's wonderful powers of combination, and his unrivalled excellence in the terrific fub- lime; the elements are called forth to war againft each other,, and are involved in () one n 4 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. So did the men of war at once advaunce, 201 Linkd man to man, enfeemed z one boddie light; z Seemed. Above one general convulfion: ideas which we find no where fo forcibly expreflbd, ex- cept in holy fcripture. This fimile is evidently copied from one in Homer, which is pointed out by Mr. Pope amongft the molt fublime in the Iliad. — — oAoOITf 0J£0? WJ CC7T0 7T£T£M?, • "Okts xxtx rupxnw; ■jrora.y.oq p^fi^cappoof wirw, 'P>i£a? xvir'nu o dvaiSioi; 't^xrx 7r£Tjnf, "Td/i r xvxSouaxuv zr'mrai, xtu7T£« <5e $ U7r auTB 'WdiriSov, t£ti .*•)• JVj, Kvavfai, (rxy.unv te xxi tyyuri 7rippixvtxi. II. A- v. 281. Such and fo thick the embattled fquadrons flood, With fpears erect, a moving iron wood. Pope, 13. iv. v. 322. This is correfpondent with Malmfbury's account : — " Pedites omnes cum bint - " nibuf, conferta ante fe fcutorum teftudine, iinpenetrabilem cuneuni faciunt." The defcription clofes with a noble groupe of allufions, cxpreffing the force, ex- pedition, order, and eagernefs of the army for engagement. V. 211. This reprefentation of the morning is equalled only by his own defcrip- tion of the fame object in the tragedy of Ella, v. 734.; nor is.it eafy to Cay which of them may claim the preference. The awaiting fpirits are here reprefented, iike the Hours of Homer, leading forth the horfes of the Sun ; who, on feeing the armies preparing for battle, exprefTes his concern, by wiling his beams behind a cloud, and Hopping his driving Heeds in their diurnal courfe : But in a fubfequent paflat»t-, Q^_2 v. 561. n6 BATTLE OF HASTI NGS. N°. 2. Of the bright funne awaytynge fpirits leedes: 215 The funne, in fierie pompe enthrond on hie, Swyfter than thoughte alonge hys jernie gledes ", And fcatters nyghtes remaynes from oute the fkie : He fawe the armies make for bloudie fraie, And llopt his driving lteeds, and hid his lyghtfome raye. 220 Kynge Harolde hie in ayre majeftic rayfd His mightie arme, deckt with a manchyn c rarej With even hande a mighty javlyn paizde J , Then furyoufe fent it whyftlynge thro the ayre. It ftruck the helmet of the Sieur de Beer; 225 In vayne did braffe or yron flop its waie; Above his eyne it came, the bones dyd tare, Peercynge quite thro, before it dyd allaie; He tumbled, fcritchyng wyth hys horrid payne; His hollow cuimes e rang upon the bloudie pleyne. 230 b Glides. c Sleeve. d Poifed e Armour for the thighs. This v. 561. we fhall fee the fame caufe producing an oppofite effect; fo happily could our poet apply every idea to adorn his fubjeft. The variety that graces thefc two defcriptions will make the mornings of Homer and Virgil appear infipid in the comparifon. V. 225. De Beer is mentioned here as the firft Norman who falls in the battle by Harold's fpear, which entered above his eyes. In the former poem, De Bequc, the knight of Duke William, is the firft perfon flain by Harold's fpear, which wounded him on the ear. The reader will judge whether thefe two defcriptions were not intended for the fame perfon. V. 230. His hollow cuiflies rang upon the bloudie pleyne. This is alfo Homer's image. &.XTrr.is Pra/eclus, i. e. Margrave or go- vernor of the circle of Lower Saxony, which lay oppofite to Britain ; and from the romantic accounts given of his ftature, feveral cities and towns in Lower Saxony (who boafted of having received their freedom through him) erected in their market- places ColofTal ftatues cf 15 or 20 feet high to his memory. In that at Bremen he is reprefented in armour, cloathed in a long robe, but without a helmet : He holds the fword Duranda erect in his right hand, and his fhield (on which the Ger- 10 man BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. 119 The Normannes, like theyr fovrin, dyd prepare, And flioite ten thoufande floes upryfynge in the aire. 240 As man eagle is carved) hangs tranfverfly on his breaft : A German infcription, round the verge of the fhield, records the freedom granted to the city by Charlemagne. There are alfo Coloffal ftatues of him at Brandenbury, Hall, Zerbft, and Bel- gem in Saxony, and poflibly in other places: He is reprefented in difFerent atti- tudes, but generally bare-headed; no wonder then that Duke William fhould make the atchievments of fuch a hero an incitement to provoke a martial fpirit in his foldiers. Jean de Wace confirms this account, by faying that Taillifer, a Norman war- rior and a good fongfter, preceded the duke in the battle, finging the praifes of Charlemagne, Roland, and Oliver. Taillifer qui moult bien chantout, Sorr un cheval qui toft alout, Devant le Due alout chantant, De Karlemagne & ds Rollant, Et de Olivier & des vaflals, Qui morurent en Rouncevals. In fact, thefe two heroes became the common fubject of heroic romances ; and of fuch the prologue to the poetic hiftory of Richard Roy de Angleterrc fays, Of their deeds men make Romauns, Both in England and in France; Of Rowland and of Olyvere, And of every doufe Pere — i. e. Charlemagne's twelve peeres. Warton, vol. i. p. 123. And the prologue of another work alludes to the hiftory, Of knights hardy that mochel is lefyngis Of Rowland and of Olyvere, and of Guy of Warwicke. Ibidem. From the contemporary and equally-renowned atchievments of the two formei heroes, their names are grown into an Englifh proverb ; " / will give you a Rowland for your Oliver-" or in other words, I will give you as good as you bring. V. 231. When the Normans had fung their war-fong, Duke William drew his iron interwoven bow, like Pandarus in Homer. *E*xs 120 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. As when a flyghte of cranes, that takes their waie In houfeholde armies thro the flanched E fkie, Alike the caufe, or companie or prey, If that perchaunce fome boggie fenne is nie, s Arched. Soon Ntvflw [a\\i f*xlc, i)/vx ttctuvtcci a.yxXhoij.ivz.i 7n£euy£0"t, xyptx. allufions, as more conformable to the nature of his country. If thefe fimilies had been borrowed by Chatteiton, from Pope's tranflation, is it probable that he would have fhewn the fame fkill in varying the application? i2 8 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. Befprengc ' deitrucYLone oer the woodes and delles; The fhepfter fwaynes in vaync theyr lees p lement \; So foughte the Bryllowc menne; ne one crevent % 365 Ne onne abalhd enthoughten for to flee; With fallen Normans all the playne befprent, And like thcyr leaders every man did flee; In vayne on every fyde the arrowes fled; The Bryftowe menne fly 11 ragd, for Alfwold was not dead. Manie meanwhile by Haroldes arm did falle, 371 And Leofwyne and Gyrthe enci-easd the flayne; 'Twould take a Neflor's age to fynge them all, Or telle how manie Normannes prefle the playne; But of the erles, whom recorde nete hath flayne, 375 O Truthe! for good of after-tymes relate, ° Spread. p Sheep-pajlures. ' Lament. ' Coward. That V. 372- Leofwyne and Gyrthe are faid to have encreafed the number of the (lain, by killing their enemies, but not by their own death, though both of them fell in that battle. V. 373. It is a circumftance in favour of our author's acquaintance with the Iliad, that he mentions more than once the name of Homer, ver. 400 and 442, as well as thofe of Minerva and Neftor. V. 375. Having fpecified by name feveral Normans who were Main in the battle, he proceeds to honour, with a particular encomium, fome of his own countrymen, whom he fays Recorde nete hath flain. Under this defcription may be meant thofe who falling in battle were not recorded in hiftory : The poet therefore undertakes to celebrate their praifes; but of the four perfons mentioned by him, viz. Adhelm, Alfwold, Hereward, and Harold, the two laft only are faid to have died in the field. V. 376. The arrangement of Rowley's plan, and the accuracy of his meafure, afford very little fcope for critical conjectures or alterations; but the invocation to Truth, previous to his celebrating the atehtevments of his Englifh heroes, feems to require BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. 129 That, thovve they're deade, theyr names may lyve agayne, And be in deathe, as they in life were, greate j So after-ages maie theyr a&ions fee, And like to them sternal alwaie ftryve to be. 380 Adhelm, require that the addrefs to Turgot, ver. 58i,fhould immediately follow this ftanza i For who fo able to direct the poet in the fearch of truth, as That Sun, from whom he oft had caught a beam ? (v. 588.} Or whofe afliftance could he fo properly invoke, when he profefled The deeds of Englifhmen to write, (v. 590.) as the Saxon hiftorian, to whofe materials he was indebted for the fubftance of his poem ? As the fpirit of Turgot is here faid to be accompanied by his loved Adhelm; how naturally does this circumftance precede the encomiums given to that knight and his fon ? How improperly would he profefs to write the deeds of Englijh- men, when two of his moft ehofen perfonages had been already celebrated in the preceding ftanzas, and when the characters of the other two, viz. Harold and Alf- wold, appear lefs interefting ? Not to add, that the invocation, where it now ftands is unconnected with, and feparates the narration of a plain matter of fact contained in the preceding and following ftanzas; in the former of which Duke William commands his foldiers to proceed to a clofe engagement; in the latter, Harold is making a proper difpofition to meet their attack : But an invocation of Turcot can have nothing to do with either of thefe events. Leaving then this conjecture to the judgment of the reader, the character of Adhelm, ver. 381, is made the firft object of the poet's encomium; a connection which muft have taken its rife from the munificence of his father to the church of Durham, of which Turgot was Prior, and St. Cuthbert Patron : To whom he dyd his goodes refygne, And iefte hys fon, his God's and fortunes knyghte. But the Saint amply recompenfed the fon for the generofity of the father, by making him — — in gemot wyfe, and greate in fyghte. The fame qualities which Achilles learned from old Phoenix. uvxv ts priTY.o itj.ivxi, Trpwrypoe, Tf ipyuv. II. I. v. 443. He bade me teach thee all the arts of war, To fhine in councils, and in fenates dare. Pope, B. ix. v. 570. S But no BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. 2. j Adhelm, a knyghte, whofe holie deathlefs fire For ever bended to S'. Cuthbert's fliryne, Whofe brcaft for ever burnd with facred fyre, And een on erthe he myghte be calld dyvinej To Cuthbert's church he dyd his goodes refygne, 385; And lefte hys fan his God's and fortunes knyghte ; His fon die Saincle behelde with looke adigne 3 , Made him in gemot ' wyfe, and greate in fyghtej Saincte Cuthberte dyd him ayde in all hys deedes, His friends he lets to live, and all his fomen bleedes. 39a He married was to Kenewalchae faire, The fyneft dame the fun or moone adaye u j She was the myghtie Aderedus heyre, Who was alreadie haitynge to the grave; As the blue Bruton, ryfinge from the wave, 395: Like fea-gods feeme in mod majeftic guife, 5 Worthy* r Counfel. u Arofe upon, And But his patronage was frill more important, for Sain£te Cuthberte dyd him ayde in all hys deedes, Hi friends he lets to live, and all his fomen bleedes. (v. 399.) With him the Spirit of Turcot is poetically afibciated, in their former beloved re- tirements near Durham; at other times, as a native of Brifto!, it is fuppofed to haunt the banks of the Severn ; And rowle in ferfely with ferlc Severnes tyde. (v. 585.) V. 39 1 . The luxuriancy of the poet's fancy is exerted in defcribing the beauties of Kenewalche, the wife of Adhelrn; no lefs than twenty fimilies, within the com- pafs of twice as many lines, are applied to exprefs the beauty of her features, the air and graces of her pcrfon : Some of thefe fimilies are remarkable for their simpli- city ; other- for their juftice: In fome we may obferve a tindture of ancient fuper- ftition ; others are local, relating to the city and neighbourhood of Durham. V. 395. The comparifon of Kencv\ ilche to a blue Briton, fecms to be borrowed from Csefar's account of that people ; who obferves, that all the Britons painted * themfrlyei BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N'. 2 . i 3t And rounde aboute the rilynge waters lave % And their longe hayre arounde their bodie flies, Such majeftie was in her porte difplaid, To be excelld bie none but Homer's martial maid y . 400 White as the chaulkie clyffes of Brittaines ifle, Red as the higheft colour'd Gallic wine, Gaie as all nature at the mornynge fmile, Thole hues with pleafaunce on her lippes combine, Her lippes more redde than fummer evenynge fkyne % 40 j Or Phcebus ryiinge in a froftie morne, Her brefle more white than mow in feeldes that lyene 3 t Or lillie lambes that never have been ihorne, Swellynge like bubbles in a boillynge welle, Or new-brafte brooklettes gently whyfpringe in the delle. x Wajh. >' Minerva. z Shy. * Lie. Browne therr.felves with this colour: — "Omnes vero Britanni vitro fe inficiunt, quodcarw " hum efficit colorem." De Eello Gall. lib. 5. — And the blue Britcn is with great propriety defcribed as rifing out of the fea, which is of this cerulean colour, and is denominated from it. Amoruft the torrent of fimilies which flows in the following ftanzas, fome allude to local and legendary anecdotes, which have been loft' in the courfe of time; fuch as the greie Jleel-horn d goats by Conyan made tame; whether this Conyan was a Saint, or a Prince is uncertain. There was a Scottifh Bifhop of Hie, in the 7th ceri- turv, of that name. Aurelius Conanus, a Prince of Powyfland, is mentioned by :as as living in 546, (fee Baxter's gioflary, in voce Aurelius ;) Malgo Conanus lit :d at the end of that century : and Conan, fan of Roderick, in 755 : all remarkable for their warlike exploits; which might be figuratively exprefled by taming the Jieel-horned goats of Wales, • Hybernies holy woode, Where fainftes and foules departed mafies fynge, (v. 423-) is alfo unknown, -unlefs St. Patrick's purgatory is alluded to : Some legends rela- tive to thefe place-, might have exifted, if not in Rowley's, yet at leaft in Turgot's ■days; to which period the following defcription muft be referred. S 2 i 3 2 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. 2. Browne as the fylberte droppyng from the fhelle, 41 S Browne as the nappy ale at Hocktyde game, So browne the crokyde b rynges, that featlie c fell Over the neck of the all-beauteous dame» Greie as the morne before the ruddie flame 415: Of Phebus charyotte rollynge thro the fkie, Greie as the fteel-horn'd goats Conyan made tame, So greie appeard her featly fparklyng eye; Thofe eyne, that did oft mickle pleafed look On Adhelm valyaunt man, the virtues doomfday book. 420 Majeftic as the grove of okes that ftoode Before the abbie buylt by Ofwald kynge •„ Majeftic as Hybernies holie woode, Where fain&es and foules departed mafles fynge; Such awe from her fweete looke forth ifTuynge. 425 At once for reveraunce and love did calle ; Sweet as the voice of thraflarkes d in the Spring, So fweet the wordes that from her lippes did falle y b Crooked. c Genteelly. d Thrujhes. None V. 421. ——"The grove of okes that ftoode Before the ubbie buylt by Ofwald kynge, cannot be literally applied to the abbey of Lindisfarn, erected by that prince on £ final! barren ifland, where- it is not probable that a grove of oaks ever grew ; but it may be true by way of anticipation in refpect to Durham ; to which place St. CuthbL-rt's body, after its various removals from Lindisfarn, was finally trans- lated, together with the epifco; il fee, at the end of the tenth century ; for at that time the fpot was fo overgrown with wood, that the ancient writers fpeak of it as an inacceffible forefl. — " Erat autem Dunelmum, locus quidem nature " munitus, fed non facile habitabilis, quern der.fiilima undique fylva totuni occu> paverat." Lcland's Collect, torn. i. p. 33c. >i BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. 2. 133 None fell in vayne ; all mewed fome entent ; Her wordies did difplaie her great entendement. 4 to Tapre as candles layde at Cuthberts fhryne,. Tapre as elmes that Goodrickes abbie {hrove% Tapre as filver chalices for wine, So tapre was her armes and fhape ygrove f . As fkyllful mynemenne B by the ftones above 4^ Can ken what metalle is ylach'd h belowe, So Kennewalcha's face, ymade far love, The lovelie ymage of her foule did fhewe ; Thus was fhe outward form'd j the fun her mind Did guilde her mortal Shape and all her charms refin'd. 440 c Shrouded. ' Graven, or formed. E Miners. h Clo/ed, confined. What V. 431. The three fimilies applied to Kenewalche's taper arms, might natu- rally ftrike the fancy of a Prior of Durham, but would never have entered the imagination of any other poet. V. 432. The elms 'which fl)rave or Shrouded Godric's abbey, give a jufl idea of Fi?ical, fituated in a retired valley furrounded by woods, a few miles dillant from Durham, adding a pleafing and romantic feature to Mr. Carr's beautiful improve- ments at Co&on : Godricus the hermit led a retired life of fixty years in that place, and died in 1170, with fo great a reputation for Sanctity, that Matt. Paris has written a lon 1 Drejfirg. k Adorned with turrets. ' Drew. m Melancholy. n Smooth. Scattered. p Noify. 'J Without their funeral knell. ' Furious. Dcthe w> UATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. Dcthe honge upon his anne j he fleed i'o maynt ', 'Tis parte the pointel ' of a man to paynte. 560 Bryghte fonne in hafte han drove hys fierie wayne A three howrcs ccurfe alonge the whited fkyen", Vewynge the fwarthlefs x bodies on the playne, And longed greetlie to plonce r in the bryne. For as hys beemes and f.:r-ftretchynge eyne 565 Did view the pooles of gore yn purple fheene, The wolfomme z vapours rounde hys lockes dyd twyne, And dyd disfygure all hys femmlikeen 3 j » Many. * Pencil. u Sky. x IVith out fouls, or lifdcfs. » Plunge. 1 Loatbfome. * Good appearance. Then V. 561. It was obferved on a former pafTage, ver. 211, that the fun at his firft appearance above the horizon, on feeing the preparations for war, Stopped his driving fteeds and hid his lightfome ray ; but when he had proceeded three hours in his courfe, and beheld the horrors of the carnage, with the purple reflection from the pools of human gore, and the (team of bloody vapours which obfeured the brightnefs of his rays, he urged his fteeds to harder action, in order to clear his brows in the ocean from the bloody mift which furrounded them. Thefe beautiful images greatly furpafs that of Virgil; who makes the Sun thus exprefs his abhorrence of Caefar's aflaflination : Ille etiam extinfto miferatus Caefare Romam Et caput obfeura nitidum ferrugine tinxit. Georg. Lib. i. v. 466. He firft the fate of Coefar did foretel, And pitied Rome, when Rome in Casfar fell ; In iron clouds conceal'd the public light, And impious mortals fear'd eternal night. Dryden, v. 620. ©r of Spenfer, when he defcribes the violence attempted by Sanfloy againft Una : And Phoebus flying fo moft fliamefull fight, His blufhing face in foggy clouds implyes, And hides for fhame. BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. 143 Then to harde aftyon he hys wayne dyd rowfe, In hyiTynge ocean to make glair h hys browes 570 Duke Wyllyam gave commaunde, eche Norman knyghte, That beer war-token in a fhielde fo fyne, Shoulde onward goe, and dare to clofer fyghte The Saxonne warryor, that dyd fo entwyne, Lyke the nefhe c bryon and the eglantine, 575 Orre Cornyih wraftlers at a Hocktyde game. The Normannes, all emarchialld in a lyne, To the ourt d arraie of the thight e Saxonnes came; There 'twas the whaped f Normannes on a parre Dyd know that Saxonnes were the fonnes of warre. 580 Oh Turgotte, wherefoeer thie fpryte dothe haunte, Whither wyth thie lovd Adhelme by thie fyde, Where thou mayfle heare the fwotie g nyghte larke chaunte, Orre wyth fome mokynge h brooklette fwetelie glide, Or rowle in ferfelie wythe ferfe Severnes tyde, 585 Whereer thou art, come and my mynde enleme ; Wyth fuch greete thoughtes as dyd with thee abyde, Thou fonne, of whom I ofte have caught a beeme, Send mee agayne a drybblette of thie lyghte, That I the deeds of Englyfhmenne maie wryte. 593 Harold, who faw the Normannes to advaunce, Sciz'd a huge byll, and layd hym down hys fpere ; Soe dyd ech wite laie downe the broched k launce, And groves of bylles did glitter in the ayre. * Char, c Weak. * Out, or open. ' Con/oJidated^ thickened. f 4ffrighted. 1 Swat, " Mocking. ' Enlighten. k Pointed. Wyth i 4 + BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. Wyth fliowtes the Normannes did to battel fteere; 595 Campynon famous for his flature highe, Fyrey wythe brafle, benethe a fliyrte of lere ', In cloudie daic lie reechd into the flue ; Neerc to Kyng Harolde dyd he come alonge, And drewe hys fleele Morglaicn m fworde fo llronge. 600 Thryce rounde hys heide hee fwung hys anlace " wyde, On whyche the funne his vifage did agleeme , Then ftraynynge, as hys membres would dyvyde, Hee flroke on Haroldes fheelde yn manner breme p ; Alonge the fielde it made an horrid cleembe q , 605 Coupeynge r Kyng Harolds payndled fheeld in twayne, Then yn the bloude the fierie fwerde dyd fteeme, And then dyd drive ynto the bloudie playne ; 1 Leather, or Jkin. m Enchanted fivord. " Sivord. ° Gleam., or Jhlne upon, t Furious. * Noife. ' Cutting. So V. 596. The Normans now produce a frefh champion in the perfon of Cam- pynon, a compleat coward, though a Goliah both in ftaturc and armour: for he is faid to he fiery in brafs ; and Goliah's armour was of the fame metal, i Sam. chap, xviii. So Sir Hudibras, in Spenfer, was (for terror more) all armed in fiery brafs. B. 2. C. 2. St. 17. V. 598. In cloudie daie he reechd into the ikie ; a literal tranflation of that paflage in Virgil, Ingrediturque folo, & caput inter nubila condit; or like the picture of Eris in Homer. OvPXVf ifTrtn'fy XXpn, XXI E7T1 v8oW (ixUlH. II. A. v. 443. Whilft fcarce the fkies her horrid head can bound, She {talks on earth, and {hakes the world around. Pope, B. iv. v. 516. BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. 145 So when in ayre the vapours do abounde, Some thunderbolte tares trees and dryves ynto the grounde. Harolde upreer'd hys bylle, and furious fente 611 A flroke, lyke thondre, at the Normannes fyde j Upon the playne the broken braffe befprente * Dyd ne hys bodie from dethe-doeynge hyde -, He tournyd backe, and dyd not there abyde ; 615 With ftraught oute meelde hee ayenwarde ' did goe, Threwe downe the Normannes, did their rankes divide, To fave himfelfe lefte them unto the foe ; So olyphauntes, in kingdomme of the funne, When once provok'd doth throwe theyr owne troopes runnc. Harolde, who ken'd hee was his armies ftaie, 621 Nedeynge the rede u of generaul fo wyfe, Byd Alfwoulde to Campynon hafte awaie, As thro the armie ayenwarde x he hies, Swyfte as a feether'd takel y Alfwoulde flies, 625 The fteele bylle blufhynge oer wyth lukewarm bloude ; Ten Renters, ten Briflowans for th' emprize " Hafted wyth Alfwoulde where Campynon flood, Who aynewarde a went, whylfte everie Normanne knyghte Dyd blufh to fee their champyon put to flyghte. 630 As painclyd Bruton, when a wolfyn wylde, When yt is cale b and bluftrynge wyndes do blowe, ' Scattered. ' * ° Backward. * Advice, counfel. * Arrow. z Enterprise. b Cold. Enters V.631. This fimile is little inferior to the former in the boldnefsof the image, or the fpirit of the defcription; it feems to be a diftant copy of two in Homer, which U rcprefent i 4 6 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ *.. Enters hys bcrdelle % taketh hys yonge chylde, And wyth his bloude beftreynts "* the lillie fnowe, He thoroughe mountayne hie and dale doth goe, 6353 Thro we the quyck torrent of the bollen e ave f , e Cottage. d Sprinkles. e Swelling. . f Wave, or water. Thro we reprefent wild beafts retreating from the purfuit of fhepherds, after the deftruclion of their flocks. See Iliad M. v. 299, and O. 586. The critics who attack the language of Rowley, are inattentive to the beauties of his poetry, and the force of his exprefllons; a paflage in this limile has been thus queftioned : " for his eyne, i. e. before bis eyes; but before whofe eyes does be mean,, " the ivc/f's or the fliepberd 's f" Undoubtedly the fhepherd's. But the cxprcflion feems only to imply, that he killed the wolf as foon as he could come within view of him. I am obliged, however, to a very learned friend for a more elegant con- ftru£tion of the phrafe; '■'■for his eyne, i. e. in revenge for his child:" Heie, as in . " other paflages, " eyne is Angular. The idea is molt exquifitely claffical, per- u haps not to be found in any modern author. Thus Quintilian laments the death " of his fon — Mihi filius minor quintum egreffus annum : Prior alterum ex duobus " eruit lumen. — The note of Colomefius on the paflage is learned and curious; *' Lumen hie profilio ; ufurpavit etiam Aufonius. " AmifTum flefti poft trina decennia natum "■ Saucius, & Itfvo lumine callus eras. *' Feftus — Orba eft quae patrcm aut matrem, aut filios quafi lumen amifit: Apud •• Graecos itidem. 'OpflaA/xoj ccvt) ttoliSuv. ./Kfchylus in Perfis. v. 169. " 'A^ipl j.tvov fj.iyct.Xoc. (3f£jt*«, aju.pi St r xxpx$ KufTSV £01* X0£Up3T«l, XTTQTtIvH £' xXof CCVVtiV. II. A. v. 4?.2- As when the winds, afcending by degrees, Firft move the whitening furface of the feasj The billows float in order to the fhore, The wave behind rolls on the wave before j Till BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. 151 The cleembe* reboundes to Wedecefters fhore, And fweeps the black fande rounde its horie prowe f j So bremie s Alfwoulde thro the warre dyd goe ; 695 Hys Renters and Bryftowans flew ech fyde, Betreinted h all alonge with bloudlefs foe, And feemd to fwymm alonge with bloudie tyde ; Fromme place to place befmeard with bloud they went, And rounde aboute them fwarthlefs ; corfe befprente k . 700 A famous Normanne who yclepd Aubene, Of fkyll in bow, in tylte, and handefworde fyghte, , That daie yn feelde han manie Saxons ileene, Forre hee in fothen ' was a manne of myghte. " Nsife. ! Brew. e Furious. b Drenched. i Lifelefs. k Scattered. ' In truth. Fyrfte Till with the growing ftorm the deep arife, From o'er the rocks, and thunder to the Ikies. Pope, B. iv. v. 478. Drayton has given a picturefque defcription of this hygra in the beginning of his feventh canto. V. 701. A famous Norman called Aubene (but probably not the fame perfon with De Aubignee, mentioned in the former poem, ver. 241. and faid to have been flain by Ethelward) is here celebrated for his /kill " in bow, in tylte, and hande- fworde fyghte ; three very confiderable accomplifhments of a warrior in thofe days; but when compared with Alfwold, the poet makes him only a man of ftraw. This is the laft event recorded in the poem, which does not appear to be drawing to a conclufion : The death of Harold, that great prelude to the event of this decifive battle, and the victory obtained by the Norman army in confequence of it, are yet unfung. How much caufe then have we to lament, that the fame pen which has fo claffically adorned the recital of this engagement, fhould not have compleated the poem, by defcribing the more important and interefting conclufion of that remarkable event ! The remarks on thefe two poems cannot be clofed without taking notice of a circumftance in favour of their authenticity, which merits the reader's 2 attention : 1J2 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. Fyrfte dyd his fwerde on Adclgar alyghte, As hee on horfeback was, and peersd hys gryne Then upwarde went : in everlaftynge nyghte Hee closd hys rollyng and dymfyghted eyne. 705 Groin Next attention : I mean the conformity in the names of thefe Norman warriors with thofe printed in our hiftonans, from the Chronicle of Normandy and Battle Abbey Roll. A very fmall number of the Normans could be diftinguifhed by our poet ; but almoft all the perfons mentioned in thefe two poems will be found in the lifts of the hiftorians, or at leaft names fo nearly refembling them, that, allowing for miftakes of tranferibers, and difference of fpelling, they may be fatisfactorily verified. In order to give the reader a more perfect idea of this conformity, Row- ley's names are placed in one column, with a reference to the poem and verfe where they occur ; and in another column, the correfponding names, as they are to be found, either in the Hiftoriae Islomannorum Scriptores, Brompton, Holling- fhead, Stowe, and Fox's Ecclefiaftical Hiftory; or in the Poetical French Chro- nicle of Jean de Wace, and in William of Wirceftre's Annals, fubjoined to Hearne's Liber Niger, torn. ii. p. 522. ? £ Rowley's List. 3 p 1 — 465 Angillion, 2 — 701 Aubene, 1 — 241 D'Aubignx, 1 — 152 Du Barlie, 1 — 54 De Beque, 2 — 225 De Beer, I — 255 Romara de Biere, I — 173 Bertrammel Maine, 2 — 296 De Beaument, I — 136 Bonoboe, The Historians List. Angilliam, Battle Abbey Roll. — Agilon, Fox. Albene, B. A. R. Le Boutiller D'Aubignee, Holl. Stowe, Fox. Barl, W. Wlrcejlre. Beke, B. A. R. Touftan de Bee, Stowe, Fox. C Bere Bures, B. A. R. £,Le Sire de Biars, Wace and Fox. Guill de Romara, Holl. Stowe, Wace, and Fox. Meigne, W. IVirceJlre. Bertram le tort, Holl. Stowe, and Fox, E. Bertram, Wace and Fox. Roger, Earl of Beaumont, Holl. and Stowe. Roger, Comte de Beaumont, Fox. Roger de Belmont, Wace. Le Seigneur de Bonnebault, Holl. Le Sire de Bonnebos, Fox and Wace. Le Sire de Donnebos, Stotve. Rowley's 1 I i BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. 153 Next Eadlyn, Tatwyn, and fam'd Adelred, Bie various caufes funken to the dead. But now to Alfwoulde he oppofynge went, To whom compar'd hee was a man of fire ", And wyth bothe hondes a mightie blowe he fente At Alfwouldes head, as hard as hee could dree °; 710 n Straw. ° Dr But s 3 < n Rowley's List. i- -375 De Broque, 1 - -391 Fitz Broque, 2- -472 De Clearmondes, 2- -596 Campynon, 1- -421 Du Chatelet, 1- -543 Fitz Chatulet, 1- -341 Chatillion, 2- -321 Fitz Chivelloys, 1- -108 Douille Naibor, 2- -33J Fefcampe, 1 - -443 Fifcampe, 1 — 325 Fitz Botevilleine, l — 505 Fitz du Valle, 2 — 49 Fitz du Gore, 2 — 34 Hugh Fitz Hugh, 1 — 531 Fitz Pierce, 1— 163 Fitz Port, 1 — 231 Fitz Salnarville, 1—426 Fitz Warren, I — 197 Auffroic de Griel, 1 — 272 Hubert, Historians List. JBrok, JV. Wircejlre. \ Cleremount, Brompton. L Cleremaus, B. A. R. Champaigne, Champeney, B. A. R. Chaftelein, TV. Wirce/lm. Le Sire de Doully, Stowe and Fox. C Pierre de Bailleul, \ Seigneur de Fifcamp, Holl. Stowe, and Fox. {Botville, Bertevile, Bertevyley, B. A. R. Boutevillain, Fox. — Butevilein, IV. TVirce/ire. Botevilayn, IVace. Gover, Goverges, B. A. R. Ditto, B. A. R.— Fizhu, TV. IVirceflre. Fitz Peres, B. A. R. — Fizpers, IV Wircejlre. Le Sire de Port, Stowe and Fox, Chev. de Port, IVace. Le Sire de Salnarville, Stowe and Fox. Gul. de Garennes, Holl. Stowe, and Fox. Greyle, B. A. R. PaennelduMontier Hubert, Holl. Fox, JV.lVirceJlre. Hubert Robert, Stowe. X Rowley's \ i 54 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. But on hys payn&ed fheelde fo bifmarlie" Aflaunte q his fvverde did go ynto the grounde ; Then Alfvvould him attack'd moil furyouflie, Athrowe hys gaberdyne r hee dyd him wounde, 7*5 p Whimfically. i Slanting, or acrofs Cloak. Then •0 s B t" Rowley's List. Historians List. 2— fLe Seigneur de Longueville, Holl. 481 HucdeLongcvillc,' Allow. z Cart-horfe, Hackncy-horfe. a Broken, fcattercd. Saie, Ben Johnfon has alfo a Shiilaf expreflion in the comedy of ,c Every Man in his " Humour :" " Edward Knowell. — 'Slight, he fhakes his head like a bottle, to " feel an' there be any brain in it." Act iv. Scene 2. — But it does not follow that thefe arc plagiarifms either from Johnfon or Butler ; for the idea connected with the action, like others annexed to various geftures of the body, is founded in nature, and tftabliflied by ancient and general cuflom, and therefore at all times open to every man's obfervation. V, 37. Ijhad means fcaitered or feparated, not broken, which would be an im- proper epithet in this paflage, Mr. Warton has quoted a line from Robert k Brunne, in which the word Jhad occurs; and adds, Jbad is fiparattd, vol. i. p. 166. LETTER TO MASTRE CANYNGE. 173 Saie, Canynge, whatt was vearfe yn daies of yore ? Fyne thoughtes, and couplettes fetyvelie b bewryen % Notte fyke as doe annoie thys age fo fore, A keppened d poyntelle e reftynge at eche lyne. Vearfe maie be goode, botte poefie wantes more, 45- An onlift f lecturn B , and a fonge adygne h ; Accordynge to the rule I have thys wroughte, GyfF ytt pleafe Canynge, I care notte a groate, The thynge yttfelf mofte bee yttes owne defenfe; Som metre maie notte pleafe a womannes ear. 50 Canynge lookes notte for poefie, botte' fenfe -, And dygne, 6c wordie thoughtes, ys all hys care. Canynge, adieu ! I do you greete from hence ; Full foone I hope to tafte of your good cheere ; Goode Byfhoppe Carpynter dyd byd mee faie, ^ j Hee wyfche you healthe and felineffe for aie. T. ROWLEIE. b Elegantly. c Declared, exprefled, elifplayed. d Studied. ' A pen, ufed meta- phorically, as a mufe or genius. f Bomidlefs. s Subject, letture. h Nervous, worthy of praife. V. 42. It fhould feem by this obfervation, that our more ancient poetry was compofed in couplets, which probably is true ; to which is oppofed The keppened poyntelle reftynge at eche line; meaning the dull and careful poet [kepen fignifying to take care) who made his fenfe terminate with each verfe, inftead of extending it to An onlift lecturn, or a fonge adygne ; that is to fay, a boundlefs or extenfive fubje£t, properly dignified by good poetry. V. 50. It may be thought a wild conjecture, to fuppofe this line had a particular view, and was meant as an apology to Canning's wife for his poems on the Battl»« of Haftings, a fubjedl fo little interefting or agreeable to a female reader. But the conjecture will be candidly excufed, though it fhould not be approved. V. 55. From the manner in which Biihop Carpenter is mentioned at the clofc a' 1 7 4 LETTER TO MASTRE CANYNGE. of this letter, we may conclude that it was written from Weftbury, the favourite retirement and burial-place of that Bifhop, and which he honoured by adding its name to his epifcopal titles; filling himfelf Bifhop of Worcefter and Weft- bury. Though it is reafonable to fuppofe that the friend of Canning might have parted fome time with the good bifhop at this place, yet it is highly im- probable that Chatterton fhould have been acquainted with that circumftance, or have applied his art and attention to introduce it into the poem, merely to give an air of plaufibility to the account. John Carpenter was made Bifhop of Worcefter in 1443. ^ e ' s ^ a ' a > ^y fome, to have refigned his fee : However that be, he fpent a great part of his time at Weftbury, from which place there is an inftrument in the Epifcopal Regifter at Exeter, bearing date July 29th 1474 : The time of his death is un- certain, but it appears by his Regifter, that he confecrated a chapel contiguous to his cathedral church, on the 8th of June 1476, at which time his Regifter ends : He is therefore fuppofed to have died foon after. Bifhop Alcock, his fuc- cefTor, was appointed in 1477. Though Bifhop Carpenter died at Northwich in Worcefterfhire, yet he was buried at Weftbury, where he enlarged, and partly rebuilt the college, founding a chapel there for fix priefts and as many almfmen : Some further mention will be made of him in the obfervations upon the poem on our Lady's Church. TRAGEDY C *75 I TRAGEDY OF ELLA. THE title-page to Ella will fumifti another argument in favour of its authenticity ; for it is ftiled a Difcoorfeynge Tragedie t directing us to the a?ra when the rhythmical tales, (before called Tragedies) firft aflumed a regular dramatic form. That name had been ufually given to ballads and interludes compofed on melancholy fubjedts ; fuch as Chevy Chace, the Battle of Otterburn, and fome of Chaucer's Hiftorical Tales ; to which may be added, the Hiftory of Sir Charles Bawdin, exprefsly called a Tragedy by its author. On the other hand' merry hiftorical tales in verfe were ftiled Comedies ; and, by the preceding quotation from L'Enfant and Dante, it feems that facred hiftories, dramatically reprefented, were alfo called by that name. Chaucer is celebrated by his friend Lidgate, for his compofitions in both kinds : My Mafter Chaucer with frefli Comedies, Is dead, alas ! cheif poet of Britaine, That whilom made ful piteous 'Tragedies. And indeed Chaucer himfelf gives this definition of the word : Tragedy is to tell a certain ftory, As old bokis makin ofte memory Of hem that ftode in grete profperite, And be fallen out of her high degree. Prol. to Monks Tale. Of fuch tragedies as thefe his Monk fays, ———he had an hundred in his cell. and 176 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. and the name was continued to this kind of poetry fo late as the 16th century. In thofe ancient tragical interludes, though feveral perfons were introduced, yet the ftory was generally told by the poet only. Lidgate has given a curious defcription of a man rehgarfing one of thefe ancient Tragedies (as they were then called). And this was tolde and redde by the poete : And while that he in the pulpet ftode, With deadlye face, all devoyd of blode, Syngynge his dites with treffes al to rent, Amydde the theatre, fhrowded in a tent, There came out men, gaftfull of their chercs, Disfygured their faces with vyferes, Playing by fygries in the people's fyght, That the poete fonge hath on height: So that there was no maner difcourdaunce, Atween his ditees and their countenaunce. For lyke as he alofte dyd exprefle, Wordes.of joye or of hevinefle, So craftely they could them transfygure. Lidgate's Siege of Troy, Book ii. Chap. 10. and Warton's Hift, of Ancient Poetry, vol. ii. p. 94. This defcription is very fuitable to the account before given of Vevyan the poet, in the Epiftle to Canning; but in the Dif- cootfeynge Tragedie (which was an improvement of the drama) each perfon fpokc his fpeech, and acted his part, without any apparent interposition of the poet. This Tragedy is fuel to have been plaiedd before Maftre Canynge (and perhaps by his requeft) alte bys hoivfe netnpte the Rodde Lodge, probably fo called from its vicinity to Reddiff church, and from the col< ur of the rock on which both were built. The name and (ituation of this houfe could not have been the invention of Chatterton, TRAGEDY OF ELLA. l?7 Chatterton; for it is called, iri fome unpublimed papers of Rowlev, relating to Canning's life, the Redd lodge, and faid to be fituated ** in RedclifF-ftreet, not far from the church, where he enter- *' tained Edward the IVth, and accompanied him from thence '* on the water, when he vifited Briftol, in the firft year of his " reign. '\ But as this teftimony may be thought equally fufpicious with the tragedy itfelf, we may further appeal to the uncontroverted evidence of William de Wirceftre; who, defcribing the walls and towers which furrounded Briftol, thus fpeaks of Canning's houfe or tower. " Memorandum. — In manfione pulcherrima de le Bak ex pof- " teriore parte de Radclyf-ftrete, fuper aquam de Avyn eft pul- ** cher Turris per Willelmum Cannyngis xdificata j continet " 4 feneftras vocatas Bay windowes ornatiiiimo modo cum came- *' ris j continet circa 20 virgas, in' longitudine 16 virgas." p. 254. The fite and property of the houfe is alfo afcertained by feveral authentic deeds of conveyance relating to it, in Mr. "Barrett's poiTeffion. The play was reprefented a fecond time before fob an Howard Duke of Norfolck. This part of the title, by being printed between crotchets, might be fufpecled as a modern addition; but Mr. Cat- cot, who furnifhed the copy from which the play was printed, fays that it is all written in Chatterton's hand, and apparently at the fame time. A very probable reaibn, however, may be affigned for the prefence of the Duke of Norfolk at this reprefen- tation. • He was a man of great weight and credit in the three fuc- ceffive reigns of Henry the Vlth, Edward the IVth, and Richard the Hid ; by the laft of whom he was created Duke of Norfolk in 1483, and was (lain fighting with his mafter at the Battle of Bofworth. Whilft he was only John Lord Howard, in the tenth year of Edward the IVth, he became guardian to Sir Edmund Gorges, grandfon and heir of Sir Theobald Gorges, who died that year : In confequence of this connection, Sir Edmund afterwards married Anne, the eldeft daughter of that nobleman, A a by 178 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. by Katherine, daughter of William Lord Molins *. As Sir Theobald had acted a part in this tragedy, and probably dif- tinguifhed himfelf on the occafion, it is not improbable that Sir Edmund, his grandfon, might have had a mare in the fecond reprefentation, and that his father-in-law, the Duke of Norfolk, might be prefent to do honour to his performance ■, which confe- quently muft have been exhibited between the years 1483 and 1485. The pedigree of Gorges, in the Heralds-office, will explain this alliance more fatisfactorily. Theobald, younger fon of Theobald RufTel, married an heirefs of Gorges, and took that name. Theobald. Thomas Gorges John Gorges died poiTefTed of Wrax- all, f. iflue. Sir Theobald died pofleffed of Wraxall, 10 Edward IV. Bannaret. c— Walter died vita = Mary, daughter and heir patris, f. ilTue. r of Sir William OldhalL Edmund, fon and heir, fourteen = Anne, eldeft daughter to years old at his father's death, John Lord Howard by Ka- and a ward to John Lord tharine, daughter to Wil- Howard, temp. Edward IV. liam Lord Molins. * D'Jgd, Bar. vol. ii. page 267, It TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 179 It may be objected, that if this part of the title was written fubfequent to the creation of the Duke of Norfolk in 1483, how could the tragedy have been depofited with Rowley's other pa- pers in Redcliff church, by Canning, who died in 1474? But is it necefTary to fuppofe that Canning's papers were lodged there before his death, or indeed to define the exact period of that depoiit ? It might be accounted for in this manner: — William de Wirceftre, about the year 1480, fpeaks of fome public works performed by the executors of Canning, in purfuance of his will ; viz. a fountain of freeflone near St. Peter's church, noviter erec- tion & fundatum de bonis Wilklmi Canynges ; and an hofpital in Lewen's Mead, erected de bonis Willelmi Canynges, Decani Collegii de Wejlbury, circa annum 1478. Thefe works could not have been finifhed, and the accounts of the executors who compleated them finally lodged in Redcliff church, till feveral years after Canning's death : Might not then Rowley's papers be depofited at the fame time as Canning's, and with them a later copy, or at leafl a later title to the fame copy of die play ? The perfons concerned in this tragedy are numerous; viz. the Prieft, Egwine, Coernyke, foldiers, and minftrels; befides the dramatis perfonas, under the title of the Perfonnes repre- fentedd, who are only four, viz. Ella, tie Thomas Rowleie, Preejle, the auBhoure; Celmonde, bie Joban Ifcamm, the poet, who is here ftiled preejle; Hurra bie Syrr Thybbotte Gorges, knyghte; and Birtha bie Majlre Edivarde Canynge, who feems, by the female part affigned to him, to have been a youth, and pro- bably a relation of William Canning, before whom the play was reprefented. No actor's name is affigned to the character of Magnus, though he bears fo confiderable a part in the play. The three nrft-mentioned actors were the intimate and con- vivial friends of Canning. As to Ifcamm, we muft refer to Rowley for his character ; who fays of him, in his " Lift of " Ikillde Painters and Carvellers," ** John Ifcamme now liveth, a poet good ;" A a 2 and x8o TRACED V- -OF ELLA. and in his Emendate, or notes on Turgot's Hiftory of Briftot, (a manufcript in Mr. Barrett's hands) he quotes two copies of his verfes, the former of which relates to Lamyngton the pirate ; of whom he gives the following account : " Johannes Laymyngetone, Efquier, was of the famylie of the " Fitz-Bernards, and by comaund of Kynge Henrie, when prynce, " employed in honourable fervitude ; but hee yfpent fo fail, tliat " he wafted one hundrede markes a yeere, and then token evyl " corfes : He was difcovered, and put in warde, beynge condemned " to die, but was pardoned by the Kynge, and made a banyfhde " man j neverthelefs, he ftaid in Englande, and plaied his former " knaveries : Thus, as aforefayd, beyng agayne taken, he was " agayne condemned, but Kynge Henrie dyd him pardon, but " withaul requefted him to lead a godlie life, and reere the V chyrchs of ouer Ladie, founded by Syr Symon de Burton, (as yee " maie fee at large in mie Rolle calde Vita de Simon de Burtonne) " the fpyre of which was funken down and all in rewin ; but he was " not quyck in difpaytch of the fame ; whereupon Kynge Henrie " fayd, that unlefs he dyd fette thereabowte fwotelie, he mould " dyen algate the releafe : This make him fore adradde, and eft- " foon he pulled downe Burtonnes chyrche even to the growndej " but lefte the chamber of oure Ladie, ybuylden by his cogname- " fake Lamyngton, ycleped Lamyngtons ladies chamber, ftandc " fecure, faying aftertymes maie think ytt mie warke, if I dyen " before this is edone; thinkeynge to poflefs the renome of another, " who was a good man, and a preejle — But havynge pulled downe " he was in ne hafte to buy Id up agayne, compbynynge ne fton^ " of large ihape was to be ygotten ; and at lafte, havynge ftone, he " buylden, and then pulled down, till the Yorkyfts beganne to be " at warre ; then lefte he the chyrch, of which was onlie ybuilden " a wall three elles in heyght and three in lengeth, of fo ileyghte " a warke, that a man mighte puflie the fame downe with eife: " Hee goeynge to the Yorkyftes was fleyne in battel, and buried in " the common barrow, a meet dome for fo great a ungrace. — Then 9 " dyd TRAGEDY OF ELLA. iSr n dyd the vykar of Chryfte iffue a brevet for rebuylden the fayd *' chyrche: But the eyes of the natione were emploied on the " Yorkyfts and Lancafters, fo that it laie in rewyn ; till the fa- " vourite of Godde, the friend of the Chyrche, the companion of " Kynges, and the father of his natyve cittye, the greete and " good William Canynge, out of love to the good thynges of " Heaven, and defpifals of thefe of earthe, beganne to ybuyld the " fame, not where Burtonnes ftode, but on a newe place, em- " ploieynge ne one Hone that was not his own." This account is confirmed by a remarkable circumftance which happened not many years fince. — In the year 1762, on pulling down an old fchool-houfe, which Hood in Redcliff church-yard, on the north fide o! the church, an ancient grave-ilone was diiiovered, with the recumbent figure of a pried: in relief; hi- hands joined in the pofture of prayer, his head reiting on a culhion, and at his feet JOijCS J" L&tTSgngtQnn in Gothic let- ters. This monument, as reprefented in the annexed engraving. is i82 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. is ftill to be fecn in Redcliff church ; and there can be no doubt but that it belongs to the prieft of that name mentioned in the preceding account. Although this monument might have come under Chatterton's obfcrvation, as being vifibie in his time, yet it cannot be fuppofed, that fo uninterefting a piece of antiquity could have induced him to fabricate the hiftory connected with it — much lefs to fupport its credibility by additional forgeries ; for if the hiftory of Lamington be an invention of Chatterton, the verfes relating to him, which are afcribed to Ifcamme, muft have been the produce of the fame brain ; as well as the part afligned to Lamington, in the poem called the Parliament of Sprytes, wherein he is introduced as the builder of a church in Briftol. This monument, therefore, bears an authentic teftimony to fome part at lead: of Rowley's Eme?idals, and proves that the whole could not be the fiction of Chatterton. It would be impoftible, indeed, in a hiftory of this kind, to afcribe a part of it to any one author, without concluding him to have been the writer of the whole. But fuppofing the ftory to be either doubtful or fictitious, Row- ley was certainly better qualified, by his learning and poetic abili- ties, to drefs up fuch a fable, than a youth totally uninftrucled in all branches of learning, and a ftranger to every part of hiftory which lay out of the beaten track of our Englifh compilers. Rowley obferves, alio, that the Vicar of Chrift ifiued a brevet for the rebuilding Redcliff church ; now it is remarkable that Mr. Barrett found no lefs than three indulgences granted in the thirteenth century by different Bifhops for this purpofe, depofit- ed in a trunk in the room over Redcliff church, after it had been ranfacked by other perfons : One of thefe is granted by John Bi- fhop of Ardfert, in 1232; who, tho' he had been deprived of his fee fome years before, continued ftill to exercife epifcopal. functions, and lived at the abbey of St. Albans *. Another indulgence * See Sir James Ware's Hift. of the Irifh Bifhops, and Matthew Paris's Hift. of the Abbots of St. Albans. was TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 183 was granted by Robert Burnell, Bifhop of Wells, in 1274; and a third by Peter Quivil, Bifhop of Exeter, in 1285. The flory of Lamington, according to Rowley, " cannot be " more deftlie fhewn than in the pleafaunte difcoorfes of Mayftre " John a. Ifcam, hight the merrie Tricks of Lamyngetowne; of " whych take ye the whole, which I metten with in my jour- " neies for Mayftre Canynge." Discourse I. " A rygourous doome is myne, upon my faie : " Before the parent ftarre, the lyghtfome fonne, ** Hath three tymes lyghted up the cheerful daie, " To other reaulmes mult Laymingtonne be gonne, " Or elfe my fiymiie thredde of lyfe is fpunne ; " And fhall I hearken to a cowarts reede, ,c And from fo vain a fhade, as lyfe is, runne ? '* No ! iiie all thoughtes of runynge to the Queed a ; " No ! here I'll ftaie, and let the Cockneies fee, *« That Laymyntone the brave, will Laymyngetowne Mill be, II. " To fyght, and not to flee, my fabatans b " I'll don, and girth my fwerde unto my fyde -, " I'll go to fhip, but not to foreyne landes^ *' But aft the pyrate, rob in every tyde -, " With Cockneies bloude Thamyfis fhall be dyde, " Theire goodes in Briltowe market te fhall be folde-, " My bark the laverd c of the waters ryde, *' Her fayles of fcarlet and her ftere of goldej " My men the Saxonnes, I the Hengyft bee, " And in my flivppe combyne the force of all their three. III. L. " Go to my truflie menne in Selwoods chace, "^hat through the leffel d hunt the burled c boare, ■ The devil. b Boots. c Lord. * Bulhes. c Armed. " Tell i$ 4 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. " Tell them how ftandes with me the prefent cafe, " And bydde them revel down atWatchets more, '* And faunt f about in hawlkes and woods no more ; *' Let every auntrous f knyghte his armour brafe, " Their meats be mans flefhe, and theyre beverage gore, '* Hancele ? , or Hanceled, from the human race ; " Bid them, like mee theyre leeder, fhape theyre mynde " To be a bloudie foe in arms, gaynft all makynde. R. " I go my boon companions for to fynde. [Ralph goes out.] III. " Unfaifull Cockneies dogs ! your God is gayne. '* When in your towne I fpent my greete eftate, " What crowdes of citts came flockynge to my traine, " What ihoals of tradefmenne eaten from my plate, " My name was alwaies Laymyngeton the greate; *' But whan my wealth was gone, yee kennd mee not, " I ftoode in warde, ye laughed at my fate, " Nor car'd if Laymyngeton the great did rotte ; " But know ye, Curriedowes h , ye fliall foon feele, " I've got experience now, altho' I bought it weele. IV. " You let me know that all the worlde are knaves, " That lordes and cits are robbers in difguife ; " I and my men, the Cockneies of the waves, " Will profitte by you re leflbns and bee wife; " Make you give back the harveft of youre lies ; " From deep fraught barques I'le take the myfers foul, " Make all the wealthe of every * my prize, " And cheating Londons pryde to Dygner Briftowe rolle. c Saunter. ' Adventurous. s Cut off. b Flatterers. * The word one, or man, muft be here fupplied, in order to compleat the fenfc and the verfe. The TRAGEDY OF ELLA. x 8 5 The following fpeech is put into Lamington's mouth, in the poem called the Parliament of Sprytes : LAMYNGTON fpeaketh. Lette alle mie faultes bee buried ynn the grave, Alle obloquyes be rotted with my dufte ; Lette hym fyrft carpen that ne wemes * have, Tys parte mannes nature for to bee aye jufte. Butte yette in fothen to rejoyce I mufte, That I dyd not immeddle for to buylde ; Sythe thys quaintyiTed place fo glorioufe, Seemynge alle chyrches joyned yn one guylde, Has now fupplyed for what I had t donne, Whyche to my t Cierge is a glorioufe fonne. But to return to Ifcamme. The following dialogue, faid in the MS. to be between Majier Philpot and Walworth Cockneies, is fub- joined to Ifcamme's poem on Lamyngton : ■ Phil. God ye God den §, my good naighbour, howe d'ye ayle; How does your wyfe, man ! what never affole ? Cum rettitate vivas, verborum mala ne cures. Wal, * Faults — fee Mr. Tyrwhit's Gloflary. t The word not muft be here fupplied. X Wax taper The expreflion of all churches joyned yn one guylde is undoubtedly an ancient and original idea. § This falutation, which fliould be written God ye good Den, is more than once ufed by Shakefpear : In Love's Labour Loft, the clown fays, God dig you den all. Act iv. Sc. I. That is to fay, God give you a good evening; for dig is undoubtedly a miftake for give. So in the Dialogue between the Nurfe and Mercutio, in Romeo and Juliet, Act ii. Sc. 5. the former fays, God ye good morrow, gentlemen ; B b t. i86 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. Wal. Ah, Maflre Phyllepot, evil tongues do faie, That my wyfe will lyen down to daie : Tis ne twaine moneths fyth ihee was myne for aie» Phil. Animum fubmittere noli rebus in adverfis, Nolito quasdam referenti femper credere. But I pity you, nayghbour, is it fo ? Wal. Qnac requirit mifericordiam mala caufa eft. Alack, alack, a fad dome mine in fay, But oft with cityzens it is the cafej Honefla turpitudo pro bona Caufa mori, as auntient penfmen fayfe. This dialogue is not produced either for the merit or beauty of its compofition, but becaufe it contains a variety of evidence, tending to confirm the authenticity of thefe poems. In the firft place, tliis fort of macaronic verfe of mixed languages, is a ftile ufed in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Dante has fome of thefe amongft his Rime, (P. 226. Vol. 2d. Venice 1741.) which are compofed of French, Italian, and Latin, and conclude thus : " Namque locutus fum in lingua trina. Skelton, who lived not long after Rowley, has alfo poems in the f m liind of verfe. Secondly, the correctnefs of the Latin, and the propriety of the anfwers in Engliih, (hew it to have been writ- ten at leaft by a better fiholar than Chatcerton. Thirdly, the low humour of the dialogue, although fuited to the tafte of that early to which the latter replies, God ye good den, fair gentlewoman. And in the Exmoor Courtfhip, Good den, good den ; which the (jloflarift on that pamphlet properly explains by the wifli of a good evening-, and Mr Steeveni obferves on the puflage in Love's Labour Loft, that this contraction is not unufual in our ancient comic writers, and quotes the play called the Northern Lais, by R. Brome, 1633, for the following phrafe : God you good even, o and TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 187 and illiterage age, could be no objecl: of imitation to a modern poet. But it is a moft remarkable circumftance, that he has in- troduced his two Cockneies under the names of two moft refpec- table aldermen of the city of London, who lived about the year 1380, Sir William Walworth and Sir John Philpot ; men of fuch diftinguifhed reputation, not only in their own city, but alfo in the whole kingdom, that the firft parliament of Richard the Second, in granting a fubiidy to that king, made it fubjecl: to the controul and management of thefe two citizens. (Walling- ham, p. 200. Rapin, vol. i. p. 454 and 458.) Sir John Philpot is faid by Stowe to have been a considerable benefactor to the city, and Philpot-lane ftill bears his name : Sir William Walworth is alfo recorded with honour, for having refo- lutely attacked and killed the rebel Wat Tyler in the king's pre- fence : Though the names of thefe refpedlable aldermen are dis- honoured in the prefent application, yet the particular mention of them fhews that the writer of this dialogue was no ftranger to the hiftory of London at that period; which is more than can with the leaft degree of probability be faid of Chatterton. Ifcamm was efteemed by Canning a good actor, as well as a good poet ; which appears by a letter written to Rowley by Canning, when he was rebuilding RedcliiF church : — '* Now for a wondrous ** pyle to aftounde the eyne : Penne an enterlude to be plaiedd " uponne layeying the fyrfte ftone of the buyldynge and wriete " parte for Ifcamme; fuch ys hys defyre." In confequence of this requeft, Rowlie prepared an interlude, which is ftill extant in Mr. Barrett's poffefiion, entitled, " A moft " raerrie Entyrlude plaied by the Carmelyte Freeres at Maftre '"' Canynge his greete houfe, before Maftre Canynge and Biihoppe "■ Carpenterre on dedycatynge the chyrche of our Ladie of Red- " cliff; hight The Parly amente of Sprytes-," wroten by T. Rowlie and J. Ifcam. It is a circumftance which gives an air of originality to the title B b 2 of i88 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. of this poem, that Chaucer has written one with a fimilar name j the printed editions, indeed, call it The AJfcmblee of Foules ; but Lidgate, and Chaucer himfelf, ftile it The Parliament of Foules : " Of foules alfo he wrote the Parliament." (Lidgate's Prologue to the Fall of Princes. See alfo the Legend of Good Women, v. 419.) It confifts of an introduction of eighteen lines by Queen Mabbe; a dedication to Joannes Carpenterre by T. Rowlie, confining of thirty-two lines ; which is followed with the fpeeches of the Sprites of Nimrod, by Ifcam ; of Aflyrians, in unequal meafure and ftanza's ; of Ella, Brytryc, and Fitz Harding the founder of the Auguftinian convent;, of Gaunt, the founder of the almfhoufe called after his name ; Burton, the founder of Red- cliff church ; Lamyngeton, who undertook to rebuild it j Framp- tone, the founder of St. John's church ; the Knight Templars, who built a church in the fuburb of St. Thomas ; and one Segowen, the fuppoled founder of St. Thomas's church : The name of this laft perfon is not to be found in any record, nor could Mr. Bar- rett difcover the leaft traces of it in any MS. relating to the hif- tory of Br idol. He examined Chatterton very ftridtly on this fub- jeftj who told him, that, according to Rowley's account, he was an Elenge, a foreign merchant, a Lombard, and a great ufurer ; and that he was the founder of St. Thomas church in that city. This account of Chatterton is countenanced by a pafTage in Rowley's Lift of fkillde Painterrs, &c. where " Adelifia, a fine " embroiderer, is faid to be buryedde in St. Thomas church, near " Segowen, on the outjide." The manner in which this is men- tioned does not look like a forgery; and it was not unufual, in thofe early days, for the founder of a church to be buried on the out- fide of it. Thefe benefactors mention their refpective works at Briftol, but acknowledge them to be inferior to what Canning had done to Redcliff church. The whole poem contains about two TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 189 two hundred and thirty lines; in the notes another interlude is quoted, by the name of the Apcjlate, and faid to be written by Canning. The poetry of this interlude is far inferior to the printed works of Rowley ; poflibly a great part of it might have been penned by Ifcham. The fpecimen given of it in Lamyngton's fpeech, with that which follows in the perfon or fprite of Fitz Harding, will enable the reader to judge of its merit, and afford fome convincing proofs of its originality, efpecially in the allufion to a fa 30 Whann hallie preell, the lechemanne ' of the foule, Dydd knytte us both ynn a caytyfnede r vowe : Now hallie* JElla's felyneffe ' ys grate; Shap u haveth nowe ymade hys woes for to emmate w . m Hardy, valorous, well tried. "Armed. ' Great lamentation. p Violence. * Phyfidan. ' Binding, enforcing, captive. 'Happy. ' Happinefs. "Fate. w Leflen, decrcafc, or be dejlroyed, or quenched. B I R T H A. the day before his confecration, by the exercife of falling, prayer, confeffion, ab- solution, and watching the whole night in the church. The next day he offered his fword on the altar, which was blefled by the ecclefiaitic, and by him laid on the neck of the knight — " Gladium fuper altare ofFcrret, & port Evangelium " facerdos benediftum gladium collo militis cum benedictione imponeret." — So likewife John of Salifbury, De Nugis Curialium, 1. vi. c. 10. " Inolevit con- " fuetudo folennis, ut, ea ipfa die qua quifque militari cingulo decoratur, cccle- " fiam folenniter adeat, gladioque fuper altare pofito & oblato, quafi celebri " profeffione faevta, fe ipfum obfequio altaris devoveat, & gladii id eft officii fui "jusem Deo fpondeat famulatum." — But the Normans, according to Ingulf, abhorred this ceremony, accounting all perfons fo created to be tame and degene- rate knights. V. 23. Prevyd Dane, docs not fignify hardy, but approved, tried, ejlabliftied : So Litigate, in his Ballade of good Council, Of Judith the prevyd ftablenefs. 1 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. j 99 B I R T H A. Mie lorde, and hufoande, fyke a joie ys mynej or Botte mayden modeflie mofle ne foe faie, Albeytte thou mayed rede ytt ynn myne eyne, Or ynn myne harte, where thou fhalte be for aie ; Inne fothe, I have botte mecded x oute thie faie y j For twelve tymes twelve the mone hathe bin yblente z , 40 As manie tymes hathe vyed the Godde of daie, And on the grade her lemes a of fylverr fente, Sythe thou dydft cheefe b mee for thie fwote to bee, Enaiflynge ynn the fame mofle faiefullie to mee. Ofte have I feene thee atte the none-daie feafte, 45 Whanne deyfde c bie thiefelfe, for wante of pheeres d , Awhylft thie merryemen dydde laughe and jeafte, Onn mee thou femefr. all eyne, to mee all eares. * Rewarded. y Faith, 2 Blinded. * Lights, rays. b Chufe. c Seated. d Fellows, equals. Thou V. 40. This reduplication of numbers is frequent with Rowley and other ancient poets : Thus Alfwold Braved the fuir of twa ten thoufand fights. B. H. ii. v. 130. Twayne of twelve years han lemed up her mind. Metam. v. 31. And Spencer, For now three moons have changed twice their form, And have been thrice hid underneath the ground. B. i. c. 8. ft. 38. And Cynthia had thrice three times fill'd her crooked horns. B. ii. c. 1. ft. 53. So the Kina;-player, in Hamlet, begins his fpeech in this bombaft ftile. Full thirty times has Phoebus' car gone round Neptune's fait wafh, and Tellus' orbed ground ; And thirty dozen moons, with borrowed fheen, About the world have times twelve thirties been. Aft iii. Sc. ift. Y. 46. Deyfde bie thiefelfe, i. e, feated diftincl from the reft of the company. aoo TRAGEDY OF ELLA. Thou wardeft J mee as gyff ynn hondred feeres, Aleft ' a daygnous f looke to thee be fente, 50 And offrendcs s made mee, moe thann yie compheeres h , Offe fcarpes ! of fcarlette, & fyne paramente k ; All thie yntente to pleafe was lyffed ' to mee, I faie ytt, I mofte ftreve thatt you ameded m bee. M L L A. Mie lyttel kyndnefles whyche I dydd doe, 55 Thie gentlenefs doth corven ■ them foe grete, Lyche bawfyn ° olyphauntes p mie gnattes doe fhewe ; Thou doefl mie thoughtes of paying love amate <1 . Botte hann mie ailyonns ilraughte r the rolle of fate, Pyghte 'thee fromm Hell, or broughte Heaven down to thee, Layde the whol worlde a falldftole ' atte thie feete, 61 On fmyle woulde be furfycyll u mede " for mee. * TVatchtJl. 'Left. ' Difdainful. 8 Prefents, offerings. h Equals, companions. 1 Scarfs. k Robes of fcarlet. ' Bounded, limited, confined. w Rewarded. "Figure, or reprefent. ° 'Large. p Elephants. i Dcftroy. ' Stretched. ' Plucked. ^ Knceling-Jhoh u Sufficient, * Reward. I amm V. 51. Compheeres, fellows; fo the word pheeres or fecrs is often ufed; v. 202, and 518, and often by Gafcoigne and other poet?. V. 55. Ella modeltly aftimates the difproportion of his own merit to that of Eirtha, by that of 2. gnat to an elephant. The fcriptural comparifon is between a gnat and a camel; but it is obfervable, that Olfand is the Saxon name for a camel, and is ufed in the Saxon verfion of the Bible. See alfo Junius's curious note, in his Etymol. voce Lopjler. V. 61. We may admire another beautiful contrail here, between the loftinrfs of Ella's ideas as a warrior, and the humility of them as a lover. The faldjlool dif- fered from the footftool; the former being placed before, and the latter under the feet. The ceremonial of the royal coronations mentions a faldjlool placed before the King and Queen, on which they might kneel. A modern writer, not aware of the difference, would probably have called it a footflool, as the more common expreflion, and conveying nearly the fame idea. TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 2 oi I amm Loves borro'r, & canne never paie, Bott be hys borrower ftylle, & thyne, mie fwete, for aie. BIRT HA. Love, doe notte rate your achevmentes y foe fmalle; 65 As I to you, fyke love untoe mee beare ; For nothynge pafte wille Birtha ever call, Ne on a foode from Heaven thynke to cheere. As farr as thys frayle brutylle z flefch wylle fpere *, Syke, 6c ne fardher I expecle of you ; 70 Be notte toe flacke yn love, ne overdeare ; A fmalle fyre, yan a loude flame, proves more true. M L L A. Thie o-entle wordis doe thie volunde b kenne To bee moe clergionde c thann ys ynn meyncle d of menne. /ELLA, BIRTHA, CELMONDE, M Y N S T R E L L E S. CELMONDE. Alle bleflynges fhowre on gentle Ella's hedde ! 7* Oft maie the moone, yn fylverr fheenynge lyghte, Inne varied chaunges varyed bleflynges fhedde, Befprengeynge e far abrode mifchaunces nyghte; And thou, fayre Birtha ! thou, fayre Dame, fo bryo-htc, Long mayefl thou vvyth /Ella fynde muche peace, 80 Wythe felynefle f , as wyth a roabe, be Jyghte, Wyth everych chaungynge mone new joies encreafe ! y Services. z Brittle, frail. a Allow. b Memory, underfrandin°;, difpofition. c Better injlruclcd. d Many. ' Scattering. f Happh . I, as V. 81. This fecms to be a fcriptural allufion, reminding the reader of that paflage D d in 202 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. I, as a token of mie love to fpeake, Have brought you jubbes B of ale, at nyghte youre brayne to breake. /ELLA. Whan fopperes pafte we'lle drenche yourc ale foe flronge, 85 Tyde h lyfe, tyde death. CELMONDE. Ye Mynftrelles, chaunt your fonge, * jfugs. h Betide, or happen. Mynflrelks in the Ffalms, civ. 2. — " Thou decked thyfelf with light as it were with a " garment ;" — and in Job xxix. 14. " I put on righteoufnefs, and it cloathed me ; *' my judgment was as a robe and a diadem." V. 84. The jubbes of ale feem to be too vulgar a conclufion for fo elegant a fpeech ; nor is Ella's return of the compliment more refined, or, as he expreffes it at v. 237 } And then in ale and wine be drenched every wee. Chaucer fpeaks of ■ — jubbes of Malvafie, And eke another full of fine Vernage. But the fuppofed indelicacy of thefe expremons (which by the way proves their originality) arifes in a great meafure from the luxury of fubfequent ages, and the importation of more elegant liquors : But drunkennefs was the predominant fin both of the Germans and Anglo Saxons. Sec Keyfler's Antiq. p. 154, and 363; and Huntingdon, as before quoted. V. 86. Tyde lyfe, tyde death, a familiar expreflion, and repeated v. 138 and 291. So the ancient ballad called the Hiftory of St. George; Betyde me weal, betyde me woe, I'le try to eafe the pain. Pcrcv, vol. iii. p. 218, 220. And in Sir Thopaz, v. 3379. Betide, what fo betide, V. 87. The Minftrells fong is here properly introduced, as entertainments ofthi3- kind were generally accompanied with vocal and inftrumental mufick. This cuftom, as Dr. Percy obferves (Reliques of Ancient Poetry, Preface to vol. i.) commenced 10 from TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 203 Mynjlrelles Songe, bie a Manne and Womanne. M A N N E. Tourne thee to thie Shepfterr ; fwayne ; Bryghte fonne has ne droncke the dewe From the floures of yellowe hue ; Tourne thee, Alyce, backe agayne. 90 1 Shepherd. WOMANNE. from the earlieft times among the Northern nations, and continued in ufe till the time of Queen Elizabeth, when it declined in reputation. The fongs of thofe Minftrells were of various kinds, but always fuited to the occafion : Some were martial and hiftoric, recording battles fought, and conquefts gained by their warriors : Others, of a feftal nature, celebrated the praifes of love and friendfhip : Sometimes they were penned in a pafloral ftile, defcribing the plea- fures and amufements of a country life ; whilft others were melancholy ditties, or fune- ral dirges, fung in memory of their deceafed friends. Our poet has given a fpecimen of his abilities in all thefe different kinds of competition : Of the firft fort are the Minftrells fong in the Tournament, on William the Conqueror ; the fong to Ella; and the chorus in Godwin : In the fecond ftile is the Minftrells fong in the Tour- nament, v. j6i, and the three in Ella which follow, v. 160 ; Of the third kind is the dialogue between the man and woman, v. 20S ; and to the laft may be referred the Roundelai, v. 843. Some of thefe fongs are intcrfperfed with prudent advice and leiTons of morality, ferving the fame purpofe with the Chorus in the Greek Tragedies : And the poet has (hewn a particular attention and judgment in adapting the fubjecr. of his fon2,s to the circumftances of the pcrfuns before whom they were to be performed; of which the fecond fong in the Tournament is an in fiance, v. 161. But the fong which follows is merely a paftoral eclogue, cempofed in hepta- fyllabic four-line ftanza's alternately rhiming : The fimplicity of its ideas, and the harmony of its numbers, muft pleafe every poetic and mufical ear; and the eafe with which it has been tranfpok'd, with very little variation, into fmooth and harmonious modern poetry*, fhews the juftice of the poet's ideas, in fpeaking the language of nature. It is penned, indeed, much in the ftile of the twenty-feventh Idyll of Theocritus (or rather of Mofchus) ; the argument to which fuggefts two remarks, both very applicable to the ufe made of this and the other Minftrells fongs in this * A'.i prlntcJ in the ?.!.';arine?. D d 2 tragedy. 204 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. WOMANNE. No, bcfioikerre h , I wyllc go, Softlie tryppynge o'ere the mees ', Lyche the lylver-footed doe, Seekeynge fhelterr yn grene trees. M A N N E. See the mofs-growne daifey'd banke 95 Pereynge k ynne the ftreme belowe ; * Deceiver. ' Meadows. k appearing. Here tragedy. " Singularis fuavitas eft, et facilitas hujus Idyllii. — Praecipuus in hoc " Idyllio locus eft, antithefis commodorum et incommodorum conjugii." Ifaac Cafaubon calls it, " melitijfimitm carmen." Compare v. 115, 116 of this Dialogue,. With v. 52, 54, and 58 of the Idyll. Shepfter fwayne, you tare mie gratche. ii/jLOcrct v.a.'ka, |U.iaii/«j. You dirty my fine cloaths. You have torn my garments. Alas, alas, you have alfo torn off my girdle. And v. 117, 118, with v. 18 of this Idyll. Leave mee fvvythe, or I'lle alatche. Mil \i£u.\ns t«k X i h 0l "> *3 « ash n v i'. hondc hofen was knyttynge, Wliatte pleafure ytt ys lo be p$ Mie but the defcription wants the fiftnefs an ' delicacy of R owley' pen I, as well as the fmoothnefs and harmony of his numbers. The thirl line has been chuged with anachronifm, for giving an earlier date to the art of knitting ftockings, than is allowed by Stowe; who fpeaking, in his Chronicle, of the drefs which prevailed in Queen Elizabeth's reign, p. 869, fays, " that in 1564, William Rid;r, an appren- " tice with Thomas Burdett, at the Bridge foot, chanced to fee a pair of knit varjlti " Jiockingi in the lodging of an Italian merchant who came from Mantua ; borrowed " them, and caufed others to be made by them; and thefe were the firfl worfled **■ /lockings made in England." Buty Lightning. Hafle Shakefpeare's Richard II; and the unvaried or unarmedycoKCi? of Coriolanus, which he was fo unwilling to fhew before the Roman fenate, becaufe it had been ufually cover- ed v/ith his helmet ? Sir Thomas Hanmer has thus explained the word. Dr. Johnfon, from a different etymology, calls it his unjhaven head : But would that appearance have been particular at Rome in the time of Coriolanus ? V. 230. The tranfition from the feaft to the akrm on the Danes approach, is a dramatic beauty : The armies of the latter are compared to fcolles of lecujis; a fcrip- tural allufion, which fpeaks of them 2.S armies, and defcribes, in terms of the greateft horror, their devaluation of the fruits of the earth. Nahum iii. 15. M6 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. Hafte fwythyn, fore ■ anieghe the towne theie bee, And Wedecefterres rolle of dome b bee fulle. 245 Haftc, hafte, O ./Ella, to the byker c flie, For yn a momentes fpace tenne thoufand menne maie die. M L L A. Befhrew thee for thie newes ! I mofte be gon. Was ever locklefs dome fo hard as myne ! Thos from dyfportyfmente d to warr to ron, 250 To chaunge the felke vefte for the gaberdyne ' ! 1 Before. b Judgment, or fate. c Battle. d Enjoyment. c Military tloak. BIRTHA. V. 251. The Gabardine (which Is here put by way of antithefis to a filk vejl, alluding to a ftate of war and difficulty, as oppofed to a life of eafe and luxury) was not, as Chatterton has explained it (Tournament, v. 88.) a piece of armour, but a coarfe cloak, worn chiefly by the foldiers to protect them from cold ; and fo it is explained by Skynner : It was probably worn alfo by inferior perfons : Shylock, in the Jew of Venice, charges Antonio with having fpit upon his Jewijh Gabardine ; and if Chatterton had been as well acquainted with Shakefpeare, as his advocates are willina: to fuppofe, he would not have called any part of a Jew's drefs at Venice, a piece of armour. Camden, in his Remains (title Apparel) fpeaks of a Jhort Gabber- den, called a Court Pie, worn in the time of Richard II ; which Chaucer alfo de- fcribes as the drefs of his clerk of Oxenford. Full thread bare was his everifl courtepy. Skynner calls it a fliort veft that does not reach to the feet; but Mr. Tyrwhit, on the authority of Kilian, derives it from the German words Kbit curtus & Pije penula coaitilis ex villis craffioribus. See Tournament, v. 88. — Butler had the fame idea of a Gaberdine, when, in TalgoPs wound, he meant to burlefque the Prince of Poets, perhaps on the wound given by Mars to Diomede ; The fhot let fly At random 'mong the enemy, Pierc'd Talgol's gaberdine, and, grazing Upon his fhoulder in the paffing, Lodg'd in Ma-nano's brafs habergeon ; Who ftraight A furgeon, cry'd, a furgeon ! He tumbled down, and, as he fell, Did murther, murther, murther yell. Hudibrafs, p. i. c. 3. v. 535. So TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 217 B I R T H A. O ! lyche a nedere f , lette me rounde thee twyne, And hylte B thie boddie from the fchaftes of warre. Thou fhalte nott, muft not, from thie Birtha ryne " Botte kenn the dynne of flughornes from afarre. 25c M L L A. O love, was thys thie joie, to fhewe the treate, Then groffyfhe ' to forbydde thie hongered gueftes to eate ? O mie upfwalynge k harte, whatt wordes can faie The peynes, thatte paffethe ynn mie foule ybrente ? Thos to bee torne uponne mie fpoufalle daie, 260 O ! 'tys a peyne beyond entendemente '. Yee mychtie Gcddes, and is yor favoures fente As thous fafte dented m to a loade of peyne ? Mofte wee aie holde yn chace the (hade content, And for a bodykyn n a fwarthe ° obteyne ? 26; O ! whie, yee feyn&es, opprefs yee thos mie fowle ? How {halle I fpeke mie woe, mie freme p , mie dreerie dole q ? C E L M O N D E. Sometyme the wyfefle lacketh pore mans rede \ Reafonne and counynge wytte efte flees awaie. Thanne, loverde, lett me faie, wyth hommaged drede 270 (Bieneth your fote ylayn) mie counfelle faie; f Adder, or ferpent. z Hide, cover. • h Run. ' Rudely, uncivilly. k Swelling. 1 Comprebenfion. m Joined, faftened. n Body, i'ubftance. ° GhoJl,or fpirit. f Strange, i Grief, dijlrefs. ' Counfel. Gyff So Thomas Drant, in his tranflation of Horace's Epiftles, printed 1567, thus renders Ep. i. v. 96. My cote is bare, my gaberdine amis- Ff *i$ TRAGEDY OF ELLA. GyfF tbos wee lett the matter lethlen ' laie, The foemenn, everych honde-poyn&e ', getteth fote. Mie loverde, lett the fpeere-menne, dyghte for fraie, And all the fabbataners u goe aboute. 275 I fpeke, mie loverde, alleyne to upryfe Youre wytte from marvelle, and the warriour to alyfe *. £LLA. Ah ! nowe thou potteft takells y yn mie harte ; Mie foulghe dothe nowe begynne to fee herfelle ; I wylle upryfe mie myghte, and doe mie parte, 280 To flea the foemenne yn mie furie felle. Botte howe canne tynge z mie rampynge a fourie telle, Whyche ryfeth from mie love to Birtha fayre ? Ne coulde the queede b , and alle the myghte of Helle, Founde out impleafaunce c of fyke blacke a geare d . 285 Yette I wylle bee miefelfe, and rouze mie fpryte To afte wythe rennome,and goe meet the bloddie fyghte. BIRTHA. No, thou fchalte never leave thie Birtha's fyde ; Ne fchall the wynde uponne us blowe alleyne ; • Still, dead. ' Minute, or hour. u Booted fold'ters. * To free, or deliver. 1 Arrows, darts. z Tongue. * Furious. h The devil. c Unpleetfantnefs. * Nature, fort. I, Iyche V. 273. The honde point, means the index of a clock, and fuch were in ufe in Jlowl-y's time. — In the Nonnes Priefts Tale, mention is made of a " Clock or ** Abbey Horloge :" Ric. de Wallingford, Abbot of St. Albans, gave, in 1328, a clock to the Abbey Church, " the like whereof was not to be feen in England." Willis's Hifr. of Mitred Abbies, in Leland's Colledan. vol. vi. p. 134. V. 275. The Sabatoners, mentioned again v. 584, were booted foldiers, anfwering to Homer's ivy.vny.i$i<; 'A%txioi. Lidgate ufes the word Sabaton for a foldier's boot ; lad fabot is the modern .French name for a flipper. TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 219 I, lyche a nedre % wylle untoe thee byde; 2oq Tyde f lyfe, tyde deathe, ytte (lull behoulde us twayne. I have mie parte of drierie dole and peyne ; Itte brafteth B from mec atte the holtred h eyne ; Ynne tydes of teares mie fwarthynge ' fpryte wyll dravne, GyfFdrerie dole ys thyne, tys twa tymes myne. 295 Goe notte, O /Ella; wythe thie Birtha ftaie; For wyth thie femmlykeed k mie fpryte wyll goe awaie. JE L L A. O ! tys for thee, for thee alleyne I fele ; Yett I mufte bee miefelfe : with valoures eear File dyghte ' mie hearte, and notte m mie lymbes yn flele, 300 And make the bloddie fwerde and fteyned fpere. BIRTHA. Can /Ella from hys breafte hys Birtha teare ? Is fliee fo rou n and ugfomme ° to hys fyghte ? Entrykeynge p wyght ! ys leathall warre fo deare ? Thou pryzeft mee belowe the joies of fyghte. 30c Thou fcalte notte leave mee, albeytte the erthe Hong pendaunte bie thie fwerde, and craved for thy morthe 9 , M L L A. Dydderr. thou kenne howe mie woes, as rtarres ybrente r , Headed bie thefe thie wordes doe onu mee falle, c Adder. l Happen. s Burjleth. h Hidden. s Dying, departing. * Countenance. ' Drefs, or prepare. m Faften. " Horrid*, grim. " Terrible. p Deceitful. 1 Death. r Burnt. Thou V. 307. Should not the word my be fubftituted here inftead of thy mortht* " I will not leave you, though thewhole world hung pendant on your (word, " and demanded my death." V. 308. The fimilc of burnt and falling ftars, is founded on an ancient F f 2 idea. 220 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. Thou vvoulde ftryve to gyve mie harte contente, 310 Wakyng mie flepynge mynde to honnoures calle. Of felyneffe ' I pryze thee moe yan all Heaven can mee fende, or counynge wytt ac^nyre, Yette I wylle leave thee, onne the foe to falle, Retournynge to thie eyne with double fyre. 3 1 5 BIRTHA. Mofte Birtha boon ' requefte and bee denyd ? Receyve attenes u a darte yn felyneffe and pryde ? Doe ftaie att leafte tylle morrowes fonne apperes. ^LLA. Thou kennefte welle the Dacyannes myttee powere; Wythe them a mynnute wurchethe bane for yeares j 320 Theie undoe reaulmes wythyn a fyngle hower. Rouze all thie honnoure, Birtha j look attoure * Thie bledeynge countrie, whych for haftie dede Calls, for the rodeynge y of fome doughtie power, To royn z yttes royners, make yttes foemenne blede. 325 BIRTHA. Rouze all thie love ; falfe and entrykyng a wyghte ! Ne leave thie Birtha thos uponne pretence of fyghte. Thou nedeft notte goe, untyll thou hafle command Under the fygnette of ourc lorde the kynge. ' Happinefs. ' Ajk a favour. u At once. x Round about. y Ridh:g, cr command. z Ruin. a Deceitful. M L L A. idea, that ftarrs were gradually confumed by their own fire, and then fell on the earth. — Thus Spenfer fays, That molten ftars do drop like weeping eyes. F. Q. B. i. G. 6. St. 6. TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 221 fi'LLA, And wouldeft thou make me then a recreande b ? 330 Hollie Seyncte Marie, keepe mee fiom the thynge ! Heere, Birtha, thou had pjtte a cbuble ftvnge, One for thie love, anodher for thie mynde. BIRTHA. Agylted c JEUa, thie abredynge d blynge e . Twas love of thee thatte foule intente ywrynde f . 335 Yette heare mie fupplycate, to mee attende r Hear from mie groted g harte the lover and the friende. Lett Celmonde yn thie armour-brace h be dyghte '' ; And yn thie ftead unto the battle goe •, Thie name alleyne wylle putte the Danes to flyghte, 340 The ayre thatt beares ytt woulde preffe downe the foe. JE L L A. Birtha, yn vayne thou wouldfte mee recreand k doe ; I mofte, I wylle, fyghte for mie countries wele, And leave thee for ytt. Celmonde, fweftlie goe. Telle mie Bryftowans to [be] dyghte yn ftele ; 341; Tell hem I fcorne to kenne hem from afar, Botte leave the vyrgyn brydall bedde for bedde of warre. .ELLA, BIRTHA. BIRTHA. And thou wylt goe : O mie agroted ' harte ! JE L L A. Mie countrie waites mie marche ; I mufle awaie ; Albeytte I fchuld.e goe to mete the darte 350 * Coward. c Offended. d Upbraiding. e Ceafe ' Difclofed. « Swollen. h Suit of armour. l Drefed. k Coward. ' SwtlLn. Of 222 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. Of certen Dethe, yette here I woulde notte ftaie. Botte thos to leave thee, Birtha, dothe arTwaie m Moe torturynge peynes yanne canne be fedde bie tyngue, Yette rouze thie honoure uppe, and wayte the daie, Whan rounde aboute mec fonge of warre heie fynge. 35c O Birtha, ftrev mie agreeme n to accaie % And joyous fee mie armes, dyghte oute ynn warre arraie. BIRTHA. Difficile p ys the pennaunce, yette File ftrev To keepe mie woe behyltren* yn mie breafte. Albeytte nete maye to mee pleafaunce yev r , 360 Lyche thee, I'lle ftrev to fette mie mynde atte refte. Yett oh ! forgeve, yfF I have thee dyftrefte ; Love, doughtie love, wylle beare no odher fwaie. Jufte as I was wythe iElla to blefte, Shappe s foullie thos hathe matched hym awaie. 365 It was a tene ' too doughtie to bee borne, Wydhoute an ounde u of teares and breafte wyth fyghes ytorne. iELLA. Thie mynde ys now thiefelfe ; why wylte thou bee All blanche, al kyngelie, all foe wyfe yn mynde, m Put me to the trial. " Torture. "-AfTwage. p Difficult. ' Hidden. ' Give. ' Fate. ' Pain., or torment. u Flood. Alleyne V. 355. The war fongs to be fung round Ella were thofe of victory, and differed from the war fong at the prelude of an engagement. — The long warr foield of the Saxons, mentioned more than once, v. 374, and B. H. 2. v. 330, agrees with the fhape of the early fhields engraved in Strutt's Antiquities, and other ancient reprefentations. It will be unnecefTary to obferve with what won- derful art and dramatic fkill the parting fcene between Ella and Birtha is worked up, as every reader mull difcover its merit. TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 223 Alleyne to lett pore wretched /Ella fee, 370 Whatte wondrous bighes * he nowe mu^e leave behynde ? Birtha fayre, warde y everyche commynge wynde, On everych wynde I wylle a token fende; Onn mie longe fhielde ycorne z thie name thoul't fynde. Butte here commes Celmonde, wordhie knyghte and friende. £LLA, BIRTHA, CELMONDE /peaking. Thie Bryftowe knyghtes for thie forth-comynge lynge a ; 376 Echone athwarte hys backe hys longe warre-fhield dothe flynge. £LLA. Birtha, adieu ; but yette I cannotte goe. BIRTHA. Lyfe of mie fpryte, mie gentle /Ella ftaie. Engyne b mee notte vvyth fyke a drierie woe. 380 iELLA. 1 mufte, I wylle ; tys honnoure cals awaie. BIRTHA. O mie agroted c harte, brafte, brafte ynn twaie. i^lla, for honnoure, flyes awaie from mee. .ELLA. Birtha, adieu; I maie notte here obaie' 1 . I:'m flyynge from miefelfe yn flying thee. 385 BIRTHA. O /Ella, houfband, friend, and loverde, ftaie. He's gon, he's gone, alafs ! percafe he's gone for aie. * Jewels. 1 Watch. z Engravid. ' Stay. b Torture. c Swelling, or fmllen, * Wait. 2 CELMONDE.. 224 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. CELMONDE. Hope, hallie ' fuller, fweepeynge thro' the ikie, In crowne of goulde, and robe of lillie whyte, Whyche farre abrode ynne gentle ayre doe flie, 390 Meetynge from dyflaunce the enjoyous fyghte, Albeytte efte thou takeft thie hie flyghte Hecket f ynne a myfte, and wyth thyne eyne yblente e , Nowe commeft thou to mee wythe flarrie lyghte ; Ontoe thie vefle the rodde fonne ys adente h ; 395 { Holy. f Wrapped clofely, covered. g Blinded. h Fattened. The V. 388 This foliloquy of Celmond is indifputably one of the moil diftinguiihed paflages in the play for its lofty ideas, powerful imagery, and poetic expreflion ; nor is it, in point of reafoning, unlike or unequal to Shakefpeare. The reader will examine, with great pleafure, its various beauties. Though the character of Celmond doth not imply much acquaintance with the graces of Chriftianity, yet the appellation offyL-r, feems to connect Hope with the virtues of Faith and Charity. How graceful and majeftic is her attitude, fweeping through the fkie ! With what emblematical juftice is fhe arrayed in a robe of lillie white, fair and thin as the air which fhe is fuppofed to inhabit ! The crowns of gold allude to thofe rich and pleafing profpecb which open themfelves to her votaries, who frequently enjoy them only in imagination. — To Celmond fhe revealed herfelf wythe flarrie light : Not with thofe faint and feeble rays, which only leffen the obfcurity of night ; but with the brightnefs and glory afcribed to thofe heavenly luminaries in fcripture. Her robe, which feems to include the whole firmament, is gilded with the warmth of the fun, painted with the bloflbms of fpiing, and with the beauties of fummer ; and her Aumere (the meaning of which word will be explained and juflified hereafter) may with equal propriety be applied either to the robe itfelf, or to the border which is fuppofed to furround it. How far does Spenfer's defcription of Hope fall fliort of our poet's image ! With Fear went Hope in rank ; a handfonic maid, And of a chearful look, and lovely to behold : In filken famite fbe was li^lu array'd, And her fayre locks were woven up in gold. She always fmiled. B. iii. C. 12. St. 8. TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 225 The Sommer tvde, the month of Maie appere, Depycfe wythe fkyiledd honde upponn thie wyde aumere '. I from a nete k of hopelen ' am adawed m , Awh. ped n atte the fetyvenefs ° of daie ; ./Ella, bie nete moe thann hys myndbruche p awed, 400 Is gone, and I mode followe, toe the fraie. Celmonde canne ne'er from anie byker q ftaie. Dothe warre begynne ? there's Celmonde yn the place. Botte whanne the warre ys donne, I'll hafte awaie. The refte from nethe r tymes mafque mult mew yttes face. 40 j I fee onnombered joies arounde mee ryfe ; Blake 5 ilondethe future doome, and joie dothe mee alyfe'. O honnoure, honnoure, whatt ys bie thee hanne ? Hailie the robber and the bordelyer u , * Robe or girdle. k Night. ' Hopeleffnefs, or /mall hope. m Awakened. n Aftoniftied. Agreeablcnef. ' Firmnefs of mind. q Battle. ' Beneath. * Naked, or open. 1 Sets me free. " Cottager. Who V. 398. A nete of hopelen means a night of defpair, or rather of fmall hope. Hopelen is the diminutive of hope. V. 400. The myndbruche of Ella, like that of Canning and of Truth, (fee Storie of Canning, ver. 74 and 145) probably means firmnefs and fortitude ; but Cowel explains the word by ambition. V. 408. The confidence of Celmond's character is wonderfully fupported in this foliloquy; wherein he appears no lefs brave than wicked and treacherous: His difquifition on Honour, is in the ftile of Shakefpeare, and fpeaks the language of a man not wholly loft to its feelings, nor infenfible of reafon ; but firmJy refolved not to obey its dictates: Video meliora, proboqtie, Deteriora fequor. Agitated by fuch a convulfion in his mind, he compares himfelf to a mountain torn by a tempcft, v. 416. and in that refpect lefs happy than the robber or the peafant, (Bordelyer) the former infenfible t» the dictates of honour, the latter unacquainted G g with U26 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. Who kens ne thee, or ys to thee beftanne", 410 And nothynge does thie myckle gaftnefs * fere. Faygne woulde I from mie bofomme alle thee tare. Thou there dyfperpellefl T thie levynne-bronde z ; Whyleft mie ibulgh's forwyned % thou art the gare b ; Sleene ys mie comforte bie thie ferie honde; 415 As fomme talle hylle, whann wynds doe ihake the ground,. Itte kerveth c all abroade, bie brafteynge ' hyltren c wounde. Honnoure, whatt bee ytte ? tys a lhadowes (hade, A thynge of wychencref f , an idle dreme ; On of the fonnis e whych the clerche have made ^.zo Menne wydhoute fprytes, and wommen for to Heme b ; Knyghtes, who efte kenne the loude dynne of the beme '» Schulde be forgarde k to fyke enfeeblynge waies, Make everych acte, alyche theyr foules, be breme ',. And for theyre chyvalrie alleyne have prayfe. 425 O thou, whatteer thie name, Or Zabalus m or Queed n , Comme, fteel mie fable fpryte, For fremde ° and dolefulle dede. w Oppofed, left. x Terriblenefs. >' Scattered. z Lightning. ' Withered. b Caufe. c Cuttcth. " Burfting. c Hidden. f Witchcraft. B Devices. * Affright. 'Trumpet. k Loft. 'Furious. m " The devil. ° Strange. MAGNUS, with its precepts ; fie therefore invokes the devil, under the ancient titles of Zabulus and Queed, to ha/den his heart againft all fenfibility and compunction. Queed, in Robert Gloucefter, fignifies evil, or the devil. See the Gloflary to that work. V. 426. This invocation fhould have been written in two lines, not in four, making the ftanza^to clofe with two Alexandrines inftead of one ; there is another inftanceof a redundant foot in v. 710. TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 227 MAGNUS, HURRA, WHIE PREESTE, wytb the Armie, neare Watchette. MAGNUS. SWYTHE p lette the offrendes q to the Goddes begynne, 430 To knowe of hem the iiTue of the fyghte. Potte the blodde-fteyned Avord and pavyes ' ynne ; Spreade fwythyn all arounde the hallie lyghte. * Quickly. 1 Offerings. ' Shields. HIE V. 430. The fcene of the Danifh enchantment, like that of the witches in Mac- beth, exhibits a picture of northern fuperftition. This in Ella, however, is dig- nified by more noble ideas. Shakefpeare has prefented to his readers a difguflful combination of unnatural objects, well fuited to the invocation of evil fpirits : Rowley, on the other hand, in his account of this religious facrifi'ce, offers blodde-fteyned /words and Jhields, as the mod grateful tribute to the Danifh Deities. Pavols is an old French word for a Jhield; which feems to be the meaning of the word in this paffage, and fo it may be uuderftood, v. 647. Lette bloddie teares bie all your paves be wepte. But the long Pavade, which Chaucer's Miller wore at his belt, and which is there joined with a knife and bodkin, as offenfive weapons, feems to determine the meaning of it to a/zuord or dagger ; Skynner explains it by pugio ; and Mr. Tyr- whit calls it an offenfive weapon, but does not determine of what kind, vol. iv. p. 248. Menage fuppofes the word to be derived from the city of Pavia, as piftols were denominated from Piftoia, where they were firft made. The ceremony of putting the bhdde-/hyned /words into the facrifice may be il» luftrated by a circumitance mentioned by Affer, the writer of Alfred's Life, and by Ethelward, the Saxon Hiitorian ; who fay, *' that the Danes fwore a peace with " that king on their holy armillts ; an oath which they had never taken before :" To which Strutt, in his Account of Ancient Cuftoms, adds, " that thefe armill«e " were ftained with the blood of their facrifices ;" and it is no improbable fuppo- fition, that the fwords accompanied the armillae on fuch occafion?. The objects of the high-prieft's invocation, are the power and inrlucnce exercifed G g 2 b >' 228 T R A G E D Y O F E L L A. HIE PREESTE fyngeth. Yee, who hie yn mokie s ayre Delethe feafonnes foule or fayre, 43 c Yee, who, whanne yee weere agguylte ', The mone yn bloddie gyttelles u hylte w , Mooved the ftarres, and dyd unbynde Everyche barriere to the wynde ; Whanne the oundynge x waves dyftrefte, 44a) Stroven y to be overeft z , Sockeynge a yn the fpyre-gyrte towne, Swolterynge b wole natyones downe, Sendynge dethe, on plagues aftrodde, Moovynge lyke the erthys Godde;. 445 To mee fend your hefte c dyvyne, Lyghte eletten d all myne eyne, Thatt I maie now undevyfe e All the aftyonnes of th'empprize f . [f allot b downe and cflc ryfetbe; ' Dark, cloudy. ' Offended. D Mantels, or cloaihing. w Hid, covered. * Watery, /welling. 1 Striving. z XJppermoft. * Sucking. b Overwhelming. c Command. * Enlighten. e Explain. f Entcrprife. Thus by their Deities over the heavenly bodies, the elements, and feafons, the winds and the waters, in the dcfolation of cities and countries, and in the deftruclion of their inhabitants : Compleating the magnificence of the image by. Sendynge dethe on plagues aftrodde, Moovynge lyke the erthys Godde. V. 440. Eft fignifies often, and afterwards; it is ufed here in the latter fenfe : So Gafcoigne, D. Barth. p. 120. But fuch as once have felt the fcorching fire, Will feldom eft to play with flame deiire. I£ TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 229 Thus fayethe the Goddes ; goe, yfTue to the playne ; 450 Forr there fhall meynte of mytte nienne bee flayne. MAGNUS. Whie, foe there evere was, whanne Magnus foughte. Efte have I treynted g noyance " throughe the hoafte, Athorowe fwerdes, alyche the Queed dyftraughte, Haye Magnus preffynge wroghte hys foemen loafte 1 . 455 • Scattered. h Annoyance, lofs. ' Lofs.. As If this addrefs of the high-prieft, with the reft of his prayer, is directed to the Deities in general, the words lyghte eletten may be underftood as a Pleonafmus, i. e. enlighten my eyes with light; from the Saxon word AlyhsnyiTe, illuminatio : But it may be an addrefs either to the Sun, as the fountain of light, or to light in general ; and then the word eletten will fignify to alight, or defcend upon his eyes, from the Saxon word Alihtan — defcendere ab equo. So eletten, B. H. i. v. 413, fignifies that Alured lighted upon, or found by chance another horfe. V. 450. The anfwer of the gods to the high-prieft is truly oracular, dark, and ambiguous ; equally applicable to the conftruflion and wilhes of either party. The remainder of this fcene is employed in a fpirited and humorous altercation between the two Danifh generals, Magnus and Hurra ; the former reprefented as a boafting coward, the latter as a warrior of approved courage and generous difpofi- tion, who, from a confeioufnefs of his own valour, and the want of it in his rival, treats him with the greateft contempt and ridicule. Strict poetical juftice is done to each character; the former is flain flying, v. 780, the latter is made the generous inftrument of reftoring Birtha to her deceived and expiring Lord, v. 11 10. V. 452. Magnus begins his boaft in the ftile of Falitaff, and graces it with an Homerical allufion.. u; ort kviax TroXvfXcictoio Qxt.xrirr.; 'Ayi^Aa [MiyxXu (3«/uetju, Melted with lightning. r Amplification, or boajl. ' Leaft, rather, /peaks big. Certis V. 456. Though nothing can bear lefs rcfemblance to another, than the general character of Magnus does to that of Neftor, yet there are fome paffages in the -fpeech of the latter, wherein he recites the exploits of his youth in a ftile not imlik.e the boafts of Magnus, and forms almoft the fame allufion. A'jxosp lyuv ivopmrct, xiaoluyi azlAktti tiros', Hivtvx.ovtx $ iXov §idde embollen f , wythe mafterie elate, 595 « Child. ■ Cowardly, deficient. * Terrible. y Turn. z Soldiers in boots. * Terrible. b Turn. c Ready. d Terrible. c Habit, or {loathing. ( Sivtlling. Boyles > V. 584. Burne is probably a miftake, either in the original MS, or in the iranfcript, for turne. 238 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. Boyles ynne mie veynes, & rolles ynn rapyd ftate, Impatyente forr to mete the perfante ftele, And telle the worlde, thatte -Ella dyed as greate As anie knyghte who foughte for En o londes weale. Friends, kynne, & foldyerres, ynne blacke armore drere, 600 Mie actyons ymytate, mie prefente redynge E here. There ys ne houfe, athrow thys fhap-fcutged h ifle, Thatte has ne lofte a kynne yn theflj fell fyghtes, Fatte blodde has forfeeted ' the hongerde foyle, And townes enlowed k lemed ' oppe the nyghtes. 605 Inne gyte m of fyre oure haljie churche dheie dyghtes " ; Oure fonnes lie ftorven ° ynne theyre fmethynge p gore; Oppe bie the rootes oure tree of lyfe dheie pyghtes q , Vexynge oure coafte, as byllowes doe the more. Yee menne, gyf ye are menne, difplaie yor name, 610 Ybrtnde r yer tropes, alyche the roarynge tempeft flame. Ye Chryftyans, doe as wordhie of the name ; Thefe roynerres of oure hallie hcufes flea; Brafte s , lyke a cloude, from whence doth come the flame, Lyche tonentes, gufliynge downe the mountaines, bee. 615 And whanne alonge the grene yer champyons flee, Swefte as the rodde for-weltrynge 'levyn-bronde u , Yatte hauntes the flyinge mortherer oere the lea, Soe fiie oponne thefe royners of the londe. Lette thofe yatte are unto yer battayles x fledde, 620 Take flepe eterne uponne a feerie lowynge y bedde. ' Jdvice. h Fate-fcourged. ' Surfeited. k Flamed, fired. 'Lighted. m Cloathing. ■ Drefs. "Dead. ? Smoaking. '■> Pluck. 'Bum. ' Burji. 'Blafting. u Flafli *f lightning. * Ships, boats. y Flaming, burning. Let TRAOEDY OF ELLA. 23? Let cowarde Londonne fee herre tovvne ona fyre, And ftrev wythe goulde to ft .lie the royners honde, JEWa. & Bryftowe havethe thoughtes thattes bygher, Wee fyghte notte forr ourfelves, botte all the londe. 625 As Severnes hyger z lyghethe a banckes of fonde, Preflynge ytte downe binethe the reynynge ftreme, Wythe dreerie dynn enfwolters b the hyghs ftronde, Beerynge the rockes alonge ynn f hurye breme % Soe wylle wee beere the Dacyanne armie downe, 630^ And throughe a ftorme of blodde wyll reache the champyon crowne. Gyffynn thys battelle locke ne wayte oure gare d , To Bryftowe dheie wylle tourne yeyre fhuyrie dyre; Bryftowe, & alle her joies, wylle fynke toe ayre, Brendeynge e perforce wythe unenhantende f fyre : 635 Thenne lette oure fafetie doublie moove oure ire, Lyche wolfyns, rovynge for the evnynge pre, Seeding] the lambe & fhepfterr nere the brire, Doth th'one forr fafetie, th'one for hongre flea ; 1 The bore of the Severn. a Lodgeth. b Swallows, fucks in. c Fierce. * Caufe. e Burning. f Unaccuftomed. Thanne, V. 622. The compliment paid to Briftol, at the expence of the city of London, is founded on a well-authenticated fadt in hillory ; for it appears by the Saxon Chronicle, p. 14, that the Danes having befieged London in 1012, a national aflembly was convened at that city, when they raurchafed peace with the Danes, at the expence of 8ocol. ; who having again befieged London in 1016, the inhabitants paid them ii,ccol. on the like account. Thefe hiftorical events (which could hardly have come to the knowledge of Chatterton) give an opportunity to the poet of exciting his Briftowans to a more noble fpirit, exhorting them to conquer, and not (hamefully to compound with their enemies. V. 626. For the description of the hygra, fee the note on B. H. 2. v. 710. i 4 o TRAGEDY OF ELLA. Thanne, whanne the ravenne crokes uponne the playne, 640 Oh ! lette ytte bee the knelle to myghtie Dacyanns flayne. Lyche a rodde gronfer B , flialle mie anlace h iheene, Lyche a ftrynge lyoncelle I'lle bee ynne fyghte, Lyche fallynge leaves the Dacyannes flialle bee fleene, Lyche [a] loud dynnynge ftreeme fcalle be mie myghte. 645 Ye menne, who woulde deferve the name of knyghte, Lette bloddie teares bie all your paves i be wepte ; To commynge tymes no poyn telle k flialle y write, Whanne Englonde han her foemenn, Bryftow flepte. Yourielfes, youre chyldren, & youre fellowes crie, 650 Go, fyghte ynne rennomes gare, be brave, & wynne or die. I faie ne mot; youre fpryte the refte wylle faie; Youre fpryte wylle wrynne ', thatte Bryftow ys yer place ; To honoures houfe I nede notte marcke the waie ; Inne youre owne hartes you maie the foote-pathe trace. 655 5 Fen meteor. k Sword. ' Shields. k Pen. ' Difcover. 'Twexte V. 640. The Reofan, or raven, was the Danifli ftandard, alluded to in other paflages of this tragedy : Wee longe to here the raven fynge yn vayne. v. 663. And again, The Danes, wythe terroure rulynge att their head, Threwc downe theyr bannere talle, and lyche a ravenne fledde. v. 792. This fafl; alio could not well have come within Chatterton's knowledge. Spenfer, in the prophecy which he puts into Merlin's mouth, concerning the monarchy of England, fpeaks of the Danes under the character of a raven. B. iii. C. 5. St, 46. TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 241 'Twexte fliappe m & us there ys botte lyttelle fpace ; The tyme ys nowe to proove yourfelvcs bee menne ; Drawe forthe the bornyfhed bylle wythe fctyve ■ grace, Rouze, lyche a wolfynne rouzing from hys denne. Thus I enrone " mie anlace ; go thou lhethe ; 660 I'lle potte ytt ne ynn place, tyll ytte ys fycke wythe deathe. SOLDYERS. Onn, ./Ella, onn ; we longe for bloddie fraie ; Wee longe to here the raven fyngc yn vayne ; Onn, iElla, onn j we certys gayne the daie, Whanne thou dofte leade us to the leathal playne. £65 CELMONDE. Thie fpeche, O Loverde, fyrethe the whole trayne ; Theie pancte for war, as honted wolves for breathe ; Go, & fytte crowned on corfes of the ilayne ; Go, & ywielde the maffie fwerde of deathe, SOLDYERRES. From thee, O iElla, alle oure courage reygnes ; 6*70 Echone yn phantafie do lede the Danes ynne chaynes. M L L A. Mie countrymenne, mie fricndes, your noble fprytes Speke yn youre eyne, & doe yer maftef telle. Swefte as the rayne-ftorme toe the erthe alyghtes, Soe wylle we fall upon thefe royners felle. 675 * Fate. 8 Agreeable, pleafant. ■ Unjheatb. Oure V. 662. The fpeeches of the foldiers to Ella, feem to be a fort of Chorus, like thofe introduced by Handel in his Oratorios. 7 I i t 4 2 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. Oure mowynge fwerdes malle plonge hem downe to belle j Theyre throngynge corfes mail onlyghte p the fbrres ; The barrowes braftynge wythe the fleene fchall fwelle, Brynnynge q to commynge tymes our famous warres ; Inne everie eyne I kenne the lowe r of myghte, 680 Sheenynge abrode, alyche a hylle-fyre ynne the nyghte. Whanne poyntelles ' of oure famous fyghte mail faie, Echone wylle marvelle atte the dernie ' dede, Echone wylle wy fieri u hee hanne feene the daie, And bravelie holped to make the foemenn blede; 685 Botte for yer holpe oure battelle wylle notte nede j Oure force ys force enowe to ftaie theyre honde ; Wee wylle retourne unto thys grened mede, Oer corfes of the foemen of the londe. Nowe to the warre lette all the flughornes x founde, 690 The Dacyanne troopes appere on yinder y ryfynge grounde. Chiefes, heade youre bandes, and leade. DANES fiyinge, neare W a tchette. FYRSTE DANE. FLY, fly, ye Danes ; Magnus, the chiefe, ys fleene j The Saxonnes comme wythe MWz atte theyre heade ; > Darken the Jlar-light. ' Declaring. ' Flame, or fire. ' Pens. ' Terrible. ■ Wtjb. * Horn, or war trumpet. y Yonder. Lette's V. 677. OnJyghte the ftarres. This is a ftrong expreflion, meaning, probably, that the number of dead bodies would eclipfe the light of the ftars. V. 681. The hill fire in the night, means the beacons which were lighted, in order to give notice of an enemy's approach. V. 693. The Danes are reprefented by Rowley, and indeed by all hiftorians, as a crew of barbarous heathen pirates. The refolution of the fecond Dane, v. 701, is fuited to that character ; and the account of their flight, flaughter, and the burning of their fleet, is very dramatically introduced by the third Dane. A 9 fimilar TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 243 Lette's ftrev to gette awaie to yinder greene ; 695 Flie, flie ; thys ys the kyngdomme of the deadde. SECONDE DANE. O goddes ! have thoufandes bie mie anlace bledde, And mufte I nowe for fafetie flie awaie ? See ! farre befprenged z alle oure troopes are fpreade, Yette I wylle fynglie dare the bloddie fraie. 700 Botte ne; File flie, & morther yn retrete ; Deathe, blodde, & fyre, fcalle * marke the goeynge of my feete. THYRDE DANE. Enthoghteynge b forr to fcape the brondeynge c foe, As nere unto the byllowd beche I came, Farr offe I fpied a fyghte of myckle woe, 705 Oure fpyrynge battayles d wrapte ynn fayles of flame. The burled c Dacyannes, who were ynne the fame, Fro fyde to fyde fledde the purfuyte of deathe ; The fwelleynge fyre yer corrage doe en flame, Theie lepe ynto the fea, & bobblynge yield yer breathe ; 710 Whyleft thofe thatt bee uponne the bloddie playne, Bee deathe-doomed captyves taene, or yn the battle flayne. HURRA. Nowe bie the goddes, Magnus, dyfcourteous knyghte, Bie cravente f havyoure havethe don oure woe, 1 Scattered. * Shall. " Thinking, confidering. c Furious. d Ships. ■ Armed. 1 Coward ly. Dyfpendynge fimilar effect of cowardly defpair is defcribed by our poet in the inftances of Magnus and Campynon ; the former fays, Sythe fhame or deathe onne eidhir fyde wylle bee, Mie harte I wylle upryfe, & inne the battelle flea. v. 586. So Campynon, B. H. 2. v. 660, When feere of dethe made hym for deathe to fyghte. I i 2 244 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. Dyfpendynge all the talle menne yn the fyghte, 715 And placeyng valourous menne where draffs f mote goe. Sythence oure fourtunie havethe tourned foe, Gader the fouldyers lefte to future fhappe e , To fomme newe place for fafetie wee wylle goe, Inne future daie wee wylle have better happe. 720 Sounde the loude flughorne fpr a quicke forloyne h ; Lette alle the Dacyannes fwythe untoe oure banner joyne. Throw hamlettes wee wylle fprenge fadde dethe & dole, Bathe yn hotte gore, 6c wafch ourefelves thereynne j Goddes ! here the Saxonnes lyche a byllowe rolle. 725 I heere the anlacis detefled dynne. Awaie, awaie, ye Danes, to yonder penne ; ; Wee now wylle make forloyne k yn tyme to fyghte agenne. CELMONDE near Watchette. O forr a fpryte al feere ! to telle the daie, The daie whyche fcal aftounde the herers rede ', 730 f Refufe-men. g Fate. h Retreat. i Eminence. k Retreat. ' Thought, or counfel. Makeynge V. 716. DrafFs, is an Anglofaxon word, fignifying things thrown away as unfit for ufe. See Mr. Tyrwhit's gloflary on Chaucer. The following foliloquy ofCelmond is very difFerent from the former, which related folely to his love, and his future intended treachery againft Ella and Birtha : The prefent fpeech., which is a recapitulation of the battle, confifts of encomiums, very properly introduced, on ^Ella's conduct, and no lefs impartially contrafted with his own principles and behaviour. Without the Ieaft fufpicion of plagiarifm, it correfponds with the fpeech of Richard the IJId in Shakefpeare; the former imputes the deformities of his mind to the qualities of his parents, the latter connects them with the deformities of his body. V. 729. O forr a fpryte al feere ! This paflage has been produced as one of Chatterton's TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 245 Makeynge oure foemennes envyynge hartes to blede, Ybereynge thro the worlde oure rennomde name for aie. Bryghte fonne han ynn hys roddie robes byn dyghte, From the rodde Eafte he flytted wythe hys trayne, The Chatterton's plagiarifms, and is fuppofed to have been copied from Shakefpeare's Prologue to Henry Vth, which begins O for a mufe of fire ! But it muft be obferved, that the two expremons are not the fame, and the idea of fire, in which the fimilitude is fuppofed principally to confift, is differently applied by each poet: The author of fiLWa, with his peculiar modefty, forbears to dignify his verfe by an invocation of his Mufe ; but, with a fuperior boldnefs, calls for a SPRYTE AL FEERE, not poetic, but warlike fire, that he might do honour to the valour of the Saxon army, and to the conduct of their commander JEWa, whom he majeftically reprefents Moovynge alyche a mountayne yn affraie, Whanne a lowde whyrlevynde doe yttes boefomme tare. v. 755. But Shakefpeare's mufe of fire was to excel in poetic defcription, or, as it is cxprcffed in the words immediately following, to afcend The brighteft Heaven of invention. Had the expreflion been exactly the fame in both poems, it could not even then have been juftly charged as a plagiarifm, nothing being more ufual with poets, than to invoke poetic fpirit and fire to affifr. them in their compofitions. There is alfo a paffage in the Briftowe Tragedy, where our poet has exprefTed tlae natural effects of grief, by faying Tears began to flow. v. 1C4. This alfo has been deemed a plagiarifm, becaufe the fame phrafe is ufcd by Dryden ; though the idea is common, and cannot well be exprefied in other terms. If Chatterton could be fuppofed to have borrowed fuch diftant and immaterial allufions from our modern Englifh poets, would he not have endeavoured to grace his compofitions, by copying their ideas and language in the niore important and beautiful images of their poetry ? and how abfurd muft be the idea of that plagiariil, who expofes himfelf to fhame and detection, without the profpect of reaping any poetic credit or advantage by the imitation ? V. 733. The defcription of the morning, in this fcene, is confeffedly one of the nioft claflical and beautiful images in Rowley's poetry. It is in fact almoft a dii copy 2 4 6 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. The hovvers drewe awaie the geete of nyghte, 735 Her iable tapiftrie was rente yn twayne. The dauncynge ltreakes bedecked heavennes playne, And on the dewe dyd fmyle wythe fhemryngc m eie, Lyche gottes " of blodde whyche doe blacke armoure fteyne, Sheenynge upon the borne ° whyche ftondeth bie ; 740 The fouldyers floode uponne the hillis fyde, Lyche yonge enlefed trees whyche yn a forrefte byde. ./Ella rofe lyche the tree befette wyth brieres j Hys talle fpeere fheenynge as the ftarres at nyghte, Hys eyne enfemeynge p as a lowe q of fyre ; 745 Whanne he encheered r everie manne to fyghte, m Shining, or glimmering. " Drops. " BurniflW part of the armour, t Seeming. * Flame. ' Encouraged. Hys copy from that in the fifth Iliad ; and his introduction of the Hours, directs us to the poet from whom he borrowed his fimilc. AuT0M.«T«i ^£ 7TVXXi [J.VK0V XgXVtS, «f £p£0K fX^AI, Tr,; 'nnTiT»x7r1 tat ftiyctf ov^xvi;, OvXvpTrls re *H /*£!* dvXK>'i]lXi 7TVKH/0V |/£pOfj n$ sVlSflVai. II. E. v.749. and 0. v. 393. Heaven's gates fpontaneous open to the powers, Heaven's golden gates, kept by the winged Hours ; Commiffion'd, in alternate watcli they Hand, The Sun's bright portal and the fkies command ; Involve in clouds th' eternal gates of day, And the dark barrier roll with eafe away. Pope, B. v. I. 927. The other defcription, v. 1 126, with a third in B. H. N°. 2. v. 21 1 (each of them varying in beauty of defcription) fliews the wonderful exuberance of the poet's imagination. The reader will decide on the refpective merit of thefe beautiful images. TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 247 Hys gentle wordes dyd moove eche valourous knyghtej Itte moovethe 'hem, as honterres lyoncelle ; In trebled armoure ys theyre courage dyghte; Eche vvarrynge harte fojr prayfe & rennome fwelles ; 750 Lyche flowelie dynnynge of the croucheynge ' ftreme, Syche dyd the mormrynge founde of the whol armie feme. Hee ledes 'hem onne to fyghte ; oh ! thenne to faie How MUa loked, and lokyng dyd encheere, Moovynge alyche a mountayne yn affraie, 75 c Whanne a lowde whyrlevynde doe yttes boefomme tare, To telle howe everie loke wuld banyfhe feere, Woulde afke an angelles poyntelle or hys tyngue. Lyche a talle rocke yatte ryfeth heaven-were ', Lyche a yonge wolfynne brondeous u & flxynge, 760 Soe dydde he goe, & myghtie warriours hedde j Wythe gore-depy&ed wynges maflene arounde hym fledde. The battelle jyned ; fwerdes uponne fwerdes dyd ryngej ./Ella was chafed, as lyonns madded bee ; Lyche fallynge ftarres, he dydde the javlynn flyngej 765 Hys mightie anlace mightie menne dyd flea; Where he dydde comme, the flemed w foe dydde flee, Or felle benethe hys honde, as fallynge rayne, Wythe fyke afhuyrie he dydde onn 'hemm dree", Hylles of yer bowkes » dyd ryfe opponne the playne j 770 JFAte, thou arte — botte ftaie, mie tynge ; faie nee ; Howe greate I hymme maye make, flylle greater hee wylle bee. * Crooked^ winding. ' Towards heaven. v Furious, w Frighted, or driven. * Drive. y Bodies, Nor £ 4 8 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. Nor dydde hys fouldyerres fee hys actes yn vayne. Heere a ftoute Dane uponne hys compheere felle -, Heere lorde & hyndlette y fonke uponne the playnej 775 Heere fonne 6c fadre trembled ynto helle. Chief Magnus fought hys waie, 6c, fhame to telle ! Hee foughte hys waie for flyghte ; botte Ella's fpeere Uponne the flyynge Dacyannes fchoulder felle, Quyte throwe hys boddie, 6c hys harte ytte tare, 780 He groned, 6c fonke uponne the gorie greene, And wythe hys corfe encreafed the pyles of Dacyannes fleene. Spente wythe, the fyghte, the Danyfhe champyons ftonde, Lyche bulles, whofe ftrengthe 6c wondrous myghteys ftedde ; JE\h, a javelynne grypped yn eyther honde, 785 Flyes to the thronge, 6c doomes two Dacyannes deadde. After hys a&e, the armie all yfpedde* j Fromm everich on unmyflynge javlynnes flewe ; Theie flraughte a yer doughtie fwerdes ; the foemenn bledde ; Fulle three of foure of myghtie Danes dheie flewe j 790 The Danes, wythe terroure rulynge att their head, Threwe downe theyr bannere talle, 6c lyche a ravenne fledde. The foldyerres followed wythe a myghtie crie, Cryes, yatte welle myghte the ftoutefte hartes affraie. Swefte, as yer fhyppes, the vanquyflied Dacyannes flie; 795 jvvefte, as the rayne uponne an Aprylle daie, r Peafant. z Difpatchcd, or made haJJe. ' Stretched. Preflynge V. 7Q6. See the fame allufions, v. 674, and 768. This part of the tragedy is enriched by a great variety of fimilies. TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 249 Preflynge behynde, the Englyfche foldyerres flaie. Botte halfe the tythes of Danylhe menne renvaynej JEUa. commaundes 'heie moulde the flcetre b ftaie, Botte bynde 'hem pryfonners on the bloddie playne. 800 The fyghtynge beynge done, I came avvaie, In odher fieldes to fyghte a moe unequalle fraie. Mie fervant fquyre ! CELMONDE, SERVITOURE. CELMONDE. Prepare a fleing horfe, Whofe feete are wynges, whole pace ys lycke the wynde, Whoe wylle outeftreppe the morneynge lyghte yn courfe, 805 Leaveynge the gyttelles c of the merke d behynde. Somme hyltren e matters doe mie prefence fynde. Gyv oute to alle yatte I was fleene ynne fyghte. Gyff ynne thys gare f thou doefl: mie order mynde, Whanne $ returne, thou fhalte be made a knyghte ; 810 Flie, flie, be gon ; an howerre ys a daie ; Quycke dyghte s mie befte of ftedes, 6c brynge hymm heere — awaie ! k Slaughter. c Mantle, cloathing. d Darknefs. c Hidden. f Caufe. s Prepare. CELMONDE V. 798. Our poet was certainly no ftranger to the rhetorical figures of rf Auc»m"if and MsjWij. He has frequently made ufe of the former, by a reduplication of num- bers, and th- latter is here exprelTed by a double fraction, to reduce the furviving Danes to one half of a tenth part of their former number. V. 812. This fpeech of Ctlmonde is thus divided in the former editions, pro- bably becaufe it is fpoken in different fcenes. His Servitoure goes out at the end of the former ftanza, and therefore his latter fpeech is a foliloquy, for which reafon I have added the word Solus to it. Kk 2 5 o TRAGEDY OF ELLAt CELMONDE [folus.] ./Ella ys woundedd fore, & ynne the toune He waytethe, tylle hys woundes bee broghte to ethe h . And fhalle I from hys browes plocke off the croune, 815 Makynge the vydlore yn hys vydlorie blethe ? O no ! fulle fooner fchulde mie hartes blodde fmethe, Fulle foonere woulde I tortured bee toe deathej Botte — Birtha ys the pryze; ahe ! ytte were ethe ' To gayne fo gayne k a pryze wythe loffe of breathe; 820 Botte thanne rennome asterne ' — ytte ys botte ayre ; Bredde ynne the phantafie, & alleyn lyvynge there. Albeytte everyche thynge yn lyfe confpyre To telle me of the faulte I nowe fchulde doe, Yette woulde I battentlie™ alTuage mie fyre, 825 And the fame menes, as I fcall nowe, purfue. The qualytyes I fro mie parentes drewe, Were blodde, & morther, mafterie, and warre j « Thie I wyl'le holde to now, &c hede ne moe A wounde yn rennome, yanne a boddie fcarre. 830 Nowe, ./Ella, nowe Ime plantynge of a thorne, Bie whyche thie peace, thie love, 6c glorie fhalle be torne. '"Relieved, made ecify. ' Eafy. k Gainful, great. ' Eternal. m Boldly, or violently. BRYSTOWE. v. 820. To gayne Co gayne a prize. — This repetition may be no miftake in the tranfcript, as is fuppofed in the Index : Gayne, like other ancient words, may be ufed both as an adjeftive and a verb, implying gainful, advantageous ; or, in a different fcnfe, it may fignify the oppofite quality to ungayne, au ancient word ftill in ufe, which Ggnifies unhandy, awkward. V. 829. Thie is certainly a miftake, or at leaft meant for thefe. TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 251 B R Y S T O W E. BIRTH A, EGWINA. BIRTHA. GENTLE Egwina, do notte preche me joie ; I cannotte joie ynne anie thynge botte weere n . Oh ! yatte aughte fchulde oure fellynefTe ° deftroic, 835 Floddynge the face wythe woe, & brynie teare ! EGWINA. You mufle, you mufte endeavour for to cheere Youre harte unto fomme cherifaunced p refte. Youre loverde q from the battelle wylle appere, Ynne honnoure, & a greater love, be drefte ; 840 Botte I wylle call the mynflxelles roundelaiej Perchaunce the fwotie founde maie chafe your wiere r awaie. BIRTHA, EGWINA, MYNSTRELLES. MYNSTRELLES S O N G E. O ! fynge untoe mie roundelaie, O ! droppe the brynie teare wythe mee, " Grief. ° Happinefu ? Comfortable, q Lord. r Grief. Daunce V. 843. The Roundelay, introduced to aflwage the grief of Birtha, is moll na- tural and exprefTive in its defcription, and not lefs harmonious in its numbers. This fpecies of Dirge, or Mournful Roundelai, was of ancient and general ufc *. It is indeed the picture of human nature, and the language of the paffions : Several of thefe ancient ditties, compofed before Shakefpeare's time, are preferved in his plays j and fuch fongs as thefe, which he obferves were old and plain, and The fpinfters, and the knitters in the fun, Did ufe to chant them. Twelfth Night, Act ii. Sc. 4. • 9ce Vr. Percy's Preface. K k 2 0r > 2? 2 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. Dnunce ne moe atte hallie daie, 845 Lycke a reynynge f ryver bee ; Mie love ys dedde, Gon to hys death-bedde, Al under the wyllowe tree. Blacke hys cryne s as the wyntere nyghte, 850 Whyte hys rode ' as the fommer fnowe, ' Running. s Hair. ' Complexion. Rodde Or, as the Queen in Hamlet calls Ophelia's fongs, the fnatches of eld tunes. The originality of this fong will appear by the refemblance in its ideas and meafure with fome paffages fele£ted from old ballads (particularly thofe in Hamlet) without leaving any reafonable fufpicion of plagiarifm. The Willow, which is the burthen of this Roundelai, was an emblem of grief, either on death or forfaken love. It is the burthen of Defdemona's fong in Othello ; She fays her mother's maid — — had a fong of willow, An old fong 'twas, but it exprefs'd her fortune, And fhe died finging it The poor foul fat finging by a fycamore-tree, Sing all a green willow ; Her hand on her bofom, her head on her knee, Sing willow, willow, willow, &c. Adf. iv. Scene the laft. So the burthen of the ballad called Coridon's Doleful Knell, (Percy, vol. ii. p. 265.) I'll flick, a branch of zvillow, Now Phillida is dead. V. 850. The dcfcription of her lover's beauties is illustrated with fimilies much refembling thofe in Hamlet. His beard was as white as fnow, All flaxen was his pole, He's gone, and he's gone, and we'll caft away moan, Grammercy on his foul. A£l iv. Sc, 3. So in the ballad of Gil Morrice, (Percy, vol. iii. p. 94.) His hair was like the threeds of gold Drawne from Minerva's loome ; His Lppes like rofes drapping dew, His breath was a perfume. His brae was like the mountain fnow Gilt by the morning beam ; His cheeks like living rofes, His e'en like azure ftream, As TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 253 Rodde hys face as the mornynge lyghte, Cale u he lyes ynne the grave belowe; Mie love ys dedde, Gon to hys deathe-bedde, 855 Al under the wyllowe tree. Swote hys tyngue as the throftles note, Quycke ynn daunce as thoughte canne bee, Defte ■ hys taboure, codgelle ftote, O ! hee lyes bie the wyllowe tree : 860 Mie love ys dedde, Gonne to hys deathe-bedde, Alle underre the wyllowe tree. Harke ! the ravenne flappes hys wynge, In the briered delle belowej. 865 u Cold. x Neat. Harke! As to the whitenefs of fummer fnow, the idea muft be borrowed from thofe moun- tainous countries where the fnow lies all the year, and reflects a dazzling whitenefs from the fun fhining upon it. The lover's fhroud in Hamlet, is compared to the whitenefs of mountain fioiv ; but by Rowley, to the whitenefs of the moon. V. 851. So in the MS. romance of Sir Launfal, quoted by Mr. Warton, vol. iii. p. liii. Har faces was whyte as fnowe on downe, Hai rode was red, har eyn were brown. V. 857. The perfections of her lover are few, natural, and original, and fitch as were in repute at that time, viz. ficill in finging, dancing, piping, and cudgelling. V. 859. Defte hys taboure. A deft young man as ever walled on the way. Evans' Old Ballads, vol. i. p. 143. There is a fimplicity fimilar to this, in thofe lines of Bifhop Corbett's ballad, (Percy, vol. iii. p. 212.) When Tom came home from labour, Or Cifs to milking rofe, Then merrily went the tabour, And nimbly went their toes. V. 864. The deathly omens in the night-raven and cwl are alfd defcribed in ancient poets, 7. N » 254 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. Harke ! the dethe-owle loude dothe fynge, To the nyghte-mares as heie goe ; Mie love ys dedde, Gonne to hys deathe-bedde, Al under the wyllowe tree. 870 See ! the whyte moone {heenes onne hie ; Whyterre ys mie true loves ihroude ; Whyterre yanne the mornynge flue, Whyterre yanne the evenynge cloude ; Mie love ys dedde, 875 Gon to hys deathe-bedde, Al under the wyllowe tree. Heere, uponne mie true loves grave, Schalle the baren fleurs be layde, Nee one hallie Seyndte to fave 880 Al the celnefs y of a mayde. y Coldnefst Mie No chearful gleams here piere'd the gloom, He hears no chearful found 5 But fhriil night-ravens yelling fcrcam, And ferpents hifs around, Percy, vol. iii, p. 220. The Night-maresy Portunni or Incubi, were fuppofed to opprefs perfons in their fleep. See Mr. Tyrwhit's note on Fairies, in Chaucer 6441. Lye calls them Speflres, or Night-hags. They made a part of the Fairy fyftem, and as fuch are mentioned in Edgar's mad fpeech in King Lear. St. Withold footed thrice the wold, He met the night-mare and her nine fold, Bid her alight, and her troth plight, And aroynt thee, witch, aroynt thee. Act iii. Sc. 3. V. 879. The cuftom of ftrewing flowers on the graves of the deceafed, is at leaft as ancient as the time of Virgil ; who defcribes Anchifes paying thefe funeral ho- nours to the memory of Marcellus ■ — manibus date lilia plenis, His faltcm accumukm donis JEn. vi. v. 883. It TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 2 - 5 Mie love ys dedde, Gonne to hys death-bedde, Al under the wyllowe tree. Wythe mie hondes Tile dente * the brieres 885 Rounde his hallie corfe to gre % Ouphante b fairie, lyghte youre fyres, Heere mie boddie ftylle fchalle bee. Mie love ys dedde, Gon to hys death-bedde, 890 Al under the wyllowe tree. Comme, wythe acorne-coppe & thorne, Drayne mie hartys bloddeawaiej Lyfe & all yttes goode I fcorne, Daunce bie nete, or feafte by daie. 895 z Weave, fajien. a Grow. " Elfin. Mie It-is mentioned by Camden, and by Brand, in his Popular Antiquities, as a cuflom of great antiquity in England, and ftill preferved in Wales, that the perfons preced- ing the corpfe drew flowers and myrtle, and ftick them in the turf of the grave. In-the ballad of Phillida, I'll deck her tomb with flowers^ The rareft ever feen ; And with my tears, as fhowers, I'll keep them frefh and green. Percy, vol. ii. p, 265, And the Song in Twelfth Night, Not a flower, not a flower fweet, On my black coffin let there be ftrown. The barren flowers alluded to the fingle ftate of the deceafed perfon. V. 885. The indenting or fattening briars on the graves is ftill in ufe, and to be feen in every church-yard. V. 887 and 8qa. The invocation of Fairies and Water-witches, is a genuine image of ancient fuperftition : The Ignis fatui, called by Rowley Gronfers, and vulj_,;r!y Jack in a Lanthorn, are thefe fairy fires. The ufe of an acorn for theit- drinking-cup, is exprefled in an ancient fairy ballad, Pearly drops of dew we drink, la an acorn cup, up to the brink. Percy, vol. iii. p. 209. 256 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. Mie love ys dedde, Gon to hys death-bedde, Al under the wyllowe tree. Waterre wytches, crownede wythe reytes c , Bere mee to yer leathalle tyde. 900 I die j I comme ; mie true love waytes. Thos the damfelle fpake, and dyed. B I R T H A. Thys fyngeyng haveth whatte couldc make ytte pleafe ; Butte mie uncourtlie fhappe " benymmes* mee of all eafe. iELLA, atte Watcmette. CURSE onne mie tardie woundes ! brynge mee a ftede ! 905 I wylle awaie to Birtha bie thys nyghte ; Albeytte fro mie woundes mie foul doe blede, I wylle awaie, & die wythynne her fyghte. Brynge mee a ftede, wythe eagle- wynges for flyghte; Swefte as mie wylhe, &, as mie love ys, ftronge. 910 c Water-flags, or -wreaths. d Fate. ' Takes from me. The V. 899- The reytes of thefe water-witches were probably wreaths of aquatic plants, fuited to their element. Thus in the Story of Canning, the rim- Avon is defcribed as Engarlanded with crownes of ofyer weedes, And wraytes (i. e. wreaths) of alders of a bercie fcent. V. 7. The burthen to this Roundelaie very much refemblcs that in Hamlet : And will he not come again ? And will he not come agai-j ? No, no, he's dead, go to thy death-bed ; Ke never will come again. Act iv. Sc. 3. V. CjCf)- So v. 803. Prepare a fleing horfe, Whofe feeta are wynges, whofe pace ys lycke the wynde, Whoe wylle outeftreppe the morneyn;j,e lyghte yn courfe, Leaveynge the gyttelles of the merke b-.:hynde. V. cjio. The expreflionyzui?/"^ as mye wijbe, occurs alio Eel. ii. v. 85. T'R AGEDY Of ELLA. 257 The Danes have wroughte mee myckle woe ynne fyghte, Inne kepeynge mee from Birtha's armes fo longe. ! whatte a dome was myne, fythe mafterie ' Canne yeve ne pleafaunce, nof mie londes goode leme f myne eie I Yee goddes, howe ys a loverres temper formed ! 915 Sometymes the famme thynge wylle bothe bane s , & blefle ; On tyme encalede h , yanne bie the fame thynge warmed, Eftroughted ' foorthe, and yanne ybrogten left. 'Tys Birtha's lofs whyche doe mie thoughtes pofTefle ; 1 wylle, I mufle awaie : whie ltaies mie flede ? 920 Mie hufcarles k , hyther hafte ; prepare a dreffe, Whyche couracyers ' yn haftie journies nede. O heavens ! I mode awaie to Byrtha eyne, For yn her lookes I fynde mie beynge doe entwyne. C EL MONDE, rt« Brystowe. THE worldeys darke wythe nyghte ; the wyndes are ftyller Fayntelie the mone her palyde lyghte makes gleme j 926 The upryfte m fprytes the fylente letten n fylle, Wythe ouphant ° faeryes joynyng ynne the dreme ; The forrefte fheenethe wythe the fylver leme ? ; Now maie mie love be fited ynn yttes treate ; 930 1 Enlighten. E Curfe. h Frozen, cold, or grozvn cold. ' Stretched forth. k Attendants. ' Horfe courfers, couriers, rather, bsrfemen. m Rifen. " Church-yard. ° Elfin. p Light. Uponne V. 921. Hufcarles, or houfe-carles, were fervants living in the houfe, in atten- dance on their king or lord. V. 925. It will be unneceffary to call the reader's attention to the beauty of the following foliloquy, which mews how much our poetexcells in defoiption. V. 927. The word Letten, or church-yard, in Saxon Lech-ron, the place of dead todies, is a name {till retained in many parts of England ; and the particular path by which dead corpfes are carried to church, is called the Lcchrway, L 1 2 5 8 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. Uponne the lynche t of fomme fwefte reynyng ftreme, Att the fwote banquette I wylle fwotelie eate. Thys ys the howfe ; yee hyndes, fwythyn appere. CELMONDE, SERVYTOURE. CELMONDE. Go telle to Birtha ftrayte, a ftraungerr waytethe here. CELMONDE, BIRTHA. BIRTHA. Celmonde ! yee feyndtes ! I hope thou hafte goode newes- CELMONDE. The hope ys loftej for heavie newes prepare. 93(3 BIRTHA. Is JEWa. welle ?? CELMONDE. Hee lyves ; 6c ftylle maie ufe The behylte r bleflynges of a future yeare. BIRTHA. Whatte heavie tydynge thenne have I to feare ? Of whatte mifchaunce dydfte thou fo latelie faie ? 940 CELMONDE. For heavie tydynges fwythyn nowe prepare. i*Ella fore wounded ys, yn bykerous s fraiej In Wedecefter's wallid toune he lyes. ' Brink, border. ' Promifcd, rather hidden. ' Warlike. BIRTHA, V.931. Lynche, from the ancient Saxon word Jjlmc, which Lye explains, '* Agger '* limitaneus fines, locorum dividens." V. 938. Behxt fignifies/>r«m//^^> but hehylce op beheled is the participle of Behehan, which fignifies to hide or cover. See Lye's Gloflary. This interpretation- luits better with the word, and gives more propriety to the paflage. TRAGEDY OF ELLA. a^ BIRTHA. mie agroted ' breaft ! CELMONDE. Wythoute your fyghte, he dyes. BIRTHA. Wylle Birtha's prefence ethe u herr iElla's payne ? 945 1 the; newe wynges doe from mie fchoulderrs iprynge. CELMONDE. Mie ilede wydhoute wylle deftelie K beere us twayne. BIRTHA. Oh ! I wyll rlie as wynde, & no waie lynge y ; Sweftlie caparifons for rydynge brynge ; I have a mynde wynged wythe the levyn ploome *. 95a O JEUa, JEYla. ! dydfte thou kenne the ftynge, The whyche doeth canker ynne mie hartys roome, Thou wouldfte fee playne thiefelfe the gare ■ to bee j Aryfe, uponne thie love, & flie to meeten mee. CELMONDE. The ftede, on whyche I came, ys fwefte as ayres 955 Mie fervytoures doe wayte mee nere the wode ; Swythynne wythe mee unto the place repayrej To iElla I wylle gev you conducte goode. , 1 Swelling, or burjling. " Give eafe. * Eaftly, commodioufy >' Linger. 1 Feathered lightning. a Caufe. Youre V. 946. This idea is not unlike that of Horace, — — nafcunturque leves, Per digitos humerofque plumje. Carm. !. ii. Ode 20. And Birtha purfues it, in two other paflages of this fpeech, by comparing her mind to the winged lightning, v. 950, and Calling upon Ella, v. 954, toarife and Jiy to meet her en the wings of his love- LI 2 ' 2 6o TRAGEDY OF ELLA. Youre eyne, alyche a baulme, wylle ftaunche hys bloode, Holpe oppe hys woundes, 6c yev hys harte alle cheere ; 960. Uponne your eyne he holdes hys lyvelyhode b ; You doe hys fpryte, & alle hys pleafaun.ee here. Comme, lette's awaie, albeytte ytte ys moke c , , Yette love.wille bee a tore d to tourne to.feere* nyghtes ; fmoke; BIRTH A. Albeytte' unwears f dyd the welkynn s rende, 965 Reyne, alyche fallynge ryvers, dyd ferfe bee, Erthe wythe the ay_re enchafed h dyd contende, Everychone breathe of wynde wythe plagues dyd flee, Yette I to Ella's eyne eftfoones- woulde flee ; Albeytte haWethornes dyd mie flefne enfeme 'i 970 Owlettes, wythe fcrychynge, fhakeynge everyche tree, And water-neders wrygglynge yn eche ftreme,, . Yette woulde T flie,..ne under coverte ftaie, Botte feke mie JElh owtej brave Celmonde, leade the wais. . A W O D E. HURRA, DANES. H U R R A. HEERE ynn yis forrefte lette us watche for pree, 975 Bewreckeynge ' on oure foemenne oure ylle warre ; *> Life, c Dark. d A torch. e Fire. ' Tempers. E Tbefky, or heaven. h Heated. 1 Furrows, or make /earns in. ' Revenging. Whatteverre V. 965. In the refolution which Birtha exprefles to meet her Lord, an afl'em- blage of the moft difagreeable obje&s is called forth, fhewing the great powers of the poet in thefe- terrific images. V. 9-5. The principles avowed by Hurra, in the following fcene, are very con*, formable to the character ufually given of the Danes* TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 26; Whatteverre fchalle be Englyfch wee vvylle flea, Spreddynge our ugfomme k rennome to afarre. Ye Dacyanne menne, gyff Dacyanne menne yee are, Lette nete botte blodde fuffycyle ' for 'yee bee; 9S0 On everich breafte yn gorie letteres fcarre m , Whatt fprytes you have, & howe thofe fprytes maie dree ". And gyf yee gette awaie to Denmarkes fhore, Eftefoones. we will retourne^cc wanqtiifhed bee ne rnocre. The battel le lofte, a battelle was yndede ; 985- Note queedes ° hemfelfes culde ftonde fo harde a fraie; Oure verie armoure, & oure heaulrnes dyd blede, The Dacyannes fpryteSj lyche dewe drops* fledde awaie. Ytte was an iElla dyd commaunde the daie j Ynn fpyte of foemanne, I mode faie hys myghte ; 990 Botte wee ynn hyndlettes p blodde the lofs wylle paie, Brynnynge % thatte we knowe howe to wynne yn fyghte ; Wee wylle, lyke wylfes enlcofed from chaynes, deftroie ; — Oure armoures — wynter nyghte fhotte r oute the daie of joie. Whene fwefte-fote tyme doe rolle the daie alonge, 995. Somme hamlette fcalle onto oure fhuyrie brende j Braftynge alyche a rocke, or mounty.yne ftronge, The talle chyrche-fpyre upon the grene fhalle bende ; k Terrible. ' Sufficient. m Mark. n Drive. " The Devil. * P infants. * Declaring, peiving. r Shut out. Wee V. 981. -yn gorie letteres fcarre, Eche hewing on other while they might dree The earth ftill kept the fcarre. Battle of Otterburn— Percy, vol. i. p. 29. V. 994 is obfcurely exprefled ; but the meaning may probably be, that their arms fhall exclude every gleam of joy, juft as a winter night excludes the beams ■of. day. «62 TRAGEDY GF ELLA. Wee wylle the walles, 6c auntyante tourrettes rende, Pete $ everych tree whych goldyn fruyte doe beere, lOoo Downe to thegoddes the ownerrs dhereof fende, Befprengynge ' alle abrode fadde warre 6c bloddie weere. Botte fyrfte to yynder oke-tree wee wylle flie; And thence wylle yffue owte onne all yatte commeth bie. ANODHER PARTE OF THE WOODE. CELMONDE, BIRTH A. B I R T H A. Thys merknefs u doe affraie mie wommanns breafle. 1005 Howe fable ys the fpreddynge flue arrayde! Hailie the bordeleire *, who lyves to refte, Ne ys att nyghtys fiemynge y hue dyfmayde ; The ftarres doe fcantillie 2 the fable hrayde a ; Wyde ys the fylver lemes b of comforte wove 5 1 o 1 o jSpeke, Celmonde, does ytte make thee notte afrayde ? CELMONDE. Merker the nyghte, the fitter tyde for love. * Beat, or pluck up. ' Scattering. " Darknefs. x Cottager, y Terrifying. z Scarcely, fparingly. * Embroider. b Rays, beams. BIRTH A. V. 1001. The Danifh mythology fuppofed their gods to inhabit the center of the earth. The Greeks had alfo their ©«i xaiTes/Gonoi ; and Homer calls Pluto ZfUJ XXTX^QiviOS. II. I. v. 457* V. 1005. The defcriptioni-n this fpeech is a counterpart tothatof Celmond, v. 926, and difplays fimilar beauties ; but how different are the imprcflions which the dark- nefs of the night makes on the minds of the two fpcakers ! Celmond enjoys its ap- proach, as affording opportunity and protection to his villainy : In Biitha it raifes apprehenfions of danger both to her virtue and fafety. 1 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 263 B I R T H A. Saieft thou for love ? ah ! love is far awafe. Faygne would I fee once moe the roddie lemes of daie. CELMONDE. Love maie bee nie, woulde Birtha calle ytte here. 1015 B I R T H A. How, Celmonde, dothe thou mene ? CELMONDE. Thys Celmonde menes. No leme c , no eyne, ne mortalle manne appere,. Ne lyghte, an acte of love for to bewreene d ; Nete in thys forrefte, botte thys tore % dothe fheene, The whych, potte oute, do leave the whole yn nyghte ; 1020 See ! howe the brauncynge trees doe here entwyne,- Makeynge thys bower fo pleafynge to the fyghte ; Thys was for love fyrfte made, & heere ytt flondes, Thatte hereynne lovers maie enlyncke yn true loves bondes. BIRTHA. Celmonde, fpeake whatte thou meneft, or alfe mie tboughtes Perchaunce maie robbe thie honefHe fo fayre. 1026 CELMONDE. Then here, & knowe, hereto I have you broughte, Mie longe hydde love unto you to make clere. BIRTHA. Oh heaven & earthe! whatte ys ytt I doe heare ? Am 1 betrafte f ? where ys mie JEUa, faie ! io3' Furious. z Tempejl. a Tortured. * Honaur. c InconfidUrabh. * Renown. * Stripped, torn aivay. f Cowardice. N n SERVY. t 7 4 TRAGEDY OF ELLA; SERVYTOURE. JE\h ys fleene ; the flower of Englonde's marrde ! 1 195 iELLA. Be ftylle : fwythe f lette the chyrches rynge mie knelle. Call hyther brave Coernyke ; he, as warde Of thys mie Bryftowe caflle, wyll doe welle. \Knclle ryngetb. <£LLA, EGWINA, SERVYTOURE, COERNYKE. M L L A. Thee I ordcyne the warde ; fo alle maie telle. I have botte lyttel tym to dragge thys lyfe ; 1 200 Mie lethal tale, alyche a lethalle belle, Dynne yn the eares of her I wyfchd mie wyfe ! Botte, ah ! fhee maie be fay re. EGWINA. Yatte flaee moile bee. iELLA. Ah ! faie nctte foe; yatte worde woulde ISLWa. dobblie flee. /ELLA, EGWINA, SERVYTOURE, COERNYKE, BIRTHA, HURRA, iELLA, Ah ! Birtha here ] f Quickly* BIRTHA, TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 275 B I R T H A. Whatte dynne s ys thys ? whatte menes yis leathalle knelle ? Where ys mie ./Ella ? fpeeke ; where ? howe ys hee ? 1206 Oh /Ella ! art thou yanne alyve and welle ! JE L L A. I lyve yndeed ;.botte doe notte lyve for thee.. B I R T H A.. Whatte menes mie /Ella ? JE L L A. Here mie meneynge fee. Thie foulnefs urged mie honde to gyve thys wounde, 12 10 Ytte mee unfprytes h . B I R T H A. Ytte hathe unfpryted mee. /ELLA. Ah heavens ! mie Birtha fallethe to the grounde ! Botteyette I am a manne, and fo wylle bee. HURRA. iElla ! I amme a Dane; botte yette a friende to thee. Thys damoyfelle I founde wythynne a woode, 12.^5 Strevynge fulle harde anenfte ' a burled ' fwayne ; I fente hym myrynge k ynne mie compheeres ' blodde, Celmonde hys name, chief of thie warrynge trayne. Yis damoifelle foughte to be here agayne ; The whyche, albeytte foemen, wee dydd wylle; 1220 So here wee broughte her wythe you to remayne. 1 Sound, * Un-fouls, or difpirits, l Jgainjr. J Armed. k Wallowing, 1 Companions. Nnz- COERNIJCE, 2 7 6 TRAGEDY OF ELLA. C O E R N I K E. Yee nobylle Danes ! wythe goulde I wyll you fyllc. ILLA. Birtha, mie lyfe ! mie love ! oh ! (he ys fayre. Whatte faultes coulde Birtha have, whatte faultes could ^Ella feare ? BIRTHA. Amm I yenne thyne ? I cannotte blame thie feere. 1225 Botte doe refte mee uponne mie .rElla's breaftej I wylle to thee bewryen m the woefulle gare n . Celmonde dyd comme to mee at tyme of refte, Wordeynge ° for mee to flie, att your requefte, To Watchette tGwne, where you deceafynge laie ; 1230 I wyth hym fledde ; thro' a murke wode we prefte, Where hee foule love unto mie eares dyd faie ; The Danes — iELLA. Oh ! I die contente. — \T)ieth. BIRTHA. O ! ys mie iElla dedde ? O ! I will make hys grave mie vyrgyn fpoufal bedde. [Y&nhzfeyndieth. COERNYKE. Whatt? MWa deadde ! 6c Birtha dyynge toe! 1235 Soe falles the fayreft flourettes of the playne. Who canne unplyte p the wurchys heaven can doe, Or who untwefte the role of fhappe q yn twayne ? * Declare. ■ Caufe. " Bringing me word, commanding ?ne. p Unfold. 1 Fate. 1 EA\z, TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 277 JElh, thie rennome was thie onlie gayne ; For yatte, thie pleafaunce, & thie joie was lofte. 124.0 Thie countrymen fhall rere thee, on the playne, A pyle of carnes % as anie grave can boafte ; Further, a jufte amede ' to thee to bee, Inne heaven thou fynge of Godde, on erthe we'lle fynge of thee. ' Stones. ' Reward. THE E N D E. It muft be obferved for the honour of our poet, that although Ella is compofed in ftanza's, which continue with great exactnefs and regularity through the whole play, and are no inconfiderable check to the genius of a dramatic poet ; yet the dialogue is carried on with the fame eafe and freedom, as if it was entirely unencumbered with meafure and rhime. In the Ludus Coventrize, or play of Cor- pus Chrifti, before alluded to, which is the only performance of the kind extant of equal antiquity with Rowley's age, the Dramatis Perfons begin and terminate their fpeeches regularly with the ftanza's. In that of Ella, the poet, without facrificing a ftridl; conformity to the metre, has improved the fpirit of the dialogue. For the ftanza in Ella is not the meafure of every fpeech, or of the paflion which the poet wifhes to raife and reprefent. The effect of furprize — the violence of refentment — the irritable fenfes of pride and jealoufy are finely and ftrongly marked by fudden changes of the dialogue in the different parts of the ftanza, and by making the fineft-modelled poetry fpeak the feelings and actings of the human heart. Dramatical pieces of this kind ufually dole with a moral reflection: Our poet is peculiarly happy in the application of this talent. He admires the unfearchable ways of Providence; obferves both on the merit and misfortunes of Ella, and afligns him his pofthumous reward, marking out the place of his interment with peculiar tokens of diftin£tion, and eternifing his name in fong ; honours adapted to the cuftom of the age in which he is fuppofed to have lived : But v.-i'h the piety of a Chriftian, and the judgment of a critic, he has properly diftinguilhcd the God from the hero, by giving to each his refpe&ive homage. Inne heaven thou fynge of Godde, on erthc we'lle fynge cf thee. GODDWYNj G O D D W Y N> A TRAGEDIE. By THOMAS ROWLEIE. PERSONS REPRESENTED. HarolDe, bie t t. Row/eie, the Au&hourc, Goddwyn, bie Johan de Ifcamme. Elwarde, bie Syrr Tbybbot Gorges. Alstan, bie Syrr Alan de Fere. Kynge Edward e, bie Maftre Willy am Canynge. Odhers bie Knyghtes Mynnftrells. [ 280 ] PROLOGUE, - Made bie Maistre WILLIAIvl CANYNGE. : W THYLOMME a bie penfmenne" moke c ungentle J name * ▼ Have upon Goddwynne Erie of Kente bin layde, Dherebie benymmynge e hymme of faie f and fame ; Unliart E diviniftres h haveth faide, Thatte he was knowen toe noe hallie i vvurche k ; 5: Botte thys was all hys faulte, he gyfted ne ' the churchc The audhoure m of the piece whiche we enacle, Albeytte n a clergyon % trouthe wyll wrytte. Inne drawynge of hys menne no wytte ys lackte; Entyn p a kynge mote q bee full pleafed to nyghte. 10 a Of old, formerly. b Writers, hiftoririns. c Much. d Inglorious, or uncivil. ' Bereaving. ' Faith. s Unforgiving, rather ungentle, or inflexible. h Divines^ clergymen, monks. ' Holy. * Work. ' Not. " Author. n Though, notwith- standing. ° Clerk, or clergyman, p Entyn, even. ' Might. Attende,. V. 4. Unliart, ungentle, inflexible, the oppofite to Hart; which, according to Skynner, means gentle, pliant. It is fo ufed by Chaucer, " My own Hard boy," Frers Tale, v. 714.5. It Signifies nimble, in an old Ballad, Percy, vol. ii. p. 19. The Teftament of Crefeis, v. 162, fpeaks of the Hart locks of Saturn ; and Bifliop Douglas ufes the word more than once for grey or white hair. It is not explained in Mr. Tyrwhit's Gloflary. V. 10. Entyn a kynge mote bee full pleafed to nyghte. The facred dramas which were reprefented in the churches, might fometimes have been performed in the morning ; but the remarkable one, called the Ludus Coventrise, or PROLOGUE. 281 Attende, and marcke the partes nowe to be done ; Wee better for toe doe do champyon r anie onne. 7 Challenge. or Corpus Chrifti Play, before mentioned *, was acted at fix in the evening j for the third Vexillator obferves in the Prologue. Munday next, yf that we may, At fix of the belle we gynne our play. It is faid in an old memoir of the fliews exhibited at Chriftmas, in 1489, " At " nyghte the Kyng, the Queene, and my Lady the Kynges Moder, cam into the " White Hall, and ther heard a play." Strutt's Ancient Cuftoms of the Engliih, vol. ii. Hall alfo mentions a difguifmg, or play, performed before Henry the VUIth at Windfor, to pleafe the Emperor, on Sunday June the 10th at night f. * Steevetu's Suppl. vol.i. p. 144. + Hall, fol. 99. Oo GODDWYN: [ 282 ] GODDWYN: A T R A G E D I E. THOUGH the Tragedy of Godwin is imperfect in its prefent ftate, yet it may be prefumed, from the prologue and dramatis perfona?, that it was compleated by the author, and performed by the perfons here named, three of whom had a part in the reprefentation of Ella : Sir Alan de Vere, the fourth actor, was probably a relation of John Vere, Earl of Oxford, who was beheided in the firft year of Edward the IVth; which is the beft conjecture we can make concerning him. The character he is fuppofed to reprefent, is that of Alftan ; but there is no fuch perfon mentioned in the play, unlefs he was introduced in a part of it which is now loft. The name, which is Saxon, certainly does not fuit with the character of Sir Hugh, who was a Norman. Maiftre William Canning honoured the performance by playing the part of King Edward, and penning a prologue in the fame ftanza's with Rowley's epiftle prefixed to Ella, in which he pays no fmall compliment both to the poet and the actors, and declares the play to have been written in order to refcue the character of Earl Godwin from thofe unjuft afperfions which the bigotry and malice of the ecclefiaftics had raifed againft him, for his want of liberality to monasteries and religious houfes; ; the endowment and enriching of them being confidered, in that. age, as the great criterion of piety. The cataftrophe feems to be totally wanting, and the play itfelf 5 g ives GODDWYN: A TRAGEDIE. 283 gives us little more than the general character of King Edward, as a bigot, or, as the poet ftiles him, A Super Halie Saynete King, inattentive to the government of his kingdom, and to the manage- ment of his revenues, neglectful of his Englifh fubjects, and a dupe to his Norman followers, which renders him contemptible to his Queen. — Godwyn and Harold are reprefsnted as the Englifh patriots, uniting their efforts to prevent their country from be- coming a prey to foreigners, and to the weaknefs of this f^per- ftitious monarch : It mud: be confeffed, however, that our hif- torians have not reprefented the Earl in fo favourable a light. The following character, given of him by Gervais of Canterbury, as quoted by Leland in his Collectanea, vol. i. p. 269, (hews that his abilities were well fuited to the part which he acts in this Tragedy : " Erat enim fenex ille fama clarus, lingua potens, " pertinax inpropolito, pervicax orator ad flectendos animos ** audientium." The annotator on Rapin affirms " him to " have been of an active and turbulent fpirit, not over confeien- " tious in acquiring and preferving his poffeffions; but acknow- *' ledges, that had he not been fo great a lover of his country, '* and an enemy to foreigners, thole who wrote in the Norman " times would have given him a fairer character." The imputing his fudden death to an act of divine vengeance, feems to have been a calumny invented by the Normans -, for the bed contem- porary writers do not afcribe it to that caufe. The hiltory on which this play is founded, not being very interefting, nor diversified with remarkable events, we may be permitted to fuggeft a reafon for the poet's choice of die fubj ft. Canning and his friend Rowley are called Yorkifts, in the notes on the Ballad of Charity ; and it is well known, that the former was a friend to King Edward, and had intereft with him. Now there is a remarkable fimilarity in the characters of Edward the Confeifor and of Henry the Vlth; both were virtuous and reli- O o 2 gious 2S4 GODDWYN: A TRAGEDIE. gious princes, but equally deficient in the maxims of policy, and principles of government, being alike the flaves of fuperftition, and the dupes of evil counfellors : Might not Rowley, then, flatter the political principles of his friend Canning, at the time that he was flrongly in Edward's interefl, by expoiing, under the character of the Confeffor, the weaknefs of Henry's government, and, by the generous and difinterefled views of Godwin and Harold, give credit to the caufe of the Yorkifts ? According to this fuppofition, theTragedy muft have been written before King Henry's depofition, in 1460. It may be objected, indeed, to this fuppofed parallel, that Rowley has given, in the Briftol Tragedy, a very different character of Henry, calling him a godlike king, and defcribing his- government as a reign of godly peace. Rut Rowley, like Waller, might turn his flile. Edward's refufal of Canning's petition in behalf of Sir Baldwin Fulford, the heavy fine of 3000 marks which the king had obliged him to pay, with the attempt to force a wife upon him, might have provoked a refentment, which communicated itfelf to his friend Rowley, and was difplayed in very fharp invectives againft that king. This idea, if admitted, will exclude all poffibility of forgery ; for Chatterton could not have been fo inconliftent as to give two fuch different characters of the fame prince, much lefs could he have forefeen, that fo juft a reafon could be affigned for reconciling thefe feeming contra- dictions with each other. Though this Tragedy and the Tournament are compofed in the fame ftanza's with Ella, yet the regularity of the meafure is not fo accurately preferved in them, efpecially in the firft twenty-nine lines of this play. There are alfo four lines of alternate rhimes interpofed between v. 40 and 44, unconnected with the preced- ing and following ftanza's ; nor are the fbinza's always clofed with an Alexandrine. Some little variation of this kind may alfo be. found in the Tournament, from v. 125 to v. 130. GODDWYNj GODDWYN: A TRAGEDIE. 285 GODDWYN; A TRAGEDIE. GODDWYN AND HAROLDE. GODDWYN. AROLDE! HAROLDE. Mie loverde a ! GODDWYN. O ! I weepe to thyncke, What foemen b rifeth to ifrete c the londe. Theie batten d onne her flefhe, her hartes bloude dryncke, And all ys graunted from the roieal honde. HAROLDE. Lette notte thie agreme e blyn f , ne aledge g flonde ; jp Bee I toe wepe, I wepe in teres of gore : Am I betrafTed h , fyke '' fhulde mie burlie k bronde DepeynCle ' the wronges on hym from whom I bore. » Lord. b Foes, enemies. c Devour, deftroy, rather harrafs, confume. d Fatten. e Grievance; a fenfe of it. f Ceafe, be ftill. g Idly, or at eafe. h Deceived, im- pofedon. 'So. k Fury, anger, rage, rather, my armed /word. ' Paint, difplay. GODDWYN. V. 2. To ifrete the land is not, as Chatterton has explained the word, to devour or deftroy, but to fret and confume the land, juft as ruft confumes iron : So Gaf- coigne fpeaks of a knife with rujl yfret. Dan. Bar. p. 68. V. 8. The fpirit of Harold, in this and his other fpeeches, appears very fuitable to the character he bears in hiftory, and to what his father fays of him in thefe lines, Godwin was more mild, artful, and perfuafive. 2 86 GODDWYN: A TRAGEDIE. G O D D W Y N. I ken thie fpryte n ful welle ; gentle thou art, Stringe °, ugfomme p , rou q , as fmethynge r armyes feeme; Yett efte % I feare, thie chefes ' toe grete a parte, 1 1 And that thie rede u bee efte borne downe bie breme x . What tydynges from the kynge ? H A R O L D E. His Normans know. I make noe compheeres y of the (hemrynge ■ trayne. GODDWYN. Ah Harolde ! tis a fyghte of myckle woe, 15 To kenne thefe Normannes everich rennome gayne. What tydynge withe the foulke a ? HAROLDE. Stylle mormorynge atte yer fhap b , ftylle toe the kynge Theie rolle theire trobbles, lyche a forgie fea. Hane Englonde thenne a tongue, butte notte a itynge ? 20 Dothe alle compleyne, yette none wylle ryghted bee ? "Soul. 'Strong. 'Terrible. "■ Horrid, grim. ' Smoking, bleeding. 'Oft. Heat,ra(hnefs. " Counfel, wifdom. * Strength, alfo ftrong, or fury, violence, y Companions. z Taudry, glimmering. a People. b Fate, deitiny. GODDWYN. V. 19. This image is peculiarly beautiful, and exprefTes not only the loudnefs, but alfo the repeated force and irrefiftible power of the popular clamours. So Hurra fays, The Saxons lyche a billoive rolle. Ella, v. 725. Mr. Rowe has very happily expreffed the fame idea in Jane Shore, when fhe complains, That her tranfgreflions, great and numberlefs, — Had covered her like rifmg floods, And preffed her like a weight of waters down. GODDWYN: A TRAGEDIE. 28? G O D D W Y N. Awayte the tyme, whanne Godde wylle fende us ayde. H A R O L D E. No, we mufte ftreve to ayde ourefelves wyth powre. Whan Godde wylle fende us ayde ! tis fetelie c prayde. Mofte we thofe calke d awaie the lyve-longe howre? 2£ Thos croche e oure armes, and ne toe lyve dareygne f , Unburled e , undelievre h , unefpryte ' ? Far fro mie harte be fled thyk k thoughte of peyne, He free mie countrie, or Ule die yn fyghte. GODDWYN. Botte lette us wayte untylle fomme feafon fytte. 30 Mie Kentyfhmen, thie Summertons fhall ryfej Adented ' prowefs m to the gite n of witte % Agayne the argent p horfe fhall daunce yn fkies. Oh Harolde, heere forftraughteynge q wanhope r lies. Englonde, oh Englonde, tys for thee I blethe '. off Whylfle Edwarde to thie fonnes wylle nete alyfe ', Shulde anie of thiegfonnes fele aughte of ethe u ? Upponne the trone * I fette thee, helde thie crowne ; Botte oh ! twere hommage nowe to pyghte y thee downe, c Nobly, or finelyr-ironically fpoken. * Caft. e Crofs, from erouche, a crofs. 'Attempt, or endeavour. 6 Unarmed. b Unadtive. ' Unfpiritcd. k Such. ' Fattened, annexed. m Might, power, or valour. " Mantle, or robe. ° IVtfdom, or knowledge, f White, alluding to the arms of Kent, a horfe faliant, argent. i Diftracling. r Defpair. • Bleed. ' Allow. u Eafe. * Throne. v Pluck. Thou V. 31. Harold's Somertons, or men of Somerfetfhire, were undoubtedly under his jurifdiction as Earl of Weflex ; and the argent horfe is the known emblem and armorial enfign of Godwin's earldom of Kent, 283 GODDWYN: A TRAGEDIE. Thou arte all preefte, & nothcynge of the kynge. 40 Thou arte all Norman, nothynge of mie blodde. Know, ytte befeies 2 thee notte a mafle to fynge ; Servynge thie leegefolcke a thou arte fervynge Godde. H A R O L D E. Thenne Ille doe heaven a fervyce. To the fkyes The dailie contekes b of the londe afcende. 45 The wyddowe, fahdrelefie, & bondemennes cries Acheke c the mokie d aire & heaven aftende e . On us the rulers doe the folcke depende; Hancelled f from erthe thefe Normanne hyndes % fhalle beej Lyche a battently h low ; , mie fwerde flialle brende k ; 50 Lyche fallynge fofte rayne droppes, I wyll hem ' flea m ; Wee wayte too longe j our purpofe wylle defayte n ; Aboune ° the hyghe empryze p , 6c rouze the champyones flrayte. G O D D W Y N. Tine fufter— H A R O L D E. Aye, I knowe, flie is his queene. Albeytte % dyd fhee fpeeke her foemen r fayre, 55 I wulde dequace s her comlie femlykeene ', And foulde mie bloddie anlace u yn her hayre. 1 Becomes. a Subjects. b Contentions, complaints. c Choke. d Dark, cloudy. e Aftonifh. f Cut off, deftroyed. e Slaves. • h Loud, roaring, or violent. 'Flame of fire. k Burn, confume. 'Them. "'Slay. " Decay, or be defeated. "Make ready. p Enterprize. q Notwithftanding. ' Foes. s Mangle, deftroy, or quajh. 1 Beauty, countenance. u An ancient fword. GODDWYN. V. 52. Defayte is here ufed as a verb neuter ; defeat^ in modern language, is only ufed actively. . GODDWYN: A TRAGEDIE. 289 G O D D W Y N. Thye fhuir x blyn \ H A R O L D E. No, bydde the leathal z mere % Uprifle b withe hiltrene c wyndes & caufe unkend J , Behefle e it to be lete f ; fo twylle appeare, 60 Eere Harolde hyde hys name, his contries frende. The gule-fteynct s brygandyne h , the adventayle ; , The feerie anlace brede k fhal make mie gare ' prevayle. GODDWYN. Harolde, what wuldeft doe ? HAROLDE. Bethyncke thee whatt. Here liethe Englonde, all her drites m unfree, 65 Here liethe Normans coupynge n her bie lotte, Caltyfnyng ° everich native plante to gre p , Whatte woulde I doe ? I brondeous q wulde hem flee r ; Tare owte theyre fable harte bie ryghtefulle breme s ; Theyre deathe a meanes untoe mie lyfe fhulde bee, 70 Mie fpryte fhulde revelle yn theyr harte-blodde nreme. Eftfoones I wylle bewryne r mie ragefulle ife, And Goddis anlace u wielde yn furie dyre. x Fury. J Ceafe. z Deadly. a Lake. b Swolleh, or rifing up. c Hidden. d Unknown. e Command. f Still. g Red-ftained. h 'Parts of armour. k Broad. 1 Caufe. m Rights, liberties. n Cutting, mangling. ° Forbidding, fettering* confining, f Grow, i Furious. ' Slay. s Strength, rather, fury. ' Declare. u Sword. GODDWY N. V. 67. Caltyfning. Chatterton feems to have miftaken the fenfeof this word.; it does not mean to forbid, but to confine, or- keep prifoner. Thus Ella calls matri- mony a catyfnede vow, or a vow which held him captive. Pp 2 9 o GODDWYN: A TRAGEDIE. G O D D W Y N. Whatte wouldeft thou wythe the kynge ? H A R O L D E. Take offe hys crowne ; The ruler of fomme mynfter x hym ordeyne ; 75 Sette uppe fom dygner y than I han pyghte z downe j And peace in Englonde fhulde be brayd a agayne. GODDWYN. No, lette the fuper-hallie b feyncle kynge reygne, Ande fomme moe reded c rule the untentyrf d reaulme j Kynge Edwarde, yn hys cortelie, \yylle deygne 80. To yielde the fpoiles, and alleyne were the heaulme : Botte from mee harte bee everych thoughte of gayn&, Not anie of mie kin I wyfche him to ordeyne. H A R O L D E. Tell me the meenes, and I wylle boute ytte ftrayte ; Bete ' mee to flea f miefelf, ytte fhalle be done. 8j> GODDWYN. To thee I wylle fwythynne s the menes unplayte h , Bie whyche thou, Harolde, fhalte be proved mie fonne. I have longe feen whatte peynes were undergon, Whatte agrames ' braunce k out from the general tree ; The tyme ys commynge, whan the mollock ' gron m 90 Drented n of alle yts fwolynge ° owndes p fhalle bee; " Monaftery. >' More worthy. z Pulled, plucked. ' Difplayed, proclaimed. * Over-righteous. c Counfelled, more wife. d Uncareful, neglected, rather* negligent, unatteniive. e Bid, command. f Slay. E Prefently. h Explain. ' Grie- vances. k Branch. 'Wet, moift. ra Fen, moor. "Drained. "Swelling, f Waves. Mie GODDWYN: A TRAGEDIE. 291 Mie remedie is goode; our menne mall ryfe : Eftfoons the Normans and owre agrame , flies. H A R O L D E. I will to the Weft, and gemote r alle mie knyghtes, Wythe bylles that pancte for blodde, and fheeldes as brede ' Q$ As the ybroched ' moon, when blaunch u (he dyghtes * The wodeland grounde or water-mantled mede ; Wythe hondes whofe myghte canne make the doughtieft* blede, Who efte have knelte upon forflagen z foes, Whoe wythe yer fote orrefts a a caftle-ftede ", 100 Who dare on kynges for to bewrecke e yiere woes ; Nowe wylle the menne of Englonde haile the daie, Whan Goddwyn leadcs them to the ryghtfulle fraie. G O D D W Y N. Botte firfte we'll call the loverdes '' of the Weft, The erles of Mercia, Conventrie and all ; 105 The moe wee gayne, the gare e wylle profper befte, Wythe fyke a nomber wee can never fall. H A R O L D E. True, fo wee fal doe beft to lyncke the chayne, And alle attenes f - the fpreddynge kyngedomme bynde. 1 Grievance. ' AfTemble. ■ Broad. ' Horned, pointed. " White. * Decks. ' Mightieft, moft valiant. z Slain. a Overfets, overcomes. b A caftle. c Revenge. d Lords. c Caufe. ' At once. No V. 105. The pioUs Leofric, hufband to Godiva, the patronefs of Coventry, was then Earl of Mercia; he died in the 13th year of Edward u.; ConfefTor. P p 2 292 GODDWYN: A TRAGEDIE. No crouched E champyone wythe an harte moe feygne h 1 ic Dyd yfluc owte the hallie ' fwerde to fynde, Than I nowe ftrev to ryd mie londe of peyne. Goddwyn, what thanckes owre laboures wylle enhepe k ! I'lle ryfe mie friendes unto the bloddie pleyne ; I'lle wake the honnoure thatte ys now aflepe. 1 1 e-. When wylle the. chiefes mete atte thie feaftive halle, That I wythe voice alowde maie there. upon 'em calle ? GODDWYN. Next eve, mie fonne. H A R O L D E. Nowe, Englonde, ys the tyme, Whan thee or thie felle ' foemens caufe mofte die. Thie geafon m wronges bee reyne n ynto theyre pryme ; 12c Nowe wylle thie fonnes unto thie fuccoure file. Alyche a florm egederinge ° yn the fkie, Tys fulle ande brafleth p on the chaper q grounde ; s One who takes up the Crofs in order to fight againft the Saracens. h PPtUlng t iejirous. ' Holy. k Heap upon us. ' CrueL m Rare, extraordinary, ftrange. ' Run, foot up. ° AfFembling, gathering, ? Burftcth. * Dry, barren. Sycke V. lie. The crouched champions were thofe who had tak&n.the Crote, and had received a blefled or holy fword, on their being confecrated knights. V. 120. Geafon wrongs are properly explained by Chatterton, rare and extra- ordinary; fo in the Introduction to Ella, geafon baubles are rare jewels. The word jej-nc occurs in this fenfe in the Saxon Chronicle, ad an. m6,and is ufed by Gaf- coigne in his poetry, The old fau is not geafon. Dan. Barth. p. 74. that is, The old faying is not rare. And again, Which in my head is full geafon. Herbes, p. 151. Ray calls it an Jiffex word, GODDWYN: A TRAGEDIE, 2 J. 3 Sycke fhalle mie fhuirye on the Normans file, And alle theyre mittee r menne be fleeiie '' arounde. 125 Nowe, nowe, wylle Harolde or oppreffionne falle, Ne moe the Englyfhmenne yn vayne for hele ' flial calle. KYNGE EDWARD E and iiys QUEEN E. Q^U E E N E. BOTTE, loverde u , whie fo manie Normannes here ? Mee thynckethe wee bee notte yn Englyflie londe. Thefe browded x ftraungers alwaie doe appere, 130 Theie parte. yor trone y , and fete at your ryghte honde. KYNGE. Go to, goe to, you doe ne underftonde : Theie yeave mee lyffe, and dyd mie bowkie z kepe 3 j Theie dyd mee feefte, and did embowre b me gronde ; To trete hem ylle wulde lette mie kyndneffe flepe. 135 QJJ E E N E. Mancas c you have yn ftore, and to them parte ; Youre leege-folcke d make moke e dole f , you have theyr vvorthe afterte s . 'Mighty. "Slain. 'Help. "Lord. "Embroidered; 'tis conjectured, em- broidery was not ufed in England till Hen. II. y Throne. z Perfon, body. a Take care of. b Lodge, rather, inhabit, or cultivate. c Marks, rather, tr.ancufes, improperly called marks. d Subjects. e Much. 'Lamentation. E Neglected, or pafled by. KYNGE. V. 134. Embowre me gronde, i. e. fettled, cultivated, and built on my land; from the A. S. words Byan to inhabit, and Bauer a farmer. V. 136. The Mancas and Marks, though ufed here fynonimoufly for mon general, were two different fpecies; the former was the ancient name for the Imperial Aureus ; the Mark was a nummulary eftimate, in value two thirds of a pound, but from the fimilarity of the two names, from the former growing into di!. G () D 1) W Y N : A TRAGEDI E. K Y N G E. I hefle h no rede ' of you. I ken mie friendes. ilallie k dhcie are, fulle ready mee to hele '. Theyre volundes m are yftorven ,! to felf endes ; 140 No denwere ° yn mie brefte I of them fele : I mufte to prayers j goe yn, and you do wele ; I mufte ne loie the dutie of the daie ; Go inne, go ynne, ande viewe the azure rele ? , Fulle welle I wote you have noe mynde toe praie. 145 s Require, aflc, command. ' Counfel, or advice. k Holy. 'Help. m Wills. "Dead. Doubt. p Waves, blue waves. See Metam, v. 105. QJJ E E N E. difufe, and the latter becoming a common money of account, the terms were con- founded by the hiftorians of the middle age, and promifcuoufly ufed for each other, as will appear in William of Malmfbury, and in the Latin tranflation of Alfred's will : Rowley has followed the hiftorians in this miftake; but no author, fince his time, has ufed the word Manca for money, and where fhould Chatterton have found it ? But no circumftance in this play is better authenticated by hiftory, than the chara&er of Sir Hugh, the king's favourite Norman treafurer : He fhould rather have been filled Earl Hugh, and Queen Emma's favourite; for the Saxon Chronicle, and Simeon of Durham, tell us, that fhe appointed him governor of Devonfhire; and that by his folly, neglect, and treachery, he gave the Danes an opportunity of forcibly entering into and plundering Exeter, deftroying the city wall, from the eaft to the weft gate, and returning to their fhips with great booty. " Anno 1003. Hoc anno Rex Danorum Swanus per infilium, incuriam, & " traditionem Ts'ormanni Comitis Hugonis, qucm Regina Emma Domnaniaa prae- " fecit, Civitatem Exceftriam infregit, fpoliavit, murum ab orientali ufque adocci- " dentalem portam deftruxit, & cum ingenti praeda naves repetiit." Sim. Dunelm. p. 165. See, alfo, Dugdale's Bar. vol. i. p. 12. and Hoveden, p. 140. The dialogue which he holds with the Kino; is ftrictly conformable to his office. The king orders Sir Hugh, as governor of Devonfhire, to guild the JVeJl, which was at that time under Harold's jurifdiction, as Earl of WefTex : On his refufal, the qilar orders with refpec/t to Kent, of which Godwin was Earl, which d — Is it within the idea cf poffibility, that Chatterton fhculd have been rated thefe fails fo accurately, -which he could only have collected our Latin hiftorians, whofe language he did not underftand ? GODDWYN: A TRAGEDIE. z 9i Q^U E E N E. I leeve youe to doe horn mage heaven- were q j To ferve yor leege-folcke toe is doeynge hommage there. KYNGE and Syr HUGHE. K Y N G E. Mie friende, Syr Hughe, whatte tydynges brynges thee here? HUGHE. There is no mancas r yn mie loverdes s ente ' j The hus dyfpenfe u unpaied doe appere ;. 150 The lafte receivure x ys eftefoones y difpente ". KYNGE. Thenne guylde the Wefte. HUG JJ.E. Mie loverde, I dyd fpeke Untoe the mitte a Erie Harolde of the thynge - } He rayfed hys honde, and fmote me onne the cheke, Saieynge, Go beare thatte meflage to the kynge. i$c KYNGE. Arace b hym of hys powere ; bie Goddis worde, Ne moe thatte Harolde mall ywield the erlies fwerde. HUGHE. Atte feefon fytte, mie loverde, lette itt bee ; Botte nowe the folcke doe foe enalfe c hys name, i Heaven-ward, or God-ward. r Mancufts. 'Lords. ' Purfe, ufcd here probably as a treafury. u Expence. * Receipt. » Soon. z Expended. a A contra&ion of mighty. b Diveft. c Embrace, rather, exalt, from inaharc. •2 Inne 296 GODDWYN: A TRAGED1E. Inne ftrevvynge to flea hymme, ourfelves wee flea ; 160 Syke ys the doughtynefs d of hys grete fame. K Y N G E. Hughe, I beethyncke, thie rede e ys notte-to blame. Botte thou maieft fynde fulle ftore of marckes f yn Kente. HUGHE. Mie noble loverde, Godwynn ys the fame ; He fweeres he wylle notte fwelle the Normans ent e . 1 65 K Y N G E. Ah traytoure ! botte mie rage I wylle commaunde, Thou arte a Normanne, Hughe, a ftr.aunger to the launde. Thou kennefte howe thefe Englyfche erle doe bere Such ftednefs '' in the yll and evylle thynge, Botte atte the goode theie hover yn den were ! , 170 Onknowlachynge k gif thereunto to clynge. HUGHE. Onwordie fyke a marvelle ' of a kynge I 'O Edwarde, thou deferveft purer leege m .; To thee heie " fhulden al theire mancas brynge ; Thie nodde fhould fave menne, and thie glomb ° forflege v . I amme no curriedowe q , I lacke no wite T , 176 I fpeke whatte bee the trouthe, and whatte all fee is ryghte. KYNGE. Thou arte a hallie s manne, I doe thee pryze. Comme, comme, and here and hele ' mee ynn mie praires. d Mightinefs. c Counfel. f Mancufes. s Purfe. k Firmncfs, {ledfaftnefs. 'Doubt, fufpenfe. k Not knowing. 'Wonder. m Homage, obey fance. "They. "Frown, f Kill 1 Curriedowe, flatterer. ' Reward. s Holy. ' Help. FuDe GODDWYN: A TRAGEDIE. 297 Fulle twentie mancas I wylle thee alife u , 180 And twayne of hamlettes * to thee and thie heyres. Soe flialle all Normannes from mie londe be fed, Theie alleyn y have fyke love as to acquyre yer bredde. ■ Allow. * Manors, i Alone. As to the general defign of the play,, it could not be the poet's intention to make (he grofs flattery of this Norman courtier, the prodigality and bigotry of the king, and the difaffection of Godwin and Harold, his principal objects, without inter- weaving fome more interesting events. It fhould feem, therefore, that either the Tragedy was never compleated, or that the conclufion of it was loft, with that of the Ode, or Chorus, which is now made an appendage to it ; for it will admit of much doubt, whether thefe two pieces were originally fo nearly connected : The poetry of the Chorus, is manifeftly fuperior to that of the Tragedy ; nor do the cha- racters of Freedom, Power, and War, introduced in the former, apply to the hiftory of Godwin; in which we fee only faint efforts of Freedom, no extraordinary exertion of Power , and fcarcely the appearance of IFar ; but all thefe contentions are ftrongly exemplified in Ella : The Power of the Danifii invaders — the Freedom or deliverance from their tyranny, procured by Ella's arms — and the diftreiTes of War neceiTarily following this conteft : We may add, likewife, that the fpirit and fentiments contained in Ella, are much more fuitable to the language of this Ode, than the tame dialogue in Godwin. It cannot but be lamented, however, that the character of War, fo familiar to Rowley, and fo worthy of his pen, fhould have some imperfect to our hands. Q^q CHORUS. 298 GODDWYN: A TRAGEDIE. CHORUS. WHAN Freedom, drefte yn blodde-fteyned vefle, To everie knyghte her warre-fonge funge, 185 Uponne her hedde wylde wedes were fpredde ; A gorie anlace bye her hdnge. She daunced onne the heathe -, She hearde the voice of deathe ; Pale-eyned affryghte, hys harte of fylver hue, 190 In vayne aiTayled z her bofomme to acale a ; She hearde onflemed b the fhriekynge voice of woe, And fadnefTe ynne the owlette make the dale. z Endeavoured. ' Freeze. b Undifmayed. She This Ode, or Chorus, is undoubtedly one of the mod fublime compofitions of Rowley's pen; a rival, even in its prefent imperfect flate, to the fong on Ella, and if compleat, would probably gain an indifputable preference. It fcaicely contains a redundant word, or fails in a deficient expreffion, nor can its powerful imagery be conveyed in more concife and emphatical language. Freedom never appeared in a more original drefs, than in her fummons to war; — in her wild attire ; — her undaunted fpirit; — her enduring fortitude; and the effectual manner in which (lie avenges herfelf of her enemy. The idea of Power, is conveyed in the moft lofty images, borrowed, as it mould feem, from Homer's defcription of Eris, or Strife: — — — 'Efij o.[aotcv it.ijj.oi.uiXy "* Aptog clvSpQfp'jvoio y.ct,rnn y irxpn n, Ht' oAiyri jj.iv ttputx xoputro-£T&i, ccvrcp iTTHra. OvPCLVU £0"TJ)Pl£f X.O.P1], K.0U iTTl J^fiiH Qxt'jH. II. A. V. 44O. Difcord, dire fifter of the flaughtering power, Small at her birth, but rifing every hour; Whilft fcarce the fkies her horrid head can bound, £he ftalks on earth, and fhakes the world around. Pope, B. iv. v. 504. GODDWYN: A TRAGEDIE. 299 She fhooke the burled c fpeere, On hie £he jefte d her fheelde, jgr Ker foemen ° all appere, And flizze f alonge the feelde. Power, wythe his heafod g {fraught " ynto the {kyes, Hys fpeere a fonne-beame, and his fheelde a ftarre, Alyche ' t\\ aie k brendeynge ! gronfyres m rolls hys eyes, 200 Chaftes n with hys yronne feete and foundes to war. She lyttes upon a rocke, She bendes before hys fpeere, She ryfes from the fhocke, Wieldynge her owne yn ayre. 205 c Armed, pointed. d Hoifted on high, raifed. e Foes, enemies. ' Fly. g Head. h Stretched. 'Like. k Two. 'Flaming. "Meteors. ■ Beats, ftamps, rubs. Harde This paffage is pointed out by the critics, and indeed by Longinus himfelf, as a remarkable in fiance of fublirnity, well fuited to the vaft reach and elevation of Homer's genius, rap. ix. — But this idea is not peculiar to Homer. The author of the Wifdom of Solomon has applied it with no Icfs dignity to the deftru&ive hand of God, ftretched out againft Egypt. " The Almighty word brought thine unfeigned commandment as afharp fword, " and {landing up, filled all things with death ; and it touched the heaven, but itjiood " upon the earth." Chap, xviii. 16. Our poet not only raifes Power to the ikies, but cloaths it alfo with celeftial armour. Hys fpeere a fonne-beame, and his fheelde a ftarre. Indeed the greateft exertions of human power, taken notice of by facred and profane hiftorians and poets, were thofe employed againft heaven ; fuch as the rebellion of the fallen angels, and the war of the Giants. The iron feet of Power are emblematical of flrength. Thus the power of the Babylonifh Empire was reprefented to Daniel by an image whofe legs were of iron, ch. ii. v. 33. GODDWYN: A TRAGEDIE. Ilarde as the thonder dothe flic drive ytte on, Wytte fcillye ° vvympled p gies q ytte to hys crowne, Hys longe fharpe fpeere, hys fpreddynge flieelde ys gon, He falles, and fallynge rolleth thoufandes down. War, goare-faced war, bie envie burld r , arifl ', 210 Hys feerie heaulme ' noddynge to the ayre, Tenne bloddie arrowes ynne hys flreynynge fyfle— - Clofcly, -with /kill. f Mantled, covered, or protetfed. *> Guides. 'Armed* • Arofe. ' Helmet. V. 207. This line may be read thus : With fcill, gcwimpled gies yt to his crowne. L-e. covered and protected by (kill, (he directs her (pear to his crown. THE [ 3°* ] THE TOURNAMENT. THE Tournament may be conlidered either as a Dramatic or Historical Poem, intended to celebrate the rebuilding Redcliff church by Simon de Burton, near the fpot where the prefent magnificent ftructure was afterwards erected by William Canning, and other benefactors. Rowley has fhewn the fertility of his invention, in gracing this hiftory with an entertainment, dramatical in its plan, and well adapted to the tafte of the age in which he lived. For though it appears, by the undoubted testimony of Leland, Tanner, and other antiquaries, that Simon de Burton built this church, and a row of almihoufes which flill bears his name * ; yet they fpeak of him, not as a military man, but a merchant, who had been five times mayor of Briftol. His vow of building this church, is here fuppofed to have been made at a Tournament, where feveral perfons of refpectable names and families, then extant, are faid to have afiifted ; all this, how- ever, may have been the invention of the poet : But the fact itfelf, the rebuilding the church, cannot be invalidated by the decorations of Rowley's pen, nor by the fictitious perfonages and circumftances introduced in the poem; they may, however, {hew that fuch a mixture of true hiftory and invention, could not have been the produce of Chatterton's brain. A MS Chronicle of Briftol i * " The Almefe houfe, by St. Thomas church, called Burtons Almcs howfe. " Burton, Maicr of the towne, and foundder, is buried in it." Leland's Itn. vol. vii. p. 89. that 3 o2 THE TOURNAMENT. that in 1292, " the church of St. Mary Redcliff was begun to " be built by Simon de Burton, and alfo the almfhoufes in the a long row. He built both church and almfhoufes." It appears, alfo, that the church of St. Mary Redcliff wanted reparation or rebuilding at the latter end of the thirteenth century; as feveral epifcopal indulgences were then granted to thofe who mould contribute to that work ; fome of thefe were found by Mr. Barrett, in one of the cheft s in the room over the fouth porch' of the church, when, upon Chatterton's information, he fearched there for more of Rowley's papers. One of them was granted itt 1232, by John bifhop of Ardfert, who though depofed from his bifhoprick, yet enjoyed epifcopal powers, and retired to the abbey of St. Albans; another was granted by Robert Burnell, bifhop of Bath and Wells, in 1274; both which are ftill in Mr. Barrett's poffeflion: And the third is from Peter Quivill, bifhop of Exeter,- dated at Redcliff, July 4th, 1287, in which thirty days indulgence is given to all fuch of his diocefe as fhould fay the Lords prayer,, and the Salutation of the Virgin Mary, for the fouls of thofe, whofe bodies lay interred in Redcliff church-yard, and who would contribute to fupport and repair the faid church. But whether it was entirely rebuilt, or only underwent a general reparation at Burton's expence, Rowley's yellow roll afferts, that it was dedi- cated on the day of the nativity of our Lord, in honour of the Virgin Mary, by Gilbcrtus de Lean del Fardo, Bifhop of Chichefter. Now it appears by Le Neve's Fafti, that Gilbertus de Santo Leo-- fardo was promoted to that fee (having been nrft treafurer of the church) in 1287, and died in 1308, which agrees very well with the aera affigned by Leland and Tanner to Burton's benefactions: Other particulars, relating to the building of this church, are faid to be contained in Rowley's MS. entitled, " Vita Simonis de Burton," in Mr. Barrett's poffcffion. Rowley, in his emendals to Turgot's Hiftory of Briflol, fpeaks of another church which was begun to be built on the fame fpot r during THE TOURNAMENT. 303 during the reign of Henry the Sixth, by Lamington the pirate, whofe ftory has been mentioned before. P. 180. The military exercifes called Tournaments, which by degrees prevailed over all Europe, are laid by Munfter (though his account is not much credited) to have been fir ft inftituted in 934. The Chronicle of Tours, fuppofed to be better authority, does not give them an earlier date than 1066, and fays that they were invented by Geoffroi the lid, Lord of Preulli in Angers. From France they were communicated to the Englifh and Germans. Muh. Paris expreflly calls them conjiiBus Gallicus; and Gul. Neubrigenfis fays, that they were not known in England till the reign of King Stephen: But Pope Urban the lid, in his addrefs to the crufaders, Anno 1095, thus ftigmatifes the practice j " Arma qua? casde " mutua in bellis illicite 6c Torneamentis cruentaftis, in hoftes " convertite fidei*." This exercife, therefore, probably had a more early commencement, by its being fo generally praclifed at that time. In the reign of King John t, Anno 1215, Robert Fitzwalter Marfhall iflued out a fummons for a Tournament at Flounllow ; and about the year 1241, Gilbert Marfhall, Earl of Pembroke, proclaimed a Tournament on horfeback at Ware, under the name of Fortunium, to avoid the force of the king's proclamation againft Tournaments. He was thrown from his horfe in that exercife, and trampled to death. Indeed they had been forbidden both by Papal and Regal authority. Pope Alex- ander the I lid, in the council of Lateran (M. Paris, p. 137, anno 1 179) denied Chriftian burial to fuch as were killed in them; and Innocent the IVth, in the council of Lyons, anno 1245, forbad the ufe of them for three years, under the penalty of ex- communication. But the thunders of the Vatican could not prevail over the fpirit of chivalry, which continued to fupport thefe military exercifes to the time of Henry the VUIth, who exhibited a moll M. Paris, P. 23. f Idem, P. 265. magnificent 3) a formulary of ancient Tournaments, as eftablifhed by John Tiptoft, earl of Worcefter, lord conflable of England, in the 6th year of Edward the IVth ; but it contains nothing material to the illustration of this poem,, except that the conflable and the marfhal deliver the Spears to the combatants ; the marfnal calls the defendant with three diStinct fummons, the lail of which is at noon. So Burton fays, The mynflrelles have begonne the thyrde ivarrfonge, Yett notte a fpeere of hemm hath grete* my fyghte. v. 23. * Grete for greted, i. e. pleafed' or gratified. The targe is there called the P rains., meaning pavois ; and the gleave is diflinguiflied from the fpear, long fword, and fhort Sword. The ground is marked out and enclofed ; the company ailembled, either by flriking hammers againfl. a bell, or by found of trumpet; Minflrells fing war-Songs, to excite valour in the combatants, and to hail the fuccefsful victors of the day. Three of thefe war-fongs had been fung before any rival to Burton appeared. The herald, or Jon of bo?wur (as he calls himSelf) delivers the fpears to the knights, each of whom is attended by a fquire. The firft; knight challenges his ground, by claiming a paflage on a part of the field where the antagonift is to oppofe his way. He then throws down his gauntlet as a token of challenge, which is accepted by his antagonift. The engage- ment begins by found of trumpet; the victor of the day is declared king of the Tourney tilte ; the whole affembly pay him the homage of the knee: He wins the honoured fhield. The Englifh banner is difplayed on the tent, probably, to i diftinguifh: THE T O U R N A M E N T. 6°5 guifh the conquefl over ftrange knights. The minftrells fing an Epinikion, and the victor is carried in ftate to the prelident or king of the Tournament; for Anftis obferves, (in his Supplement to Afhmole's Garter, p. 304) that there were Reges Ludorum, et Circuhrum, among the Germans, prefiding at Tournaments, and that there was a remarkable one, known by the title of Roy d" Epinette, or Roy de Brandons, at the Tournament annually holden at Lifle in Flanders. Some of thefe circumftances are mentioned by Spenfer, in the combat between the Red Crofs Knight and the Sarazin Sansfoy, A fhrilling trumpet founded from on high, And unto battail bad themfelves addrefs, And forth he comes into the common hall, Where early wait him many a gazing eye, To weet what end to ftranger knights may fall Where many minftrelles maken melody. B. i. c. 5. ft. 31.. In a word, the ceremonial, as here reprefented, is fo well adapted to the cuftoms of that age, that it could not have been fo accurately defcribed by any fubfequent writer, who was not perfectly inftrudled in the ancient formulary : Chatterton, there- fore, could not have been the author, as will further appear from other circumftances in this poem. R r THE t 306 J THE TOURNAMENT, AN INTERLUDE* Enter an HERAWD E.. ^pHE Tournament begynnes; the hammerrs founder **- The courferrs lyfle a about the menfuredd b fielder The (hemrynge c armoure throws the fheene d arounde j Quayntyfled c fons f depi&edd B onn eche. fheelde. * Sport, or play, or bound. b Bounded, or meafured. c Shining. d Lujlrt*. c Curiou/ly dcvifed. f Fancies or devices. B Painted, or difplayed. The The author having prefixed Introductions to his two dramatic pieces of Ella and Godwin, it may be prefumed that he alfo intended one for the Tournament, and fcs it feems he did ; but by an error in the MS, or a miftake in the tranfcriber, it is now confounded with the poem, and put into the mouth of the Herald ; who is very improperly introduced ridiculing his own profeflion, by remarking on the abfur- dities introduced into coat-armour. He holds a very different language, however,. in the following part of his fpeech : The firft ftanza, therefore, fhould be (tiled the Introduilion, and put into the mouth of the pott, defcribing the ceremonial and appearance of thefc military amufements. Under this character, he might properly enough ridicule the Jlrange depySlures on their fhields, which nature may not yields in the fame manner as he has fatyrifed, in his epiftle prefixed to Ella, the predomi- nant paflion for heraldry, efpecially in thofe of middling and inferior condition. Let trades and town-folches lett fyke thinges alone, Ne fyghte for fable in a field of aure. But the Herald will mr.ke his appearance in the fecond ftanza with the greatcfl propriety, THE TOURNAMENT. 3°7 The feerie h heaulmets, wythe the wreathes amielde *, c Supportes the rampynge lyoncell k orr beare, Wythe ftraunge depy&ures ', Nature maie nott yeelde, Unfeemelie to all orderr doe appere, Yett yatte m to menne, who thyncke and have a fpryte n , Makes knowen thatt the phantafies unryghte. 10 I, Sonne of Honnoure, fpencer ° of her joies, Mud fwythen p goe to yeve « the fpeeres arounde, Wythe advantayle r & borne s I meynte ' emploie, Who withoute mee woulde fall untoe the grounde. Soe the tall oake the ivie twyfteth rounde; ir Soe the nefhe u fiowerr grees x ynne the woodeland fliade. h Fiery. ' Ornamented, enameled. k A young lion. ' Drawings, paintings. ™ That. n Soul, or genius. ° Difpenfer. * Quickly. « Give. ' Armour. ' Burnifh. ' Many. u Young, weak, tender. x Grow . The propriety, proclaiming his office and duty with great felf-importance and dignity, comparing himfelf to an oak, and the artizans and armourers to the ivy, which twine round and are fupported by him. Some refpect, however, is due to the fimilies and reflections in the clofe of his fpeech, v. 17, as being not unlike the (tile of Pope's Moral EfTays. If Chatterton had been the author of the drama, as he profeffedly was of the explanatory notes, he would not have directed the reader to William Rufus, and Guy de S t0 Egidio, as worthy antagonifts to Burton : The former was not remarkably diftinguifhed for thefe military exercifes, the latter fcems to be perfectly unknown, both in name and character. With much greater plaufibility, and real truth, would thofe names have been afcribed to William the Conqueror, and Guy Earl of Warwick ; the former diftinguifhed by his ftrength, valour, and perfeverance, (alluded to in that line Whofe might delievrete hath knit, that is, who united great agility with fuperior ftrength,) as well as by his extrava- gant paffion for hunting, recorded by our Englifh hiftorians, and for which he is particularly celebrated in the following minftrells fong. It is unncceflary to add, that Guy of Warwick was one of the mod favourite heroes in Englifh romance, and therefore moft properly chofen as a character worthy of Burton's emulation in this honourable achievement. R r 2 p& THE TOURNAMENT. The worlde bie diffraunce ys ynne orderr founde j Wydoute unlikeneffe nothynge could bee made. As ynn the bowke v nete z alleyn a cann bee donne, ^yke b ynn the weal ' of kynde all thynges are partes of onne. zc Enterr SYRR SYMONNE DE BOURTONNE. Herawde \ bie Ireavenne thefe tylterrs ftaie too long. Mie phantafie ys dyinge forr the fyghte. The mynflrelles have begonne the thyrde warr fonge, Yett notte a fpeere of hemm e hath grete f mie fyghte. I feere there be ne manne wordhie mie myghte. 2.5 , I lacke a Guid g , a Wyllyamm h to entylte. To reine ; anente k a fele ] embodiedd knyghte, Ytt gettes ne rennome m gyff hys blodde bee fpylte. Bie heavenne and Marie ytt ys tyme they're here ; I lyche nott unthylle n thus to wielde the fpeare. 30 HERAWDE. Methynckes I heare yer flugghornes ° dynn p fromm farre. BOURTONNE. Ah ! fwythenn q mie fliielde & tyltynge launce bee bounde r . . Eftfoones ' behefte ' mie Squyerr to the warre. \ tlie before to clayme a challenge grownde. \Goetb outt\- HERAWDE. Thie valourous acles woulde meinte u of menne aftounde; 25 Harde bee yer * fliappe y encontrynge thee ynn fyghte ; * Body. z Nothing. a Alone, orfingly. b So. c Government or conftitution of 'the natural world. 'Herald. c A contraction of them. ' Greeted, or pleafed. E Guiede San&o Egidio, the moll famous tilter of his age, rather, Guy of Warwick. h William Rufus, rather, William the Conqueror. ' Run. k Againfl. ' Feeble. m Honour, glory. * Ufelefs. ° A kind of claryon, ar war trumpet, f Sound. 1 Quickly. •Ready. 'Soon. 'Command. " Moft, or many. "Their. * Fate, or doom. ' 9 Anenll THE TOURNAMENT. Worthy. Nevylle V. 88. The throwing down the gauntlet was the ufual form of challenge. The gaberdine, as before obferved, was a cloak worn by the foldiers, which they pro- bably threw on the ground before they began to engage. See Ella, v. 251. V. 90. The founding of the flughorne is often mentioned in thefe poems, as the figual both for attack and retreat. (B. H. N°. 2. v. 995) and more than once in Ella, THE TOURNAMENT. 3*3 Nevylle ys goeynge, manne and horfe, toe grounde. [Nevylle/rf/Zc Loverdes, how doughtilie z the tylterrs joyne ! Yee champyonnes, heere Symonne de Bourtonne fyghtes, Onne hee hathe quacedd % affayle b hymm, yee knyghtes. FERRARIS. I wylle anente c hymm goej mie fquierr, mic fhieldc ; 95 Orr onne orr odherr wyll doe myckle d fcethe e Before I doe departe the lifledd t fielde, Miefelfe orr Bourtonne hereupponn wyll blethe s . Mie fhielde. 2 Furioufly, rather bravely. a Vanquished. b Oppofe. c Againft. d Much. e Damage, tnifchief. f Bounded. 8 Bleed. BOURTONNE. Ella, v. 69c, 721, IIOI ; and alto in this poem) but the word is not explained in the gloflaries, nor in any of our ancient poets, except Gawin Douglas, The drauche trumpet blawis the bragge of were The Jlughorne, encenze, or the wache cry. P. 230, v. 36. Claffica jamque ibnant, it bello teffera fignum. JEn. vii. v. 637. (Encenze is the tranflation of injignia, and wache cry is the tejfera, or watch-word.) Douglas's gloffarift calls it cornu bellicum, and derives it from Jleghe, clades. The; water Jliighorn-, mentioned in Eel. ii. 9. is explained by Chatterton " as a mufical " inftrument, not unlike a hautboy;" but (v. 31.) he calls it a kind of clarion : which (hews, that he explained it only by guefs. He would, more properly, have called it a horn of war. V. 91. Nevylle ys goeynge, manne and horfe, toe grounde. This mode of expreilion is truly ancient : So in the fiege of Harfleet, (Warton, vol. ii. p. 37) The Frenche men fafte to grand they browzt. And again, The Frenche men faft to grunde gan got. S I jt4 THE TOURNAMENT. BOURTONNE. Comme onne, & fitte thie tylte-launce ethe h . Whanne Bourtonn fyghtes, hee metes a doughtie foe. ioo \_Tbeie tylte. Ferraris falletb. Hee falleth ; nowe bie heavenne thie woundes doe fmethe ' ; I feere mee, I have wroughte thee myckle woe k . H E R A W D E. Bourtonne hys feconde beereth to the feelde. Comme onn, yee knyghtes, and wynn the honnour'd fheeld. BERGHAMME. I take the challenge; fquyre, mie launce and ftede. 1 05 I, Bourtonne, take the gauntlette; forr mee ftaie. Botte, gyft thou fyghtefte mee, thou fhalt have mede ' ; Somme odherr I wylle champyonn toe affraie m j Perchaunce from me hemm I maie poffefe the daie, Thenn I fchalle bee a foemanne forr thie fpere. . no: Herehawde, toe the bankes of.Knyghtys faie, . De Berghamme wayteth forr a foemann heere. * Eafy. ' Smoke. k Hurt, or damage. ' Reward. m Fight or engage. CLINTON. V. 104. The honoured {hield, which was the deftined prize for the conqueror,. was ufuall'y fufpenued on a tree till the combat was decided, and then born away. by the victor. So Spenfer and on a tree Sansfoy his (hield "is hanged with bloody hue, Both thofe the laurel garlands to the viiStor due. V. 106 Burton's name is omitted here, who is undoubtedly the fpeaker ; and' ] rghamme replies in the following line, wifhing previoufly to engage fome cham- pion, in order that Burton may have a worthy mede or reward in conquering him. THE TOURNAMENT. vs CLINTON. Botte longe thou fchalte ne tende n ; I doe thee fie '. Lyche forreying v levynn q , fchalle mie tylte-launce flic [Berghamme & Clinton tylte. Clinton falkt be. B E R G H A M M E. Nowe, nowe, Syrr Knyghte, attoure ' thie beeveredd J eyne. 1 1 £ I have borne downe, [one] and efte ' doe gauntlette u thee. Swythenne x begynne, and wrynn 7 thie fliappe z orr myne ; Gyff thou dyfcomfvtte, ytt wylle dobblie bee. [Bourtonne & Burghamm tylteth. Berghammc t /tf//r. H E R A W D E. Symonne de Bourtonne haveth borne downe three, And bie the thyrd bathe honnoure of a four the. 120 Lett feymm bee fett afyde, tyile hee doth fee A tyltynge forr a knyghte of gentle wourthe. Heere commethe itraunge knyghtes ; gyff corteous a heie v , Ytt welle befeies c to yeve d hemm ryghte of fraie ff . " Attend or wait. ° Defy. p Deftroying. i Lightning. ' Turn. Beaver'd. ' Again. u Challenge. " Quickly. ' Declare. z Fate. a Worthy. b They. c Becomes. d Give. e Fight, combat. FIRST V. 116. The word one muft here be fupplied, in order to compleat the fenfe and the meafure. Ibid. Eft, though explained by Chatterton again, in which fenfe it is ufed, Metam. v. 53, and Ep. v. 8. yet herefignifies<7/?ir«,w-<&, as it alfo may, Ella, v. 450. Bifhop Douglas ufes it in this fenfe, and fo his gloflarift has explained it. Eft /hip, and eft caftell, are ufed for the hinder part of a fhip and of a caltlc. Skynner gives both fenfes to the word poflca, itcrum. V. 119. The obfervations made by the Herald, and the orders iffued by him, are fo much in character, that they could not have been dictated by any perfon who was ignorant of the ceremonial, or a ftranger to the rules of Tournament. Sf 2 3 i6 THE T O U R N A M E N* T. FIRST K N Y G H T E. Straungerrs wee bee, and homblie doe wee clayme 125 The rennome f ynn thys Tourneie 6 forr to tylte; Dherbie to proove fromm cravents h owre goode name, Bewrynnynge ' l thatt wee gentile blodde have fpylte. HEREHAWDE. Yee knyghtes of cortefie, thefe flraungerrs, faie, Bee you fulle wyllynge forr to yeve hemm fraie k ? 130 \Fyve Knyghtes tylteth wythe the Jlraunge Knyghte, and bee- everichone ' overt hrowne. BOURTONNE. Nowe bie Seyndle Marie, gyff onn all the fielde Ycrafedd m fperes and helmetts bee befprente n , Gyff everyche knyghte dydd houlde a piercedd ° fheeld, Gyff all the feelde wythe champyonne blodde bee ftente p , Yett toe encounterr hymm I bee contente. 135 Annodherr launce, Marihalle, anodherr launce. Albeyttee hee wythe lowes q of fyre ybrente r , Yett Bourtonne woulde agenfte hys val s advance. ' Honour. s Tournament. h Cowards. ' Declaring. k Combat. ' Every one. " Broken, fpilt. n fcatter'd. ° Broken, or pierced through with darts, or /pears. " Stained. q Flames. r Burnt, burned. s Healm. Fyve V. 137. We may confider the ardour expreffed by Burton to meet his antagonift, as a copy of Hedtor's fpeech when he was going againft Achilles. Ta f lytii avrioj £, xxi u ttvpi p/sif«f eoixsk, El 7TU0I p^Bfa? iOiy.i, fJt.iVC; (T m any other records, yet h feems pro- bable that Sir William I'ole, and t ^ . onihire antiqu - 3 did not fpeak without authority. His name, amongil Miners, occurs in a con' iffucd out by Henry the 1 Vth, " De inquirendo r ontra mendacia prsdicantes '," by which they were empowered to examine and imprifon the inventors and propagators of falfe reports concerning the king. According to the date of this c-ommiffion, this Henry might * Kynier, toai. viii. p. 255. Anno J4.02, have THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. 333 " My nobile leige!" goode Canynge fayde, " Leave juftice to our Godde. 70 " And laye the yronne rule afyde; " Be thyne the olyve rodde. ** Was Godde to ferche our hertes and reines, " The beft were fynners grete ; " Christ's vycarr only knowes ne fynne, j$ " Ynne alle thys mortal 1 ftate. " Lett mercie rule thyne infante reigne, " 'Twylle fafte thye crowne fulle fure; " From race to race thy familie " Alle fov'rei°;ns mall endure: 80 " Butt yffwythe bloode and flaughter thou " Beginne thy infante reigne, '* Thy crowne uponne thy childrennes brows " Wylle never long remayne." " Canynge, have been Sir Baldwin's father; and this judicial character illuftrates and gives a propriety to the advice which Sir Baldwin fays he received from him. Had he been a military man, as the heads of principal families then were, and in which line Sir Baldwin himfelf had been educated, his father would have lectured him on the topics of loyalty and valour, the honour and defence of his country ; inftead of which, he inculcates the principles of civil polity, of juftice, and the laws of companion to offenders, and judicial fagacity in the determination of caufes : Such precepts would naturally flow from a judge, but not fo properly from a man of arms. He taughte mee juftice and the laws Wyth pitie to unite, And eke hce taughte me howe to knowe The wronge caufe from the ryghte. Y. 157. Sir Baldw ; n alfo obferves, that he was born in London ; which is a confirmation of the fame tradition, It was not ufual, in thofe days, for military men, whofe capital manfions were fo remote from London, to make that city the winter refidence of their families ; but the office of a judge, requiring his conftar.t attend- ance in the metropolis, it is probable enough that his children were born there. 334 THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. " Canynoe, awaie ! thys traytour vile 85 " Has fcorn'd my power and mee ; " Howe canft thou thenne for fuch a marine " Intreate my elemeneye ?" " My nobile liege ! the trulie brave *' Wylle val'rous actions prize, 90 f Refpedt a brave and nobile mynde, " Altho' ynne enemies." " Canynge, awaie ! By Godde ynne Heav'n " Thatt dydd mee beinge gyve, " I wylle nott tafte a bitt of breade 95 " Whilit thys Syr Charles dothe lyve. " By Marie, and alle Sein&es ynne Heav'n, •* Thys funne mall be hys lafte." Thenne Canynge dropt a brinie teare, And from the prefence parte. 100 Wyth herte brymm-fulle of gnawynge grief, Hee to Syr Charles dydd goe, And fatt hymm downe uponne a ftoole, And teares beganne to flowe. " Wee all mull die," quod brave Syr Charles; 105. " Whatte bootes ytte howe or whenne ; " Dethe ys the fare, the certaine fate " Of all wee mortall menne. " Sayc why, my friend, thie honefl foul " Runns overr att thyne eye; no " Is ytte for my molt welcome doome 11 Thatt thou doft child-lyke crye ?" 2 Quod THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. 335 Quod godlie Canynge, " I doe weepe, " Thatt thcu fee foone muft dye, " And leave thy fonnes a-,d helplefs wyfe; 115 " 'Tys thys thatt vvcttes myne eye." '*, Thenne drie the tears tha.t out thyne eye " From godlie fountaines fprynge; " Dethe I defpife, and alie the power " Of Edward e, traytor kynge. 120 " Whan throgh the tyrant's welcom means " I mail refigne my lyfe, ** The Godde I ferve wylle foone provyde " For bothe mye fonnes and wyfe. '* Before I fawe the lyghtfome funne, 125 " Thys was appointed mee ; " Shall mortal manne repyne or grudge " Whatt Godde ordeynes to bee ? '* Howe oft ynne battaile have I ftoode, '■* Whan thoufands dy'd arounde; 130 '* Whan fmokynge ftreemes of crimfon bloode " Imbrew'd the fattcn'd grounde : *' How dydd I knowe thatt ev'ry darte, '* Thatt cutte the airie waie, *' Myghte nott fynde paffage toe my harte, 135 " And clofe myne eyes for aie ? *' And fliall I nowe, forr feere of dethe, " Looke wanne and bee dyfmayde ? ** Ne ! fromm my herte flie childyfhe feerc, ** Bee alle the manne difplay'd. 140 " Ah, 336 THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. " Ah, goddclyke Henrie ! Godde forefende b , " And guarde thee and thye fonne, " YfF, 'tis hys wylle; but yff 'tis nott, " Why thenne hys wylle bee donne. cc My honefr. friende, my faulte has bcene 14 c " To ferve Godde and mye prynce ; " And thatt I no tyme-ferver am, " My dethe wylle foone convynce. " Ynne Londonne citye was I borne, '* Of parents of grete note; 150 '* My fadre dydd a nobile armes '* Emblazon onne hys cote : b Forbid, prevent. " I make V. 151. Sir Baldwin boafts alfo, That hys fadre dydd a nobile armes Emblazon onne hys cote ; implying, that either he or his anceftors married into a diftinguiflied family. This faft, alfo, is moft authentically confirmed by a feal belonging to Sir Baldwin Fulford ; a drawing of it is prcferved in the Cotton library, from which the annexed engraving is taken. The THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE 3 37 *' I make ne doubte butt hee ys gone " Where foone I hope to goe ; " Where wee for ever fhall bee bleft, 1 rr *' From oute the reech of woe : • < Hee The arms of Fitz Urfe are impaled on it with thofe of Fuiford, and the creft of Fitz Urfe, which is a bear's head muzzled. The infcription round the feal is, Sigillum Balduini de Fuiford Mllitis. It appears al fo, by their ped igree in the Heralds- office, that the family of Fitz Urfe is the moil ancient and honourable quartering in the Fulfords fhield : John, the anceftor of Baldwin in the feventh degree, having married Alicia, daughter and heirefs of Ralph Fitz Urfe, the fon of Regi- nald, who was one of Becket's murderers : There can be no doubt, therefore, that Sir Baldwin's father empaled or emblazoned thefe as a noble armes (for Lambard ufes the word armes in the lingular number) and moft probably Sir Baldwin's feal bore the fame coat-armour with his father's. This fingle circumftancc is fufficient to difpoffefs Chatterton of every poflible claim as the author of this poem. It may be objected, that the poet has not given, either to Sir Baldwin or his wife, their true Chriftian names ; poffibly both were affumed by him, as more harmonious to his numbers : He could not, however, be ignorant of Fulford's real Chriftian name • becaufe, in his yellow roll, he is thus mentioned : " Charles Bawdynne a Fuiford, " commonly depend Bawdynne Fuiford." We might, with equal juftice, object to the authenticity of the two Briftol Chronicles before mentioned, becaufe they call him Joint, for which there is not the leaft authority, either in records or his pedigree ; unlefs he acquired this prsnomen on his being made Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. As to the name of Florence, it was certainly more common at that time than it is at prefent; and therefore more likely to be ufed by a poet in the 15th century ; efpecially when it is confidered, that the wife of John Gorges trother of the poet's friend Sir Theobald, was fo called; and that Sir Baldwvn's grandfon, Humphrey, married a lady of the fame name : Even the pedioree of the Fulfords, in the Heralds-office, has miftaken Sir Baldwin's wife's name, and called her Janet, inftead of Elizabeth ; that error, however, is corrected by Vincent's Collections. But whatever might have been the poet's true reafon for ufino- thefe fictitious .names, it will not ferve any purpofe of Chatterton's claim ; for if he was enabled to defcribe the particulars of this hiftory with fo much accuracy, why ihould he, any more than Rowley, miftake the name of his hero ? and why fhould he recur to the 15th century for the name of a female, which has not often been heard of in the prefent age ? Sir Baldwin's wife, Elizabeth, was the daughter and heirefs of John Bofon, of Bofon-Zeal, in the parifh of Ditfham, in Devonfhire ; and, notwithftanding her great affection for her hufband, and exceffive grief at his X X execution, 338 THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. " Hee taughte mee juftice and the laws " Wyth pitie to unite; " And eke hee taughte mee howe to knowe M The wronge eaufe fromm the ryghte : 160 " Hee execution, flie was married, at leaft within three years, to Sir William Huddef- feild, Attorney-general to Henry the Vllth ; for it appears by the regifter of Neviil Bilhop of Exeter, p. 22. b. that Sir William, and his wife Elizabeth, who is there ftiled tiuper uxor Baldew'mi Fulford, prefented jointly, as true patrons to the rectory of Weft Putford in Devonshire ; and their clerk was inftituted on their prefentation, May 8th, 1464. She probably died before 1470, in which year Sir William Huddcsfeild prefented folely to this rectory, on the death of the former incumbent. Reg r Booth. P. 27. a. As to Sir Baldwin's fons, who are mentioned three or four times in the courfe of this tragedy, the poet is very accurate ; Sir Thomas, according to the prophetic fpeech of Sir Baldwyn, having run that "Iorious race o Which he theyre fader runne. for although reftored to the title and eftate, 8th of Edward the IVth, (fee the intro- ductory account) yet he fhared the fame fate with his father, being attainted by name, amongft feveral other adherents to King Henry the Vllth, April 27th, 147 1, and executed. The younger fon, John, bred to the church, became vicar of Okehamp- ton, I497> ar >d °f Budleigh, in 1500, having been previously made archdeacon of Totnefs, afterwards of Cornwall, and laflly of Exeter ; where he lies buried in the eaftexn ifle of that cathedral, under a large flat monumental ftone, with the follow- ing infeription, in Gothic letters, fpecifying his preferments. l£tc jacct magifier Johannes iFulforcc films iiBalotoini jftilforoc sptlitifl fjujitf (iredefic KcttDenttarius, primo ^IrtljtDtaconus SCotfon, Detnuc Cornubiac, ultimo dEron, qui obttt %it tit lanuaru anno SD'.v moFtoitt. Cuj« aic propittcty. SDc 1 *. William, the brother of Sir Baldwin, who furvived him thirteen years, was alfo Canon of Exeter, and Archdeacon of Bamftaple. He founded an obit in 1472, to pray for his own foul, and for that of Hetiry his father. The two daughters of Sir Baldwin, not mentioned in this poem, were, Alice the wife of Thomas Cary, from whom were defcended the Earls of Dover and Monmouth ; and Thomafin, married to Wife of Sydenham in Devonshire, from whom fprang the family of Ruffels, Earls of Bedford. 5 Si* THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. 339 *' Hee taughte mee wythe a prudent hande " To feede the hungrie poore, " Ne lett mye fervants dryve awaie " The hungrie fromme my doore : " And none can faye, butt alle mye lyfe 165 " I have hys wordyes kept; " And fumm'd the actyonns of the daie " Eche nyghte before I flept. " I have a fpoufe, goe afke of her, " Yff I defyl'd her bedde ? 1?Q " I have a kynge, and none can laie '* Blacke treafon onne my hedde. w Ynne Sir Baldwin feems to have fignalized himfelf early in life as a foldier : His name occurs amongft the Devonfliire Knights in 1434, in the twelfth year of Henry the Vlth, and he was lheriff of the county in the thirty-fixth year of the kin^, only three years before Edward's acceflion. It appears from the records above quoted, that he was a Knight of the Sepulchre ; and the duties of that order requiring them, amongft other things, to fight againjl the Saracens and infidels with all their power (See Afhmole's Garter, p. 52) it is not improbable that he might have been in the Holy Land, or at leaft have waged war againft the Infidels either in Spain or Italy, which kingdoms were at that time much annoyed by thenw Agreeably to this idea, he fays, Howe oft ynne battaile have I ftoode, Whan thoufands dy'd arounde. V. 129. And there is a family tradition recorded to his honour by Prince, Rifdon, Weftcott, and the Devonfliire antiquaries, " that he was a great foldier and traveller, of " fo undaunted a refolution, that, for the honour and liberty of a Royal Lady, in " a caftle befieged by the Infidels, he fought a combat with a Saracen, for bulk " and bignefs an unufual match, (as the reprefentation of him in Fulford-hall " doth plainly (hew) whom yet he vanquiflied, and releafed the lady." Prince's Worthies, p. 300. This circumftance, though not properly authenticated, yet fhews his character £0 have been diftinguiflied for valour, and therefore a worthy fubjed for Rowley's X X 2 pen- 340 THE BRISTOWE TRACE D I E, *' Ynne Lent, and onnc the holie eve, ** Fromm fleihe I dydd refrayne ; " Whie fliould I thenne appeare difmay'd \>j^ " To leave thys worlde of payne ? u Ne ! haplefs Henrie ! I rejoyce, , " I flialle ne fee thye dethe ; ie Mode willynglie ynne thye jufl caufc " Doe I refign my brethe. i2o t( Oh, fickle people ! rewyn'd londe ! '* Thou wylt kenne peace ne moe j *< Whyle Richard's fonnes exalt themfelves, '* Thye brookes wythe bloude wylle flowe. I( Saie, were ye tyr'd of godlie peace, 185 " And godlie Henrie's reigne, *' Thatt you dydd choppe youre eafie daies " For thofe of bloude and peyne ? '* Whatte tho' I onne a fledde bee drawne,. M And mangled by a hynde, iqo *' I doe defye the traytor's pow'r, " Hee can ne harm my mynde y " Whatte pen. To his merit as an hero, he added that of a tender hufband and affectionate father. The reader cannot but admire the mafterly difplay of the paffions, in the parting fcene between him and his wife; where, after having given her excellent advice, and endeavoured to confole her for his fate, which he was meeting with the moll firm intrepidity, the diftant poffibility of her death made fo forcible an imprefiion on his mind, that, with an apoftrophe conveying more than words can cxprefs, he fecks refuge from the idea in the hands of his executioners : Florence ! fhou'd dethe thee take — Adieu ! Ye officers, leade onne. V. 251. 9 THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. 34 r * e Whatte tho', uphoifted onne a pole, " Mye lymbes fhall rotte ynne ayre, ** And ne ryche monument of braffe 195 " Charles Bawdin's name fhall bear; •' Yett ynne the holie booke above, •' Whyche tyme can't eate awaie, " There wythe the fervants of the Lorde " Mye name fhall lyve for aie. 200 *' Thenne welcome dethe ! for lyfe eterne " I leave thys mortall lyfe : " Farewell, vayne worlde, and alle that's deare, " Mye formes and lovynge wyfe ! " Nowe dethe as welcome to mee comes, 205 " As e'er the moneth of Maie ; ** Nor woulde I even wyfhe to lyve, " Wyth my dere wyfe to ilaie." Quod Canynge, " 'Tys a goodlie thynge " To bee prepar'd to die; 2IO " And from thys world of peyne and grefe " To Godde ynne Heav'n to Hie." And nowe the bell beganne to tolle, And claryonnes to founde ; Syr Charles hee herde the horfes feete 215 A prauncyng onne the grounde :. And V. 195. The allufion to a rich monument of brais, correfponded with the tafte of that age, when monuments and grave-ftones were cmbelliflied with brafs plates, whereon the figure and coat armour of the perfons were engraved. 342 THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE, And juft before the officers, His lovynge wyfe came ynne, Weepynge unfeigned teeres of woe, Wythe loude and dyfmalle dynne. 220 " Sweet Florence ! nowe I praie forbere, " Ynne quiet lett mee die; " Praie Godde, thatt ev'ry Chriftian foule " Maye looke onne dethe as L " Sweet Florence ! why thefe brinie teeres ? 225 " Theye wa'fhe my foule awaie, " And almoft make mee wyme for lyfe, " Wyth thee, fweete dame, to ftaie. ** 'Tys butt a journie I fhalle goe " Untoe the lande of blyfTe ; 230 " Nowe, as a proofe of hufbande's love, ** Receive thys holie kyfle." Thenne Florence, fault'ring ynne her faie, Tremblynge thefe wordyes fpoke, " Ah, cruele Edwarde ! bloudie kynge ! 235 " My herte ys welle nyghe broke : ** Ah, fweete Syr Charles ! why wylt thou goe, " Wythoute thye lovynge wyfe ? " The cruelle axe thatt cuttes thye necke, " Ytte eke fhall ende mye lyfe." 240 And nowe the officers came ynne To brynge Syr Charles awaie, Whoe turnedd toe his lovynge wyfe, And thus toe her dydd faie : " I goe THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. 343- " I goe to lyfe, and nott to dethe ; 245 " Trufte thou ynne Godde above, " And teache thye fonnes to feare the Lorde, " And ynne theyre hertes hym love : *' Teache them to runne the nobile race " Thatt I theyre fader runne : 250 " Florence ! fhou'd dethe thee take Adieu ! " Yee officers, leade onne." Thenne Florence rav'd as anie madde, And dydd her treffies tere ; ** Oh ! ftaie, mye hufbande ! lorde ! and lyfe !" — 255 Syr Charles thenne dropt a teare. 'Tyll tyredd oute wythe ravynge loud, Shee fellen onne the flore ; Syr Charles exerted alle hys myghte, And march'd fromm oute the dore. 260 Uponne a fledde hee mounted thenne, Wythe lookes fulle brave and fwete j Lookes, thatt enilione c ne moe concern Thanne anie ynne the ftrete. Before hym went the council-menne, 26$ Ynne fcarlett robes and golde, And taffils fpanglynge ynne the funne, Muche glorious to beholde : c Shewed. The V. 265. The proceffion here defcribed was probably real, at leaft it was Co orderly in point of form, that no modern pen could have difpofed it with fo much propriety. The 344 THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. The Freers of Seincte Augustyne next Appeared to the fyghte, 2JO Alle cladd ynne homelie ruffett weedes, Of godlie monkyfli plyghte : Ynne diffraunt partes a godlie pfiume Mode fweetlie theye dydd chaunt ; Behynde they re backes fyx mynftrelles came, tj$ Who tun'd the flrunge bataunt \ d Stringed injlrument. Thenne The councilmcn, Auguftinian fryers, and a body of archers (to prevent a refcue) precede the criminal ; another body of archers, the monks of St. James's, with the mayor and corporation, follow him. Thefe two convents probably made a part of the proceffion, becaufe they were the moft numerous and confiderable in Briftol ; and we may obferve, that they took their ftation agreeably to the antiquity of their eftablifhment : The Auguftinians (now the cathedral) being founded by Robert Fitzharding, in 1 148, gave the pas to the Benedictine monaftery of St. James's, which was eftabliftied by Robert Earl of Gloucefter, in 1135. V. 171. The poet has been charged with impropriety, for drefling the Auguf- tinians in rujfet weeds, when the habit of their order v/as black. Alle cladd ynne ruffett weedes Of godlie monkyfli plyghte. Rujfet (in French rouffet) originally fignified a reddiih brown colour, but the gar- ments of peafants and hermits, made of undyed wool, being of this colour, the idea of rujfet became affixed rather to the fubftance, tha« to the colour of the garment : Thus Pierce Plowman expreffes his mean appearance, as being clad in rujjet *; and be f peaks of a perfon Dieffed in a gown of grey rujjet : And in Evans's Old Ballads, p. 11, are mentioned Coats of grey rujfet. The Beggar's Daughter of Bethnal Green was alfo cloathed in grey ruffett. Percy, vol. ii. p. 156. Shakefpear had the fame idea, when in Love's Labour Loft he contrafts Taffeta phrafes, and filken words precife, With Rujfet yeas, and honeft Kerfeys no's. Act v. And Dryden describes the Doric dialect as a fair fbepherdefs in her country rujfet. * Warton, vol. i. y^gciCj. This THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. 345 Thenne fyve-and-twentye archers came ; Echone the bowe dydd bende, From refcue of kynge Henries friends Syr Charles forr to defend. 280 Bolde as a lyon came Syr Charles, Dravvne onne a clothe-layde fledde, Bye two blacke ftedes ynne trappynges white, Wyth plumes uponne theyre hedde : Behynde hym fyve-and-twentye moe 28 c Of archers ftronge and ftoute, Wyth bended bowe echone ynne hande, Marched ynne goodlie route : Seinfte Jameses Freers marched next, Echone hys parte dydd chaunt ; 290 Behynde theyre backs fyx mynftrelles came, Who tun'd the ftrunge bataunt : Then nc This idea is conveyed in the expreffion of godlie weeds. In fa£l, rujjet weeds, being the drefs of hermits, were confidered as tokens of humility and mortification, and as fuch, were worn by the Knights of the Bath on the eve of their creation * ; they were therefore, with great propriety, affumed in this melancholy ceremonial. V. 292. As to the Jlrunge bataunt, ufed in this proceflion, the name fcems to imply, that it was a ftringed inftrument, like a dulcimer, played on by ftriking the wires with a piece of iron or wood. It is an inftrument of fome antiquity, and two different forms of it may be feen in Strutt's pojibe Angel Cynnan. Plate Iff, N°. 17, in vol. ii. reprefents a dulcimer of nine firings, in the time of King Stephen, copied from the Pfalter of Eadmer, in Trinity college library, Cam- bridge. Plate VI, N'. 25, in the fame volume, is one of a different form, of ten • See Anftis's Efl'ay, Appendix, p. +i. Y y firings, 346 THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. Thenne came the maior and eldermenne, Ynne clothe of fcarlett deck't; And theyre attendyng menne echone, Lyke Eafterne princes trickt : And after them a multitude Of citizenns dydd thronge j The wyndowes were alle fulle of heddes, As hee dydd pafle alonge. And whenne hee came to the hyghe croffe, Syr Charles dydd turne and faie, " O Thou, thatt faveft manne fromme fynne, " Wafhe mye foule clean thys daie !" 295 300 Att firing?, from a MS. Tiberius, A. 7. in the Cotton library. See the reprefentation of them below. » , v> ■- ~* » , *- ■ — -, V. 793. Though Rn'ftol was not erefled into a city till 1542, the thirty-fourth year of Henry the VHIth, yet on account of its fizc, populoufnefs, and flomiihing' trade, the inhabitants might be ililcd citizens, (in poetry at leaft) without breach of decorum. Leland indeed, who probably wrote fomc part of his Itinerary before. that event, exprefly calls it a city. " Briftowe upon Avonne, a great citie, well " waulled, having a fair caftel. In it now, as I remember, eighteen paroche *•' churches. St. Augttfllnct black Canons extra mania." Itin. vol. v. p. 60. From the manner in which he mentions this church, we may conclude that it- was net tlisn erected into a cathedral ; and the fame patent made Briftol a city. It had been lone governed, however, by a mayor and aldermen; for William de Wirceftre, describing, in his Itinerary, the chapel on Briftol bridge, fays, " et eft volta " inferiori loco pro Aldermannis Filla." P. 234. V. 301. The high crofs, by which the proceiTion pn(Ted, then ftood in the center of the city, at the meeting of the four principal flreets, each of which was terminated by THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. 347 Att the grete mynfterr wyndowe fat 305 The kynge ynne mycle ftate, To fee Charles Bawdin goe alonge To hys mofl welcom fate. Soone by a church : This crofs was afterwards removed to the middle of College Green ; and, being pulled down not many years ago, was given to Henry Hoare, Efq; who has added it to the many other ornaments which gracs his elegant gardens at Stourhead. St. Audoens, now called St. Ewin's, (probably the mod confiderablc, as well as the moll convenient of thefe four churches) was appointed for the recep- tion of King Edward, that he might be a fpeitator of the proceflion ; and this remarkable fact is confirmed by an evidence as fingular as it is authentic; though probably it would never have been known, if the difcovery of thefe poems had not occaiioned a fearch into the records of this church, to authenticate the fa£t : The yearly accounts of its procurators or churchwardens, from March 20th, A nj . primo Edvardi quarti, mention this among other articles of expence incurred that year : " Item, for wafhynge the church payven agaynft Kynge Edward 4'!} is " comynge, iiiid. ob." It is not material to the queftion of authenticity, whether the king's vifit to this church was to fee the proceflion, or only to perform his devotions. His prefence there, or even his being at that time in Briftol, was fufficient to juftify the poet in making him both a fpectator and a fpeaker ; but we are not obliged to fuppofe that either he, his brother, or even the criminal, delivered their fentiments in the words of the poet, though they convey the true fpirit and character of the fpeakers. Fulford is bold and undaunted ; Edward touched with the feelings of humanity, but too much the tyrant to yield to their impulfe. Gloucester (as he is generally reprefented) unfeeling, refentful, and mercilefs. V. 305. The church where the king fat is difringuifhed by the title of Mincer* denoting it to be a principal church ; Mr. Warton *, prefuming that the word Minjler was almoft always appropriated to cathedral churches, concludes that the poet had placed the king at the church of the Auguftinians for viewing this pro- ceflion, and charges him with an anachronifm (which no contemporary writer could have been guilty of) in calling that church a Minjler, almoft a century before it was erected into a cathedral : But, with fubmiflion to that learned objector, his inference is founded on two miftakes ; for the word Minjler was not originally given to * Vol. ii. p. 156. Y y 2 cathedral 348 THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. Soone as the fledde drewe nyghe enowe, Thatt Edwarde hee myghte heare, 310 The brave Syr Charles hee dydd ftande uppe, And thus hys wordes declare : " Thou cathedral churches, nor afterwards appropriated folely to them : It meant only (as the word imports) the church of the monajiery ; epifcopal fees having been placed in fome of the moft confiderable among them, as Canterbury, Durham, Ely, Wor- cefter, &c. the cathedral was called the Min/ler y as were alfo other monaftic churches, where there were no bifhops. The name was alfo given (efpecially in the North of England) to large and collegiate churches, as Rippon, Beverly, and South- Well, and to Winborn-minfter, in Dorfetfhire; fome parochial churches bore the fame name ; as Upminfter, Bedminfter, Sturminfter, Axminfter, &c. A name fo indeterminate in its application might be given to any church, efpecially to one that was confiderable either for its fize or fituation. But the church of the Auguftinians was in every refpect moft improper, and therefore moft unlikely to be chofen for the reception of the king; being fituated in a remote fuburb of the town, and entirely out of the way, by which this and all other criminals pafTed from the prifon of Newgate to the ancient place of execu- tion ; which was on St. Michael's hill, either at or near the place at prefent appointed for that purpofe. See William Wirceftre's Itin. p. 243. But whether Rowley or Chatterton formed the proceflion, both muft have been equally aware, that they would have deviated from probability in carrying it fo far out of its ftraight and accuftomed road ; and if we can allow the improbable fuppofition (by way of indulging the objeftors) that Chatterton was previoufly acquainted with the entry in St. Ewin's books, he could not have been fo abfurd as to have contradicted that inconteftible evidence, by placing the king at another church. It may be proper here to take notice of another objection to the word min/Ier, con- tained in the fame note. In the fong to Ella, the poet fuppofes that his fpirit did Fiery round the MinJ/er glare. As guardian of the town, he is fuppofed to watch over it from two of its moft confpicuous and eminent parts ; from the CajUe Jieers, or fortrefs, and from the principal Church, or Mhi/hr, of St. Ewin's, fituated in the center of the town : It would ill fuit the Genius of that hero, to be fent for the protection of a monaftery in the fuburbs, at that time under a feparate jurifdi£tion from the town ; nor is the fpirit of Ella faid to be fometimes appearing in the Minjier (as Mr. Warton has reprefented the quotation) but, like a fun or zjlar glaring round it ', hovering over,, and protecting it with his influence. THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. 349 •' Thou feeft mee, Edwarde ! tray tour vile ! <( Expos'd to infamie - t " Butt bee aflur'd, difloyall marine! 315 " I'm greaterr nowe thanne thee. " Bye foule proceedyngs, murdre, bloude, " Thou weareft nowe a crowne ; " And haft appoynted mee to dye, " By power nott thyne owne. 320 " Thou thynkeft I (hall dye to-daie j " I have beene dede 'till nowe, •* And foone fhall lyve to weare a crowne " For aie uponne my browe : " Whylft thou, perhapps, for fom few yeares, 325 " Shalt rule thys fickle lande, " To lett them knowe howe wyde the rule " 'Twixt kynge and tyrant hande : " Thye pow'r unjuft, thou traytour flave [ " Shall falle onne thye owne hedde" — 330 Fromm out of hearyng of the kynge Departed thenne the fledde. Kynge Edward e's foule rufh'd to hys face, Hee turn'd hys hedde awaie, And to hys broder Gloucester 335 Hee thus dydd fpeke and faie : " To hym that foe-much-dreaded dethe ** Ne ghaftlie terrors brynge, " Beholde the manne ! hee fpake the truthe, " Hee's greater thanne a kynge ! 340 " Soe 3S o TJf E BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. <* Soe lett'hym die!" Duke Richard fayde ; " And maye echone oure foes H Bende downe theyre neckes to bloudie axe, " And feede the carryon crowes." And nowe the horfes gentlie drewe 345 Syr Charles uppe the hyghe hylle; The axe dydd glyflerr ynne the funne, Hys pretious bloude to fpylle. Syrr Charles dydd uppe the fcaffold goe, As uppe a gilded carre 350 Of vidtorye, bye val'rous chiefs Gayn'd ynne the bloudie warre : And to the people hee dydd faie, " Beholde you fee mee dye, " For fervynge loyally mye kynge, 355 " Mye kynge moft rightfullie. ** As longe as Edwarde rules thys lande, *' Ne quiet you wylle knowe ; «' Youre fonnes and huibandes fhalle bee flayne, *' And brookes wythe bloude fhalle flowe. 360 " You leave youre goode and lawfulle kynge, " Whenne ynne adverfitye ; u Lyke mee, untoe the true caufe ftycke, " And for the true caufe dye." Thenne hee, wyth preeftes, uponne hys knees, 365 A pray'r to Godde dydd make, Befeechynge hym unto hymfelfe Hys partynge foule to take, 5 Thenne, THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. 351 Thenne, kneelynge downe, hee layd hys heede Moll feemlie onne the blocke; 370 Whyche fromme hys bodie fayre at once The able heddes-manne ftroke : And oute the bloude beganne to Howe, And rounde the fcaffolde twyne ; And teares, enow to wafhe't awaie, 375 Dydd flowe fromme each mann's eyne. The bloudie axe hys bodle fayre Ynnto foure parties cutte ; And ev'rye parte, and eke hys hedde, Uponne a pole was putte. 380 One parte dydd rotte onne Kynwulph-hylle, One onne the mvnlter- tower, And one from off the caitle-gate The crowen dydd devoure : The other onne Seyncle Powle's goode gate a 385 A dreery fpeclacle ; Hys hedde was plac'd onne the hyghe crofTe,. Ynne hyghe ftreete molt nobile. Thus V. 381. It may alfo be obferved, that in the expofure of the criminal's quarters, after execution, one of them was fixed on the Minjfer Tower, as a mofr, confpi- ckous place, and in the center of the town ; one on Kymvulpb's Hi//, Co called from Kcnwulf, king of Mercia, and probably the fame fpot which flill bears the name of King's Down, a very eminent part of the city, and not far diftant from Michael's Hill, the place of execution ; another at the caftle; and the fourth at St. Paul's gate (the fituation of which is uncertain, though fuppofed to have been at Temple-gate) ; and his head was fixed on the high crofs. 352 THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. Thus was the ende of Bawdin's fate; Godde profper longe oure kynge, 390 And grante hee maye, wyth Bawdin's foule, Ynne heav'n Godd's mercie fynge ! V. 391. The concluding prayer in this poem .marks the political principles of its author, and proves it to have been written during Edward's reign j as a Lan- eaftrian, he takes it for granted that Bawdin's foul is actually in Heaven, but he can only w'tjk that King Edward's may bear him company there. THE I 3S3 3 THE ENGLYSH METAMORPHOSIS. THE Engliih Metamorphofis may be considered as a mytho- logical poem, and an imitation of Ovid, to whofe works we cannot fuppofe Rowley to have been a ftranger j efpecially, as Mr. Warton obferves, that many French verlions, both of the Greek and Latin claffics, began to appear in England about the middle of the fourteenth century. There was a French tranfla- tion of Ovid's Metamorphofis in Duke Humphrey's library; and another, written by an ecclefiartic of Normandy, in 1467 : A poet who wanted this afliftance, might have learned from either of thefe authors the method of treating fuch fubjects : But the fuccefsful imitator of the Iliad, might be well acquainted with the Meta- morphofis in the original. The diftin&ion of Book thefrjl feems to imply, that the author had written, or at leaft intended to write, other hiftories of this kind ; and Chatterton thought fo too, by profeffing, in the note, his endeavour to get the remainder of thefe poems. The fertility of Rowley's invention was well adapted to the tafle of that age, which delighted in romances and fabulous hiftories. The poem is founded on that part of Geofrroi of Monmouth's Hiftorv, which defcribes the landing of Brute, the divifion of his kingdom, the iiiftory and death of his eldell fon Locrinc, in a war waged againft him by Guendolen his wife, her revenge on his iconcubine Elftrid and her daughter Sabrina, by drowning them Z z both 354 ENGLYSH METAMORPHOSIS: BOOK P. both in the Severn, and ordering that the river fliould hereafter bear the damfel's name. Lib. 2. Rowley has taken the principal facls in this hiftory, without lcrvilely copying his original} a cir- cumftance very favourable to the authenticity of the poem. In- deed, the hiftory itfelf was beyond the compafs of Chatterton's eru- dition : He could not have underitpod. the original if it had come in his way; and even the Englitti translation, by Aaron Thomp- fon, is not commonly to be met with. Later Engl fli poets h.tve alio copied this hiftory. An anonymous dramatic author of the Sixteenth century, wrote a tragedy called Locrine, which for lbme time pafTed under Shakefpeare's name, but has long Since been excluded from his works. Drayton has given us tftB hiftory in his Sixth fong, and Milton has introduced it in his Mafk at Ludlow caflle; wherein Sabrina is received by the Water Nymphs, who make her the Goddefs of the river. It was very natural for Rowley to chufe this fubject for his poem ; the fcene of it was laid in his own country, and not far from Briftol, which he fo much delighted, to honour. The fable, as far as it related to the deaths of Elftrid and Sabrina, was ready made to his hands ; but it was referved for the powers of his imagination to dignify the MetamorphoSis, by changing Elftrid into the fpring of St. Vincent, and making her bones the rocks which contained the waters of her daughter Sabrina. No modern poet would have chofen fo obfolete and fabu- lous a tale for the fubjecl of an entire poem ; leaft of all would Chatterton have employed his time in celebrating any event wherein the honour of Briftol was concerned. Indeed the com- pofition befpeaks a more learned hand. It fwells into a kind of epic ftile, with epithets more compounded, and numbers lefs har- monious, than thofe of his other poems ; and though the ftory itfelf is not interefting, >yet the magnificence of his defcriptive powers is happily difplayed, particularly in his representation of the Giant. ENGLYSH f 3SS I ENGLYSH METAMORPHOSIS: Bie T. R O W L E I E. BOOKE ift\ WHANNE Scythyannes, falvage as the wolves theie chacde, Peyndled in horrowe b formes bie nature dyghte % Heckled d yn beaftfkyns, llepte uponne the wade, And wyth the morneynge rouzed the wolfe to fyghte, Swefte as defcendeynge lemes e of roddie lyghte c Plonged to the hulftred f bedde of laveynge e feas, Gerd h the blacke mountayn okes yn drybblets l twighte j , And ranne yn thoughte alonge the azure mees, 1 I will endeavour to get the remainder of thefe poems. b Unfeemly, difagreeable. c Drcffed. " Wrapped. e Rays. f Hidden, fecret. s JVaJhing. h Broke, rent, f.ruck. ' Small pieces. J Pulled, rent. Whofe V. i. The firffc ftanza is rendered obfcure by too great an afTemblage of com- pound ideas, defcribing the fury, fwiftnefs, and terror accompanying the Scythian invaders. V. 7. Gird fignifies to ftrike. Through girt, in the Knights Tale, means -pierced through : Thurgh girt with many a grievous bloody wound. V. 1012. V. 8. The mees or meadows are faid to be azure, from the reflected blue liirhtcnino-. It is called the azure vapour, v. 105; and is here faid to run in thought, i. e. as fwift as thought. See this cxpreffion ufed, B. H. N J 2. v. 217 and 5x3 ; and juifte as the wijhe, Eel. 2. v. 85, and Ella, v. gio. Z Z 2 356 ENGLYSH METAMORPHOSIS: BOOK P. Whofe eyne dyd feerie fheene, like blue-hayred defs k , That dreerie hange upon Dover's emblaunched l clefs. 10 Soft boundeynge over fwelleynge azure reles m The falvage natyves fawe a lhyppe appere j An uncouthe n denwere ° to theire bofomme fleles ; Theyre myghte ys knopped p ynne the frofte of fere. The headed javlyn liiTeth q here and there ; 15, Theie flonde, theie ronne, theie loke wyth eger eyne ; The fhyppes fayle, boleynge r wythe the kyndelie ayre, Ronneth to harbour from the beateynge bryne ; k Vapours, meteors, rather -,fpe£ires. ' Emblaunched, white. m Ridges, blue rifing waves. a ° Unknown tremour, rather, doubt, t Faftened, chained, congealed. ^Boundeth. 'Swelling, Theie V. 9. The blue-hayred defs are explained by Chatterton as meteors or vapours ; they rather mean fpeclres or fairies, which might be fuppofed to inhabit thefe cliffs. Defi'e Neiyll, in the P. Parv. is explained archangdus. Dcffe therefore may fignify fpirit j and it may be owing to fome tradition about -thefe fpirits, that Edgar in Lear pretended to his father Gloucefter, that he had feen one part from him on that fpot, ~ — whofe eyes Were two full moons, he had ten thoufand nofes, Horns welked and waved like the enraging fea ; It was fome fiend Might not one infer from Gloucefter's fpeech, that this fpot had fome connection with the fairies ? for when he gives Edgar his purfe, he fays, 1 fairies and gods Profper it with. thee— Ac~t IV. Sc. 5. Ben Johnfon, in his Mafque of the Sad Shepherd, Act II. Sc. 8, mentions as part of the witches enchantment,., Croaking night-crows in the air, Blue fire-drakes in the iky. And in another of his Mafques, vol. iii. p. 376, he fpeaks of blue drakes : May we not fuppofe fome connection between thefe and Rowley's blue-hayred defs? V. 15. Lyjfeth : jo Tournament, v. 2. The courfcrs lyffe about the menfuredde fielde. In both places the word means to leap, fly, or perform c very quick motion ; but in ©the- ENGLYSH METAMORPHOSIS: BOOK P. 357 Theie dryve awaie aghafte, whanne to the flronde A burled ' Trojan lepes, wythe Morglaien 1 fweerde yn honde. 20 Hymme followede eftfoones hys compheeres u , whofe fwerdes Gleftred x lyke gledeynge y flarres ynne froftie nete, Hayleynge theyre capytayne in chirckynge z wordes Kynge of the 1'ande, whereon theie fet theyre fete. The greete kynge Brutus thanne theie dyd hym greete, 25 Prepared for battle, marefchalled the fyghte ; Theie urg'd the warre, the natyves fledde, as flete As fleaynge cloudes that fwymme before the fyghte ; Tyll tyred with battles, for to ceefe the fraie, . Theie uncted * Brutus kynge, and gave the Trojanns fwaie. jo " Armed. ' Enchanted. " Companions. * Shor.e, or glittered. >' Livid. z A confufed noife, rather, a difagreeabie found. a Anointed. Twayne other paflages it is ufed in a different fenfe, implying confinement, boundary, or limit ; . as in Ella, v. 53, All thie yntente to pleafe was liffed to mee. So Eel. iii. v. 86, the unlijie or unconfined branches ; and Le. v. 46, an onlijl, or unbounded lecture. The modern word bottndeth, by which C ..attcrton has explained this paffage, admits of both figpincations, but it may be doubted whether the fame can be faid of the word UJfeth. Cotgrave, however, has mada it applicable in either fenfe : " Lifer, to lift, or border a garment ; alfo to coaft along " by a country :" So that the HJJing of the javelin iii this paffage, and in that of the courfers in the Tournament, does not mean to bound, or to /port and piay, as Chattertcn has explained it; but to describe a line, circuit, or boundary, in their motion. Unlefs it fliould be thought that the word, in both thefep.iflages, fhould be read glijfetb, fignifying to glide or pafs quickly. V. 20. Morglaien fvvord. See the note on B. H. N' 1. v. 653.. V. %i. (Jtedeynge Jlarres, fo called from their appearance like aglede or live coal. This allufioi. is different from that made to falling ftars, 13. H. N'2. v. 2 i<^- Chatterton properly calls them livid. Stiernhelm derives gladius from glide, which fignifies a burning coal, or tore}), becaufe of the fhining furface of the nvord- ; and Hicks obferves, ;n his notes upon Edda, Gram. Anglo Saxon, p. 19?, " th.3t " the hall of Odir. was faid to be enlightened only by drawn fwords." 358 ENGLYSH METAMORPHOSIS: BOOK I ft . Twayne of twelve years han lemed b up the myndes, Leggende c the falvage unthewes d of theire brefte, Improved in myflerk e warre, and lymmed f theyre kyndes, Whenne Brute from Brutons fonke to seterne refte. Eftfoons the gentle Locryne was poffeft 35 Of fwaie, and veiled yn the paramente s ; Halceld h the bykrous ' Huns, who dyd infefte Hys wakeynge kyngdom wyth a foule intente ; As hys broade fwerde oer Homberres heade was honge, He tourned toe ryver wyde, and roarynge rolled alonge. 40 He wedded Gendolyne of roieal fede, Upon whofe countenance rodde healthe was fpreade; Bloufhing, alyche k the fcarlette of herr wede ', She fonke to pleafaunce on the marryage bedde. Eftfoons her peacefull joie of mynde was fledde; 45 Elftrid ametten m with the kynge Locryne; Unnombered beauties were upon her fliedde, Mocbe fyne, moche fayrer thanne was Gendolyne ; The mornynge tynge n , the rofe, the lillie floure, In ever ronneynge race on her dyd peyndte theyre powere. 50 * Enlightened. c Alloyed. a Savage barbarity, or, bad qualities. e Myftic, the bufinefs, or pr'ofejjion. ' Polifhed. g A princely robe. h Defeated, barreffid. 'Warring. k Like. ' Garment. m Met with. n Blujh of the miming. The V. 33. Myflerkwarre. Chatterton is again miftaken. The word does not mean myfiic, i. e. fecret or hidden, but praiiical and profejjional, in the fame fenfe that trade and handicraft are called myjlcries. V. 49 The defcription of Elitrid's beauty is no lefs fingular in idea than it is in expreffi'^n. It is prefumed that the mornynge tynge, means the foft tint or blujh of the morning, 2 ENGLISH METAMORPHOSIS: BOOK T. 359 The gentle fuyte of Locryne gayncd her love; Theie lyved fuft morrentes to a fwotie ° age ; Eft p wandring be brogt in grct fra* ttje foun as be gut ys, 21 no recce tber an caftel myn ibe noble tour, SEIjat of allc the tours of <£ngelonD ys uboloc flour. P. 433. Let it be fuppofed, however, that the draughtfman, whoever he was, gave a loofe to his imagination in thus ornamenting the building ; yet he muft have been ac- quainted with the hiftory of the caftle, to infertwith fo much propriety the arms of its refpe£t ive founders ; the knowledge of them, or even of the fa£ts to which they related, would not have continued to Rowley's time, if they had not been prcferved in authentic records, or reprefented in drawings : But if we fuppofe * State, condition, the SONGE TO ILLA. 387 the drawing, like the poems, to have been the mere inventions of Chatterton, where was the hiftory or fource from which he could derive his knowledge ? Was he capable of collecting, either from Leland or Dugdale, thefe remote and unintcreft- ing facts ? Could he have recourfe to heraldic authority for their verification ? And, without the advantages of age, literature, or books, could he have difcovered fo cri- tical a concurrence of evidence ? It is to be obferved alfo, that thefe drawings are accompanied with proper re- ferences, explaining the feveral views and buildings they were intended to repre- fent ; and they will be found to correfpond with the accounts given of this caftlc by William Wirceftre and Leland, whenever Mr. Barrett (hall oblige the public with his Hiftory of Briftol ^notwithstanding Mr. Warton objects to them as " the *' reprefentation of a building which never exifted, in a capricious and affected ftile " of Gothic architecture, reducible to no period or fyftem." See his Emendations to vol. ii. In fhort, if this was a real edifice, Rowley muft have been the au- thor of the drawings; if it was only ideal, he was certainly better qualified to be the inventor, than this illiterate youth, who muft have been an entire ftranger both to the hiftory and form of a building, which has lain in- ruin for the two laft centuries. Da Tl [ 3 88 ] The underwritten Lines were compofed by JOHN LADGATE, a Prieft in London, and fent to ROW LIE, as an Anfwer to the preceding Songe of Mlla. HAVYNGE wythe mouche attentyonn redde Whatt you dydd to mee fende, Admyre the varfes mouche I dydd, And thus an anfwerr lende. Amongs the Greeces Homer was A Poett mouche renownde, Amongs the Latyns Vyrgilius Was befle of Poets founde. The Brytifh Merlyn oftenne hanne The gyfte of infpyration, And Afled a to the Sexonne menne Dydd fynge wythe elocation b . Ynne Norman tymes, Turgotus and Goode Chaucer dydd excelle, Thenn Stowe, the Bryghtftowe Carmelyte,. Dydd bare awaie the belle. Nowe Rowlie ynne thefe mokie dayes Lendes owte hys fheenynge lyghtes, And Turgotus and Chaucer lyves Ynne ev'ry lyne he wrytes. a King -4 If red. b Elocution. THE [ 33c; J THE ECLOGUES. ECLOGUE THE FIRST. TH E abilities of Rowley as a paftoral writer may be feen in his Eclogues, and in the Songs of Ella, which defcribe the beauties and pleafures of the different fealbns of the year : If thefe are genuine compofitions, Mr. Warton acknowledges them to be the mod early fpecimens of paftoral writing extant in our language ; for he obferves, (vol. ii. p. 255.) " that the Eclogues '* of Alexander Barclay were not written till 1514, and, like " thofe of Petrarch and Mantuan, were of the moral and fatirical " kind, containing but few touches of rural defcription;" a point in which Rowley particularly excels, for his ideas feem to have been borrowed from Theocritus and Virgil. It is eafy to trace a refemblance bevveen the firft and fourth Eclogue of Rowley, and the firft and ninth Paftoral of Virgil: In both which civil diifenfions are the fubject of complaint; and the circum- ftances of the times defcribed in fome degree fimilarj the com- motions occasioned by the Triumvirates at Rome, refembling thofe of the civil war between the houfes of York and Lancafter; a Subject interesting to fuch as were concerned in thofe tumults, and felt their effects ; but too remote, both in date and confe- quence, to be chofen for the fubjedl of a modern eclogue. Robert and Rauf, deprived of the profit and pleafure of their farms, 3 complain 390 ECLOGUE THE FIRST. complain in the ftile of thofe Mantuan fliepherds whom Au- guflus had deprived of their lands, in order to beftow them on his veteran foldiers ; and how fimilar is the language of Melibaeus to that of our Englifh neat-herd, when he fays, in the language of Dryden, Farewell my paftures, my paternal ftock, My fruitful fields, and my more fruitful flock j No more my fheep mall ftp the morning dew, No more my fong (hall pleafe the rural crew, Adieu my tuneful pipe, and all the world adieu. Dryden. POEMS, E 391 ] P O E M S, &c. ECLOGUE THE FIRST. WHANNE Englonde, fmeethynge" from her lethal k wounde, From her galled necke dyd twytte c the chayne awaie, Kennynge her legeful fonnes falle all arounde, (Myghtie theie fell, 'twas Honoure ledde the fraie,) Thanne inne a dale, bie eve's dark furcote rt graie, t Twayne lonelie fhepfterres e dyd abrodden f flie, (The roftlyng 8 liffdoth theyr whytte hartes affraie h ,) And wythe the owlette trembled and dyd crie ; Firfte Roberte Neatherde hys fore boefom flroke, Then fellen on the grounde and thus yfpoke. jo ROBERTE. Ah, Raufe l.gif thos the howres do comme alonge, Gif thos wee flie in chafe of farther woe, a Si iething, fmoking ; in fome copies bletheynge, but in the or"al as above, b Deadly. c Pluck or pull. d Surcote, a cloke, or mantel, which hid all the other dr is. c Shepherds. f Abruptly, fo Chaucer, Syke he abredden dyd attourne, cr, abroad. 6 Rujn'ing. h Affright, Oure V. 12. Things are chaced with two different views, either to catch, or to drive them away. The word is here ul'ed in the latter fenfe. Thus 39 2 ECLOGUE THE FIRST. Oure fote wylle fayle, albeytte wee bee ftronge, Ne wylle oure pace fwefte as oure danger goe. To oure grete wronges we have enheped ' moe, j£ The Baronnes warre ! oh ! woe and well-a-daie ! I haveth lyff, bott have efcaped foe, Tkat lyfFytfel mie Senfes doe affraie. Oh Raufe, comme lyfte, and hear mie dernie k tale, Comrae heare the balefull ! dome '" of Robynne of the Dale. 20 RAUFE. Sale to mee nete; I kenne thie woe in mync ; O ! I've a tale that Sabalus n mote ° telle. Swote p flouretts, mantled meedows, foreftes dygne"'; Gravots r far-kend s arounde the Emmets ' cell ; The fwote ribible u dynning x yn the dell ; 25 The joyous daunceynge ynn the hoaftrie y courte; Eke z the highe fonge and everych joie farewell, Farewell the verie made of fay re dyfporte a : Impeflering b trobble onn mie heade doe comme, Ne on kynde Seyncte to warde c the aye d encreafynge dome. 30 1 Added. k Sad. ' Woeful, lamentable. m Fate. n The Devil. " Might. p Sweet. * Good, neat, genteel. r Groves, fometimes ufed for a coppice. 8 Far-feen. ' Hermit. u Violin. x Sounding. ' Inn, or public-houfe. z Alfo. 2 Pleafure. b Annoying. c To keep ofF. d Ever, always. ROBERTE. Thus the Shepfter In gentle {lumbers chaced the heat of day, B. H. N°2. v. 82. Not meaning to folloiu or pm-fue, but to difpel the heat : So in Ella, To chacc the merlcynefs of nyghte awaie. V. 1128. In the fame fenfe the word is to be explained in Spenfer's Calendar for October, And let us caft with what delight to chacc, And weary the long lingering Phoebus race. ECLOGUE THE FIRST. 393 R O B E R T E. Oh ! I coulde waile mie kynge-coppe d -decked mees *, Mie fpreedynge flockes of fhepe of lillie white, Mie tendre applynges f , and embodyde g trees, Mie Parker's Grange h , far fpreedynge to the fyghte, •^ BuUer-fioivers. * Meadows. f Grafted trees, rather, Apples, or Apple-trta, * Thick, flout. h Liberty of pafture given to the Parker, rather, Arable farm. Mie V. 31.. The neatherds in enumerating their lofles, Specify almoft every article of profit or pleafure which could arife from a country farm. The King-cups, or King-eobbs, (a favourite flower with Rowley, See the Son^ to Ella) dill adorns our meads, under the name of the Butter-flower. V. 33. The Applyns, or Apples, were alfo the produce of Tityrus's farm: Sunt nobis mitia poma. And the liquor produced by them is noticed by our early writers. WiclifF, in his translation of the New Teitament, gives this character of John the Baptiflr, Luke i. 15. " He fhall drink neither win nor fidir." But the Anglofaxon tranf- lators, who wrote before that liquor was introduced into the kingdom, exprefled the fenfe of the original by that fpccies of fermented liquor which was then ia ufe among them — " JX ne fcpinc pyn ne been." — Orcheyards belonging to convents are mentioned by Pierce Plowman; and Chaucer fpeaks of Jour Jidyr ; and the Romaunt of the Rofe mentions a garden, That peches, coines, and apples bare. The epithet of tender applyns, if applied to the tree, may be contrafted, in refpecl to fize, with thofe large foreft or embodied trees, (as he calls them) which alfo grew on the farm : They might be called tender, as young trees newly planted. Ap- flyn, meaning the fruit, may be (tiled tender, being much expofed to the cafualtie* of weather and feafons : The reader therefore may juflly wonder why this word is placed amongft the objectionable ones in Mr. Tyrwhit's Appendix. If Rowley is the ftrfl: author who ufes this diminutive, have not other poets at a!! times, and in all ages, taken the fame liberty? And of all diminutives, thofe which terminate in ling are the mod ancient in our language, being derived from the Saxon ; fuch as Lthe/Zn^, 1 .filing, Hinder//^, &c. Shakefpear might with equal juftice be qucftion- ed about the word hppling, in Richard the Hid, bccaufe that exprefiion may not be found in any preceding writer; fome critics indeed would fubft'itute fappling in this pafTage, in!lead of cpplyn, as a proper contraft to the embodied trees: But in rim «ge, when the kingdom was fo much encumbered with wood, the ufe and beauty 3 E of 394 ECLOGUE THE FIRST.. Mie cuyen ! kyne k , mie bullockes ftringe ' yn fyghte, 3^ Mie gorne m emblaunched " with the comfreie ° plante, Mie floure p Seyncte Marie fhotteyng wythe the lyghte, Mie ftore of all the bleiTynges Heaven can grant. 'Tender. k Cows, rather, Cow-cattle. ' Strong. m Garden. "Whitened. • Cumfrey, a favourite difti at that time, t Marygold. I amm ef young foreft-trecs was little attended to,, nor any difpofition fhewn either to plant or cut them down, unlefs for neceflary ufes ; befides, the contraft feems more elegant between barren, and fruitful, than between fmaller and larger trees of the fame fpecies. Chatterton, in explaining applyn by engrafted trees, conveys neither a true nor determinate idea ;.but, after all, this objection may be anfwered another way, by (hewing that applyn is not a diminutive, but ufed as the plural number of apple ; and for this we have authority more ancient than Rowley's time, for applin occurs in Robert of Gloucefter (fee the Gloflary) j and applyn is mentioned in the book of ancient receipts in cookery, in the time of Richard the lid, called, The Form of Cury, lately published by the Reverend Mr. Pegge. — N" 17. p. g6. Nun appelyn, i. e. take apples ; and p. 97. Par applyn, i. e. pare apples. In the fame book we find them called appelys, and appels ; and the words oyjlryr., pifyn, and hennyn, ufed for oyjlers, pens, and hens. Chatterton is no lefs miflaken in calling the word Grange,, a liberty of pa/lure. It means a farm producing grain, which is the apparent etymology of the word : Every religious houfe had its farm or grange, which provided bread for the com- munity : They were generally fituated in very fertile fpots, and many of them ftill retain the fame name. Thefe are therefore to be added to the proofs already given, that Chatterton did not underftand the language of the poems, and therefore could not have been the author of them. V. 34. The Parker, or hind, had the care of the enclofures, then called parks ; fome of which were allotted for cattle, for they are defcribed as extenfive, and far fpreedyuge to the fyghte. V. 35. My cuyen kine. This is another error of Chatterton ; Cuyen is the plural of Cu, the Saxon word for a cow ; and Kyne, or cynne, fignifies, in the fame language, fpecies, or generation ; and we fhould call them in modern Englifb, with great pro- priety, Ccw-cattlc, or the breed of cows, as diflinguifhed from the males, here called Bullockes fringe yn fyghte; alluding to the then favourite diverfion of bull-baiting, for which thefe animals were trained. V. 36, The contents of Robert's garden (which, according to provincial found and pronunciation, is here called Gorne) are well adapted to the neceffities of the peafant, and to the taite of thofe times. The Cumfrey plant, (one fpecies of which ECLOGUE THE FIRST. ,«* o J J I amm durefTed 1 unto forrowes blowe, Ihanten'd r to the peyne, will lette ne falte teare flowe. 40 ' Hardened, er, compelled by. ' Accuftomed. RAUFE. which "bears a white flower) has probably never decorated any garden, except that of an herbaiifr, fince Johnfon's time ; and he had every fpecies of that plant. But if the laying out the neatherd's garden had been the work, of Chatterton, he would pro- bably have felected his flowers from Shakefpear or Milton, and have planted daifies, panfies, violets, and cuckow-buds, interfperfed with eglantine and -woodbine, the nofegays of thofe poets ; and not have contented himfelf with the homely co»:frev and -marigold. The latter, however, is a claflical flewer, the Caltha of Virgil, with one fpecies of which Corydon decked the bower of his beloved Alexis : Turn cafia, atque aliis intexens fuavlbus herbis, Mollia luteola pingit vaccinia caltba. Eel. ii. v. 49, And fet foft hyacinths with iron blue, To fhade marfh marigolds of fhining hue. Columella alfo thus fpeaks of it, Candida leucoia, & candentia lumina caltha. Stock jilly-flowers exceeding white, And marygolds moil yellow bright. The property of this flower is mentioned by our poets (although unnoticed by the claflical writers) that it opens and fhuts with the fun. So Shakefpear, The marygold that goes to bed with th' fun, And with him rifes weeping. Winter's Tale, Aft iv. fc, 3, And winking marybuds begin to ope their golden eyes. Cymbeline, Act ii. fc. 3. And Sir David Lindfay, The maryguldis, that all day were rejoyfit OfPhcebus, now craftily ar clofit. Warton, vol. ii. p. 313. A flower there is that fhineth bright, Some call it marygold a. Percy, vol. ii. p. 343. 7 E 2 396 ECLOGUE THE FIRST. R A. U F E. Here I vville obaie s untylle Dethe doe 'pere, Here lyche a foule empoyfoned leathel ' tree, Whyche fleaeth u everichone that commeth nere, Soe wille I fyxed unto thys place gre x . I to bement y haveth moe caufe than thee ; Sleene in the vvarre mie boolie z fadre lies ; Oh! joieous- I hys mortherer would flea, And bie hys fyde for aie enclofe myne eies. Calked 1 from everych joie, heere wylle I blede b ; Fell ys the Cullys-yatte c of mie hartes caftle flede,. 50 • Abide. This line is alfo wrote, " Here wyll I obaie until] dethe appere," but this is modernized. \ Deadly. u Deflroyeth, killeth. " Grow. r Lament. 2 Much-loved, beloved. * Caft out, ejected, or driven. b Stay, abide. c Alluding to the portcullis, which guarded the gate, on which often depended the cattle. ROBERTE. V. 42. It may be queftiorred whether there be any European tree which irricHy deferves the title of lethal and empoijaned; but thofe terms are in fome meafure ap- plicable to the Yew, which is fuppofed by thofe ancient phyficians and naturalifts, Galen, Diofcorides, and Theophraftus, to be of a poifonous quality. Diofcorides- obferves, that fleeping under the fhadow of a yew-tree caufed ficknefs, and feme- times death j nor is it doubted that the leaves are fatal to the cattle which browfe upon them. — It is-alfo well known that bows were generally made of yew ; . and probably it is with reference to this, that Chaucer mentions, in his R. R. V. 923. one which was made of a tree That bearcth fruit of favour wick'e,. Full crokid was. that foule flicke. V. 49. Here will I blede. This word, unexplained by Chatterton, fhould more properly have been fpelt bleve, from the A. S. word B'elipan, which fignifies to abide, and is evidently the fhepherd's meaning in this paflage ; for bleeding and death are quite out of the queflion here. The comparifon of the human heart to a caftle, and the ftrength. of it to the portcullis, marks in the ftrongeft terms the military ideas of that age. ECLOGUE THE FIRST. 397 R O B E R T E. Cure woes alyche, alyche our dome i fhal bee. Mie fonne, mie fonne alley n % yftorven f ys ; Here wylle I ftaie, and end mie lyffwith thee; A lyff lyche myn a borden ys ywis. Now from een logges B fledden is felynefs h , Ifij Mynfterres ; alleyn k can boafte the hallie ' Seyndle, Now doeth Englonde weare a boudie drefle And wyth her champyonnes gore her face depeyn<5le;. Peace fledde, diforder flieweth her dark rode m , And thorow ayre doth flie, yn garments fteyned with bloude. 60 * Eatc. e My only fon. f Dead. s Cottages. h Happinefs. J Monafterys. k Only. ' Holy. ro Complexion, or, connttnancf. ECLOGUE [ 398 ] ECLOGUE THE SECOND. t | 1 H E Second Eclogue contains no paftoral idea. It is rather JL an ode of triumph on the military atchievements of King Richard the Ift, in the Crufade •; It bears fome refemblance to Virgil's fourth Eclogue, each of them celebrating the praifes of a hero, the one crowned with the honours of war, the other dif- fufing the bleffings of peace. The poet has artfully contrived to put the praifes of his hero into the mouth of a private perfon, who, from motives of filial affection, is interefted more nearly in the exploits of Richard, than the fpeakers in Theocritus and Virgil are in the actions of Ptole- my and Pollio. The hiftory of this expedition is moft happily comprifed within the compafs of eight flanza's. It was a favourite topic with the military fpirits of thofe times; and the merit of Richard's exploits in that war, continued in high repute long after the Crufades were ended. The diftion of the Eclogue is fuited to the dignity of the fub- ject. It abounds with compound and majeftic epithets, mewing how fuccefsfully the author could adapt his ftile to his fubject and his metre. * Galfrid Vinefaulf, who wrote the Iter Ricardi Regis, printed in Gale's Quindecim Scriptores, fays, " that Richard had the virtue of Hector, the mag- •" nanimity of Achilles, net virtutc junior Rallando." c In ECLOGUE THE SECOND. 399 In a poem of this kind, {tridr. historical truth is not to be ex- pedtedj but the magnificent outlet of fo large and formidable a rL.t correfponds with the hiftory given of Richard's embark- ation from Mefilna in 1 1 80, when he was attended with one hundred and fifty fhips of war ; but the poet fpeaks not of his return, it being well known that he was taken and detained pri- foner by the Duke of Auftria, fo that his fubjedts and crufaders had the mortification of returning without their prince, and. humbled with the additional difgrace of his captivity. ECLOGUE [ 4°o 3 s ECLOGUE THE SECOND, PRYTES • of the blefte, the pious Nygelle fed, Poure owte yer pleafaunce b onn mie fadres hedde. Rycharde of Lyons harte to fyghte is gon, Uponne the brede c fea doe the banners gleme d j The amenufed e nationnes be afton f , £ To ken B fyke h large a flete, fyke fyne, fyke breme '. The barkis heafods k coupe ' the lymed ra ilreme ; Oundes " fynkeynge oundes upon the hard ake ° riefe; The water flughornes p wythe a fwotye q cleme r Conteke 3 the dynnynge ' ayre, and reche the fkies. 10 Sprytes of the blefte, on gouldyn trones u aftedde % Poure owte yer pleafaunce onn mie fadres hedde. ■ Spirits, fouls. b PJeafure, or bhjjings. c Broad. d Shine, glimmer. e Dinti- niflied, leflened. f Aftoniflied, confounded. Sea, difcover, know. h Such, feu i ftrong, furious. k Heads. ' Cut. m Glafly J » »ic&ing, poltjhed. ' Waves, billows. Oak. f A mufical instrument, not unlike a hautboy, rather, a war trumpet. J; Sweet. 'Sound. ' Confufe, contend with. 'Sounding. "Thrones. "Seated. The "V. q. Chatterton explains the water Jlughorn as a mufical inftrument, not unlike a hautboy; but the note on v. 90 of the Tournament fhews, that he did not under- hand the nature of this iuftrument. ECLOGUE THE SECOND. 401 The gule r depeyndted z oares from the black tyde, Decorn * wyth fonnes " rare, doe fhemrynge ryfe ; Upfwalynge d doe heie ' fliewe ynne drierie pryde, 15 Lyche gore-red eftells f in the eve g -merk h fkyes ; The nome-depeyn&ed ' fhields, the fperes aryfe, Alyche k talle roflies on the water fyde ; Alenge' from bark to bark the bryghte meene" flyes ; Sweft-kerv'd " delyghtes doe on the water glyde. 20 Sprites of the blefte, and everich Seyncle ydedde, Poure owte youre pleafaunee on mie fadres hedde The Sarafen lokes owte : he doethe feere, That Englondes brondeous ° fonnes do cotte the waie. Lyke honted bockes, theye reineth p here and there, 25 Onknowlachynge q inne whatte place to obaie \ ?Red. 2 Painted. "Carved. b Devices. c Glimmering, or Jhlnlng. A Rifing hi»h, fwelling up. ' They. f A corruption of ejloile, Fr. a ftar. B Evening. h Dark. 1 Rebus'd fhields ; a herald term, when the charge of the fhield implies the name of the bearer. k Like. 'Along. m Shine. n Short-lived, rather, quick-made bubbles. " Furious. P Runneth. ' Not knowing. ' Abide. The V. 20. The fwift-icrv'd delights which on the water glide, may allude to the foam and bubbles of the fea, created by the motion of their oars. Spenfcr has » defcription fimilar to this, And the light bubbles daunced all along, Whilft the fait brine out of the billows fprung, V. 25. Lyke honted bockes, theye reineth here and there. This is the idea of Homer, <&v?ocxiws iXxfcuriv eo»XW«») «ite xa8 uAi|« ******* "Aut«? ixdtniwoti. II- N- v. 102, Like frighted fawns, from hill to hill purfu'd. Pope, B. xiii. v. 14.3- * F 4 o2 ECLOGUE THE SECOND. The banner glefters on the beine of daie j, The mitte f crofle Jerufalim ys feene ;. Dhereof the fyghte yer corrage doe arfraie V In balefull ' dole their faces be ywreene u . 3^ Sprytes of the blefte, and everich Seyncte ydedde, Poure owte your pleafaunce on rnie fadres hedde. The bollengers x and cottes y , foe fwyfte yn fyghte, Upon the fydes of everich bark appere ; Foorthe to his offyce lepethe everych knyghte,. 05: Eftfoones z hys fquyer, with hys fhielde and, fpere. The jynynge a fhieldes doe fhemre and moke glare b ;. The dofheynge oare doe make gemoted c dynne; The reynyng d foemen % thynckeynge gif f to dare,. Boun e the merk h fvverde, theie feche to fraie ! , theie blyn k . f Mighty. 'Affright. c Woeful. "Covered. * T DifFerentkinds of boats. z Full. foon, prefently. a Joining. b Afucb, glitter. c United, aflembled. d Running, c Foes. f If. e Make ready. b Dark. 'Engage., k Geafe, Hand frill. Sprytes V. 28. Inftead of the mitte crofTe, read thie mitte crofle, Jerufalim, ys feene \ which will correct the grammar, and add propriety and beauty to the expreflion. V. 33. The bollengers and cottes were fmaller veffels, ufed for the convenience of difembarking the troops : They are very well known to our Englifh hiitorians, Walfingham, Froiflart, and Rymer, under the name of Ballingars ; by Spelmart erroneoufly called Babingers : Gawin Douglas mentions them in his tranflatioii of the EneiJ ; And mony grete fchip, ballingart and bark, JEn. iv. p. 113. v. 41. Du Frefne calls them uavis bellica fpecies ; and there is an order of Henry the I Vth (iflued in 14.01, on the report of an invafion,) to certain cities, boroughs, and vills, to provide bargeas & balingeras, qux ceteris navibus tempore gutrras pre- valent, pro falva cuilodia maris. (Rymer, torn. viii. p- 172.) The ballinger^ though probably larger than the cott, was fmaller than the barge; fox the navy ap- pointed by the fame king, for Thomas de Lancaflre, his admiral, was to confift of li twenty grand niefs de Toure, twenty barges, and twenty balengers." ' (Ibidem, p. 389.) Gawin Douglas mentions both thefe veflels, Quhil at the laft bayth ballingare and barge JEn. Lib. vi. v. 2. Douglas, p. 16a — 19. ECLOGUE THE SECOND, Sprytes of the blefte, and everyche Seyn&e ydedde, 41 Powre oute yer pleafaunce onne mie fadres hedde. Now comm the warrynge Sarafyns to fyghte ; Kynge Rycharde, lyche a lyoncel ' of warre, Inne fheenynge goulde, lyke feerie m gronfers", dyghte", 45 Shaketh alofe hys honde, and feene afarre. Syke haveth I efpyde a greter ftarre Amenge the drybblett » ons to fheene fulle bryghte ; Syke funnys wayne q wyth amayl'd ' beames doe barr The blaunchie s mone or eftells ' to gev lyghte. 50 Sprytes of the blefte, and everich Seyndte ydedde, Poure owte your pleafaunce on mie fadres hedde. 4° 3 1 A young lion. m Flaming. n A meteor, fromgron, a fen, and fer, a corruption of fire; that is, afire exhaled from a fen. ° Deckt. p Small, infignificant. i Carr. r Enameled. s White, filver. ' Stars. Diftraughte V. 45. The armour of King Richard, " being of jheenynge goulde and lyke feerii gronfers ," was probably adorned with inlaid work, reprefenting the fun and the ftars, to which it is compared in the following lines; the fame idea may be alluded to in the 68th line: The waylynge mone doth fade before hys [onne ; The moon or crefcent being the ftandard of the Turks ; and the word ivayiynge does not fignify lamenting, but, as Chatterton has truly explained it, decreaf.ng, ©r, as it is ftill called, wayning. The gronfer, a fiery meteor proceeding from grons or fens, is more than once alluded to in this poetry. It is called in Ella, A fommer morie gronfer droke. v. 460. A rodde gronfer— — v. 642. And in Goodwin, — — — Brendeynge gronfyres. v. 200. V. 47. The fimilies of the fun and ftars are evidently copied from Homer : Oio? iJ arif fiVt per drootJTL vuxto; a.y.oXyca "£(T7rffoj, 0; xaXAij-e? Iv acxifta 'ifursci amo, II. X. v. 317. As radiant Hefper fhines with keener light, For beaming o'er the fainter hoff. of night. Pope, B. xxii. 1. 309. 3 F 2 Or, 404 ECLOGUE THE SECONR Diftraughte u affraie x , wythe lockes of blodde-red die, Terroure, emburled y yn the thonders rage, Deathe, lynked to difmaie, dothe ugfomme * file, 5 j: Enchafynge a echone champyonne war to wage. Speeres bevyle b fperes y fwerdes upon fwerdes engage ; Armoure on armoure dynn c , fhielde upon fhielde j Ne dethe of thofandes can the warre afTuage, Botte falleynge nombers fable d all the feelde. 60 Diftra&ing. * Affright,, fright, or/ear. t Armed. z Terribly. * Encou- raging, heating. ° Break, a herald term, fignifying a fpear broken in tilting,, cr bend to, ' Sounds. d Blacken. Sprytes Or, as it is faid of another ftar$. ccptPyXei 0