,
§
c
iJf
■
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, — — . vii
Introductory Account to ditto, — — xii
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, — — _ _ 28o
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, — — — 32°
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, — — — 364
An excelente Balade of Charitie, — — — 3^6
Preface to the Songe to Ella, — — — 375
Challenge, and Songe to Ella, — — — 38z
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, — — — 423
On the fame, — — — — 424
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, — — 464
Gloflary — — "T "" 52l
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 BriJloiuey 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, i77o. 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 cr 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,
j2 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
i4 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,
« x776. <f THOMAS GARY."
Mr. Shiercliffe, a bookfeller, now living in Briftol, fays, that in the year 1748, being at Mr. Miller's (who was a painter, but after- wards retired from bufinefs) when he was painting old Parrott's epitaph, (which Parrott caufed to be put up in the cemitery of Redcliff church, many years before his death) Mr. Miller defired Mr. Shiercliffe to put a ftourilh at the bottom of it, which he ac- cordingly did; and old Parrott coming in at that time, feemed much pleafed with it : In the courfe of the converfation, Mr. Parrott faid, he had found a great curiofity, and carried them to fee it, in a place over the porch of Redcliff church. There were many old writings on vellum, which Mr. Shiercliffe did not under- ftand : At this diftance of time he cannot pofitively fay, whether the name of Rowley was mentioned, but thinks it was. On Mr. Parrott's death, fome of his papers came into the hands of one Mr. Morgan at Briftol, a curious man, and a great lover of antiquities, although no fcholar. Mr. Barrett is now poffeffed of his papers, amongft which is the following curious note con- cerning Redcliff church.
" Over the north porch is a long fexangular room, in which " were formerly kept the archives belonging to the church. The " trunks and boxes are ftill remaining, with many hundred old " deeds in them, where I have been furnifhed with many curi- " ous materials."
Mr. Morgan has been dead above fifteen years ; he was con- temporary with Chatterton's father, but it is not faid that he
was
PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. i7
was acquainted with him. Mr. Morgan's not mentioning the poetry among thefe old records, might be owing to his not be- ing able to decypher them, as they are written in a hand not very eafy to be read ; or they might have been given to Chat- terton's father before Mr. Morgan had accefs to the room.
It appears then from the foregoing mod: authentic evidence, that certain ancient manuscripts on parchment did exift, and were in the poffellion of Chatterton's parents, before the time of his father's death ; that the fon took them into his cuftody ibon after July 1767, that he tranfcribed feveral of them at Mr. Lambert's office, and read them to his filler and Mr. Smith, fome from the original MSS. and others from his own copies; that he ex- preffed uncommon delight at the difcovery of this treafure, which he communicated to a few friends only, and even to them partially; that he never laid claim to them as written by himfelf, except in one inftance; and, notwithstanding his great vanity, love of authorfhip, and high opinion of his own abilities, he neither denied what he had written himfelf, nor claimed the works of others: It muft be obferved alfo, that he was particu- larly jealous of fuch, among his contemporaries, who were rivals to him in poetry or fame, or who prefumed to find fault with or undervalue his poetical compofitions.
If it be confidered likewife, how flowly Chatterton's abilities opened on his nrft going to fchool ; how conftantly his time was employed there ; it will be found (notwithstanding the furprifing progrels which he made afterwards) that two years and nine months fpent with Mr. Lambert (part of which was employed in copying books of precedents for his mafter) was not more than furficient for the bufinefs of tranfcribing thefe parchments, endea- vouring to underftand their contents, reading Chaucer, tranfcrib- ing Speght's GlolTary, and acquiring a competent knowledge of the meaning of ancient words : not to mention the hours which he dedicated to reading plays and romances, and writing fatires *.nd lampoons againft thofe who had offended him, befides that
D part
18 PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION.
part ofVhis time which was given to a fet of youths, who, like himfclf, had a genius for poetry, and a turn for diffipation.
They who are willing to think Ghatterton's time and abilities equal to all that is attributed to him, mud: confider the great compafs and variety of knowledge neceffary to qualify him for fo extenfive a forgery. He muft have been eonverfant, to a certain degree, with the language of our ancient poets, with the meaning and inflexion of their words, and with the rules of grammar whidh they obferved : He muft have formed a voca- bulary from their works, which muft have been previoufly read and underftood by him, as the groundwork of his imi- tation, and undoubtedly the moft difficult part of the under- taking.
To adopt the ideas, to fupport the ftyle and phrafeology of a language in which he had never before written, and with which he could have very little acquaintance, and to execute this with a propriety and fpirit fuperior to all the poetry which that age had produced, muft appear an impracticable attempt; and though his words mould fpeak the language, they would never convey the fentiments, of a poet writing in the fifteenth century. Even poffelTed of all thefe qualities, the want of literature muft have confined his genius within very narrow limits ; for it required a knowledge of hiftory and an- tiquity, to record ancient facts and local c'uftoms; and, with- out the afliftance of the Greek and Latin poets, the author could not have been furnithed with fo many clafiical ideas.
In all thefe inftances Chatterton appears to have been defi- cient; he knew no language but his mother-tongue, nor any kind of literature but what he gleaned from the books which he could borrow of the Briftol bookfellers; whofe collections were neither felect nor numerous : His choice, after he began to exercife his pen, was generally determined to poetry, novels, and romances : He was never obferved by Mr. Lambert, or any other friend, to be engaged in any regular or ferious courfe of ftudy; his mind
2 being
PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION, xo
being too defultory for clofe application ; and it appears in ge- neral, by the fubjects and liile of his poems, that they followed the courfe of his natural inclination, which was much given to fatire ; and of his conduct and opinions, which were early tinc- tured with irreligion. On thefe topics, his pen following the dictates of his heart, the fentiments flowed with eafe : But how muff, his mind have laboured under the burthen of describing pathetically the plcafures of virtue, and the rewards of religion ; which are lb frequently mentioned in thefe poems, though they had not made their proper impreffion on his heart ? But, not to detain the reader any longer on fuch difquifitions, let us begin our examination of thefe poems with the title-page, and name of the author.
May we not afk, then, what could tempt Chatterton to pro- duce his poetry under the name of Rowley ? If ambition, and a defire of poetic fuperiority, were his predominant paffions, (as his filler and moft intimate friends have aliened) why mould he deprive himfelf of an honour juftly due to his merit, by con- cealing his name ? If, from a modeft diffidence of his abilities, (which was never a part of his character) he wifhed to know in fecret the powers of his virgin mufe, why did he not fend her into the world, to make her way to fame, by afTuming the name of Chaucer, Lidgate, Occleve, or fome other of our moft refpec- table ancient poets ? What reafon can be affigned for his chuf- ing the name of Rowley in preference to all others ? A name at prefent entirely unknown in Briftol, and never particularly dif- tinguifhed there ; except that, at the time when thefe poems are fuppofed to have been written, one Thomas Rouley, a merchant, was fheriff of the town. His epitaph is ftill extant in St. John's church, infcribed in Gothick letters, on a brafs plate, as follows :
E> 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' ppitiet1 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<flory of North Tavvton, in Devonfhire, Sep- tember 20th, 1479. Reg. Courtenay, p. 87. a. In an inquifition de jure patronatus of this redtory, holden on the 20th of September preceding, entered in the fame regifter, p. 80. a. he is faid to be " alibi beneficiatus quia rector ecclefia? parochialis de Bekyngton <* Bathon & Wellen dioces." He ibon after reilgned, and took again the living of Bekynton ; for the Wells regifler fays, that he was inftituted to the parifh-church of Bekynton, March 28th,. 1480, on the refignation of Mr. Thomas Ralegh, batchelor of
lawsa
22 PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION.
laws, the la ft rector, at the prefentation of the above knight, (Sir Thomas Seymour.) He was ftill poffefled of North Taw- ton, in 1 49 1, being mentioned as one of the jury, in an in- quifition de jure patronatus, April the 15th, in the fame year.
The sera of this Thomas Rolegh feems rather too late for our poet. It would be endlefs to fearch for Rowley's fuperior orders in other regifters. — In the note prefixed to the Battle of Haftings, he is ftiled Pari/1} Prieji of St. Jo fa's in Brijlol ; a fact not authenticated by the Worcefter regifter. In the title to the Battle of Haftings, and in the preface to the account of the Court Mantle, printed by Chatterton in the Town and Country Magazine, March 1769, he is called a monk; which is not very probable. Thefe different accounts feem rather to arife from want of proper information, than from a pre-concerted forgery, which would have dictated a more uniform flory. Rowley's memoirs of Canning, reprinted by Mr, Warton, make him con- felfor to William Canning, and to his fon Robert. Other un,- publifhed accounts of him, in Mr. Barrett's hands, fay, that Rowley and Canning were educated together, at the convent of the White Fryars (i. e. the Carmelites) at Briftol -, where their friendship firft commenced : Both thefe memoirs make Rowley to have furvived his friend, and yet no notice is taken of him in Canning's will.
It mull alio be obferved, that the fpirit of Rowley's poetry is perfectly confonant to his clerical character : There is fuch a rectitude and purity in all his fentiments, fuch delicacy in his expreftions, fuch a conftant attention to improve every incident to moral or religious inftruction, that we difcover the fource whence thefe principles flowed, as well as the profeflion that habituated him to this turn of thought. But how different was the character and conduct of Chatterton ? The companion due to the errors of his education, and to the undeferved diftrefs of his furviving family, forbid all enlargements on this topic, which are not necelfarily connected with the prefent argument. But it
mult
PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. 23
muft not he concealed, that foon after his coming into Mr. Lam- bert's family, wh^n his poetic life began, he gave himfelf up to fceptical and irreligious ideas, of which his poem to Happinefs, written in 1769, and lately pubhmed, and his profine will, in- tended to ridicule that laft neceffary and religious acl: in a man's life, are but too fufficient proofs.
Could a youth, thus eftranged from the pure principles of religion and mcnlity, enflaved to his paflions, flung with dif- appointment, difgufted both with himfelf and mankind, (could he, 1 fay) recommend . thofe precepts of benevolence, morality, and religion, which abound in thefe poems, unmixed with any indelicate fentiment or exprefhon, which might wound the chaffed: ear, or offend the mofb religious heart?
Much lefs was he qualified, either by age or experience, to point out the motives of human conducl; the progrefs, opera- tion, and effects of the paflions, which are delineated with fo much juftice and delicacy in this poetry, and can be defcribed by thofe only, who have fagacity to trace, and a nice judgment to obferve upon their effecls !
But the advocates for Chatterton would make him not only a pro- digy in poetry, but in literature alfo: For the one, he was greatly indebted to nature, but the other could only be acquired by time and fludy; and yet, we are to fuppofe, that, without the affiftance of language, grammar, or books, (except the few which he picked up at Briilol) and without any inftrucfor but his own genius, he wrote all thefe poems, and feveral profe compofitions, belides other fugitive pieces, on various fubjeefs, in lefs than three years, under all the difadvantages of his fituation and circumfhnces. The boldnefs of this fuppofition, in favour of Chatterton, can only be equalled by one no lefs hardily advanced to the difcredit of Row- ley, viz. that it was impoffible for the fifteenth century to produce an Englifh priefl qualified to be the author of thefe poems.
In refpeel to literature, the argument is ccnfeffedly in fa- vour of Rowley, and no lefs decilive againft Chatterton; and as
to
2+ PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION.
to the powers or" genius and poetry, they are not confined to one period or century. Each may have its characteriftical ftyle; but poets and writers will arife in every age, far excelling the reft of their contemporaries, and becoming exceptions to a general rule : The fuperiority of Rowley's poetry is therefore no conclulive argument againft the authenticity of it. If learning was little cul- tivated in that age, we mutt not infer that it did not at all exift ; and that no man, at that time, could have a tafte for clathcal learning and antient poetry, becaufe thole branches of literature were then generally negledted. Some have even doubted, whether any Englilh prieft, of the fifteenth century, was learned enough to read Homer in the original ; but Mr. VVarton * has removed that doubt, by observing, that the knowledge of the Greek iongue was introduced into England in the twelfth century, by Theobald, archbifhop of Canterbury, who was himfelf a Greek pi-left — That Adhelm, of Malmfbury, went to Canterbury on purpofe to learn that language of him — That copies of Homer, and of other Greek books, imported by that prelate, were extant even in archbifhop Parker's time — That on the revival of litera- ture in England after the Norman conqueft, many claffics were tranlcribed for the ufe of monafteries — and that Greek books found their way into our libraries at the time of the Cruiades ; Grof- thead, bilhop of Lincoln, having tranllated Dionyfius the Areo- pagite, and Damafcenus, in 1230; and encouraged the knowledge of the Greek tongue, by a tranflation of Suidas, and by preferring John of Bafingfloke for his abilities in that language. — In the twelfth century, John of Salifbury frequently quotes Homer with propriety; and hath one obfervation concerning him, which could only refult from a moft intimate acquaintance with that poet: " Homerus in illo celeberrima? perfecfionis opere dedignatus eft " nolle Fortunaniy adeo quidem ut in nulla parte tanti carminis M nominetur." Policrat. 1 1 1 — 8. p. 144.
* Differt. 2d,
John
PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. 25
John Free, who tranflated fome of Xenophon's difcourfes, fome books of Diodorus Siculus, and a tract of Synefius, out of Greek into Latin, was nominated bifhop of Bath and Wells in 1465, but died before confecration. See Bale, and Bayle in voce Phraea.
And though inftances of poetic genius were then rare in Eng- land, yet hiftory has taken notice of fome, not lefs extraordinary than Rowley. Jpfeph Ifcanus is ftiled, by Mr. Warton, a mi- racle of his age, for claflical compofitions : — " Jofephus Iica- " nus omnium poetarum fui temporis (abfit invidia dicbo) facile " primus, tantae eloqueritiae, majeftatis, eruditionis homo fuit, ut " nunquam fatis admirari poffim, unde illi in tarn barbara et rudi " aetate facundia accreverit; ufque adeo omnibus numeris terfa, " elegans, rotunda." See Leland de Scriptor. Britann.
To this character, given by Leland, of a poet who fiourifhed at the beginning of the thirteenth century, may be added his obfer- vation on Jofephus's poem " De Bello Trojano," which the reader may apply to Rowley's Battle of Raftings: Leland fir ft difcovered a copy of this poem in the library of Magdalen College, Oxford, but it was imperfect ; when he was ftudying in Paris, two years after, he found another copy of the fame poem, in the library of St. Victor, imperfect likewife; not long after, he met with a third copy of the fame poem, in the pofi'emon of a noble Parifian " fed " fub fine mutilum:" At laft, when he vilited the Englifh libraries, by order of king Henry the Eighth, he found in that of Thorney Abbey an entire copy of this poem. What a valuable acceffion would it be to our ancient poetry, if a third, or even a fourth copy of the Battle of Haflings could be difcovered, to fupply the imper- fection of the two poems now extant !
To give a parallel inftance in the French language : Profper Marchand, in his Dictionary, V. Vitry, after giving his reader two old French Poems, with a Latin verfion of them, by Nic. de Cle- mangis, adds, " L'ordre, l'arrangement, la clarte, la diction, et furtout la Mefure des vers de ces deux pieces Franfoifes, font ii nettes, fi exacts, et si approchaht de notee voesie moderne.
E quoi
26 PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION.
quoi qu' Writes, l'une par Philippe de Vitry mort des 1361, et l'autre par Pierre d'Ailly mort vers 1425, que, fi Defpreaux les avoit connues, il eft a croire qu'il leur auroit accorde,prefer- ablement a Villon, la gloire,
, d'avoir feu les premiers
Debrouiller l'art confus de nos vieux Romanciers.
Boileau Art Poetique, v. no.
The works of Chaucer abound with claffical allufions, and the Engliih poems of that age are founded on Greek and Roman hiftory: Mr. Warton fuppofes that Lidgate might have feen a Latin verfion of Homer, made in 1360, and fays that it was alfo tranflated into French verfe about the ycnr 1430.
As nothing, therefore, but a general want of literature, could have prevented the readers of thofe days from having recourfe to the original. poets, the force of the objection is chiefly this; that if Rowley was the author of this collection, he muft have been a very uncommon genius both for poetry and literature.
Befides the claffical allufions, borrowed from antient poets, there are many hiftorical facts, local cuftoms, and manners of the age referred to, which it was impoffible that Chatterton, or indeed any other modern writer, could have fo accurately defcribed. And even in thofe fubjects which confeffedly came within the reach of Chatterton's literary powers, his works are eafily diftinguimable from Rowley's by his ftyle and language, his fentiments and man- ner of expreffion, by the choice of his fubjects, his mode of treat- ing them, and his total want of plan and method. The two volumes printed under the refpective names of thefe two poets, point out this difference in the ftrongeft colours, convincing the reader,, that the ftyle of Chatterton never rifes to the dignity of Rowley j nor does Rowley defcend to the mediocrity of Chat- terton.
Exceptions, indeed, .have been made to Angle wordsand phrafes; feme of which have been unjuftly charged as plaghrifms from. ;rn posts; and anachronifms have been imputed, where none
did
PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. 27
did really exift. — Not one of thefe poems has ever been brought to the tefl of a critical enquiry; and yet judgment has been haftily and partially pronounced againfl: them all, more from the autho- rity of opinion, than the remit of examination. It was unfortu- nate for our poet, that Lauder and Macpherfon had Co much ex- ercifed the attention of the public: Critical jealoufy is therefore doubly armed againfl. all future claims to poetic antiquity, and, from an eafy credulity, is driven to the oppofite extreme of ill- founded fcepticifm; flying from fmaller difficulties, to embrace real inconfifiencies; and lofing all the beauties of the poetry, in the idea of combating the authenticity of it.
The learned editor has brought this queflion to a fairer iflue, " by denying the language of this poetry to be that of the fifteenth " century." So refpeclable a critic is entitled to a reply; but it muft be deferred to the clofe of thefe obfervations, that the atten- tion of the reader may not be diverted, by verbal criticifm, from that chain of external and internal evidence, which will arife in thecourfeof a regular commentary on the poems; a method which feems adapted to dojuftice to the various excellencies of our poet, and to carry conviction to the mind of the reader, in a more plea- fing and forcible manner than could have been done by a mere argument.
The reader will candidly pardon the length of the following remarks, when he confiders the Angularity, both in the flyle and fentiments, of thefe poems — that they frequently want illuftration, and have never yet received the afiiftance of a commentator — that the fenfe of the author is not unneceflarily tortured with conjec- tural criticifm, but the greateft regard is paid to the text, which, indeed, is too perfect to want much correction. Should this firft and imperfect attempt prove fuccefsful, in removing ill-grounded prejudices, and unjuft fufpicions of forgery; it may be the future lot of fome more able pen to place the merit and beauties of this poetry in a more confpicuous light, and give that credit to the author, which he deferves to hold amongft the firfl; poets of our
E 2 nations
28 PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION.
nation, Chaucer, Shakefpear, and Mikon, efpecially as he has given inch ftriking proofs of his genius in every fpecies of poetry wherein thofe great mailers have remarkably exc lied.
In order to do juftice to the wonderful extent and variety of Rowley's genius, we mutt view him in the different lights ofanEpic, Dramatic, and Lyric Poet; as aPaftoral Writer, a Moral and Cri- tical Satyrill: and, that the poems may correfpond with this en- quiry, I have taken the liberty to tranfpofe their order, which can be attended with no inconvenience, the poems being, for themoft: part, entirely unconnected with each other. If the arrangement in the former edition was not accidental, it might either have followed the order of the manufcripts, or the method obferved in the publication of Virgil, where the eclogues are placed firft, and the epic poem laft; for the additional pieces which follow the Battle of Haftings, relating to the Hiftory of Canning, or written by him, may be confidered only as an appendix to Rowley's works. The introductory account is too interesting to have any part of it omitted, and is therefore preferved entire, although changed in order.
The literature which diftinguifhes thefe poems, being one of the ftrongeft proofs of their belonging to Rowley, and not to Chatterton, the Battle of Haftings- is placed at the head of the collection, to (hew how intimately the author was acquainted with Homer's Iliad; how evidently he formed thefe two poems on that- model ; and how clofely he follows his original in the fimplicity of his narration, in the defcription of events, in the wounds and death of his heroes, ac well as in his fimilies and allufionsj many of which are direct copies from Homer, in others the principal idea is retained, though the circumftances and application are di- verfified, and again in others only a diftant refemblance is pre- ferved: There appears, however, in many of them, a fpirit which exceeds and improves upon Homer's idea. They who can aflert that thefe fimilies are copied from verllons, and not from the ori- ginal poet, cannot have taken the trouble of comparing them with any one of Homer's tranflators.
Indeed
PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. 29
Indeed the arTertion confutes itfelf ; for, among the many Ho- merical images in thefe two poems, it is not eafy to find a line, a phrafe, or even an epithet, which can fix the charge of plagiarifm on the author, who has ftudloufly endeavoured to adhere to the unaffected fimplicity and force of thought, with the unadorned energy of expreflion, fo charadteriftical of the Greek poet; but he frequently differs from Pope, even in exprefling the fame idea., and almoff. always excels him. The reader is referred, for the truth of thefe affertions, to the fubfequent quotations; which will con- vince him, that the author of the Battle of Haftings neither wanted, ncr v. indebted to Mr. Pope's tranflation, much lefs to thofe of Chapm-m, Hobbes, or Ogilby, for the beauty of his images and the powers of his expreflion. -
The abilities of our author in Dramatic Poetry, are difplayed' in the Tragedies of Ella and Godwin, in the Mafque of the Tourna- ment, and the Briftol Tragedy; where we fee him well acquainted with the hiftory and antiquities of his own country, and with the cuftoms and manners of the age in which he lived; a perfect maf- ter of the human heart, an accurate judge of the operation and effects of the paflions, and no lefs happy in his manner of expref- fing them. .
His powers in Lyric Poetry are confeffedly fo great, that the age wherein he wrote has been judged unequal to the production of them; but, as the decifion of this queffion belong' to a future part of thefe obfervations, it may be fufficient to fay at prefent, that the Minftrells Songs in Ella, with thofe in the Tournament, the Song to Ella, and the Chorus in Godwin, contain the moil: mafterly exertions of the Lyric Mufe.
As a Mythological Poet, the Eriglifh Metamorphofis exhibits his powers of embellishing the fables of our ancient hifforians, with a delicacy of defcription unknown to that age, and of gracing, with a dignity and magnificence of defcription, the incredible tales and unmeaning bombaft of old romance.
In the Paftoral Style, he feems to have imitated Theocritus and
Virgi'.
3o PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION.
Virgil in the fimplicity of their ideas reflecting rural life ; and to have clofely followed the hitter m his expreffive complaints on the miferies of civil war.
His merit as a Moral Writer is extended over all his works. — Every incident is improved for the inftruction of his reader, and the mod ufeful lefibns of wifdom and virtue drawn from the molt trivial circumftances; and though he never condefcends to an im- proper levity on grave and religious fubjects, yet he knew how to enforce his lectures of morality by the keennefs of his wit; and with a natural vein of pleafant humour to ridicule the dull pe- dant, the bad poet, the proud and uncharitable abbot: Under this defcription are included the two letters addreffed to Mr. Can- ning, and the Ballad of Charity.
Laftly, as a Panegyrift, he has avoided fulfome flattery in cele- brating the praifes of his patron and friend: He was happy in his fubject, and with great art has fhewn the character to advantage, by introducing other Briftol worthies, whofe refpective merits are mentioned, in order to do honour to the town, and to ferve as a foil to the fuperior virtues of Mr. Canning.
To thefe general remarks on the fubjects of the poems, fome obfervations may be added on their metre, to fhow the correfpon- dence of Rowley's meafures with thofe which were ufed by the preceding and contemporary poets. Some of the earlieft of them compofed in couplets either of eight or ten fyllables: Of the former kind, are Gower's Confeflio Amantis, fome few of Lidgate's Poems, Chaucer's Dreme, Houfe of Fame, and the Romaunt of the Rofe. The firft poem on our Lady's Church is the only one which Rowley has written in couplets, or in this meafure: The greateft part of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and his Legend of Good Women, are in the decafyllabic couplet; but, in general, Lidgate's, Occleve's, Rowley's, Spenfer's, and a great part of Chaucer's poetry, is written in flanzas of feven, eight, or nine de- cafyllabic lines, to which Rowley generally adds a tenth, and doles it with an Alexandrine.
2 All
PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. 31
All thefe may be ranked under the title of Ritbme Royal; of which Gafcoigne, in his inftru&ions for Englifh verfe, has given the following defcription :
•' Rithme Royal is a verfe of ten fyllables, and feven fuch verfes " make a ftaffe, whereof the firft and thirde do anfwer acroffe in •* the terminations and rime; the fecond, fourth, and fifth, do ** likewife anfwer eche other in terminations ; and the two laft '* combine and fhut up this fentence; this hath been called Rithme '* Royal, and furely it is a royal kind of verfe, ferving bed for " grave difcourfes *."■ — Signum, V. i. b.
The different number of lines contained in the ftanza makes no material alteration in the ftru&ure of this verfe, the ftanza always concluding with a couplet: In that of fix lines, the four firft rime alternately; in that of nine, wherein Spenfer has compofed his Fairy Queen, the fixth line rimes to the final couplet, and the fe- venth to the fifth : Rowley having added another line to the ftanza, the eighth rimes with the fixth. Chaucer has a ballad in the ten- line ftanza, which begins,
** The long nightis." See Urry's edit. p. 538. But the ftanzas are irregular, and the rimes differently dif- pofed. Spenfer, in his Ruins of Rome, &c. and Gafcoigne in fome of bis poems, put fourteen lines in a ftanza. Rowley has compofed in the ftanza of ten lines " the Battle of " Haftings ; the Tragedies of iElla and Godwin ; the En- " glifh Metamorphofis ; the Tournament ; and the two firft ** Eclogues ;" for the third is a mixture of many metres. — ** The Challenge to Lidgate" has no Alexandrines -f*, there are none in the firft poem on the Battle of Haftings, and but few
* Mr. Warton has mifquoted this pafTage, and made the ftaffe to cor.lift of ten inftead of feven lines; which would correfpond exactly with the greateft part ofl Rowley's Poetry. See Hiftory of Poetry, vol. ii. p. 165, note.
f Gafcoigne ludicroufly calls the long verfe of twelve and fourteen fyllables (probably meaning the Alexandrine,) poulters, i. e. — poulterers, ?neafure, which'. giveth twelve for one dozen, and fourteen for another. Sign. V. jr.
in ■
32 PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION.
in " the Tournament;" and thefe poems conftitute by far I greateft part of his works. In the ftanza of nine lines, Rowley has written no poem; Spenfer's Fairy Queen is in that meafure. Jn the ftanza of eight lines " The letter to the digne Maifter *.* Canning, and the fecond poem on our Lady's Church," cor- reipond with Chaucer's Monks and Plowman's tales, Scoggan's Ballades, Spenfer's Britain's Ida, Muiopotmos, and Virgil's Gnatt, — This is la balade, ox the ballad meafure, under which denomi- nation Mr. Warton alfo includes the feven-line ftanza of Chau- cer's ballads, and many other pieces of ancient Englifh poetry. In this metre are Rowley's " Eleanor and Juga, the Introduction " to Ella, the Ballad of Charity, and Canning's poem on Hap- " pinefs."
Specimens of the fix-line ftanza appear in " the Epiftle to " Mr. Canning, the Prologue to Godwin, the firft Minftrells Song *'* in the Tournament, thofe of the Three Minitrells in Ella, dec. " and in the Storie of William Canning." — Chaucer has no poem of this metre, but Spenfer ufes it in his Calendars for January, Auguft, October and December, in his Tears of the Mufes, and in Aftrophel. In the fhorter ballad meafure, viz. the four-line flanza, of eight and fix fyllables alternately, are, " The Briftol '« Tragedy, and Lidgate's Anfwer to Rowley's Challenge." This is the metre of Spenfer's Calendar for July, of Chevy Chace, and of many ancient tragical ballads. The feveral Minftrells Songs formed in ftanzas, come under no general rule ; but inftances of them all may probably be found in our ancient poetry. This general conformity, therefore, of Rowley's meafure to that of other ancient Englifh poets, though diverfified in fome few in- ftances, is an additional circumftance in favour of the authenticity of this poetry.
BATTLE
BATTLE OF HASTINGS.
BEFORE we enter on the fubjed, or even on the title of " The Battle of Hallings," we muft difprove Chatterton's claim as author of the former poem; which he faid was written by himfelffor a friend*, though he produced the fecond part to Mr. Barrett fome time afterwards, as the copy of an original from Rowley. This claim (the only one he ever made to any of the poems) was moft probably a fubterfuge, to avoid the preffing importunity of Mr. Barrett for a fight of the original ; which he would not, and pombly could not then produce ; for on every other occafion he uniformly afferted the originality of thefe poems, to his mother, filler, and to all his friends. In one of his letters to his filler, lately printed in the pamphlet entitled Love and Madnefs, p. 177, he fpeaks of copying Rowley as a real author: " Had Rowley been a Londoner, inllead of a Brillowan, " I could have lived by copying his works." He wrote alfo a fatire on his Brillol friends, for not fupplying his neceffities when he left that city, in 1770; to which his filler alludes in her letter, wherein fhe fays, ',« About this time he wrote feveral fatirical " poems, one in the papers, on Mr. Catcot's putting the pewter " plates in St. Nicolas Tower." In this poem, he thus addrelTes Mr. George Catcot :
* See the Introductory Account.
F If
3a BATTLE OF HASTINGS.
If ever obligated to thy purfe,
Roiv/ey difcharges all, my firft great curfe ;
For, had I never known the antique lore,
I ne'er had ventur'd from my peaceful more,
To be the wreck of promifes and hopes,
A boy of learning, and a bard of tropes.
'The antique lore can only mean Rowley's MSS. copies of which Mr. Catcot had purchafed of him ; and fo much had they en- gaged his time, and captivated his imagination, that he forfook the bulinefs of an attorney for the amufements of a poet, and became the very character defcribed by Mr. Pope.
A prentice born his parents' foul to crofs, Who penn'd a flanza, when he mould engrofs.
But it is beyond all poffible conftruction to fuppofe, that antique lore meant his own forgeries, or poems written by himfelf on fubjects of ancient hiflory, independent of any original, which might be a guide to his fancy, or an inducement for his imi- tation : Mr. Warton has done too much honour to this hafty and improbable affertion, by admitting it as an objection to the authenticity of the poems. If it was the defign of this youth to prepare them for the deception of the world ; If he was fo artful, and fo determined in his plan, as to impofe upon his own family, and raoft intimate friends, how (hall we account for his ready acknowledgment of the forgery to Mr. Barrett, which muft effectually defeat all his future fchemes, and pre- vent him from making any further advantage of the curiofity of his friends ? It would be allowing very little fagacity in Mr. Barrett, to fuppofe, that on comparing the two poems, he would not difcover from the biPtory, Pile, language, fentiments and metre, {hat they were both the work of the fame pen, both far beyond the knowledge and poetic abilities of an illiterate charity-boy at the age of feventeen. If Chatterton's claim is urged by Mr. War- .? ton
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. 35
ton * in behalf of the former of thefe poems, why is he not equally worthy of credit when he difclaims the latter ? His teftimony, therefore, may be pleaded with equal force, either to eftabliih or condemn the authenticity of them both, and proves either too little or too much. The reader will fcarcely hefitate which part he mail take of this dilemma; and, without injuring the caufe of Rowley, we may make this conceffion, (of which Mr. Warton may avail himfelf) that whenever Chatterton's claim to the former poem can be eftablifhed, the critics will not deny him the honour of the latter; as it will appear more probable, from many circum- ftances, that both were the work of the fame poet. They are not diftinguifhed from each other as a firft and fecond part, as one con- tinued hiftory of the battle, but are numbered i and 2, as diffe- rent relations of the fame fact: Accordingly each poem has its proper exordium, and begins with introducing the forces into the field on the day of battle. The latter poem is undoubtedly a more elegant compolition, more adorned in its defcription of the diffe- rent characters and preparations made by the two armies, the em- baffy fent, and the treaty carried on between Harold and William; and though the events, and indeed many of the perfonages, are diffe- rent, yet the hiftory and ftile, the language and metre are the fame; the fimilies feem to be derived from one common fource, and their choice and arrangement to have been the work of the fame poet.
The title prefixed to this poem by Chatterton, as it appears in the introductory account, is alfo liable to critical difcuffiom —It is not proved that Rowley was parifh-prieft of St. John's ; and Turgot is erroneoufly faid to have lived in the tenth century, though he was not born till the eleventh. Thefe may be miftakes of Chatterton, which do not affect the authen- ticity of the poem: and they will be more pardonable, becaufe Mr. Warton himfelf has anticipated the sera of Turgot by an en-
* See Mr. Warton's obfervation, in his additions to vol. ii.
F 2 tire
36 BATTLE OF HASTINGS.
tire century, in order to prove that he could not have been the au- thor of the poem, notwithstanding he had in another paflage truly- fixed the time of his death to 1115. Turgot therefore was not only living, but alfo well qualified by his age, abilities, and fitua- tion, to have penned a Hijiory at leaft, if not a Poem, on this Sub- ject; and it will appear probable, from fome local circumftances, that Rowley made ufe of that writer's materials.
The former of thefe poems is affectedly penned in the perfon of Turgot; for the expreffion
I tho a Saxon, yet the truth will tell,
cannot with any propriety be applied to Rowley, who was no, Saxon; but it was ltrictly true of Turgot, who, according to Simeon of Durham, " Profapiam traxit de genere Anglorumnon infimo." De geftis Regum, p. 206. To this likewiie Rowley feems to allude in the fecond poem, when, invoking the Spirit of Turgot, he fay ?,
Thou fonne, of whom I ofte have caught a beeme,
Send mee agayne a dryblette of thie lyghte,
That I the deeds of Englyfhmenne maie wryte. v. 588.
alluding to the afliftance he. had received from him in the preced- ing poem.
This connection between Turgot and Rowley may be further illustrated by the fimilies and allufions in both poems, relating to the North of England, and particularly to the neighbourhood and Church of Durham : " The groves of that city, the fhrine of St. " Cuthbert and the tapers that burned round it, the tower of " Standrip, the abbey of Godric, (or Finchall) and the names of " Aflem and Adhelm," the former a Monk of Durham, the latter a fon of a great benefactor to that church. There is another cir- cumftance, little attended to, which pleads ftrongly in favour of the antiquity of thefe notices relating to the neighbourhood and Church of Durham; I mean Chatterton's early affuming and
continuing
BATTLE OF HASTINGS.
37
continuing the fignature oi.Dunelmus Brijlolenfis to all fuch of his publications as he did not chule to authenticate with his own name. In every other view, Durham mull have been as remote from him in thought, as it was in fituation; and to thefe fubjects Rowley himfelf muft have been an entire ftranger, unlefs he had either travelled into that country, or had been made acquainted with the particulars of its hiftory. This connection alfo appears in the partiality fo notorioufiy fhewn (in the former poem more efpecially) to the Englilh caufej and the frequent opportunities taken by the poet to reflect on and depreciate the characters of the Normans. This language might well fuit with the aera and prin- ciples of Turgot, but would be very unfeafonable in the mouth of Rowley, at a time when the ancient animofities between the Saxons and Normans had fubfided under a fucceffion of Norman and Anjouvin princes, and diffenfions no lefs violent had arifen between the houfes of York and Lancafter.
It is not afferted, however, that thefe materials of Turgot were . poetical; for Rowley, in his letter to Canning, places him with the historians, AfTer, Bede, and Ingulf; and though Lidgate's anfwer feems to fpeak of him as a poet, yet even there the words are appli- cable to him as an hiftorian, and in that light more fuitable to his general character, and to the information which Rowley might have received from him; for he is fpoken of by our ancient writers as no lefs eminent for his literature, than for the dignity of his itation in the church. It may be proper to compare the anecdotes of Rowley, with the account given of him by Simeon of Dur- ham: Amongft " the fkill'd paindterrs and carvellers," who either were natives of Briftol, or adorned it by their art, Turgot is thus mentioned by Rowley:
" Turgottus, borne of Saxon ne parents in Briilow Towne, a " Monk of the church of Durefme. — He was well ikylledd in " tynges, & wrotten maynte of Rolles, as yee maie fee ynne mie " yellowe Rolle — He dyd deceafe Mxcviii beynge buryed in ri Durefme. church."
TJie
J
8 BATTLE OF HASTINGS.
The death of Turgot is here placed too early by feventcen years ; and his being a native of Briftol, though poihble, is not very iv- concileable with Simeon's account, who fays, That the Danes having deftroyed the monafterics in the North of England, Aid- win, prior of Winchelcumb, in Gloucefterfliire, attended with two Monks of Evefliam, Elfuin and Reinfrid, travelled to Wirmouth*, in the bifhoprick of Durham, about the year 1073, to rebuild thole monafteries -f. They were joined in that work, as the hif- torian obferves, by many " ex remotis Angliac partibus quorum <r unus erat Turgotus poftea Scotorum Epifcopus." As he is laid, therefore, to have come from a remote part of England, and Aldwin was prior in Gloucefterfliire, he might have been a native of Briftol; and indeed Rowley's invocation of his Spirit, in the fecond poem, fuppofes it to haunt,
" or rowle in ferfley wythe ferfe Severnes tyde."
B. H. 2. v. 595.
becaufe it was the place of his former abode. Turgot, however, could not have ftaid long enough at Briftol to write its hiftory and antiquities, which, with Rowley's notes (or emendals as he calls them) is ftill extant in Mr. Barrett's pofleffion, and fome part of it, in the original, upon vellum. Simeon further fays of Turgot, that being confined by William the Conqueror in the caftle of Lincoln, as one of the hoftages for the fidelity of that country, he efcaped to Grimlby, where, putting himfelf on board a fhip bound to Norway, he was introduced to King Olaus as a youth of learn- ing, and was appointed a fpiritual inftructor to that monarch ; and having acquired great credit and riches there, on his return to England was fhipwrecked with all his fubftance, hardly efcaping with his life. Being recommended by Walcher, bifhop of Durham, to Aldwin the prior of that church, he became a Monk, and fuc- ceeded Aldwin in that ofHce in 1087. He laid the firft ftone of
* Leland's Collect, torn. i. p. 383. — Hemingford, p. 460. f Hovedcn, p. 455. b.— Warton's Anglia Sacra, T. i. p. 785.
the
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. 39
the new church at Durham, with Malcolm King of Scots, and Bifhop William, 3 Id. Auguft 1093 *. Capgrave fays, that he was confeffor to Margaret, Malcolm's Queen. He was promoted to the archbifhoprick of St. Andrew's, by Henry the nrft, in 1106; but difputes arifing between that fee and York, on account of ju- rifdiclion, he retired to Durham, where he fell fick, and died on the 2d Kal. Sept. anno 11 15 -j-j and, agreeably to his moft earneft wifh, was interred near the fhrine of St. Cuthbert. Whilfl he was prior of Durham, he wrote a hiilory of that church, which his continuator, (Simeon before mentioned) a Monk of the fame con- vent, would have paffed on the world for his oWn performance. Befides this Hiftory of Durham, he is faid to have written " Annales " fui Temporis, and the Hiftory of Malcolm, King of Scots, and " Margaret his Queen." This latter was penned in Englifh, accord- ing to Hector Boethius, who celebrates the author's veracity and eloquence: " Non minori elegantia quam pietate & veritatej" and Bale, alluding to the fame work, fays, " Lingua quidem ma- '* terna, fed elegantia quadam Demofthenia, veritate lincera "|." We mull therefore admit the ability of Turgot to contribute to this work, and allow him fome fhare in the compofition, though the parts of each author cannot precifely be afcertained.
* Hemingford's Hiftory, p. 464.
t Eadmer, p. 117. — Cron. Mailros, p. 164. — Warton's Anglia Sacra, torn, i. p. 785.
% Dr. Cave thinks it indifputable, that Turgot wrote in Latin, though Bale and Pitts, by rmftaking a paffage in Hector Boethius, fay that he wrote in Englifh; but he does not pretend to know, whether this work be extant or no. Hift. Liter, torn. ii. p. 378, old edit..
BATTLE
f 40 ]
BATTLE OF HASTINGS.
N°. 1.
OCHRYSTE, it is a grief for me to telle, How manie a nobil erle and valrous knyghte In fyghtynge for Kynge Harrold noblie fell, Al fleyne in Haftyngs feeld in bloudie fyghte. O fea ! our a teeming donore han thy floude, c
Han anie fru£tuous b entendement, Thou wouldft have rofe and fank wyth tydes of bloude, Before Duke Wyllyam's knyghts han hither went;
1 Prtlific benefaclrefs. b UJeful meaning.
Whofe
This poem opens with an ejaculation not unlike that of Earl Percy over Douglas: O Chrift, my very heart doth bleed Vvrith forrow for thy fake. And, like Homer, our poet laments the fate of thofe heroes who fell in the battle, IIoAAaj <T JipGijM.85 vj/uxaj cciSi irpo'ixil/ui. II. A. 1. 3.
The fouls of many chiefs untimely flain. V. 5. This addrefs to the fea is no lefs juft than poetical. He calls it our turning donor, or prolific benefadrefs, Jluding to thofe two great fources of wealth derived from it, our commerce and fifnery. Thus Homer, more than once, calls the fea nivrw t^Suoura. See II. I. v. 4. and T. v. 378. And to thefe the expreflion ot Ft urinous entendement, in the following line, alludes : Aphrafe much more ancient than Rowley's time ; for Occlcve ftiles Chaucer Mirror of frucluous Entendement.
It
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ I. 41
Whofe cowart arrows manie erles ileyne,
And c brued the feeld wyth bloude as feafon rayne. 10
And of his knyghtes did eke full manie die, All paflyng hie, of mickle myghte echone, Whofe poygnant arrowes, typp'd with deftynie, Caus'd manie wydowes to make myckle mone.
c Embrued.
Lordynges,
It would be doing the greateft injuftice to the poet, to confine his idea to the Streights of Dover; for with how much greater dignity and propriety may the exprefiion be applied to the ocean furrounding this ifland, which (according to the poet's wifh) mould have announced the impending fate of the kingdom in tides of blood. We cannot, therefore, adopt the alteration fuggefted in the errata to the gloflary of the former edition,
O fea-o'erteeming Dovor ! not only for want of authority, but alfo becaufe the epithet will not admit that fenfe. The Anglofaxon word Tertian conveying no other idea, than that of prolific fruitfulnefs; without the leafl: reference to fize, bulk, or fituation, any further than thefe are implied in the idea of fecundity. In this fenfe Shakefpear ufes everteemed, in the defcription of Hecuba in Hamlet.
— — and for a robe,
About her lank and all o'erteemed loins
A blanket in the alarm of fear caught up. Act 2d, fcene the laft.
Hecuba's loins are faid to have been lank with overteeming, or too frequently bear- ing children.
V. 9. The cowart arrows are not meant to convey a reflection on the foldiers who difcharged them, unlefs archery mould be thought a daftardly method of fight- ing, in comparifon of clofe engagement ; but the poet probably alluded to the direc- tion in which they were aimed ; for, inftead of being pointed horizontally at the breaft of the enemy, the arrows were fhot in an oblique afcent, fo as to fall upon the Englifh unprepared, and unguarded againft fuch an attack ; the Romans, indeed, held the Parthians to be cowards on that account; but where was the dif- honour of mooting their arrows in fuch a direction as was likely to do moft execu- tion?
15-
42 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. u
Lordynges, avaunt, that chycken-harted are, 15
From out of hearynge quicklie now departe j Full well I d wote, to fynge of bloudie warre Will greeve your tenderlie and mayden harte. Go, do the weaklie womman inn mann's e geare, And f fcond your manfion if grymm war come there. 20
Soone as the erlie maten belle was tolde,
And fonne was come to byd us all good daie,
Bothe armies on the feeld, both brave and bolde,
Prepar'd for fyghte in champyon arraie.
As when two bulles, deflynde for Hocktide fyghte, 25
Are yoked bie the necke within a fparre s,
d Know. * Drefs. f Alfcond from, quit. g Bar, enclosure.
Theie
V. 15. Ths addrefs to Lordynges is a very common introduction to ancient ballads.
Herkeneth Lordyngs, a word I you pray. Pardoner's Tale. Lufteneth Lordings, both young and old. Warton i. p. 57. Lifteneth Lordings in good intent. Sir Thopas. with innumerable other inftances.
V. 16. So in Sir Charles Bawdin, v. 331.
From out of hearing of the King Departed then the fledde. V. 19. See v. 300, and v. 101 of the 2d poem.
V. 21. The battle begins in this poem at the 3d flanza, but in the other, the prelude and epifodes employ twelve ftanzas. The reader will obferve how far in- ferior this defcription of the morning is to the fame morning, as reprefented in the other poem, v. 211.
V. 24. Champyon is here ufed as an adjective, and in Ella, v. 832. the champyon crowne. In the fecond poem, v. bgo, and perhaps elfewhere, it is a fubftantivej and in the prologue to Godwin, v. 12. it is a verb ; but fuch liberties are not un- common with our ancient poets.
V. 25. The Hocktyde games are alluded to more than once, as affording a variety
ofdiverfion. Here bulls are baited: At v. 348, maftiff dogs are fet to fight: In the
fecor.d poem, v. 576, Cornifh wreftlers, and v. 412, the nappy ale at thofe games is
3 * made
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i,
43
Theie rend the erthe, and travellyrs affryghte, Lackynge to gage the fportive bloudie warre ; So lacked Harroldes menne to come to blowes, The Normans lacked for to wielde their bowes,
3°
Kynge Harrolde turnynge to hys leegemen h fpake ; My merrie men, be not cafte dovvne in mynde ; Your onlie lode ; for aye to mar or make, Before yon funne has donde his welke k, you'll fynde. Your lovyng wife, who erft dyd rid the londe 35
Of Lurdanes ', and the treafure that you han, Wyll falle into the Normanne robber's honde, Unlefie with honde and harte you plaie the manne.
h Subjecls. ' Praife, honour. k Finijhed bis courfe. ' Lord Danes.
Cheer
made the fubjec~t of the poet's praife. This feftival is known to have been origi- nally instituted in commemoration of Ethelred's Slaughter of the Danes all over England, and the obfervance of it continued, in the midland parts of England, even to Sir Henry Spellman's time. It was originally celebrated on the 13th cf No- vember, according to Huntingdon ; in later times it was not confined to any par- ticular day, but was kept during fome part of the fummer.
V. 32. The appellation of merrie men is frequent with our ancient poets, in the fpeeches made by lords and warriors to their followers and foldiers. There is a tranf- pofition of the words in this fpeech of Harold, which renders it obfcure ; the mean- ing may be thus expreffed :
— — You, who erft
Did rid the land of the Lord Danes, will find Your loving wife and treafure which you had Will fall into the Norman robber's hand. V. 34. This expreffion probably means the fetting of the fun : To don and to doff", i. e. do on and do off, were phrafes in ufe before Rowley's time ; for the former word oc- curs in Richard the lid's Forme of Cury, lately publifhed by Mr. Pegge; fo v. 51 of this poem, Harold donde hys faie, or put on his fagum, or military cloak; and the fun is here faid to have donde bis welke, or put on his clouJs ; i. e. he was wrapped in, or furrounded by them ; for welken fignifies clouds ; fee Jtrnius in voce : Or, to fpeak in other words, " before the rays of the fun were obfcur'd or loft." Unlefs it fhould be thought that donde means downde, i. e. before the fun :.ad gone down on the fky ; in that cafe a different interpretation muft be given of v. jj, and
G 2 d°niit
44 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. i.
Cheer up youre hartes, chafe forrowe farre awaie, Godde and Seyn&e Cuthbert be the worde to daie. 40
And thenne Duke Wyllyam to his knyghtes did faie ;
My merrie menne, be bravelie everiche ro -,
Gif I do gayn the honore of the daie,
Ech one of you I will make myckle riche.
Beer you in mynde, we for a kyngdomm fyghte ; 45
Lordfhippes and honores echone ihall poffeffe ;
Be this the worde to daie, God and my Ryghte j
Ne doubte but God will oure true caufe blefl'e.
The clarions " then founded lharpe and fhrille ;
Deathdoeynge blades were out intent to kille. 50
And brave Kyng Harrolde had nowe donde " his faie ; He threwe wythe myghte amayne p hys fliorte horfe-fpear, The noife it made the duke to turn awaie, And hytt his knyghte, de Beque, upon the ear.
*" Every one. ■ " Trumpets. ° Put on his military cloak, t Great force.
His
donde his faie will then fignify, that Harold had done or finifhed the fpeech which he made in the preceding ftanza.
The fpeech itfelf is concife and pertinent; but it may be doubted whether God and St. Cuthbert was the parole of the Englifh army on that day; at lead it is unnoticed by the hiflorians, and feems rather to be a partiality of Turgot for his favourite faint; who, though highly honoured in the neighbourhood of Durham, probably was not equally reverenced in the South of England. But Duke William's parole, of God and my right, feems to be better founded, as it was his conftant ap- peal, and that of his advocates and hiflorians : So fays William of Malmfbury ; [p. 1 01.] " Dux clarti voce fua parti, utpote jujliori Deum affuturum pronuncians," and again " inclamato Dei auxilio;" fo likewife the author of Gefta Wilelmi Ducis; " Prafertim cumjujla caufes prafdium calefle nan deft." The fpeech made for him by Henry Huntingdon on this occafion, reminds his foldiers of their conquefts over the Franks, and upbraids Harold for the treachery of his behaviour to him.
V. 52. Harold begins the battle by throwing hisfhort-horfe-fpear, the principal and molt convenient part of the Saxons offenfive weapons i for it is faid, v. 92,
« The
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 45
His criftede'1 beaver dyd him fmalle abounde1"; 55
The cruel fpear went thorough all his hede ; The purpel bloude came goufhynge to the grounde, And at Duke Wyllyam's feet he tumbled deade :
' Crejled helmet. ' Benefit, or fervice.
So
The Englifli nete but fhort horfe-fpears could wield. But they were armed alfo with bills, which they ufed (laying down their lance) when they came to clofe engagement; for it is obferved, poem 2d, v. 591,
Harold, who faw the Normanns to advance,
Seizd a huge byll, and Iayd hym down hvs fpeare;
So dyd ech wife laie downe the broched launce,
And groves of bylles dyd glitter in the ayre.
V. 55. Dyd him fmalle abounde, i. e. did him little fervice. See the application of this word j uftified in the anfwer to the appendix. Homer makes the fame obfervation.
'CW olpoc p^aXx/m xopv; ta-p^iQiv. II. M. 184.
And in another paflage,
' '1/' ' CW npxttri Qup-nfc
Xd\xm II. N. 371—397.
Vain was his breaft-plate to repell the wound. Pope, B. xiii. 468. So Virgil,
Nee mifero clypei mora profuit enfi. JEn. xii. v. 541. Nor could the plated fhield fuftain the force. Dryden. Spenfer has alfo a fimilar line.
Ne plate, ne male, could ward fuch mighty throwes.
Book ii. c. 5. ft. 9. The fame actions being frequently repeated in a battle, it requires the poet's (kill to vary them in defcription. Rowley not only copies, but exceeds Homer in this refpedt; as for inftance,
His proof fteel armour did him little fhielde. v. 294. His iheelde of wolfs fkinn did him not attend, v. 467. Nete did hys helde out brazen fheelde availe. p. 2. v. 322. Nor was ytte flopped by his coate of mayle. v. 324. Ah ! what avayled the lyons on his crefte. v. 279. Ah neete avayl'd the brafs or iron thonge. v. 337.
V. 56. De Beque fell like Echepolus in the Iliad :
"H/)17TE
46 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i.
So fell the myghtie tower of Standrip, whenne
It felte the furie of the Daniih menne. 60
O Afflem, fon of Cuthbert, holie Sayncte,
Come ayde thy freend, and lliewe Duke Wyllyams payne;
Take up thy pencyl, all hys features painttej
Thy coloryng excells a fynger ftrayne.
Duke
H(jitt£ <T, to? cts irvpyo; tin y.psfltpii vofbttn. Il> 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 Brifto1, 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 fpears ;
5o 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 : — — 0 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 0 <?' Iwr.ist iv Kowtxrt
TS.K7nri<rt</ oi|Uw£a? H. TI. V. 289.
His fhoulder blade receives the fatal wound, The groaning warrior pants upon the ground.
Pope, B. xvi. v.. 344..
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N'. i. 51
Then Doullie myghte his boweftrynge drewe, 1 1 5
Enthoughte to gyve brave Tofslyn bloudie wounde, But Harolde's afenglave g ftopp'd it as it flewe, And it fell bootlefs h on the bloudie grounde.
Siere Doullie, when he fawe hys venge ; thus broke, Death-doynge blade from out the fcabard toke. 120
And now the battail clofde on everych fyde, And face to face appeard the knyghts full brave j They lifted up theire bylles with myckle pryde, And manie woundes unto the Normans gave. So have I fene two weirs at once give grounde, 1 25
White fomyng hygh to rorynge combat runne j In roaryng dyn and heaven-breaking founde, Burfle waves on waves, and fpangle in the funne ; And when their myghte in burflynge waves is fled, Like cowards, ftele alonge their ozy bede. 1 30
B Lance. h Ufelefs. ' Vengeance.
Yonge
V. 125. The fimile of the two wears, refembles Homer's defcription of the Winter torrents ; but the idea is improved by our poet's contracting the noify foaming wear, with the fubfequent tranquillity of the ftream ftealing along its oozy bed.
'fl; <? ote yjty.ce.ppoi 7roTaf*oi x«t bpartpi p\ovTt?
'£? p/.ta-yo'.yx.^x.M (TvpCxXXiTOi hSpipoii ixTwp
Kpzvvv ix. piydKuv koiAjk '{vtqitQi p^apa'Jp*)?.— - II. A. V. 452,
As torrents roll, encreas'd by murmuring rills, With rage impetuous down their ecchoing hills, Sweep to the vale, and pour along the plain, Roar through ten thoufand channels to the main.
Pope, B. iv. v. 516.
H 2
52 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i.
Yonge Egclrede, a knyghte of comelie mein,
Affyixl v unto the kynge of Dynefarre ',
At echone tylte and tourney he was feene,
And lov'd to be amonge the bloudie warre ;
He couch'd hys launce, and ran with mickle myghte 135
Ageinfte the bred of Sieur de Bonoboe ;•
k Related, ' Dynevawr Cajlle.
He
V. 132. The king of Efrynefarre was one of the princes of South Wales.
The caftle near Carmarthen, called in Welfh Dyne vawr, or Dinas vawr, i. e. the great cajile (of which the beautiful ruins are yet to be feen in Mr. Rice's park at Newton) was formerly the habitation of the princes of that country; to one of, thefe Egelrede was probably allied by marriage, though neither the name nor par- ticular relation is fpecified. The caftle was erected into a barony, in favour of William Earl Talbot, in 1780, with remainder to his daughter Lady Cecil Rice, widow of George Rice, Efq; late owner of this caftle, and to their iflue male.
V. 136. Egelrede's unfortunate antagonift, the Sieur de Bonoboe, feems to have been a perfon of no fmall diftindtion at the Norman court: Hollingfhed calk him Le feigneur de Bonne bault; Jean de Wace, Sire de Bones-bo. His name occurs likewife in the Lift of Warriors in Leland's Collect, vol. i. p. 203. He was one of thofe Norman lords who either came into England with Edward the Confeffor,or reforted afterwards to his court, where all Normans were fure to meet with a very favourable reception; and, according to Godwin's farcaftical defcription,
They batten on her flefh, her hartes blood drink, v. 3.
He fignalized himfelf in the martial exercife of tilting, which was then the favourite amufement,
He wonne the tylte, and ware her crymfon glove,
and returned married and enriched to Normandy; but, wifhing to encreafe his wealth and fame, engaged in the Conqueror's expedition. He is celebrated more as an affec- tionate hufband and tender father, than as a magnanimous warrior
To fele his wounde, his harte was woe.
Ten thoufand thoughtes pufh'd in upon his mynde, .
Not for hymfelfe, but thofe he left behynde. v. 138.
The reader may figure to himfelf fome refemblance between this character and that of Anthores in Virgil, who was (lain by Mezentius.
Herculis Anthorem comitem, qui miffus ab Argo Hoeferat Evandro, atque Itala confederat urbe 3 Sternitur
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 53
He grond and funken on the place of fyghte, O Chryfte ! to fele his wounde, his harte was woe. Ten thoufand though tes pufh'd in upon his myn4:, Not for hymfelfe, but thofe he left behynde. 140
He dy'd and leffed m wyfe and chyldren tweine,
Whom he wyth cheryfliment did dearlie love ;
In England's court, in goode Kynge Edwarde's regne,
He wonne the tylte, and ware her crymfon glove;,
m Left.
And
Sternitur infelix, alieno vulnere; caelumque Afpicit, & moriens dulces reminifcitur Argos.
JEa. x. v. 777. Anthores had from Argos travell'd far, Alcides' friend, and brother of the war, Till, tired with toils, fair Italy he chofe, And in Evander's palace fought repofe ; Now, falling by another's wound, his eyes He cafts to Heaven, of Argos thinks, and dies.
Dryden, v. 1107.
This early account of tilting has been cenfured as an anachronifm; becaufe, ac- cording to the Chronicle of Tours, that exercife was not introduced in France till the year 1066, and thence communicated to the Germans and Englifh; but this queftion will be more properly referred to the poem on the Tournament. It will be fufficient to obferve at prefent, that fuch anachronifms (if this be one) are neither unufual with poets, nor impeach the authenticity of their works, as they are not required to be accurate hiftorians and good cluonologers. There is fomething fignincant in the expreflion of the cryvifon glove'-, and though we know not the origin of the allufion, yet the trophy is natural and well-imagined; the delivery or throw- ing down the gauntlet or glove being the eftablilhed form of giving a challenge, and the taking it up as certain a token that the challenge was accepted. In an an- cient Scottifh ballad on the murder of the Earl of Murray, in 1561, amongft other accomplifhments, he is faid to have ridden at the ring, to have played at the ball, and at the gluve: He was a braw gallant, and he play d at the gluve. Percy v. ii. p. 212.
V. 137. So in the 2d poem, v. 477.
He fell and groand upon the place of fighte. .
54 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. i.
And thence unto the place where he was borne, i±e
Together with hys welthe & better wyfe,
To Normandie he dyd perdie n returne,
In peace and quietnefle to lead his lyfe ; And now with fovrayn Wyllyam he came, To die in battel, or get welthe and fame. 150
Then, fwefte as lyghtnynge, Egelredus fet Agaynft du Barlie of the mounten head ; In his dere hartes bloude his longe launce was wett, And from his courfer down he tumbled dede. So have I fene a mountayne oak, that longe 151;
Has cafte his fhadowe to the mountayne fyde, Brave all the wyndes, tho' ever they fo ftronge, And view the briers belowe with felf-taught pride ; But, whan throwne downe by mightie thunder ftroke, He'de rather bee a bryer than an oke. 160
Then Egelred dyd in a declynie °
Hys launce uprere with all hys myghte ameine,
n Privately. ° Stooping.
And
V. 155. The (imile of the mountain oak is fo familiar, that it has long fince been made the fubjecl: of a fable ; and though the clofe is inanimate, wanting that fpirit, which generally graces the fimilies of Rowley, yet that defect is compenfated by a beauty peculiar to his compositions ; it terminates in a moral reflection. Sec alfo Eclogue 3d, v. 91, and v. 175, of this poem ; where the overhanging rock enforces a fimilar leflbn. Rowley feems to have learned the practice of com- pounding his epithets from Homer Heaven-piercing bang — Heaven-breaking
found — Redde forwcltring levyn brond — bloddie-dropping head — Gore-depic~led wings, &c.
V. 161. The declynie, or, as it is called, v. 431, the clinie jujl, is that declina- tion of the body which was neceffary to give force to his fpear. His blood, which
was
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 55
And ftrok Fitzport upon the dexter eye, And at his pole the fpear came out agayne. Butt as he drewe it forthe, an arrovve fledde 16 c
Wyth mickle myght fent from de Tracy's bowe, And at hys fyde the arrowe entered, And oute the crymfon nreme of bloude gan flowe ; In purple ftrekes it dyd his armer ftaine, And frnok'd in puddles on the duftie plaine. 170
But Egelred, before he funken downe, With all his myghte amein his fpear befped p, It hytte Bertrammil Manne upon the crowne, And bothe together quicklie funken dede. So have I feen a rocke o'er others hange, 17?
Who ftronglie plac'd laughde at his flippry ftate, But when he falls with heaven-peercynge bange That he the fleeve q unravels all theire fate, And broken onn the beech thys leffon fpeak, The ftronge and nrme mould not defame the weake. 1 80
Howel ap Jevah came from Matraval, Where he by chaunce han flayne a noble's fon? And now was come to fyghte at Harold's call, And in the battel he much goode han done -,
p Difpatched, fent forth. « Clew of thread.
Unto
was drawn by De Tracy's arrow, is faid to have fmoked in puddles on the dufty plain; but this is not the fame idea with the puddliejlreme of blood which flowed from Ch<*t lion's he rfe, v 367, which he feems there to ufe as an ignoble epithet.
V. 181. Two Wilfh herpes are now introduced, whofe chara&ers, drefs, and at- chievements are defcribed in very lingular and ;xpreh*Ive terms. The former of thefe, Howel ap Jn eped tbeflrcnge, and the flower ofPowyfland, is faid to have
fled, on account of a mtirdef, from Matraval, (the refidence of the princes of Powif-
land,
56 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. K°. u
Unto Kyng Harold he foughte mickle near, 185
For he was yeoman of the bodie guard j And with a targyt and a fyghtyng fpear, He of his boddie han kepte watch and ward :
True
land, in North Wales) and to have attached himfelf to Harold, as the captain of his body guard. Though the fad"! itfelf may be the invention of the poet, yet the name has foundation enough in hiftory to give an air of probability to the ftory. Howel ap Jenaf or Jevaf, (the fon of Jenaf) is mentioned in Enderbies Welfh Hif- tory, p. 239, as entring England with an army, where he was flain valiantly fighting ; but that is faid to have happened in 984. The fame account is given by Selden in his notes on Drayton's Polyolbion, B. ix. A Welfh Chronicle, printed in Leland's Colle«5lanea, v. viii. p. 84, fays Janaf and Jago were the two fons of Edval Voel; and that they ruled North Wales after the death of Howel.
But without recurring to the fuppofition of a real fail: in the cafe, this circum- ftance of Howel's hiftory has the merit of being perfectly conformable to ancient manners and claflical reprefentation. A fimilar inftance occurs in the hiftory of Epigeus, in the Iliad.
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II. n. v. 573.
Now Greece gives way, and great Epigeus falls ; Agacleus' fon, from Budium's lofty walls, Who, chas'd for murder thence, a fuppliant came To Peleus, and the filver-footed dame, Now fent to Troy, Achilles' arms to aid, He pays due vengeance to his kinfman's made.
B. xvi. v. 699.
Howel ap levari has a friend in Mervyn — Epigeus has his Patroclus. Howel isilain — and Co is Epigeus. The death of Howel enrages Men) n to revenge it— The death of Epigeus has the fame effecT: upon Patroclus. Mervyn is as furious as a mountain wolf— Patroclus rufhes like a hawk on his prey. The Normans fly— fo do the Trojans. Could all thefe coincidences be accidental I
This
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ r. 57
True as a fliadow to a fubftant r thynge,
So true he guarded Harold hys good kynge. 190
' Suhjiantial.
But
This Howel might have been of the royal family of North Wales; the murder for which he fled having been committed at Matraval, the refidence of thofe princes. His armour was correfpondent to his character; a target covered with a wolfs fkin, and a fighting fpear, which he ufed with fo much ftrength and dexterity, as to pierce De Tracy's heart and liver, and to bear them both away on the point of his lance. Wounds of this kind are mentioned in Homer.
Ex "xjpw; eiAxj Scpv npori Si (ppivc; aura nrcvro. To~o S' a.[AX 4/t^'l'i' te xj iyxisq Ij-i'pus-' a\yji.viv
II. n. V. 504.
Then drew the fibres from the panting heart, The reeking fibres, clinging to the dart.
Pope, B. xvi. v. 621.
Howel's Norman antagonift is defcribed as a proud and effeminate warrior.
A man of mickle pride,
Whofe featlieft beauties ladden in his face.
Not unlike the character of Paris or Nireus in the Iliad.
Ni/ieo? of x«AA»o"to? di/rip utto ' Duos' r,X.Qs
'AAA' aAawra&ej hv. H. B. v. 673.
Nireus, in faultlefs fliape and blooming grace, The lovelieft youth of all the Grecian race.
Pope, B. ii. v. 817.
But the character of Auffroi feems better fuited to that of Othryoneus, who was flain by Idomeneus.
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11. N. v. 363. I Firft
$8 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i.
But when Egelred tumbled to the grounde,
He from Kynge Harolde quicklie dyd advaunce,
And flrooke de Tracie thilk' a crewel wounde,
Hys harte and lever came out on the launce.
And then retreted for to guarde his kynge, 195
On dented ' launce he bore the harte awaie ;
An arrowe came from Auffroie Grid's ftrynge,
Into hys heele betwyxt hys yron ftaiej -
The grey-goofe pynion, that thereon was fett, Eftfoons u wyth fmokyng crymfon bloud was wett. 200
• Such. « Pointed. " Soon.
His
Firft by his hand Othryoneus was flain, Swell'd with falfe hopes, with mad ambition vain;. Call'd by the voice of war to martial fame, From high Cabefus' diftant walls he came; Caffandra's love he fought with boafts of power, And promis'd conqueft was the profFer'd dower; The King confented, by his vaunts abus'd, The King confented, by the Fates refus'd, Vain as he ftalk'd the Cretan javelin found, Vain was his breaft-plate to repel the wound.
Pope, B. xiii. v. 457.
We may obferve a fimilitude between thefe two characters in the following refpccts :
Auffroi was a man of mickle pride. Othryoneus was a boafter.
Auffroi his chance in war ne before han tryde. Othryoneus was newly
come to the war.
Auffroi had his Rofaline. Othryoneus was in love with Caffandra.
Auffroi was flain in battle. So was Othryoneus.
V. 199. The arrow which wounded Howel, is defcribed nearly in the fame terms with that which killed Earl Douglas in Chevy-Chace.
The grey gooft wing that was thereon, in his hearts blood was wett.
We
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. S9
His bloude at this was waxen flaminge hotte, Without adoe * he turned once agayne, And hytt de Griel thilk a blowe, God wote, Maugre y hys helme, he fplete his hede in twayne.
* Immediately. y Notwithjlanding.
This
We need not, however, recur to that ballad for the expreflion of grey goofe wing, for it was the ancient cuftom to mount their arrows with goofe feathers ; and Roger Afcham, in his Toxology, not only mentions thefe feathers, as beft fuited to the purpofe, but alfo harangues very quaintly on the merit and ufefull- nefs of the animals that bear them, from the time that they faved the Roman Capitol; and though he fays the colour is a circumfrance leaft to be regarded, yet he adds, " that it ftands in good reafon to have the cocke feather black or " greie, as it were to geve a man warning to nocke right." So that the grey goofe •wing became a familiar expreflion to fignify an arrow; and in this fenfe it is ufed more than once in the poem on the Battle of Floddcn Field.
The grey goofe wings did work fuch greif. Stanza 493.
Out went anon the grey goofe wing.,
Amongft the Scots did fluttering fly. Stanza 1049.
If the expreflion was at that time fo familiar, can we fuppofe it to have been un- known in Rowley's time? In the more ancient copy of the battle of Otterbum, or Chevy-Chace, written in the Northern dialed, and publifhed by Hearne, with Gul. Nubrigenfis, the line runs thus:
The fwane fethars that his arrow bar. And though Dr. Percy's idea fhould be true, that the prefent ballad is no older than Queen Elizabeth's time, yet it appears by the poem on Flodden Field, before mentioned, that the expreflion of grey goofe wing muft have been more ancient, if that poem was written (as is fuppofed) foon after the battle, which was fought in
15*3'
It is ufual with our poet, after he has introduced his warriors on the ftage, to di-
grefs from them to other events and perfons : Thus, when Howel ap Jevah had re- ceived a wound in the heel, we hear no more of him for two hundred lines, till he falls by De Valeris' hand, v. 453.— But we muft poftpone for a while the inter- mediate events defcribed in the poem, that the hiftory of Howel, and of his coun- tryman Mervyn, may not be interrupted. He is mentioned as retreating from the army, in order to have his wounds drefled, v. 455 ; That operation conveys a curi- ous pi&ure of the ancient chirurgical pradtice, wherein fuperftition had a very con- fiderable fharej for the furgeon was a cunnynge man, that is to fay a conjurer} and
I 2 the
60 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i.
This Auffroie was a manne of micklc prydc, 205
Whofe featliefr." bevvty ladden* in his face; His chaunce in warr he ne before han tryde, But lyv'd in love and Rofaline's embrace ;
z Mojl comely, or agreeable. * Lay.
And
the cure was to be effected in part by his Tinging a charm, praying to St. Cuthbert and the Virgin Mary, and by putting a row of bloodftones round the neck of the patient.
The manual operation was not unlike that of Machaon on Menelaus : The Greek as well as the Englifh furgeon firft fucked the blood from the wound, and; then infufed a tinclure of holy and balfamic herbs.
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Then fuck'd the blood, and fovereign balm infufed,
Which Chiron gave, and Efculapius ufed.
Pope, B. iv. v. 250: The former of thefe applications is omitted by Virgil ; but when lapis had ex- tracted the arrow from /Eneas's thigh, he applied fimples to the wound.
Multa manu medico, Phcebique potcntibus herbis
Nequicquam trepidat.— —
To which Venus added,
Ambrofiae fuccos, & odoriferam Panacseam.
JEn. xii. v. 402. and 41 g. All foftning fimples known of fovereign ufe He preffes out, and pours the noble juice. Dryden. It feems to have been the practice, in both inftances, to encourage the foldier after his wounds were dreffed. The Englifh furgeon fays to Howel,
Go Champyonne, get a gone. and lapis ufes a fimilar exhortation on the like occafion :
Arma cito properate, viri : quid ftatis ? lapis
Conclamat ■ v. 425.
Arms, arms, he cries, the fword and fhield prepare, And fend the willing Chief renew'd to war. The comparing a warrior's death to the fall of an oak, v. 469, is an image >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.
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II. A. v. 414.
So
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 63
Ethelwin, Ethelbert, and Edwin too, 215
Effred the famous, and Erie Ethelwarde, Kynge Harolde's leegemenn d, erlies hie and true, Rode after hym, his bodie for to guarde;
* Subjefts.
The
So fares a boar whom all the troops furround, Of fhouting huntfmen and of clamorous hounds j He grinds his ivory tuflcs, he foams with ire, His fanguine eye-balls glare with living fire: By thefe, by thofe on every part he's tried, And the red flaughter fpreads on every fide.
Pope, B. xi. v. 525. The epithet of blamelefs, v. 537, is frequently applied by Homer to his warriors, but feldom ufed by other poets. It muft be, therefore, from the original that the poet chofe an epithet more particular, than it is either juft or beautiful.
Thedefcription of Mervyn's armour, v. 485, may alfo fhew how far a coincidence in fentiment, and afimilarity in defcription, may fubfift between two poets who never faw or borrowed from each other's works : This is certainly the cafe with Rowley and Spenfer, in the defcription which the latter- gives of the armour of Clarion, in his Muiopotmos, vol. v. p. 343, compared with that of Mervyn. And then about his fhoulders broad he threw A hoary bide of fome wild beaft, whom he In falvage foreft by adventure flew, And reft the fpoil his ornament to be; Which fpreading all his back with dreadful view, Made all that him fo horrible did fee, Think him Alcides in a lion's fkin, When the Nemean conqueft he did win. Nor is it unlike Dolon's drefs in the Iliad,
'EoraTO S txrovQiv ptvov woAioto Auxoio.
II. K. v. 334. A wolf's grey hide around his fhoulders hung.
Pope, B. x. v. 396. And Ornitus in Virgil,
Cui pellis latos humeros erepta juvenco Pugnatori operit: Caput ingens oris hiatus Et maiae texere lupi cum dentibus albis.
./En. xi. v. 679. 3 Other
64 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i.
The refle of erlies, fyghtynge other wheres,
Stained with Norman bloude their fyghtynge fperes. 220
As when fome ryver with the feafon raynes White fomyngc hie doth brcke the bridges oft, Oerturns the hamelet and all conteins% And layeth oer the hylls a muddie foft;
' Its contents.
So
Other inftanccs might be produced of coincidence in fentiment and expreflion between poets, without the leaft iufpicion of plagiarifm. In regard to that before quoted, Spenfer having never feen Rowley's works, could not have copied his de- scription ; and it would be adding one more incredible idea, to the many already entertained of Chatterton's wonderful genius and extenfive reading, to fuppofe that he had borrowed this thought from Spenfer.
But to return to the battle, the account of which has been interrupted by th« hiftory of the two Welfti heroes.
V. 204. Maugre hys helme, he fplete his hede in twayne ; As Harold did to Fitz Sarnaville :
Who at one blowe made tweyne his head. v. 237.
So Homer,
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And burft the helm and cleft the head in twain.
Pope, B. xvi. v. 503.
V. 213. It may be obferved, that Harold's Earls and leaders are defcribed by genuine Saxon names; and the poet's ufual partiality to the Englifh appears in the
encomiums given of their characters
They flamed with Norman bloude their fyghtynge fperes.
V. 221. In the following ftanza we have a fimile, which refers us to the origi- nal in Homer, where the deftrudtion of the bridges, and of the mounds of the hamlet, is particularly mentioned,
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Tit
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 65
So Harold ranne upon his Normanne foes, 225
And layde the greate and fmall upon the grounde, And delte among them thilke a ftore of blowes, Full manie a Normanne fell by him dede wounde ; So who he be that ouphant f faieries ftrike, Their foules will wander to Kynge OfFa's dyke. 250
1 Elfin.
Fitz
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II. E. v. 87. Thus from hi»h hills the torrents fwift and ftronj Deluge whole fields, and fweep the trees along ; Thro' ruin'd moles the rufhing wave refounds, O'erwhelms the bridge and hurts the lofty bounds.
Pope, B. v. v. 116. See alio another A mile in Homer, much to the fame purpofe,
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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<3ay 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 knowlachyng0 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
7o 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
"Hrdl>, 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, H<ec facris fedes epulis. JEn. vii. v. 174.
But Rowley's account of this monument (which he may be fuppofed to have re- ceived from Turgot) gives it a more ancient origin; for he fays in the following lines,
Tho' Chriftians, ftylle they thoghte mouche of the pile, And here theie mett when caufes dyd it neede. v. 315. And in the fecond poem,
Twas here, that Hengyft did the Brytons flee, As they were mette in council for to bee. v. 539. And this correfponds in fome meafure with Jeffery Monmouth's account, who fays, that the flaughter was committed " near the monaftery of the Abbot Am- " brius, and that the bodies of the flain Britons were buried not far from Kaer- " Caradane, or Caradoc, [now Salifbury) in a burying-place by the monaftery of " Ambrius the Abbot who was the founder of it, 1. iii. p. 51 ; which monaftery " (as he afterwards obferves, l.v. p. 61. b.) maintained 300 Friars, and was fituated " on the mountain of Ambrius." Thence, probably, the town of Ambrefbury, called by Matt. Weftminfter, Pagus Ambri, took its name. This, with the reft of Mon- mouth's narrative, " that the ftones were brought by the afliftance of Merlin, at the " defire of Aurelius Ambrofius, from the mountain of Killaraum, (now Kildare) in " Ireland, and eredted as a monument over the Britons flain on this fpot," bears the ftrongeft marks of aMonkifh fable, it being wholly improbable, that any monaftery, much lefs one that contained 300 Monks, fhould have exifted, during that early period,
L on
74 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ ri
Tho' Chryftians, ftylle they thoghtc mouche of the pile, And here theie mett when caufes dyd it neede y 316
Twas here the auncient Elders of the Ille Dyd by the trecherie of Hengift blcede ;
O Hengift !
on Salifbury plain; a fituation of all others inoft improper for the purpofe: But the ideas of that age could annex no higher decree of dignity to a place of public worfhip, than to call it a monafh-ry. The number of ftones placed in a certain order on the fpot where the maffacre was committed, favoured the notion of their being erected as monuments of the (lain;; and their ftupendousfize and wonderful arrangement gave full fcope to the fable, that they were brought and erected by the- powers of magic. All thefe hints only fcrve to eftablilh the antiquity of Rowley's materials; who,, according to the ideas of that age, calls King Tmyan a magician and necromancer.
The ceremonies performed here are faid to confift in fhedding the victim's blood in the middle of the temple, and in dighting or dreffing the altar of their God Thor with great fires in the month of May. See v. 303, and poem 2d, v. 531. With regard to the former, though it is- acknowledged that the Druids ottered human facrifices in their temples, yet, by the poet's manner of fpeaking, he docs not feem to have here applied the word vitlim in that fenfe, fince he mentions the blood of the facrifices with a marked oppofition to the Britijb.gore fpilled by Hen- cift; had both been human blood, he would have fpoken of both as a ChrifHan, with almoft equal abhorrence; nor can it be fuppofed that the Chriftians woulxi have chofen that place even for their civil afLemblies, which had been defiled with human facrifices. It is much more to the purpofe to obferve, how much the ac- count here given of the temple, and of the ceremonies performed in it, are founded in truth, and verified by hiftory. The lighting of fires in May is one of the moft remarkable parts of the Druid worfhip, and as fuch is taken notice of by Toland in his Hiftory of Druids; by Borlafe in his Antiquities of Cornwall ; and by other writers on that fubjtc~t. It is obfervable, that fires are mentioned in the plural number; and Toland fays, " that two fires were kindled by one another on May- " eve, in every village of the nation, as well through all Gaul, as in Britain, " Ireland, and the adjoining leffer iflands; between which fires the men and " beads to be facrificed were to pafs : One of the fires was on the karn, the other " on the ground." Dr. Borlafe obferves, " that feftival fires, or bonfires, are " kindled on the eve of St. John Baptift, and on St. Peter's day, which feem to be " the remains of the Druid fuperftition."
Braund, in his popular antiquities, quotes the Scholiaft on the 65th Canon of the Council of Trullo, p. 270. which cenfures the Heathenifhcuftom of " making
" fires
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. i. y;
O Hengilt ! han thy caufe bin good and true, Thou wouldft fuch murdrous ads as thefe efchevv. 320
The
'* fires on the new moon and on St. John Baptift's eve, and the people leaping over " them in a mad and fooliih manner; which, as he obferves, is a remain of the " Druid cuftom of pafling the victim through the fire, which thefe priefts had " from the Canaanites."
To fave the reader the trouble of refuming the fubject in the fecond poem, where there is alio an allufion to the religious rites performed in this temple, it may be obferved, that the word vyclimes feems to be there improperly fubftituted inlread of vyclualle, as an erratum in the former edition ; fince thefe two paflages relate to diffe- rent parts of the facrifical rites; the one to " the fhedding the victim's blood," the other to the feajl which accompanied, or rather followed that ceremonv, and which was a part of the Heathen worfhip.
Virgil mentions it as a part of the rites performed at the temple of Picus.
— — Hoc illis curia templum,
Hac facris fides epulis: hie ariete caefo Perpetuis foliti patres confidere menfis.
.iEn. vii. v. 175.
Thus again, in defcribing the reception of /Eneas by Evander:
Turn lecti juvenes certatim araque facerdos Vifcera tojia ferunt taurorum, onerantque caniflris Dona laboratae Cereris, Bacchumque miniftrant. Vefcitur ./Eneas, fimul et Trojana juventus Perpetui tergo bovis & luftralibus extis.
^En. viii. v. 179,
Toland obferves, in his Hiftory of tne Druids, p. 70, " that the holy fires "*' lighted by them, were conflantly attended with facrifices and feafting;" and Dr. Borlafe, in his Antiquities of Cornwall, p. 127, 2d edit, that " in- " temperance in drinking generally clofed the facrifice." Keyflcr, in his Antiq. Septent. p. 331, illuftrates this Druidical ceremony with feveral quotations from the Northern writers. Sturlefonius, in vita Oiai, fays ; " Vetus turn obtinuerat " confuetudo circa Victimarum madtationes, ut ad fanum ipfum incolae conveni- " rent omnes, commeatum vidumque pro folennibus epulis una adducentes; nee " omnino cerevifia? in tarn celebri conventu proportione fingulorum ulla debebat
" effe penuria: Ma£tabantur hie armentorum atque equorum plura genera .
" Carnem maSiatorum animalium fro more gent is elixatam con-viva abfumebant. " Focus in medio fundi accenfus ardebat, fupra quern etiam lebetes fervefaclos
L 2 " adpendere
76 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N*. u
The erlie was a marine of hie degree, And han that daie full manie Normannes fleine ; Three Norman Champyons of hie degree He lefte to fmoke upon the bloudic pleine :
The
" adpenderc moriserat; fcyphi autcm mero repleti per mcdiam flammam traduce- " bantur."
Keyfler obferves in another place, " Stabant autem, cum compotationes facrae " perao-ercntur, circa ignem in medio templi accenfum, cum mulfum vel cerevifia " liberaliflime in pateris vel poculis exhiberentur." P. 353.
It is alfo obferved by Mr. Toland, " that the men and beafts to be facrificed, " patted through the two fires which -were made in the middle of the temple" where the poet fays the blood of the victim was flied, without mentioning their flefh to have been burnt in the fire.
If human facrifices were here alluded to, or if the bodies of beafts were to be confurr.ed in the facrifical fire, it could not correfpond with the defcription the poet gives of
Roafting their vyctualle round about the flame. This paffage, therefore, alludes to the ceremony of the feaft, not to the facrifice itfelf, and therefore requires no alteration.
V. -3i 3, Mr. Warton feerns to have wavered between two opinions concerning the origin and hiftory of this monument, and to have endeavoured by two different and contrary mediums to convict this poem of forgery. In a note, vol. i. p. 53, and in a paflage, vol. ii. p. 155, he contends for the probability of Monmouth's account, viz. " that this monument was erected by the Britons, in memory of Hengift's *' maflacre, aliening that no other notion prevailed concerning it at the time when " this poem was written, (which he fuppofes to have been foon after the battle " was fought). — That this notion had been delivered down by long and conftant "tradition; — that it was the eftablifhed and uniform opinion of the Wei fh and " Armoric bards, who moil probably received it from the Saxon Minftrells ; — that " Monmouth's Hiftory was written not above eighty years after the battle; — and " that Robert of Gloucefter, and all the Monkifh Chronicles, agreed in this " doarine."
And yet this doctrine, fo eftablifhed by Mr. Warton, is exprefsly contradicted by himfelf in the following fentenee, wherein he aflerts, " that the conftruction of " this ftupendous pile by the Druids, as a place of worship, was a. dif- " covcry refcrved for the fagacity of a wifer age, and the laborious difcuflion of " modern antiquaries." Upon Mr. Warton's authority, therefore, we will give up the opinion of Monmouth as fabulous, and remark the great improbability
that
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N". i. 77
The Sier Fitzbotevilleine did then advaunce, 325
And with his bowe he fmote the erlies hede; Who eftibons gor^d hym with his tylting launce, And at his horfes feet he tumbled dede :
His
that the Saxon Minftrells fliould chufe fo infamous an aft of perfidy, fo difgraceful to their ow:. name and country, for the fubjefl: of their fongs and traditions, and of which Turgot confeffed himfelf afhannd, when he faid,
/, tho' a Saxon, yet the truthe will telle. The Welfh bards, full of legendary fuperftition, and ftrongly prepoflefled with ideas of Merlin's magical powers, might have invented or circulated this tale for the amufement of the vulgar; their hiftorians might have believed and publiflied it; and, according to the cuftom and ignorance of thofe days, it mi^ht nave been handed down by fubfequent Monks and Chroniclers: But if this tradition was fo ancient, fo general, and fo well authenticated, (as Mr. Warton fuppofes) how happens it that the Saxon Minftrells did not tranfmit it, either to their own or to the Britifti hiftorians; fince neither Bede, Nennius, After, nor Ingdf, make the leaft mention of this wonderful ftructure : It is firft noticed by Huntingdon, a con- temporary writer with Monmouth, who, though he fpeaks of it as one of the four wonders of England, declares, " that no one could then think by what art thefe " great ftones were raifed fo high, nor why they were put there." Stanenges ubi lapides mirz magnitudinis in modum Portarum elevati funt, ita ut Porta? Portis fuperpofitae videantur, nee poteft aliquis excogitare qua- arte tanti lapides adeo in altum elevati funt, vel quare ibi inftru&i funt. Lib. i.
Monmouth's account, therefore, could not be at that time the generally-re- ceived opinion, much lefs the only one entertained concerning it; and Mr. War- ton himfelf acknowledges that it was not the true one; confequently the idea of its Druidical origin was founded on more remote antiquity, and higher tradition : But when, by the converfion of the Britons to Chriftianity, the ceremonies of the Druid worfhip ceafed, and the temple itfelf grew into difufe, the hiftory and ori- gin of it muft gradually fall into oblivion ; and fabulous accounts would be en- grafted on it, founded on later events : Thus the maflacre of the Britons at this place might give rile to a tradition, that the monument was erected in memory of that event; and this might have been one, but not the only opinion that obtained concerning it in Monmouth's time. But even that tradition cannot affect the teftimony of Turgot, who, living a century earlier, and being a learned and judi- cious hiftorian, might be better informed of its true origin, from ancient- records, or well-founded tradition, although unknown to the generality of writers in that ignorant and illiterate age.
Thus
78 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ :.
I lis partyng fpirit hovered o'er the floude Of foddayne roufhynge mouche lov'd pourple bloude. 330
De
Thus far the poet's account of this monument may be juftified, fuppofing Turgot to have been the author. Let us confiderMr. Warton's other objection, viz. that this account could not have been penned by Rowley, b^-caufe the true hiftory cf Stonehenge was " a Lter difcovery, referved (as he (ays) for the fngacity ofwijer " ages." This objection might have fome weight, if the fact alluded to had been thenfirji brought to light; but what he calls a difcovcry, is only the revival of an an- cient tradition, obfeured by the ignorance, and difguifed by the fabulous accounts of intermediate ages. The true hiftory of it muft undoubtedly have fubfil! d before the fabulous one took place, nor could the former be fo totally forgotten «nd an- nihilated, as to leave no veftiges, in records or tradition, from which the abilities and induftry of Turgot or Rowley might have traced it.
But whatever objections might be urged againft Rowley on this head, they will conclude with much greater force againft Chatterton, as the fuppofed relator of this hiftory : Could he, who had never travelled more than a few miles from Briftol, give fo accurate a description of the extent and appearance of Salifbury Plain, and the JJjeafted head of Old Sarum ? Was he fo well acquainted with Casfar's Commen- taries, and the hiftory of that invafion, as to defcribe his attempt on Britain ; or Co converfant with our Englifh hiftorians, as to mention the name of the King who oppo- fed him ? By what authors was he inftrudted in the ceremonies of the Druid worfhip ; the titles of the God Thor, or Tauran ; the times and number of his facrifical fires; and the victims offered in their temples, with the different ideas of Britifh mythology; which could only be collected from Toland, Stukely, and Borlafe, authors not within his reach ; or from others, whofe language he did not underftand ?
The lines which cxprefs the poet's furprife at the grandeur of this monument, muft have been penned by one who had been an eye-witnefs of its magnificence :
It ne could be the work of human hand;
It ne was reared up by men of claie. Poem 2d, v. 533.
But it has been the misfortune of our author, and the untowardnefs of criticifm, that thofe parts of his works have been moft objected to, which bear the ftrongeft marks of originality.
The reader will pardon the length of a digreflion, which tends to illuftrate the hiftory of that noble Britifh monument, and to vindicate the authenticity of the poem.
^•.33°- This line is remarkable for an cxpreffive complication of epithets in the Homerical ftile.
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 79
De Viponte then, a fquier of low degree,
An arrovve drewe with all his myghte ameine ;
The arrowe graz'd upon the.erlies knee,
A punie wounde.that eaufd but littel peine.
So have I feene a Dolthead place a ftone,. 335
Enthoghte ' to ftaie a driving rivers courfe;
But better han it bin to lett alone,
It oulie drives it on with mickle force; The erlie, wounded by fo bafe a hynde, Rays'd furyous doyngs in his noble mynde. 340
The Siere Chatillion, yonger of that name, Advaunced next before the erlie's fyghte ; His fader was a manne of mickle fame, And he renomde and valorous in fyghte,
' Thinking.
Chatillion
V.331. De Viponte is called a fquier of low degree. This is an expreflion ufed by Chaucer ; and Mr. Warton fays, that there was an old piece with this title, perhaps coeval with that poet. See his obfeivations on Spenfer, vol. i. p. 130,, The fimile, v. 335, feems to be borrowed from Ovid, and it may be obferved that both poets have inftituted their comparifon in the firfl perfon.
Sic ego torrentem, qua nil obftabat eunti
Lenius, & modico ftrepitu dtcurr^re vidi :
At quaecunque trabes, obllrudtaque faxa tenebant
Spumeus & fervens, & ab obice fievior ibat.
Ovid. Metam. B. iii. Cap. 7,
So have I feen th' unbroken torrent's force,
With fmooth rapioity purfue its courfe ;
But when the weir or mound its current ftay,
R( doubled force irnpells its foaming way.
Virgil has the fame fimile.
— — Ceu, faxa morantur
Cum rapidos amnes, claufo fit gurgite murmur, Vicinaeque fremunt ripse crepitantibus undis.
JfLn. xi. v. 297,
•'••
:- '
7S BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ :.
I lis partyng fpirit hovered o'er the floude Of foddayne roufhynge mouche lov'd pourple blouJe. 330
De
Thus far the poet's account of this monument may be juftified, fuppofing Turgot to have been the author. Let us confiderMr. Warton's other objection, viz. that this account could not have been penned by Rowley, becaufe the true hiftory of Stonchenge was " a Inter difcovery, referved (as he (ays) for the f/igacity of wifer " ages." This objection might have fome weight, if the fadl alluded to had been thenfirjl brought to light ; but what he calls a difcovery, is only the n . ival of an an- cient tradition, obfeured by the ignorance, and difguifed by the fabulous accounts of intermediate ages. The true hiftory of it muft undoubtedly have fubfill d before the fabulous one took place, nor could the former be fo totally forgotten „nd an- nihilated, as to leave no veftiges, in records or tradition, from which the abilities and induftry of Turgot or Rowley might have traced it.
But whatever objections might be urged againft Rowley on this head, they will conclude with much greater force againft Chatterton, as the fuppofed relator of this hiftory : Could he, who had never travelled more than a few miles from Briftol, <*ive fo accurate a defcription of the extent and appearance of Salifbury Plain, and the Jheafted head oi~ Old Sarum ? Was he fo well acquainted with Caefar's Commen- taries, and the hiftory of that invafion, as to defcribe his attempt on Britain ; or Co converfant with our Englifh hiftorians, as to mention the name of the King who oppo- fed him ? By what authors was he inftrudted in the ceremonies of the Druid worfhip ; the titles of the God 7'hor, or Tauran ; the times and number of his facrifical fires; and the victims offered in their temples, with the different ideas of Britifh mythology; which could only be colletted from Toland, Stulcely, and Borlafe, authors not within his reach ; or from others, whofe language he did not underftand ?
The lines which exprefs the poet's furprife at the grandeur of this monument, muft have been penned by one who had been an eye-witnefs of its magnificence :
It ne could be the work of human hand;
It ne was reared up by men of claie. Poem 2d, v. 533.
But it has been the misfortune of our author, and the untowardnefs of criticifm, that thofe parts of his works have been moft objected to, which bear the ftrongeft marks of originality.
The reader will pardon the length of a digreflion, which tends to illuftratc the hiftory of that noble Britifh monument, and to vindicate the authenticity of the poem.
V. 330. This line is remarkable for an cxpreffive complication of epithets in the Homerical ftilc.
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 79
De Viponte then, a fquier of low degree,
An arrowe drewe with all his myghte ameine ;
The arrowe graz'd upon the.erlies knee,
A punie wounde.that caufd but littel peine.
So have I feene a Dolthead place a ftone,. 33c
Enthoghte ' to ftaie a driving rivers courfe j
But better han it bin to lett alone,
It onlie drives it on with mickle force; The erlie, wounded by fo bafe a hynde, Rays'd furyous doyngs in his noble mynde. 340
The Siere Chatillion, yonger of that name, Advaunced next before the erlie's fyghte; His fader was a manne of mickle fame, And he renomde and valorous in fyghte.
' Thinking.
Chatillion
V. 331. De Viponte is called a fquier of low degree. This is an expreflion ufed by Chaucer ; and Mr. Warton fays, that there was an old piece with this title, perhaps coeval with that poet. See his obfeivations on Spenfer, vol. i. p. 139. The fimile, v. 335, feems to be borrowed from Ovid, and it may be obferved that both poets have inftituted their comparifon in the firft perfon.
Sic ego torrentem, qua nil obftabat eunti
Lenius, & modico ftrepitu dtcurrcre vidi :
At qusecunque trabes, obitru£iaque faxa tenebant
Spumeus & fervens, & ab obice faevior ibat.
Ovid. Metam. B.iii. Cap. 7,
So have I feen th' unbroken torrent's force,
With fmooth rapidity purfue its courfe;
But when the weir or mound its current fiay,
Redoubled force impells its foaming way.
Virgil has the fame fimile.
Ceu, faxa morantur Cum rapidos amnes, claufo fit gurgite murmur, Vicinaeque fremunt rips crepitantibus undis.
Msi. xi. v. 297,
H
■
+ i'i'4
So BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i.
Chatillion his truftie fwerd forth drewe, 345
The erle drawes his, menne both of mickle myghte j
And at eche other vengouflie u they flewe,
As maftie dogs at Hocktide let to fyghte ;
Bothe fcornd to yeelde, and bothe abhor'de to flie, Refolv'd to vanquifhe, or refolv'd to die. 350
" Revengefully.
Chatiilion
V. 349. Thefe two lines hare an appearance of modern phrafeology ; but fuch ideas are common to writers of every age ; and Spcnfer has a thought very fimilar to this :
Both hongred after death, both chofe to win or die.
B. i. C. 6. St. 43.
It may be proper here to obferve, with regard to this and other fimilar expref- fions, which may exercife the fpeculation of the critics, that the authenticity of a poem is not to be determined by a few coincidencies in phrafe or fentiment, nor by too nice an attention to verbal criticifm on fingle words ; but by the general complexion and commanding features of the whole ; by the fentiment and ftile, the arrangement of the matter, the uniformity of the language, the fpirit and confiftency of the poem. If thefe great characters fhew it to be the work of the fame hand, doubts concerning particular paflages may be eafily refolved, by fuppofing them to have been errors in the original manufcript, or elfe miftakes or even wilful interpolations of the tranfcriber; for even tbefe, inftead of difcrediting, will ferve to eftabltfh the general authenticity of the poem; otherwife the greater object will be made fubfervicnt to the lefs, and, from a few fuppofed, or even real alterations, the cre- dit of the whole performance would be given to Chatterton, notwithftanding his abilities were confefledly unequal to it.
The advocates for fuch partial alterations fhould confider well the trouble and difficulty with which they muft be made ; nor is it agreeable to the ambitious and dcfultory genius of Chatterton, to fuppofe that he would have fubmitted the fire of his youth, and have given up the hours of his amufement, to improve and embellifh the works of another author ; and have facrificed at the fhrine of a dead poet, when he knew himfelf fo well qualified to receive incenfe as a living one : If we could fuppofe him capable of fubmittingto fuch a tafk, would he not have exert- ed the powers of his genius in attempting to excel, or at leaft to rival his original, by introducing brilliant thoughts and ftriking images, inftead of merely fupplying lacunae and imperfect rhimes, and modernizing a few antiquated phrafes; for the paflages 2 objected
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. NViJ 81
Chatillion hyt the erlie on the hede,
Thatt fplytte eftfoons his crifted helm in twayne ;
Whiche he perforce x withe target covered,
And to the battel went with myghte ameine.
The erlie hytte Chatillion thilke a blowe 355
Upon his brefte, his harte was plein to fee ;
He tumbled at the horfes feet alfoe,
And in dethe panges he feez'd the recer'sy knee :
x Was forced to cover. y Horfe's.
Fafte
objected to, as molt liable to fufpicion, are almoft all of this kind. It would in- deed puzzle the fagacity of the niceft critics to draw the difcriminatin"- line be- tween what they acknowledge to be original, and the parts which they fuppofe to be interpolated; fuch a diftinction has never yet been attempted, and when made would leave Rowley polfeffed of every effential merit and beauty in thefe compo- fitions.
Let it be remembered alfo, that two poets fo diftant in their sera, fo different from each other in their age and difpofition, could not have united their labours in the fame poem to any effect, without fuch an apparent difference in their ftyle, lan<nta°-e, and fentiments, as would have defeated Chatterton's intent of impofin» his works on the public as the original and entire compofuion of Rowley.
Thefe hints are addreffed to thofe candid objectors, who, revolting at the indis- criminate charge of forgery againft all the poems, are willing to adopt this as a mid- dle way, and (as they think) a more eafy and rational folution of the difficulty, by giving to Rowley all the merit of the original plan and arrangement, the hiltory {tile, fentiment and metre; but attributing to Chatterton the decorating and mo- dernifing of the poetry; Not confidering, that by acknowledging the mere exift- ence of Rowley as a poet, they do in effect give up the moll: material part of their argument. But, on the other hand, it is not afTerted that every word, as it ftands in Chatterton's manufcript, was penned by Rowley ; the tranferiber mi^ht have fupplied fome defects in the original manufcript, if there were any; he might have exchanged fome few ancient words or phrafes for modern ones; but all that could be done of this kind, confidered in its fulleft extent, could neither entitle him to the merit, nor to the real character of an eminent and original poet.
V. 358. The word recer is objected to, [Gentleman's Magazine, 1779] bc- caufe the breed of race- horfes is fuppofed to be more modern than Rowley's time; but the allufton is not made to any particular breed, but to the fwiftnefs of the horfe only. It might be juftified, however, from the antiquity and univerfality of horfe-races, though now practjfed on a different plan.
M
82 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i.
Fafte as the ivy rounde the oke doth clymbe,
So fafte he dying gryp'd the recer's lymbe. 360
The recer then beganne to flynge and kicke,
And tofte the erlie farr off to the grounde ;
The erlie's fquier then a fwerde did fticke
Into his harte, a dedlie ghaftlie wounde ;
And downe he felle upon the crymfon pleine, 365
Upon Chatillion's foulleis corfe of claie ;
A puddlie ftreme of bloude flow'd oute ameine ;
Stretch'd out at length befmer'd with gore he laie j As fome tall oke fell'd from the greenie plaine, To live a fecond time upon the maim 370
The
V. 367. An ignoble epithet, probably intended to diftinguifh the blood of a horfe from the more noble blood of a hero. See the note on v. 170.
V. 369. The fimile of the falling oak is enlivened beyond that of Homer;, who converts his tree into mere fhip-timber, whereas our poet's image gives it a. fecund life.
tipurt 0 , u( ot£ tk cpvf ypiiriVj r\ aj£££«i?, 'Hi wiTUf (ZxuSpri, rtiv r af£<r» rtxrovts av<J/>f{^ 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<pufj.a.e$' i <T dfj.viJ.ovix, Toftyud'iuiVKf Yi6k im Il:ixy.cto, xxtcc f»i9o? fioiXiv iu.
II. 0. V. 300.
He faid, and twang'd the firing ; the weapon flies
At Hector's breaft, and fings along the Ikies ;
He mifs'd the mark, but pierc'd Gorgythio's heart.
Pope, B. viii. v. 365,
The imitation here feems to be very apparent, but it is the imitation of Homer, and not of Pope ; both Homer and Rowley exprefs the intention of the archer, which is dropped by the tranflator of the Greek poet.
V. 380. Pope and Dryden have this line almoft verbatim, but it was fcarce poflible to convey the idea in other words.
M 2
84 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i.
Into his bowels then his launce he thrufte, 385
And drew thereout a fteemie z drerie a lode ;
Quod he ; thefe offals are for ever curft,
Shall ferve the coughs, and rooks, and dawes, for foode. Then on the pleine the fteemie lode hee throwde, Smokynge wyth lyfe, and dy'd with crymfon bloude.
Fitz Broque.. who faw his father killen lie,. 391
Ah me ! fayde he ; what woeful fyghte I fee ! But now I muft do fomethyng more than fighe ; And then an arrowe from the bowe drew he. z Steaming. * Dreadful.
Beneth
»
V. 385. Into his bowels then his launce he thrufte, And drew thereout a fteemie drerie lode. So Homer, __ ' > >;
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 <r' IpuWi I!- A- v- 453-
No, to the dogs thy carcafe I'll refign. Pope, B. xxii. v. 438. Thee birds fhall mangle and the dogs devour. Ibid. v. 423. But hungry birds fhall bear thefe balls away. B. ii. v. 510.
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i. 85
Beneth the erlie's navil came the dartej 30?
Fitz Broque on foote han drawne it from the bowe;
And upwards went into the erlie's harte,
And out the crymfon ftreme of bloude 'gan flowe. As fromm a hatch, drawne with a vehement geir b, White rufhe the burftynge waves, and roar along the weir. 400
The erle with one honde grafp'd the recer's mayne, And with the other he his launce befpedc; And then felle bleedyng on the bloudie plaine. His launce it hytte Fitz Broque upon the hede; Upon his hede it made a wounde full flyghte, 405
But peerc'd his moulder, ghaftlie wounde inferne, Before his optics d daunced a made of nyghte, Whyche foone were clofed ynn a fleepe eterne.
b Turn, or twi/l. c Difyatcbed, gave fpced to. d Eyes.
The
V. 399. Geir is derived either from the French word girer, or from the Italian girare — to turn about. Chaucer ufes gerle and gerifull, Knight's Tale, v. 15-28, and 1540 — and gertfull violence, Troil. B. iv. v. 286 — for inconjlant or changeable, which is analogous to the fenfe which the word bears in this paffage.
V . 406. The wound given by Hereward's lance, has alfo its original in Homer.
Y.<ryi)i' 0 a h y.ovivtri tthtuh sAe yzTxv dyo^Z. II. — . v. 451.
The driving javelin thro' his flioulder thrufr,
He ftnks to earth, and grafps the bloody duft.
See v. 113, of this poem. Pope, B. xiv. v. 527.
V. 407. Homer has feveral different ways of exprefling this idea.
Tci/ Si X3UT 0<p9<*Af/.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. 87
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 hoveE, with clinieh 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, Bethoghte1 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
92 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"<T£
— — ya|U,flil TTifTOll IV XOVIYIVIV. I'- N. v. 616.
Forc'd from their glaffy orbs and fpouting gore, The clotted eye-balls tumbled on the fhore.
Pope, B. xiii. v. 775. /.gain,
— — eififiaAjU.oi S\ ^xy.ai tt'ktov \v xoi/rttrii/
Aura uTfto-fif ttoS&v. *«. n. v. 741.
The burfting balls dropt fightlefs on the ground.
Pope, B. xvi. v. 898, ^nd in another paflage,
Tol* T&T uV OppUOf 3t» Y.U.T CpfijsA/AUO 6s'jtAESAa,
Ex. $' Zci yXrivw. *"• — • Vi 493*
Full in his eye the weapon chane'd to fall, And from the fibres fcoop'd the rooted ball.
Pope, B. xiv. v. 577.
n
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ i.
A myghtie fiere, Fitz Chatulet bie name,
An arrowe drew, that dyd them littel lift *'.
Erie Egward points his launce at Chatulet, 545
And Ethelbert at Walleris fet his ;
And Egwald dyd the fiere a hard blowe hytt,
But Ethelbert by a myfchaunce dyd mifs : Fear laide Walleris flat upon the ftrande, He ne deferved a death from erlies hande. 550
Betwyxt the nbbes of Sire Fitz Chatelet
The poynted launce of Egward did ypafs y;
The diltaunt fyde thereof was ruddie wet,
And he fell bfeathlefs on the bloudie grafs.
As cowart Walleris laie on the grounde, 555
The dreaded weapon hummed oer his heade,
And hytt the fquier thylke a lethal2 wounde,
Upon his fallen lorde he tumbled dead :
Oh fhame to Norman armes ! a lord a Have,
A captyve villeyn than a lorde more brave ! 560
From Chatelet hys launce Erie Egward drew,
And hit Wallerie on the dexter cheek j
Peerc'd to his braine, and cut his tongue in two :
There, knyght, quod he, let that thy actions fpeak — *******
* They cared little for it. 1 Pafs. z Deadly.
V. 563. So Homer,
■ Ai« St y\<i)<r<rav rapt fiiirvnv. Il» ?• v. 618.
The tongue it rent. Pope, B. 17. v. 698.
This wound is followed by a very keen farcafm on Norman courage, in the
perfon
94 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ r.
perfon of Waleri (or St. Valeri, as his name is fpelt in Battle Abbey roll. ) His arrovr had (lain a brave warrior, Howel ap Jcvah j but his cowardice is here more remark- ably ftigmatizcd, by being contrafted with the valour of his efquire, who was flain {landing, whilft his mafter in vain attempted to elude his fate, by cowardly proftrat- ing himfelf on the earth.
Thilk deeds do all deferve, whofe deeds fo fowle
Will black theire carthlie name, if not their foule. v. 449.
END OF THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. I.
BATTLE
[ 95 ]
BATTLE OF HASTINGS.
N°. 2.
TTTE may confider this poem, not as a fecond part or con- \ V tinuation of the former, but as an improved work of the fame author, on the fame fubject ; in which he has diverfified many of the hiflorical events, and introduced new perfonages, but preferved the fame ftile and metre, and ufed the fame kind of allufions and fimilies with thofe in the former poem, be- ginning with the Hiitory of the Battle, and leaving the con- clufion imperfect.
It is no common inftance of an author's induftry, and affection to his own work, when he can condefcend to new model a poem in this manner.
But the fuppofition becomes improbable, when we impute this attempt to a youth of great original genius and fpirit, and whofe genuine and undifputed productions were of a very oppofite ten- dency. For if he had fucceeded in a compofition in the an- cient ftyle, and upon a fubject at prefent fo uninteresting as the Battle of Haftings, is it probable that he mould confine him- felf to a fecond efTay on the fame fubje't, and reftrain the im- pulfe and effects of his genius, by recurring to the fame hiftory, the fame heroes, and the fame events .* The learning and claf- fical allufions which occur in both poems are Sufficient to con- vince
96 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2.
vince the reader that Chatterton could have no right to either compofition.
It is obfervablc, that each ftanza in this poem clofes with an Alexandrine, though there are but three in the firfl part, viz. v. 100, 400, and 430 ; a circumftance which feems to be rather unfavourable to Chatterton's claim ; for if he was the author of the former poem, he mufl be fuppofed to have taken this for his pattern, and therefore, moft probably, would have fol- lowed fcrupuloufly the fame meafurej on the other hand, if they were both written by the fame perfon, it is reafonable to fuppofe that the author thought the clofina: with an Alexandrine would give additional grace and dignity to his improved poem.
BATTLE
[ 97 3
BATTLE OF HASTINGS,
N°. 2.
OH Truth ! immortal daughter of the fkies, Too lyttle known to wryters of thefe daies, Teach me, fayre Saincte ! thy paiTynge worthe to pryze,
To blame a friend and give a foeman prayfe.
The
The author of this poem, inftead of opening it with a melancholy ejaculation in the ballad ftile, boldly invokes, in the Spirit of Pindar, the goddefs of Truth to direct his pen with juftice and impartiality,
To blame a friend and give a foeman prayfe ; alluding probably to the partiality fo manifeftly {hewn in the former poem to the characters of the Englifli, and the reflections fo fiequently caft on the Normans ; both which are eafily accounted for on a fuppofition that Turgot had furnifhed the materials of the preceding poem: But here, when Rowley fpeaks in his own name, it behoves him to difavow all fuch partial ideas, which could neither be juftified by his own fentiments, nor by thofe of the age in which he lived; and this (by the way) furnifhes another ftrong prefumption, that Chatterton could not have been the author of the former poem, as he pretended. It is in this fpirit of impartiality, that Rowley gives both to Harold and William their refpective praife and blame, calling the former
Englands curfe and pryde; v. io.
and the latter,
The Normans floure, but Englands thorne.
Tournam, v. 43.
o
98 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N*. 2.
The fickle moone, bedcckt wythe fylver rays, 5
Leadynge a trainc cf ftarres of feeble lyghte, With look adigne* the worlde belowe furveies, The world, that wotted " not it coud be nyghtc ; Wyth armour dyd% with human gore ydeyd ', She fees Kynge Harolde flande, fayre Englands curfe and pryde. 1°
With ale and vernage e drunk his fouldicrs lay ; Here was an hynde, anie an crlie fpredde;
a Of dignity. b Knew. c It Jhould'be fpelt dyght, i. e. cloathed or prepared. A Dyed. c AJort of -wine.
Sad
t
V. 11. This epiiode reprefents in true colours the different characters and be- haviour of each army on the night preceding the battle; which was far from doing honour to the Englifh name, or to the conduct of Harold :
With ale and vernage drunk his fouldiers lay; Here was an hynde, anie an erlie fpredde.
See Mr. Tyrwhit's note on Vernage, vol. iv. p. 286.
This account might be taken from William Malmfbury, who gives the following character of the Englifh: — " Potabatur in commune ab omnibus: In hoc fludio,
" nodles perinde ut dies perpetuantibus totos fumptus abfumebant." P. 101.
And the fame author has ftrongly contrafted the behaviour of the Normans on the night before the engagement: — " Itaque utrinque animofi duces difponunt acic-m " pairio quifque ritu : Anglici (ut accepimus) totam no£tem infomnem can- " tibus potibufque ducentes; contra Normanni tota nofte confeflioni peccatorum " vacantcs."
The piclure is alfo humoroufly drawn by Jean de. Wace, in his Roman de Rou.
Quant la bataille fut mofrrc * La noit avant le di quate + Furent Engleis forment hatie, Mult riant & mult enveifiej
• Muftered. t TIle H'h ^ October, the day of the battle.
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. 99
Sad keepynge of their leaders natal daie !
This even in drinke, too morrow with the dead !
Thro' everie troope diforder reer'd her hedde -, 1 5
Dancynge and heideignes f was the onlie theme ;
Sad dome was theires, who lefte this eafie bedde,
And wak'd in torments from fo fweet a dream.
' Romping, or country dances>
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<a be a contraction of the fame word.
O 2
ioo BATTLE OF HASTINGS. Na. 2.
Duke Williams mennc, of comeing dethe afraide, All nyghte to the great Godde for fuccour afkd and praied. 23
Thus Harolde to his wites s that ftoode arounde; Goe, Gyrthe and Eilvvard, take hills halfe a fcore, And fearch how farre our foeman's campe doth bound j You rfelf have rede"1; I nede to faie ne more.
e People; men. h Counfel; knowledge.
My
V. 19. This defcription of the Normans coming from the mafle fong, wh»
of comeing dethe afraide,
All nyghte to the great Godde for fuccour afkd and praied, agrees with the account given by Jean de Wace:
Et le Normant & le Franceis Tote noit firent oreifons; Et furent en affliction : De lor peches confis fe firent As prouieres fe reghierent.
It is obferved, that whilft the Normans prayed, the Englifh uttered only barba- rous exclamations.
Normans efcrierent Deus a'te *, La Gens Englefche f ut efcrie.
V. 21. The poet proceeds in his defcription on good authority. The fending fpies by Harold to explore the Norman camp, as well as the kind reception and entertainment given them by Duke William, are mentioned by Malmfbury, though he does not name the perfons employed on that commiflion : Rowley, however, has very properly affigned that office to Girth, Harold's brother; for William Geme- ticenfis, p. 35, introduces a dialogue between Harold and him, not unlike that de- feribed v. 14.1 ; wherein Girth recommends difcretion to his brother, warns him of the guilt of perjury, on account of the oath that he had taken to Duke William, offers to head his troops, and defires him to remain quiet at home: Harold, on the contrary, is indignant at his brother's advice, defpifes his counfel, and reproaches him for giving it.
o
* An expreffion of pain and fmart; or it may be underftood as a contraction for aide, calling upon God for afliflance.
•j Ut, a barbarous Ihoutj derived from the French word buer, to cry out.
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. l0I
My brother beft belov'd of anie ore !, 2 -
My Leofwinus, goe to everich wite, Tell them to raunge the battel to the grore, And waiten tyll I fende the heflk for fyghte. He faide; the loieaul broders lefte the place, Succefs and cheerfulnefs depicted on ech face. 30
Slowelie brave Gyrthe and Eilwarde dyd advaunce, And markd wyth care the armies dyftant fyde, When the dyre clatterynge of the fhielde and launce Made them to be by Hugh Fitzhugh efpyd. He lyfted up his voice, and lowdlie cryd -t %e
Like wolfs in wintere did the Normanne yell -, Girthe drew hys fwerde, and cutte hys burled ' hyde j The proto-flene m manne of the fielde he felle ;
5 Other. k Command. ' Armed, or thick. m Fuji Jlain man.
Out
V. 25. My brother, beft belov'd of anie ore.
Ore is probably a contraction of other, as nerre is for nearer', but grore, the corre- sponding rhime, is an unintelligible word. It has been fuggefted, that ore might be changed into one, and grore into gron, which Signifies a fen or pit, becaufe a ditch is mentioned in Malmfbury's account, which the Englifh, by knowing their ground, avoided ; but the Normans fell into it, and were Slaughtered in great numbers : But our poet's rhimes are fo linked in ftanzas, that the change of this fmgle word would require the alteration of three others; and, as he never facrificed fenfe to rhime, he has fo fortunately interwoven them, as to prevent verbal critics from being too con- jectural in their emendations.
V. 38. Fitz Hugh is called the proto-Jlene man of this battle ; but a long parley intervenes between his death, and the beginning of the engagement. The fimile introduced on the fhedding his blood, is of too ancient and original a catt to be the invention of a modern poet: Homer has ilk'ftrated the fame appearance, in the wound given by Pandarus to Menelaus, by a fimilar image :
io2 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. i.
Out ftreemd the bloude, and ran in fmokynge curies, Reflected bie the moone feemd rubies mixt wyth pearles. 40
A troope of Normannes from the mafs-fonge came, Roufd from their praiers by the flotting" crie ; Thoughe Girthe and Ailwardus perceevd the fame, Not once theie ftoode abafhd, or thoghte to flie. He feizd a bill, to conquer or to die; 45
Fierce as a clevis ° from a rocke ytorne p,
* Undulating.- " Cleft. f Tarn*
That
Mjioi/j?, r,\ Kxxpz iroicr^ov ijji.fji.iiai itttuv' ***-*■**'■**"*-#
Toioi rci, MiiiiXxe, picuGnv mu-xri ^rifct
II. A. v. IAI.
As when fome ilately trappings are decreed, To grace a monarch on his bounding fleed, A nymph, in Caria or Masonia bred, Stains the pure ivry with a lively red : With equal luftre various colours vie, The mining whitenefs and the Tyrian dye;
Pope, B. iv. v. 1 fo.'
Virgil has applied this mixture of colours to Lavinia's face, bathed in tears'; {o happily can the genius of great poets adorn the fame image by different allu-
fions.
Indum fanguineo veluti violaverit oflro
Si quis ebur, vel mixta rubcnt ubi lilia multa
Alba rofa: tales virgo dedit ore.colores. JEn. xii. v. Cj.
> 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 0 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 mepfcerc 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.i<r wjt is y.oy.riPippovog, oq -rs y.%% uAvjk "EcvrTai SI oi>i<r(pi' ttqXvs S cevfAWySo; in «utm AySo'Jiv r\$i xvvui/) a,wo n cnpuro u7ri/o? oXuXti.
II. K. v. 183.
So faithful dogs their fleecy charge maintain, With toil protected from the prowling train ; When the gaunt lionefs, with hunger bold, Springs from the mountains towards the guarded fold : * Thro' breaking woods their ruftling courfe they bear, Loud, and more loud the clamour flrikes their ear Of hounds and men ; they ftart, they gaze around, Watch every lide, and turn to every found.
Pope, B. x. v. 211.
It may be obferved, that Homer and Rowley agree in the circumftanccs of this fimile — the wild beafts attacking the fold — the alarm given by the dogs — the roufing of the fhepherds from fleep— their confternation and purfuitof the enemy, to which Rowley has given an additional beauty by the doubling echo of the wol- fins roar, and the united furprize, rage, and courage of the fhepherds.
Though in general it is to no purpofe to quote Hobbes's or Chapman's transla- tion of Homer's fimilies, yet, in the prefent inftance, it niuft be obferved, that Mr. Pope is the only one of Homer's tranflators who omits in this fimile the cir- cumftance of the Jhepherds being roufedfrom their fleep. — Hobbes fays,
P They
io6 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2.
Hears doublyng echoc wind the wolfins rore, That neare hys flocke is watchynge for a praie, He tremblynge for his fhcep drives dreeme awaie, 8-5
Gripes fafle hys burled'1 croke, and fore adradde* Wyth fleeting f ftrides he haftens to the fraie, And rage and prcwefs fyres the coiflrell K lad ; With truftie talbots h to the battel flies, And yell of men and dogs and wolfins tear the ikies. 90
Such was the dire confufion of eche wite, That rofe from fleep and walfoine '' power of wine ; Theie thoughte the foe by trechit k yn the nyghte Had broke theyr camp and gotten pafte the line;
4 Large, or armed. c Frighted. l Flying. s The ferving lad. h Dog;. * Loathjome. k Treachery.
Now
They doubt the worfr, and cannot take their re/I \ But liftning Hand, and flecp forfakes their eyes.
B. x. p. 142. And Chapman,
Then men and dogs ftand on their guard?, and mightie tumults ma-Ice, ' Sleep wanting weights to clofe one zvinkc — So did the captains wake.
P- I34-
Tiiis circumftance is r. fufficient proof that our poet did net copy from Pope'? tranflation.
V. 88. Coiflrell — " Every one (of Henry VIlPs horfe-guards) had an archer,. •• and a demilance, and a Cuftrell, as our hillory calls it, but being truly Couftil- " licr, or a kind of ambaclus, or fervant belonging to him." Lord Herbert's hif- tory of Henry the VHIth, p. 9.
According to Cotgrave, Cb'ujtilliei figriified an efquire of the body, an armour- bearer to a knight, the fervant of a man at arms; alfo a groom of the ftable, ahorfe- ■ ; and Cofteroulz was a nick-name given to certain footmen who ferved the King of England in their French wars.
" I had rather be a nun a thoufand times, than be cumbreJ with this C-Ajlrei,'' (alluding to a young ferving man) Gafcoigne's Suppofes, p. 4. — Spenfer fpeaks of adochio and his kejfrcll kind, B. ii. c. 3. ft. 4.— Chaucer ufes the word CcjlnlL for a drinking vcflcl-
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. 107
Now here now there the burnyfht fheeldes and byllfpear fhine; Throwote the campe a wild confufionne fpreddej 96
Eche bracd hys armlace ' fiker ne defygne, The crafted helmet nodded on the hedde ; Some caught a flughorne m, and an onfett " woundej Kvnge Harolde hearde the charge, and wondred at the founde.
Thus Leofwinej O women cas'd in ftele ! 101
Was itte for thys Norwegia's ftubborn fede Throughe the black armoure dyd the anlace ° fele, And rybbes of folid bralTe were made to bleede?
1 Accoutrement for the arms. m Horn, or military trumpet. " Charge. ° Sword.
Whylft
V. 95. Has a redundant foot, and v. 97 wants explanation. V. 101. So it is obferved in the former poem, v. 300.
That many knights were women in men's geer. This bold and manly reproof of the army by Leofwin, is not unlike that of Therfites in Homer.
'il irivovti x.x>C 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 hun<r their head.
o
Addaw ufually fignifies to awaken, and fo it may be understood here. Being awakened to a fenfe of their fhame, they hung down their heads. Spenfer, indeed, ufes the word to imply conficrr.ation ; which idea is generally exprefied by other ancient poets by the word ahbaw.
V. 103. Our poet ufually drefles his Saxons and Danes in black armour. Sec Ella, ver. 601 and 740; and fon^ to Ella, v. 28: Probably bccaufe it was the
P 2 plaineil
io8 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N*. z.
Whylft yet the vvorldc was wondrynge at the deede. 105 You fouldiers, that fhoulde ftand with by 11 in hand, Get full of wine, devoid of any rede p. Oh fhame ! oh dyre diihonoure to the lande ! He fayde; and fhame on everie vifage fpredde, Ne fa we the erlies face, but addawd q hung their head. 1 10
Thus he ; rowze yee, and forme the boddie tyghte. The Kentyfh menne in fronte, for firelight renownd, Next the Bryitowans dare the bloudie fyghtc, And lad the numerous crewe mall preffe the grounde. I and my king be wyth the Renters founde; 1 15
Bythric and Alfwold hedde the Bryftowe bande ; And Bertrams fonne, the man of glorious wounde, Lead in the rear the menged r of the lande ;
f Counfel. 1 Awakened, or aba/lied. ' Mixed troops.
And
plaineft accoutrement. But to the more elegant Normans he has given red armour ; to De Beaumont, v. 297, and to Trovvillian, v. 40,7 of this poem.
V. iir. The precedence in the Englifh army feems to be fettled at the fancy of the poet; for though there may be authority in hiftory for placing the Kentifh men in the front of the battle, yet the Briftowans owe their rank to the partiality of their countryman. With regard to their leaders Alfivold and Briitic, Leland ob- ferves, in his Itin. vol. vi. p. 85. " That Ailwardus Mean, carl of Glouceftcr, " and Briclricus his foil, were fuccefiively lords of Briftol about the time of the " coming in of William the Conqueror;" and why may not Alfwoldus be the fame perfon with this Ailwardus ? The honourable manner in which the Briftol bands are here mentioned, is very unlike the ideas of Chatterton, who never men- tioned his native city, but with a view <>f 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 anie1. 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
n4 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.
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11. N. v. 137.
As from fome mountain's craggy forehead torn, A rock's round fragment flies, with fury borne, Which from the ftubborn ftone a torrent rends, Precipitate the pondrous mafs defcends ; From fteep to fteep the rolling ruin bounds, At every fhock the crackling wood refounds; Still gathering force it fmoaks, and, urg'd amain, Whirls, leaps, and thunders down impetuous to the plain.
Pope, B. xiii. v. igi.
By comparing the preceding lines in Homer, which gave rife to the fimile, with the defcription which follows in this poem, we fhall be convinced that the latter poet had the former in his eye when he wrote thefe lines.
Mr. Pope remarks on this paflage, " that the found of Homer's words make us hear " what they reprefent, in the noble roughnefs, rapidity, and fonorous cadence that " diitimiuiihesthem:" And in thefe points, our poet will appear not to have wanted the afliftance either of Homer or his tranflator, to give dignity and expreffion to his fimilies: Rowley makes his numbers harmonious without weakening the force of his ideas ; he is fonorous but not bombaft, and can defcribe thofe great convu!- fions of nature in terms more majeftic and fignificant than Mr. Addifon's Wreck of matter, and the crufh of worlds. V. 201. The compactnefs of the Englifh army, which
Linkd man to man, enfeemed one boddie light, is Virgil's expreffion.
Implicuere inter fe acies, legitque virum vir. j
iEn. xi. v. 632*
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. 2. n <
Above a wood, yform'd of bill and launce, That noddyd in the ayre moft ftraunge to fyght. Harde as the iron were the menne of mighte, 205
Ne neede of flughornes to enrowfe theyr minde; Eche fhootynge fpere yreaden a for the fyghte, More feerce than fallynge rocks, more fwefte than wvnd; With folemne ftep, by ecchoe made more dyre, One fingle boddie all theie marchd, theyr eyen on fyre. 210
And now the greie-eyd morne with vi'lets dreft, Shakyng the dewdrops on the flourie meedes, Fled with her rofie radiance to the Weft: Forth from the Eafterne gatte the fyerie fleedes
1 Made ready.
Of
V". 203. The description of their armour is Homer's.
Above a wood appear'd of bill and launce. Ar,i3V if TraKcjJ.ov ttixivou xiiwro £»>.*•)• 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.<Ttv S\ ttiituv, ci(,ztri7i Si Tivyi tir avru
II. A, V. 504.
Foiidrou-j
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. 117
This Willyam faw, and foundynge Rowlandes fonge He bent his yron interwoven bowe, Makynge bothe endes to meet with myghte full flronge, From out of mortals fyght mot up the floef;
f Arrow.
Th
en
Pondrous he falls, his clanging arms rcfound, And his broad buckler rings againft the ground.
Pope, B. iv. v. 579. And in another paffage of this poem :
He fell, and thunder'd on the place of fame. V. 390.
The hollow cui/hes, or, as they are called, the filver cuijhes, v. 328, or the joint cuijhe, v. 256, were the armour which covered the thigh, and hence they took their denomination : Drayton and Pope have ufed the expreffion :
The Jilver cuijhes firft his thighs infold. Pope, B. xix. v. 398.
But the word is to be found in a much more ancient poem, prefixed to Johnfon's Dictionary, called the Death of Zoroas, which is afferted by that author to be the moft ancient piece of poetry that he had met with in blank verfe.
V. 231. It is mentioned by Malmfbury that William b • n the engagement by founding Rowland's long, and celebrating the atchievements of that romantic hero to infpire his army with courage: — " Tunc cantilena Rolandi inchoata ut mar- " tium viri exemplum pugnaturos accenderet." P. ior. — This cuftom of excitinj martial ardour in the foldiers, and of ftriking terror into the enemy, by a war-fong, is of high antiquity, and univerfal practice among all favage and barbarous nations : The Hunns are faid to have charged with the barbarous founds of Hiu, hiu, (fee Warton's DifTertation, vol. i.) and the Turks by the united cry of Allah ekbar, *« God is great •" the Americans have their war-hoop: That of the Chriftians was Kufi£ £A£vkt3/ ; and Bede obferves, lib. i. cap. 19. that the Britons, when at- tacked by the Picts and Saxons, routed them by ordering the priefts and the whole army to cry Allelujah. Agreeably to this idea, the chorus in Godwin begins,
When Freedom, drefs'd in blood freynd verb,
To every knight her warr-fong fung. But the genera! fubjecl of thefe war-fongs was the hiftory of fome great king or hero. It is obferved by Tacitus, that Arminius, the conqueror of Varus, and by Aventinus, that Alexander the Great, Attila, and Brennus, were celebrated in
fuch
n8 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N3. 2.
Then fwyfte as fallynge (larres to earthe bclowe 235
It flaunted down on Alfwoldes payn<fted fheelde; Quite thro the filver-bordurd erode did goe, Nor lofle its force, but ituck. into the feelde;
The
fuch fongs, as well as fome of their German heroes ; and there was a poetical book of heroes, which Charlemagne took delight in repeating. See Warton's 2d Difler- tation. Itxmlf fays that Hereward's wonderful valour was celebrated in this manner: — " Ejufque gefta fortia etiam Angliam ingrefla canerentur." Proba- bly the example of Charlemagne might bring thefe hiftoric war-fongs into more general ufe. The hiftorians as well as poets of thofe times, in order to magnify the valour of their heroes, and to excite admiration in their readers, filled their nar- rations with the moft abfurd and incredible ftories: Of this kind was the hiftory of Charlemagne, fathered on Archbifhop Turpin ; and two poems in German, published in the ad volume of Schilter's Thefaurus, (the one entitled, Rhythmus de Car. Marni Expeditione Hi/pan. ; the other, Fragmentum de bello Car. Magni contra Sara- ccnos) both copied from the fabulous hiftory of Turpin, and celebrating the atchievments of Roland and Oliver, two of Charlemagne's generals : The former is reprefented in ftory as a man of gigantic ftature, armed with a fword called Duranda, of fuch well-tempered fteel, that he could drive it through a ftonej he had alfo a horn called Olifanden, which was heard through the whole camp, and ftruck great terror into the enemy: It was celebrated by the Iflandic poets in their Saga's. Olaus Wormius, in his Monum. Danica, p. 380, quotes a paflage from one of them, which fays it was heard at the diftance of twenty French miles, and that he blew it with fo much ftrength, as to force out his brains with the blaft.
So Alexander the Great is reprefented in Adam Davies' poem, as poflefied of a wonderful horn.
He blew in horn quyk fans doute,
His folk him fwythe about. Warton, vol. i. p. 229.
This Roland is ftiled in hiftory Comes Palatlnus, and was one of Charlemagne's twelve peers. Eginhart calls him Britannici litto>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*xl<? 7r'iX«.iTiv, t6%u ii <n$r,po\i' A-jtuo iTTuSn xuj:AoT£fl£j fj.iyx ro^ov tret¥ty Aiyfct pioj, vivpri it fxiy iap^ei*, aXro <T o\Vto{ O^ubfAnj, k«6' vfJuAov tTrtTrliirQxi pivixwuv.
II. A. v. 122.
Now with full force the yielding horn he bends,
Drawn to an arch, and joins the doubled ends;
Clofe to his breaft he {trains the nerve below,
Till the barb'd point approach the circling bow;
The impatient weapon whizzes on the wing,
Sounds the tough horn, and twangs the quiv'ring firing.
Pope, B. iv. v. 152. The difcharge of thefe arrows from William, when he
From out of mortal fight fhot up the floe ; (v. 234.) And his followers after his example fhot
Ten thoufand floes uprifing in the air; (v. 239.)
has caufed a magazine-critic (Gentleman's Magazine, May 1777) to charge the poem with forgery, and the author of it with ignorance, for giving this direc- tion to the Norman arrows : The objector was not aware that arrows fo difcharged carried execution into every part of the army; whereas thofe directed horizontally killed the perfons in the firft rank only : and, according to Henry Huntingdon, this was done by exprefs order from Duke William: — " Docuit enim Dux Willelmus " viros fagittarios, ut nan in hojiem direfie, fed in aera furfum cuneum hojlilem fagittis " excacarcnt, quod Anglis magno fuit detrimento." P. 368.
He (hot again in the fame direction, verfe 281, and accordingly his arrow is faid to defcend like a thunderfhaft, for it pierced Algar's fhicld, and ftuck in his groyne. v. 286. But immediately after he took his Jirong arblajler, or crofs-bow, which he levelled horizontally at the breaft of Alric, the brother of Algar ; for as he hoijled his arm, the arrow parted through it into his fule.
V. 241. This fhowcr of dcfcending arrows is compared to falling ftars, and
to
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. 2. 121
Soon as the muddie natyon theie efpie, 245
Inne one blacke cloude theie to the erth defcende ; Feirce as the fallynge thunderbolte they flie; In vayne do reedes the fpeckled folk defend: So prone to heavie blowe the arrowes felle, And peered thro braffe, and fente manie to heaven or helle.
JEhn Adelfred, of the (lowe of Leigh, 251
Felte a dire arrowe burnynge in his brefte; Before he dyd, he fente hys fpear awaie, Thenne funke to glorie and eternal re'fte.
Nevylle,
to a flight of cranes; but as thofe birds are not inhabitants of thefe iflands, the image muft have been brought from a foreign country, and is of claffical original. It is Mr. Pope's remark on this fimile, " That Homer flew to the remoter! part " of the world for an image which no reader could have expected ;" muft not then our Englifh poet have flown to Homer for it ? and has he not {hewn his addrefs in illuftrating the fimile with a new image ? Homer defcribes the cranes as making war with the pigmies— Rowley, as bringing deftruclion on the frogs : Homer's parallel confifts in the noife and order with which thefe birds winged their way: Rowley's fimilitude is not lefs juft and pertinent as to their numbers, their blacken- ing the fky, and the deftruclion they brought on their enemies.
Xjji/wf, v yipuHUv, n xuxvuv StXiyoHiipuvy 'Aa-i'ji iv Xeipuvt, KasuYcia a^pi p7s(3aa, '&i*Qx >c, i)/vx ttctuvtcci a.yxXhoij.ivz.i 7n£euy£0"<ri, K'AzyfrJoy zTg<jy.<xQi££i/TM} (rpx^xyii oi re XaiJ.iv.
II. B. v. 459.
Nor lefs their number than the embodied cranes,
Or milk-white fwans in Afia's watry plains,
That o'er the windings of Cayfler's fprings
Stretch their long necks, and clap their ruftling wings j
Now tow'r aloft, and courfe in airy rounds,
Now light with noife, with noife the field refounds.
Pope, B, ii. v. 540.
R And
122 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2.
Nevylle, a Normanne of alle Normannes befte, 255
Throw the joint cuiflie h dyd the javlyn feel, As hee on horfebacke for the fyghte addrefs'd, And favve hys bloude come fmokynge oer the fleele; He fente the avengynge floe into the ayre, And turnd hys horfes hedde, and did to leeche ' repayre. 260
And now the javelyns barbd k with deathhis wynges, Hurld from the Englyfli handes by force aderne ', Whyzz dreare m alonge, and fonges of terror fynges, Such fonges as alwaies clos'd in lyfe eterne. Hurld by fuch ftrength along the ayre theie burne, 265 Not to be quenched butte ynn Normannes bloude; Wherere theie came they were of lyfe forlorn, And alwaie followed by a purple floude; Like cloudes the Normanne arrowes did defcend, Like cloudes of carnage full in purple drops dyd end. 270
h Armour for the thighs. s Phyfician. k Armed. ' Dire, cruel.
m Dreary, terrible.
Nor,
And in the third Iliad,
'Hute Trie xXayyri yt^oivuv tt'iKh ygxvcQi zs-go, 'AiV 'nri\ Zv %ci[ji.(dva, tpuyov, xai dd£<r(pix.Tov ojxGflov, KXayy/i Taiyi ttetovtou itt fliitotvoio potxuv, 'Ai/JeaTi IIuy^iioKri Qovuv >t, xyptx. <pzpz(rtx,i' 'Hs'fiai S' a.001. TXiyi y.ot,x.r\v ipiSoi arpotpepoi/Tai.
II. r. v. 3.
So when inclement winters vex the plain With piercing frofts, or thick-defcending rain, To warmer feas the cranes embodied flie, With noife and order through the midway iky : To pigmy nations wounds and death they bring, And all the war defcends upon the wing.
Pope, B. iii. v. 5.
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. 123
• Nor, Leofwynus, dydft thou ftill eftandej
Full foon thie pheon n glytted ° in the aire;
The force of none but thyne and Harolds hande
Could hurle a javlyn with fuch lethal geer p;
Itte whyzzd a ghaftlie dynne in Normannes ear, 275
Then thundryao; dyd upon hys greave q alyghte,
Peirce to his hearte, and dyd hys bowels tear,
He closd hys eyne in everlaftynge nyghte ;
Ah! what avayld the lyons on his crefte! His hatchments rare with him upon the grounde was preil.
Willyam agayne ymade his bowe-ends meet, 281
And hie in ayre the arrowe wynged his waie, Defcendyng like a fhafte of thunder fleete, Lyke thunder rattling at the noon of daie, Onne Algars flieelde the arrowe dyd affaie r, 285
There throghe dyd peerfe, and ftycke into his groine; In grypynge torments on the feelde he laie, Tille welcome dethe came in and clos'd his eyne; Diftort with peyne he laie upon the borne f, Lyke fturdie elms by ftormes in uncothe 3 wrythynges torne.
Alrick his brother, when hee this perceevd, 291
He drewe his fwerde, his lefte hande helde a fpeere,
" Spear. ° Glided, or glittered. f Turn, or manner, i A part of armour. ' Make an attempt. l Projecting rock, or brook, or his burnijhed armour. s Strange.
Towards
The lethal geer, ver. 274 ; lethale javlyn, ver. 295 ; lethal anlacc, Ella, ver. 1083; lethal wound, B. H. ver. 357; are fo many tranflations of Virgil's letalis arundo, kUile vulnus, &c.
R 2
J24 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. 2.
Towards the duke he turnd his prauncyng fleede, And to the Godde of heaven he fent a prayre ; Then fent his lethale javlyn in the ayre, 295
On Hue de Beaumontes backe the javelyn came, Thro his redde armour to hys harte it tare, He felle and thondred on the place of fame ; Next with his fwerde he 'fayld the Seiur^de Roe, And brafle his fylver helme, fo furyous was the blowe. 300
But Willyam, who had feen hys proweffe great, And feered muche how farre his bronde ' might goe, Tooke a ftrong arblafter u, and bigge with fate From twangynge iron fente the fleetynge floe *. As Alric hoiftes y hys arme for dedlie blowe, 305
Which, han it came, had been Du Roees lafte, The fwyfte-wyngd meilenger from Willyams bowe Quite throwe his arme into his fyde ypafte; His eyne fhotte fyre, lyke blazyng ftarre at nyghte, He grypd his fwerde, and felle upon the place of fyghte. 3 1 o
O Alfwolde, faie, how fhalle I fynge of thee Or telle how manie dyd benethe thee falle ;
Fury* u Crofs-bow. x Arrow. v Lifts.
Not
V. 294. And to the Godde of Heaven he fent a prayre; This is frequently done by the warriors of Homer and Virgil, previous to their throwing their fpear.
V. 311. This epifode in favour of Alfwold is a ftrong inftance of the poet's par- tiality to his Briftol friends ; for he makes one third part of the Normans flain in this battle to have fallen either by his hand, or by thofe of his Brirtowans : The ninth line of this ftanza feems to be an interrogation, to which the ioth is an.an- fwcr. Two ftanzas are employed in recounting Alfwold's atchievments ; he is again introduced at ver. 623, and mentioned to the lalt as a furvivor in the battle.
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. 2. 125
Not Haroldes felf more Normanne knyghtes did flee, Not Haroldes felf did for more praifes call; How fhall a penne like myne then fhew it all ? 315
Lyke thee their leader, eche Briftowyanne foughtej Lyke thee, their blaze mufr. be canonical, Fore theie, like thee, that daie bewrecke 2 yroughte : Did thirtie Normannes fall upon the grounde, Full half a fcore from thee and theie receive their fatale wounde.
Firft Fytz Chivelloys felt thie direful force; 321
Nete did hys helde out brazen flieelde availe; Eftfoones throwe that thie drivynge fpeare did peerce, Nor was ytte flopped by his coate of maylej Into his breafte it quicklie did afTayle a; 325
Out ran the bloude, like hygra b of the tyde; ,\Vith purple flayned all hys adventayle c; In fcarlet was his cuifhe d of fylver dyde: Upon the bloudie carnage houfe he laie, Whylfl hys longe fheelde dyd gleem c with the fun's ryflng ray,
Next Fefcampe felle; O Chriefte, howe harde his fate 331
To die the leckedil f knyghte of all the thronge !
His fprite was made of malice deflavate g,
Ne fhoulden find a place in anie fonge.
The broch'd h keene javlyn hurld from honde fo flrongc
As thine came thundrynge on his cryfled beave ' -} 336
1 Revenge. a JttacL b Bore of the Severn. c Armour. J Thigh armour. 'Shine. f Poltroon, JIuggiJh. E Dipyal, unfaithful. b Pointed. ' Beaver.
All!
V. 335. The broehed keen javelin, means Jharp and pointed, like a broche or fpit; fo agam, ver. 593, the. broehed launce, and the ybroched moon, Godwin 96, becaufe
12b BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2.
Ah! neetc avayld the brafs or iron thonge, With mightie force his lk-ulle in twoe <iyd cleave; Fallyng he (hooken out his fmokyng braine, A s witherd oakes or elmes are hewne from off the playne.
Nor, Norcic, could thie myghte and fkilfulle lore 341 Preferve thee from the doom of Alf wold's fpeere; Couldfte thou not kenne, moil fkyll'd Aflrelagourev, How in the battle it would wythe thee fare? When Alfwolds javelyn, rattlynge in the ayre, 345
From hande dyvine on thie habergeon ' came,
k Ajlrologer. ' Coat of mail.
Oute
with pointed horns : The crocked javelin, therefore, mentioned ver. 511, may pro- bably be a mif-fpellkig for broched.
V. 340. The deftruction of trees by tempefts, and their fall by age or the coun- tryman's axe, are fimilies equally familiar to Homer and Rowley, but admit no great variety or ornament.
V. 341. The fkill of De Norcie in aftxonomy (which in thofe days implied a knowledge of future events) could not fecure him from Alfwold's fpear. Is there not fome rcfcmblance between his fate and the hiftory of old Eurydamas in Homer, who, from his practice of interpreting dreams, was reputed to have an infight into futurity, yet could not difcover nor avert the fate of his two fons, who were flain by Diomede :
Tiiflj? Eupl;<^xf*a^To;•, oi?.p ottoXoio yspovrof' To?? ovx. iop^OjixEi/tii? 0 yipw ixomar o*£ija?, AXXa cp£a? hpxtipi; Aiof/.vx?wj ic^tvc&pify.
II. E. v. 149,
Sons of Eurydamas, who, wife and old,
Could fates foretel, and myftic dreams unfold :
The youths return'd not f;om the doubtful plain,
And the fad father tried his arts in vain :
No myfHc dreams could make their fates appear,
Though now determin'd by Tydides' fpear.
Pope, B. v. v. 19O. IO
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N*. 2. 127
Oute at thy backe it dyd thie hartes bloude bear, It gave thee death and everlaftynge fame; Thy deathe could onlie come from Alfwolde arme, As diamondes onlie can its fellow diamonds harme. 350
Next Sire du Mouline fell upon the grounde, Quite throughe his throte the lethal javlyn prefte, His foule and bloude came roufliynge from the woundej He closd his eyen, and opd them with the bleft. It can ne be I mould behight m the reft, 355
That by the myghtie arme of Alfwolde felle, Pafte bie a penne to be counte or exprefte, How manie Alfwolde fent to heaven or helle ; As leaves from trees fhook by derne n Autumns hand, So laie the Normannes (lain by Alfwold on the ftrand. 360
As when a drove of wolves withe dreary yellcs Aflayle fome flocke, ne care if fhepfter ken't,
m Name. n Melancholy.
Befprenge
V. 359. As leaves from trees fhook by derne Autumns hand.
" Quam multa in fylvis Autumni frigore primo
" Lapfa cadunt folia." /En. vi. v. 309.
V. 361. In this fimile of the wolves, and in thofe ver. 81 and 631, the poet has (hewn great judgment in varying from his original : Homer has cxprefTed the rage of wild beafts by lions and panthers, in feveral paiTages of the Iliad, but there is only one or two of them which mentions the fury of wolves : II. A. ver. 72, and n. ver. 156. Africa, the nurfe of lions (being nearly connected with Greece and Afia) probably furnifhed him with thofe ideas : But wolves being the inhabi- tants of thefe northern kingdoms, and lions unknown in them, unlefs brought from foreign countries, our poet has judicioufly chofen the former for the fubject of his> 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?
i28 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 adigne3, 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 uj
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. i3t
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 3t 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
i32 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 mynemenneB 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<j and circumltantial account of his life and miracles, It feems that he was a poet alfo, for the fame author has recorded a hymn of his in honour of the Virgin Mary, dictated by lierfelf, and has illustrated the Saxon original with a Latin translation. See alfo Mr. Tyrwhit's Eflay on Chaucer, vol. iv. p. 56.,
This foundation, however, was of too late a date to be alluded to by Turgot; ©ur poet mud therefore have taken it from form other authority.
V. 439- The beauties and accomplishments of Kenewalche are magnified to do the more honour to her hufband Adhehn, who
could leave the bofome of fo fayre a dame,
Uncall'd, unafkt, to ferve his lorde the kynge ; and the pen of Rowley might be a very proper vehicle of his fame. It may appear vulgar to a modern ear, accuftomed to more civilized and refined notions, that this
commission-
t$4 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2.
What blazours ' then, what' glorie fliall he clayme, What doughtie Homere fliall hys prailes fynge, That lefte the bofome of fo fayre a dame Uncall'd, unaflct, to ferve his lorde the kynge? To his fayre fhrine goode fubjects oughte to bringe 445 The amies, the helmets, all the fpoyles of warre, Throwe everie reaulm the poets blaze the thynge, And travelling merchants fpredde hys name to farre ; The ftoute Norwegians had his anlace k felte, And nowe amonge his foes dethe-doynge blowes he delte. 450
As when a wolfyn gettynge in the meedes
He rageth fore, and doth about hym flee,
Nowe here a talbot, there a lambkin bleeds,
And alle the grafle with clotted gore doth flree';
As when a rivlette rolles impetuouflie, 455
And breaks the bankes that would its force reftrayne,
Alonge the playne in fomynge rynges doth flee,
Gaynfte walles and hedges doth its courfe maintayne ;
1 Proffers. k Sword. ' Strew, or f cutter.
As
commifTion fhould be; entrufled to the i ■ of travelling merchants. The
•however, was natural and juft at the time when this poem was written ; the con- nection with foreign countries being then chiefly carried cm by this kind of corre- spondence.
V. 441. " No blofor of her beauty above in the windows."
Gafcoigne's Suppofes, p. 32.
V. 451. The rapidity of Rowley's imagination is a ftranger to rcpofc ; the
of7 the reader can hardly have digefted the torrent of fimilies on Kene-
!.e's beauty, when he finds the valour of Ad helm celebrated by three a!lu-
fions in the courfe of one flznza. The firft only diveriiftcd from thofe at verfe
8t, 361, and 631 ; and in Ella, ver. 638 : The fecond familiar enough both to
Homer and Rowley: And the courfe of the overflowing water, which
Alonge the playne in fomynge tinges doth flee, (v. 457.)
mud
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. 135
As when a manne doth in a corn-fielde mo we, With eafe at one telle ilroke full manie is laide lowe. 46a
So manie, .with fuch force, and with fuch eafe, Did Adhelm flaughtre on the bloudie playne ; Before hym manie dyd theyr hearts bloude leafe m, Ofttymes he foughte en towres of fmokynge ftay'ne. Angillian felte his force, nor felte in vayne ; 465
He cutte hym with his fwerde athur n the breafle j Out ran the bloude, and did hys armoure ftayne, He clos'd his eyen in aeternal reile ; Lyke a tall oke by tempefte borne awaie, Stretched in the armes of dethe upon the plaine he laie. 470
Next thro the ayre he fent his javlyn feerce, That on De Clearmoundes buckler did alyghte, Thro we the vafte orbe the lharpe pheone ° did peerce, Rang on his coate of mayle and fpente its mighte.
/
m Lofe. " Athwart, ccrofs. ° Spear.
But
itiuil convince every reader, that no one but an accurate obferver could have defcribed that effect with fo much juftnefs and precifion.
V. 459. But the hmile of the reapers mowing down the harveft is trulw Homer ical.
'O; S\ ua-T dfj.riTYiss? luavTia clAXyiAoigtj 'Oyulv iXavvuiriv, ai/o^uf [/.axot/ioi; user a.gzgst.9
II. A. v. 67, As fweaty reapers, in fome wealthy field, Rang'd in two bands, their crooked weapons wield, Bear down the furrow?, till their labours meet, Thick fall the heapy harvefts at their feet. Pops, B. :.i. v. 8q. And the judicious critic will eafily difcover, on comparing thefe.j . thai;
Rowley has copied the fimpli: ity of Homer, without burthening his fnnilc with the unneceffary expletives of Pope.
i36 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2.
But foon another wingd its aiery flyghte, 475
The keen broad pheon to his lungs did goe; He felle, and groand upon the place of fighte, Whilft lyfe and bloude came ifluynge from the blowe. Like a tall pyne upon his native playne, So fell the mightie fire and mingled with the flaine. 480
Hue de Longeville, a force doughtrc-mere p,
Advauncyd forwarde to provoke the darte,
When foone he founde that Adhelmes poynted fpeere
Had founde an eafie paflage to his hearte.
He drewe his bowe, nor was of dethe aflarteq, 485
Then fell down brethleffe to encreafe the corfe ;
J" From beyond Jea. « Started from, afraid of.
But
V. 478. The refemblance we find between the defcriptions of the fame event in the firft and fecond poem, is no inconsiderable proof that both were the work of the fame hand. Thus in the mortal wound given to Fifcamp, it is faid in the former poem, ver. 448,
That foulc and bodic's blaude at one gate flewc.
Jn this, ver. 478,
That lyfe and bloude came iffuynge from the blowe.
Jee aifo various other exprefllons of the fame import in the former poem, ver. 329, 368, 380, 407, 4.24, 442, 448, 499, 504, 530, 535; and in this poem, ver. 287, 310, 326, 339, 354, 355, 468, 478, 486, 500, 517, 519, 677, 687, 707.
V. 4-9. ,Like a tall pyne upon his native playne. Ti'^s image is alfo copied from Homer,
' ' O S iv Koi/tYitrt ^ccpa.) Triatv, ouyetfos if.
II. A. v. 482.
So falls a poplar, that in watry ground
Jlais'd high his head with lofty branches crown'd.
Pope, B. iv. v. 552.
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. 137
But as he drewe hys bowe devoid of arte, So it came down upon Troyvillains horfe ; Deep thro hys hatchments r wente the pointed floe j Now here, now there, with rage bleedyng he rounde doth goe.
' Horfe armour.
Nor
V. 488- The defcription of Troyvillian's horfe cannot be copied from the Iliad, becaufe (as Pope has obferved) cavalry is not mentioned in it; the only ufe to which horfes were applied in the Trojan war, was to draw carriages ; and wherever fighting from a horfe is mentioned, it is always to be under- ftood of a chariot, or of horfes applied to that fervice : This defcription, there- fore, mud have been taken from Virgil ; and there are two pafTages in the iEneid which feem to have furnifhed the idea : Mezentius's wounded horfe is thus defcribed :
Tollit fe arreclum quadrupes, & calcibus auras
Verberat, effufumque equitem fuper ipfe fecutus
Implicat, eje£toque incumbit cernuus armo.
JEn. x. v. 892.
Seiz'd by unwonted pain, furpris'd by fright,
The wounded freed curvets and rais'd upright,
Lights on his feet before — his hoofs behind
Spring in the air aloft, and laih the wind ;
Down comes the rider headlong from his height,
His horfe came after with unwieldy weight,
And floundring forward, pitching on his head,
His Lord's incumberd fhoulder overlaid.
Pryden, v. 1279. So alfo the wounded horfe of Romulus ;
Quo fonipes ictu ferit arduus, altaque ja£lat,
Vulneris impatiens, arreflo corpore crura :
Solvitur ille exculTus humi. JEn. xi. v. 638.
The fiery freed, impatient of the wound, Curvets, and, fpringing upwards with a bound, His hopelefs Lord calls backward on the ground.
Drydcn, v. 94S. There is alfo a fimilar defcription in the former poem, v. 361. V. 499. Deep thro hys hatchments wente the pointed floe.
The hatchment covered the horfe's body, and on it the coat armour of the
T matter
l3$ BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2.
Nor does he hcde his maftres known commands, 491
Tyl!, growen furioufe by his bloudie wounde, F.recl: upon his hynder feete he ftaundes, And throwes hys ihaftre far oft to the grcunde. Near Adhelms fcete the Normanne laie aftounde ', 495 Eefprengd' his arrowes, loofend was his fheelde, Thro his redde armoure, as he laie enfoond, He peered his fwerde u, and out upon the feelde The Normannes bowels fteemd, a dedlie fyghte ! He opd and closd hys eyen in everlaltynge nyghte. 500
Caverd, a Scot, who for the Normannes foughte, A man well fkilld in fwerde and foundynge ftrynge, Who fled his country for a crime enftrote x, For darynge with bolde worde hys loiaule kynge,
• JJloniJhed. ' Scattered. " Pierced with his fword. * Which was to be pwiificd.
He
matter W2S reprefented. Thus in the Song to Ella, the horfe is called the hatched fieed; in Ella, v. 27. the barbed horfe ; and in Shakefpearc's Richard II. the barbed Jietd : Thefe hatchments are reprefented in ancient drawings and feals :
V. 500. He opd and closd hys eyen in everlaftynge nyghte. This expreffion frequently occurs in Homer, with very little variation.
■ tov li cxirog oaV sj;«AuvJ/£.
11. A. v. 526. Tilt Si xxr' oipSaAjtAWi/ igiQsnri v«£ tKa.?.v^i.
II. E. v. 659,. And fhades eternal fettle o'er his eyes. His eye-hails darken with the fhades of death. V. 501. Two Welfh warriors were enlifted 111 the fervice of Harold; on the ether hand, Caverd, a Scot, becomes an auxiliary to the Normans : One of the Welfhmen had been obliged to fly his country for murder, as this Scot had done for tieafon ; which is here called a crime enjlrote, or enjiraffed, a participle from the German word Jiraffen, to punijh. See Lud wig's German Dictionary. — The word
10 docs
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2, i39
He at Erie Aldhelme with grete force did flynge 505 An heavie javlyn, made for bloudie vvounde, Alonge his fheelde aikaunte y the fame did rinpe, Peered thro the corner, then (tuck in the grounde j So when the thonder rauttles in the fkie, Thro fome tall fpyre the fhaftes in a torn clevis z flie. 510
Then Addhelm hurld a croched javlyn ftronge, With mighte that none but fuch grete championes know; Swifter than though te the javlyn pair, alonge, Ande hytte the Scot mod feirclie on the prowe '; His helmet Drafted b at the thondring blowe, rr r
Into his brain the tremblyn javlyn fteckcj From eyther fyde the bloude began to flow, And run in circling ringlets rounde his neck ; Down fell the warriour on the lethal ftrande, Lyke fome tall veiTel wreckt upon the tragick fande. 520
y Slanting, obliquely. 2 The cleft of a rod. * Brow, forehead. b Bur/1.
c Stud.
does not occur in our Anglofaxon Gloflaries. Caverd, like his countrymen, excelled in backfword, and playing on the harp — was fkilld in fwerde, and foundyngejlrynge. V. 509. The fimile of thunder is familiar with Rowley, fee v. 284 and 610 ; and in the former poem, v. 509 j and in Ella, v. 464 and 618.
X Z CO N-
i4o BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. 2.
CONTINUED.
Where fruytlefs heathes and meadowes cladde in greie,
Save where derne d hawthornes reare theyr humble heade,
The hungrie traveller upon his waie
Sees a huge dcfarte alle arounde hym fpredde,
The diftaunte citie fcantlie ' to be fpedde f, 525
The curlynge force of fmoke he fees in vayne,
Tis too far diftaunte, and hys onlie bedde
Iwimpled g in hys cloke ys on the playne,
Whylfte rattlynge thonder forrey h oer his hedde,
And raines come down to wette hys harde uncouthlie bedde.
A wondrous pyle of rugged mountaynes ftandes, 531
Placd on eche other in a dreare arraie,
* Melancholy. c Scarcely. f To be/pied, or attained. % Covered, wrapped up.
h
Deft.
rov.
It
V. 521. The Continuation ofthisPoem, produced by Chatterton fome time after the former part, feems to be inferted here in its proper place : From the character of Adhelm, the poet pafTes to that of Hereward, and introduces a beautiful cpifode on the origin of Stonehenge, and the fituation of Old Sarum ; differing in fome par- ticulars from the recount given in the former poem, but agreeing in all the mate- rial points of defcription : Some circumftances omitted in one, are mentioned and enlarged on in the other ; and, by this general confiftency, prove themfelves to be the work of the fame hand.
The defcription of Salifbury Plain is bold and natural, but the refemblance was more ftriking when the picture was drawn, before that wide-extended plain had been improved by tillage, and enlivened by inhabitants: The tempeft which the poet raifes there, may be compared to the celebrated frorm of Pouffin, well known in the fchools of painting and engraving ; nor can the colouring be heightened by any pencil but his own, as he has painted it in the Ballad of Charity, which is a mafterpiece in its kind.
V. 531. Nor will the reader lefs admire the majeftic terms in which he defcribej Stonehenge; the origin and ufe of which having been already confidtied, require no further illustration.
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2. 141
It ne could be the worke of human handes, It ne was reared up bie menne of claie. Here did the Brutcns adoration paye 535
To the falfe god whom they did Tauran name, Dightynge ' hys altarre with greete fyres in Maie, Roaftynge theyr vyctualle round aboute the flame, 'Twas here that Hengyft did the Brytons flee, As they were mette in council for to bee. 540
Neere on a loftie hylle a citie flandes, That lyftes yts fcheafted k heade ynto the fkies, And kynglie lookes arounde on lower landes, And the longe browne playne that before itte lie3. Herewarde, borne of parentes brave and wyfe, 545
"Within this vylle fyrfte adrewe ' the ayre, A bleflynge to the erthe fente from the fkies, In anie kyngdom nee coulde fynde his pheer; Now rybbd in fleele he rages yn the fyghte, And fweeps whole armies to the reaulmes of nyghte; 550
So when derne m Autumne wyth hys fallowe hande
Tares the green mantle from the lymed " trees,
The leaves befprenged ° on the yellow ftrande
Flie in whole armies from the blataunte p breeze;
Alle the whole fielde a carnage-howfe he fees, C55
And fowles unknelled q hover'd oer the bloude ;
From place to place on either hand he flees,
And fweepes alle neere hym lyke a bronded r floude >
1 Drejfirg. k Adorned with turrets. ' Drew. m Melancholy. n Smooth. 0 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 3j
» 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
i4+ 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 agleeme0, 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 aynewardea 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
i46 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 <T cpflaty0'? po£o?. Ad quern locum fcholiaftes, jJyoOi/ olp.<p\ si^vi " otpQdApov yccg tx&vov xxXet. Quintilian VI. I. edit. Caperon, p. 347.
" In the CEdipus in Colono of Sophocles, CEdipus, then blind, exclaims " againft Creon, who had forced away his daughter from him.
" 'Oj p. w x.a,x.KTT£ vJ/iAov opp. «T0<r7ra<ra?,
<( Ileo? ef&y.oi<riv toi; -Kpoa^iv t^oi^ri £ia. V. SoO.
"In the Andromache of Euripides, when Menelaus threatens to kill his fon Mb- •« loflus, fhe fays,
" E~j 7ra7; hi nv jwo» Aoitto; opflaXjuof £iou. v. 406.
** Thefe paflages prove that the ancients, by their eyes, figuratively meant their «*- children.?
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N9. 2. 147
Throwe Severne rollynge oer the fandes belowe He fkyms alofe s, and blents h the beatynge wave, Ne ftynts ', ne lagges the chace, tylle for hys eyne In peecies hee the morthering theef doth chyne. 640
So Alfwoulde he dyd to Campyon hafle; Hys bloudie bylle awhap'd k the Normannes eyne ; Hee fled, as wolfes when bie the talbots chae'd, To bloudie byker ' he dyd ne enclyne. Duke Wyllyam flroke hym on hys brigandyne m, 645 And fayd : Campynon, is it thee I fee ? Thee ? who dydfl: acles of glorie fo bewryen % Now poorlie come to hyde thiefelfe bie mee ? Awaie ! thou dogge, and acfbe a warriors parte, Or with mie fwerde I'll perce thee to the harte. 650
Betweene Erie Alfwoulde and Duke Wyllyam's bronde * Campynon thoughte that nete but deathe coulde bee, Seezed a huge fwerde Morglaien p yn his honde, Mottrynge a praier to the Vyrgyne :
g Aloft. h Mixes, or oppofes. ' Stops. k Terrified. ' IVar, combat. ™ Armour. " Shew, exhibit. ° Sword, or fury. t Enchanted fword.
So
V. 649. It has been obferved, that the heroes in this poem do not figure as orators, they can, however, take proper opportunities of reproving each other : Duke William's cenfure of Campynon's cowardice is natural, and the poet's reflec- tion no lefs juft, on that rafhnefs and religious fear, which are excited by cowardice, the firft refource of timid minds under any circumftances of diftrefs.
V. 653. He feiz'd a huge fwerde Morglaien in his honde,
Mottrynge a praier to the Vyrgyne. The fwords of heroes in romance were dignified with particular names • St. George's was called Jfkalon, Arthur's Calybome, Roland's Duranda, and Bevis's
V Z of
148 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N\ 2.
So hunted deere the dryvynge hounds will flee, 655;
When theie dyfcover they cannot efcape ; And feerful lambkyns, when theie hunted bee, Theyre ynfante hunters doe theie oft awhape'5; Thus itoode Campynon, greete but hertleffe knyghte. When feere of dethe made hym for deathe to fyghte. 660
Alfwoulde began to dyghte r hymfelfe for fyghte, Meanewhyle hys menne on everie fyde dyd flee, Whan on hys lyfted fheelde withe alle hys myghte_ Campy non's fwerde in burlie-brande f dyd dree V
} Terrify* ' Prepare, s In armed fury. * Draw, or drive.
Bewopen
of Southampton Morglaie, whence Rowley borrowed the name. The word may be derived from Mort Glaive, or Mortis Gladius. Geoff. Monmouth fays, Lib. i. fol. 266. that Julius Caefar's fword, which ftuck in Nennius' fhield, was buried in the tomb of Nennius, and was called Crocea Mors, " being mortal to every one who " was wounded by it."
In the Dragon of Wantly,
With morglaie in his hand,
He aflaulted the Dragon, I understand;
Percy, vol. iii. p. 279. and in the poetical legend of Sir Bevis, (ibid. p. 214.)
He fmote after, I you faie,
With his good fword morglaye ;
Up to the hilte morglay yode,
Through harte, liver, bone, and bloude.
V. 664. Campynon is faid to dree his fword in burlie brande, i. e. armed with fury; but burlie brand is alfo ufed in Godwin, ver. 7, for a great fword, and applied in the fame fenfe by a poet more ancient than Rowley or Chaucer. The hiftory of Sir William Wallace, written by Blind Harry, 1361, mentions
His good girdle, and fyne his burlie brande: and in a fubfequent paflage,
His burnijbed brand braithly in hand he bare.
Warton, vol. i. p. 323 & 328.
The
BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. 2. 149
Bewopen ' Alfwoulde fellen on his knee j 665
Hys Bryftowe menne came in hym for to fave ; Eftfoons upgotten from the grounde was hee, And dyd agayne the touring Norman brave;. He grafpd hys bylle in fyke a drear arraie, Hee feem'd a lyon catchynge at hys preic. 670
Upon the Normannes brazen adventayle u The thondrynge bill of myghtie Alfvvould came j It made a dentful x brufe, and then dyd fayle ; Fromme rattlynge weepons fhotte a fparklynge flame ; Eftfoons agayne the thondrynge bill ycame 675
Peers'd thro hys adventayle y and fkyrts of lare *j A tyde of purple gore came wyth the fame, As out hys bowells on the feelde it tarej; Campynon felle, as when fome cittie-walle Inne dolefulle terrours on its mynours falle. 680
He felle, and dyd the Norman rankes dyvide ;
So when an oke, that fhotte ynto the fkie,
Feeles the broad axes peerfynge his broade fyde,
Slowlie hee falls and on the grounde doth lie,
PrefTynge all downe that is wyth hym anighe, 6S5
And floppynge wearie travellers on the waie;
5 Stupified. u y Armour for the bead. ? Indented^ z Skin, or leather.
So
The Teftament of Crefeis dcfcribes Jupiter as having a burly face, and a burly brand, v. 180; and Spenfer continually calls a fword a brand, a fcely brand, brand iron, fatal brand, and enchanted brand.
V. 682. The two fimilies comparing the fall of Campynon to a city wall, and to a large oak, are repetitions of the fame images in part ift, v. 59, aud 469, and feem to be copied from Homer.
1 5o BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N". z.
So ftraught3 upon the phyne the Norman hie -# * * * ■*• * *
Bled, gron'd, and dyed : the Normanne knyghtes aflound" To fee the bawiin c champyon prefte upon the grounde. 690
As when the hygra of the Severne roars, And thunders ugfom d on the fandes below,
* Stretched out. b Ajlon'ified. c Great, big, d Terrible.
The
"V. 691. The laflr, and, as it fhould feem, mod favourite allufion of Rowley, becaufe it is three times mentioned (fee ver. 326, and in Ella, 627) is the Hygra, or, as it is vulgarly called, the bare of the Severn ; which confifirs of a high wall of water, gradually accumulated from the ftrong influx of the Atlantick ocean into the Briftol channel, and contracted by the narrowing banks on each fide, till at laft it breaks with fury againft them, and on the channel of the river. This phe- nomenon is fo remarkable and peculiar to the Severn, that William of Malmfbury has thought it worthy his notice, and has defcribed it as here reprefented : — " In " eo quotidianus aquarum furor, quod, utrum voraginem vel vertiginem unciarum " dicam, nefcio, fundo ab imo verrens arenas, & conglobans in cumulum cum im- " petu venit, nee ultra quam ad pontem pertendit ; nonnunquam ctiam ripas tran- " fcendit, & magna vi parte terrae circuita victor regreditur : infelix navis fiquam a " latere attigerit. nauta; certe gnari cum vident illam Higram (fie enim Anglice ** vocant) venire, navem obvertunt, & per medium fecantes, violentiam ejus " elidunt." Lib. iv. de Pontine, p. 283.
The object itfelf could not be borrowed from Homer, but the effect agrees with his defciiption of ftorms beating upon the coaft; and the following fimile bears fome xefemblance to it.
'£2? ^' or iv xlyixXy TroXwxjii nuf*« QxXx<r<rns 'OavuT iwx<ro-\iripov} Ziepvpa vTroxivno-avTtQ', IIsi'Tu fj.iv tx ttcutx Jcofuo"<T£Tat, xvrxo nretrx Xig<rco pnyvu>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 bremies Alfwoulde thro the warre dyd goe ; 695
Hys Renters and Bryftowans flew ech fyde, Betreintedh 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 befprentek. 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
\
i54 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,<j Gualtier Guifart Comte de Longueville, Stowe
|
I- |
-526 |
De Laque, |
|
2- |
-351 |
Du Mouline, |
|
a- |
-255 |
Nevylle, |
|
2- |
-341 |
Norcic, |
|
1- |
-427 |
Partaie, |
|
1- |
-251 |
Pikcny, |
|
2- |
-299 |
De Roe, |
|
%- |
-"3 |
Deftoutville, |
|
2- |
- Si |
Tancarville, |
|
1- |
-497 |
Sauncelotte, |
|
1- |
-278 |
DcTorcie, |
|
1- |
-193 |
De Tracie, |
|
?.• |
—488 Troyvillain, |
|
|
1- |
-331 |
De Viponte, |
|
1- |
-451 |
Walleri, |
\
£ Gualtier GifFord Comte de Longueville, Fox. Le Sire de Lacy, Stowe. — Lacy, B. A. R. — Lachy, Hell. Guilleaume des Moulins,. Hall, and Fox. Moulinous, Stowe. Nevile, B. A. R. Norice, B. A. R.
iLc Vidam de Patays Seigneur de la Lande, Holl. Lc Vidam de Partay, Stowe and Fox. Chevalier de Partou, Wace. \ Le Seigneur dc Picquigny, Holl. — Piggny, Stowe. £ Le Sire de Piqucgny, Fox.
Ros, B. A. R.
C Seigneur Deftouteville, Holl. Stowe, and Fox. ^Stoteville, Wace. The Erie of Tanquerville, Holl. — Le Sire de Tan-
Stowc. Tancarville, Fox. Tanchar-
Wace. Le Sire de Sanccaulx, Stowe and Fox. Le Sire dc Sauncy, Stowe. — Sauncy, B. A. R, Le Senefchal de Torchy, Holl. Stowe, and Fox.
1. "'*"<■»""•) f The Erie o < kerville, I ville, h
\
5
I Le Sire de Torchy, Stowe and Fox.
\
Le Seigneur de Traffy, alias Tracy, Holl.
Le Sire de Tracv, Stowe, Wace, and Fox.
Treville, B. A. R. 5 Gul. de Vipont, Holl. — Viclz Pont, Stowe. — Viez, C Pont, Fox.
{ Le Seigneur de St. Valleri, Holl, Wace, and Fox. £Le Sire de St. Walery. Stowt.
There
BATTLE OF HASTINGS, N\ 2. i5S
Then foone agayne hys fwerde hee dyd upryne',
And clove his crefte and fplit hym to the eyne. 720
**********
• Uprife, or lift up.
There is very little reafon, therefore, for the objection ftarted in a letter printed fome years fince in the St. James's Chronicle, which afferts that this lift of Norman warriors was copied by Chatterton from that in Fox's book of Martyrs, which he fays was taken from an incorrect edition of Tailleure's Norman Chronicle. As to Mr. Warton's objection to this evidence, " that any modern forger might have " collected thefe names from the lifts in the printed books," it would have fome weight, if our poet's lift correfponded with thofe of the hiftorians, either in number, order, or fpelling : But neither of thefe is the cafe j Rowley's lift containing only forty-feven names, whereas Hollingfhed's has above eight hundred. They do not follow in the fame order; fome of them are fpelt alike, others differently ; even the fame names are differently fpelt in Hollingfhed's two lifts. It may be inferred, therefore, either that the poet felected the names at his own pleafure from the hif- tory in general, or that he might follow fome ancient record formerly extant, in which thefe names were particularly diftinguifhed. — It is certainly a circumftance in favour of the authenticity of the poem, that the perfonages are real ; though it would have been no objection to it, if the names, as well as many of the events therein mentioned, had been fuggefted only by the poet's imagination.
SND OF THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS. N°. 2.
X 2 /ELLA
JE
A:
TRAGYCAL ENTERLUDE,
O R
DISCOORSEYNGE TRAGEDIE,
WROTENN BIE
THOMAS ROWLEIE;
PLAIEDD BEFORE
MASTRE CANYNGF, ATTE HYS HOWSE NEMPTE THE RODDE LODGE;
[ALSOE BEFORE THE DUKE OF NORFOLCKj
J O H A N HOWARD.]
PERSONNES REPRESENTEDD.
£lla, bie Thomas Rowleie, Preefte, the Au&houre. Cel monde, Joban Ifcamm, Preefte.
Hurra, Syrr Thybbottc Gorges, Knyghte.
Birth a, Maftre Edivarde Canynge.
Odherr Partes bie Knyghtes Mynjlrelles*
THE
[ *59 ]
THE
TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
F | ^HE powers of Rowley's genius, as an epic or historical poet, 1 have been difplayed in the Battle of Haftings ; which ap- pears, both in its plan and conduct, to be a clofe imitation of Homer's battles : The ideas, characters, and allufions in it being borrowed immediately from the Iliad, and not from any of its tranflators. But, whatever claim might have been made in favour of Chatterton as the author, founded either on his own unfup- ported and improbable aflertion, or on the fuppofed pombility of his writing thefe two poems, affifted by Mr. Pope's tranfla- tion ■, no plea of this kind can be urged with regard to any other poem in the collection ; and leaft of all to the dramatic works, or the Tragedy of Ella ; which required not only an elevation of poetic genius far fuperior to that poffefTed by Chatterton, but alfo fuch moral and mental qualifications, as never entered into any part of his character or conduci, and which could not pof- fibly be acquired by a youth of his age and inexperience ; I mean, that knowledge and judgment which arifes from a proper obfer- vation of times, of men, and of manners ; from an cxteniive communication with perfons of improved knowledge and experi- 3 cnce j
160 TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
ence ; and from fuch an acquaintance with literature, as can only be obtained by much reading and deep reflection.
This knowledge, and the power of applying it judicioufly, muft be effentially necefiary to any forger of poems, who fhould v attempt to drefs them up in a ftile different from that of the age in which they were produced. — It is not in the power of nature or genius to confer this knowledge j it can only be acquired by time and experience, together with particular circumftances of rank and fituation in life.
In the inftance before us, Ella is ftiled A Tragical Enterlude, or a Difcoorfeynge Tragedie, written by a prieft in the fifteenth century, at a time when tragedies, fo called, were nothing more than ballads, without either dialogue or plot, and incapable of reprefentation. The improvement of this plan confided in makino- the perfons concerned difcourfe for themfelves, with the addition of a plot; and caufing the action reprefented to be really performed by the party, which in former tragedies was only /aid to be done. The qualities necefiary to give grace and beauty to fuch a reprefentation were — fimplicity of idea, fentiment, and expreltion — natural and obvious images — moral turns and appli- cations fuitable to, and naturally ariling from, the fubject. — In the dialogue, fimplicity without the critical refinements of the modern age — no regular proportion in the length of the ipceches — the dramatis perfons not numerous — no unneceffary under-character — the part of each obvioufly marked by the uni- formity of their refpective fpeeches and conduct — the plot Ample, and inartificial ly opened in an early part of the play — no complicated contrivance to bring about the cataftrophe, which fhould flow naturally from the principles and conduct of thofe who are to produce it — the whole fhould rather be fparing, than too much abounding in events — not too bufy in action, nor ad- mitting too great a variety — the principal object of the play fliould be fteadily and uniformly purfued, and the cataftrophe
unhappy.
Such
TRAGEDY OF ELLA. ,61
Such are the characterifticks of the Greek tragedians, who firft formed the fongs of the poets at the Dionyiia into real dramatic performances; and they were more particularly attentive, that the Chorus, which was the old Ode or Poem, and (to pleafe the people) was preferved as part of the Tragedy, mould continue to breathe ufeful, moral, and virtuous fentiments, which the poet with great art contrived to draw out, and apply to the particular cir- cumstances of the characters brought forward on the ftage. Many of thefe are the limple effects of nature, and fome of art; of which the mofl remarkable was, announcing the cataftrophe to the audience by an eye-witnefs, or meffenger, and not exhibiting it coram populo. This was a refinement of the Athenian poet, who probably confulted the feelings of his audience, more than the impulfe and directions of nature : An unhappy cataftrophe was generally chofen by them, as belt fuited to produce a powerful effect on the mind, and therefore preferred, by the great mafter of the art of poetry, to that in the other extreme.
If the Tragedy of Ella be examined by thefe rules, it will be found to agree with them almoft in every inftance — The fimpli- city, the unity, the moral intent, are too ftriking not to affect the reader upon the firft perufal : A more critical examination of its ieveral parts will juftify the conclufion, that it is an original piece, written (as it is faid to be) at a very early period, when the ad- vances towards poetical perfection in this country were flow and diftant. It will appear to be imitative in thofe parts and points only, where the uniformity of nature, and of the thoughts of men in the moft diftant ages or countries, will reconcile the refem- blance : It will be found original in its plot, its character, and events ; and the Songs of the Minftrells may be adduced in proof of the moral and pure fentiment of the author.
To this claim of originality, is oppofed that of a youth of the age of fixteen, born and bred in indigence, newly difcharged from a fchool, where the intention of the efiablilhment was fully Satis- fied with reading and writing well. A youth, who fpent the
Y greateft
i62 TRAGEDY OF ELLA,
greateft part of his leifure time with company of the fame age and principles with himfelf, admitted to no library, known to or encouraged by no men of learning, but left to ftruggle, in his way to letters, through difficulties, greater perhaps than have ever been oppofed to any genius in this country. The poetical com- pofitions with which he was acquainted, could be only fuch as fell in the way of a youth fo circumftanced ; he might have feen Shakefpeare, Spenfer, Milton, Pope, and other modern poets j but he had no time to beftow on the ftudy of their beauties : He might alfo have feen plays reprefented on the Briftol theatre; — but could the complicated plots of Hamlet and Macbeth have fug- gefted to him one of fo pure and fimple a form as that of Ella ? —Could the latitude of time, and variety of events in the hifto- rical plays of Shakfefpear, have taught him to confine the wild- nefs of that great dramatic poet within the rules of Ariftotle, of whom he knew nothing but the name ? Could the modern plays fuggeft to him plans of the pureft fimplicity ? Or where could he learn the nice rules of the Interlude, by the introduction of a Chorus, and the application of their fongs to the moral and vir- tuous object of the performance; itill preferving the propriety of their introduction, at the time and in the place where they appear ? Could the molt experienced critic, apprized of the diffi- culties which fuch a forgery required, have fucceeded fo well in it ? And, what is ftill more wonderful, could an uninformed and illiterate genius have fo placed himfelf with refpec~r. to nature, and to the progreffive ftate of learning in a preceding age, as to produce a performance, in invention and defcription, in language and manner, the fame as would have been compofed by a perfon living in that age, without blundering, or indeed forgetting that it was not to be confidered as his own ? Such attentions were moft unlikely to be found in Chatterton, whole genius could not (loop to thefe minutiae, and whofe turn of mind was incapable of purfuing that principle, which pervades thefe poems ; viz. the improvement of the human mind, by inculcating the precepts of 5 morality.
TRAGEDY OF ,ELLA. 163
morality. Is there a picture more ftriking to the moralift, than the death of Celmond — the virtue of Birtha, expreffed in her pious and charitable wifh for Celmond's future fame — or the con- duel: of Hurra, who, in the purfuit of a barbarous resolution, feels generoufly for a diftreffed female ; checks his own refentment ; prevents the bloody defign of his comrades, and reftores to the arms of his enemy, his wife — the chafte but unhappy Birtha?
The ftruggle between Celmond and Birtha afforded, to a warm imagination, the opportunity of indulging his fancy. Poets more chafte and lefs profligate than Chatterton, have fallen into fucli {hares : But here the idea is not enlarged upon ; not a line, nor even a word is introduced, that can offend the moft delicate ear : The very apprehenfion of it is anticipated by Celmond's threat, which, forcing a fcream from Birtha, procures her inftant deli- verance.
It is alib a remarkable circumftance in thefe poems, efpecially in the dramatic compofitions, that we find no exuberance or flight of fancy, no wild or enthufiaftic digreflion on general and favou- rite topics, fuch as courage, liberty, patriotifm ; in which a young and untutored genius would be very apt to indulge his imagina- tion. The fentiments and hints are fliort and inftructive, the con- clufions are drawn from facts, the replies are pertinent, and the alien t to them is confirmed more by immediate action, than by a long ftudious harangue about them — a fault often to be found in the modern poets, efpecially in their tragedies, even upon the moft trite and common topics.
Befides the Entroductionne, which ferves as a prologue to this tragedy, the two poetic epiftles prefixed to it, and addreffed to Mr. Canning, contain fpecimens of the author's abilities injudi- cious eriticifm and pleafant raillery; in neither of which does he appear at all inferior to Mr. Pope, and (allowing for the
Y 2 difference
164 TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
difference in language and phrafeology) not unlike him in the ftile of his Epiftles and Satires. The former of thefe letters, profeffed to be written on the fubjec~t of Ella, was fent as a Lenvoi, to re- commend the tragedy to Mr. Canning's approbation j wherein he points out the origin, ufe, and beauty of poetry, juftly lament- ing the degenerate and infipid ftate to which it was reduced in his time.
EPISTLE
[ i«5 J
EPISTLE TO MASTRE CANYNGE ON
JELLA.
V~ ■ ^ Y S fonge bie mynftrelles, thatte yn auntyent tym,
J. Whan Reafonn hylt a herfelfe in cloudes of nyghte, The preefte delyvered alle the lege b yn rhym ; Lyche peyn&ed c tyltynge fpeares to pleafe the fyghte,
a Hid, concealed. b Law. c Painted.-
The
V. i. If it be afked what minftrels the poet here alludes to, it will hardly be fuppofed that he means thofe of our own country; they did not ufually mention fuch remote fa&s of learned hiftory. It is therefore more probable, that he bor- rowed his ideas from a more claflical author, and that he had Horace in his eye, when he penned thefe lines ; by whom we are informed, that the ancient Greek laws were written in verfe, and that Orpheus was a prieft, a lawgiver, and a poet.
Silveftres homines facer interprefque deorum
Caedibus et vi£tu fcedo deterruit Orpheus;
Dictus ob hoc lenire tigres, rabidofque leones.
Di&us et Amphion Thebanae conditor arcis,
Saxa movere fono teftudinis, et prece blanda
Ducere quo vellet; fuit haec fapientia quondam,
Publica privatis fecernere, facra profanis ;
Goncubitu prohibere vago, dare jura maritis,
Oppida moliri, leges incidere ligno;
Sic honor et nomen divinis vatlbus atque
Carminibus venit, &c. De Arte Poet, v. 391,
If Rowley meant to fpeak of more rrrinftrels than one, Ariftophanes has the beft claim to a difnnclion, for to him Horace was indebted for the whole paflage : See his Ranae, v. 163.
V. 3. The comparifon between the law delivered in rime, and the painted tylting fpearsj is an original, and undoubtedly a very ancient idea. The former was
calculated
i66 EPISTLE TO MASTRE CANYNGE.
The whyche yn yttes felle d ufe doe make moke ' dere f, 5 Syke dyd theire auncyante leeBdeftlieh delyghte the eare.
Perchaunce yn Vyrtues gare ' rhym mote bee thenne, Butte efte k nowe flycth to the odher fyde ; In hallie ' preerte apperes the ribaudcs m penne, Inne lithie n moncke apperes the barronnes pryde : 10
But rhym wythe ibmme, as nedere ° widhout teethe, Make pleaiaunce to the fenfe, botte maie do lyttel fcathe p.
Syr Johne, a knyghte, who hath a barne of lore n, Kenns r Latyn att fyrft fyghte from Frenche or Greke, Pyghtethe 3 hys knovvlachynge ' ten yeres or more, 1 5
To ryngeu upon the Latynne worde to fpeke.
d Bad. e Much. f Hurt, damage. * Seng. h Sweetly, rather agreeably. ■ -Caufc. k Oft. ' Holy. m Rake, lewd perfon. n Humble, rather gentle. c Adder, p Hurt, damage. 1 Learning. r Knows. s Plucks or tortures, pitches. ' Knowledge. u Poring.
Whoever
calculated to charm the ear, as the latter was to pleafe the eye ; but the feverity or fell ufc oi both was attended with very difagrceable confequences to thofe who offended againft either.
V. 11. This may be fuppofed to form the poet's apology for the ridicule con- tained in the following lines, and to imply that he meant only to amufe his friend Canning, without prejudicing the reputation or character of the perfons here reprefented, fuppoling them to be real.
V. 13. Sir John, a pedantic knight, is fatyrifed for his fuperficial knowledge and affected love of the learned languages.
V. 15. Pyghtethe hys inoivlachynge, may fignify he pitches, or flakes the credit of his learning on his knowledge of the Latin word. — The following line wants fome cor- rection to make it fenfe, and the alteration of one letter will fcrve the purpofe; inftead of To rynge, read
Pcrynge upon the Latynne worde to fpeke.
EPISTLE TO MASTRE CANYNGE. 167
Whoever fpekethe Englyfch ys defpyfed, The Englyfch hym to pleafe mofte fyrfte be latynized.
Vevyan, a moncke, a good requiem x fynges ; Can preache fo vvele, eche hynde y hys meneynge knowes ; Albeytte thefe gode guyfts awaie he flynges,. 2 1
Beeynge as badde yn vearfe as goode yn profe; Hee fynges of feynctes who dyed for yer Godde, Everych wynter nyghte afrefche he fheddes theyr blodde.
To maydens, hufwyfes, and unlored 3 dames, 25
Hee redes hys tales of merryment &c woe. Loughe b loudlie dynneth c from the dolte A adrames e j He fwelles on laudes f of fooles, tho' kennes E hem foe. Sommetyme at tragedie theie laughe and fynge, At merrie yaped h fage ! fomme hard-drayned water brynge.
Yette Vevyan ys ne foole, beyindek hys lynes. 31
Geofroie makes vearfe, as handycraftes theyr ware; Wordes wythoute fenfe mile groffyngelye ' he twynes, Cotteynge hys ftorie off as wythe a fheere ;
1 A fervice ufed over the dead. ' Peafant. a Unlearned. b Laugh, rather laughter. c Sounds. d Foolifh, or Jlupid. ' Churls, rather dreamers. < Praifes. E Knows. h Laughable. ' Tale, jeft. k Beyond. ' Fooliflily, ccarfely, vulgarly.
Waytes
V. 19. Vevyan, a Monk, is ridiculed for miftalcing his abilities, neglecting the duties of his profeflion wherein he excelled, in order to amufe old women and pea- fants with the rehearfal of doleful ditties (the tragedies of thofe days) on the mar- tyrdom of the faints ; and nothing'can be more original, or humorous, than the de- fcription of this Monk and his audience.
V. 24. The word and muft be prefixed to this line, to compleat both the fenfe and the metre.
V. 32. JeofFroi is pointed out as a tedious compofer of infipid tales. It may be thought an injuftice done both to Chaucer and Rowley, to fuppofe that the fa- ther
i68 EPISTLE TO MASTRE CANYNGE.
Waytes monthes on nothynge, 6c hys iWie donne, 35
Ne moe you from ytte kenn, than gyf ™ you neere begonne.
Enowe of odhers ; of miefelfe to write, Requyrynge whatt I doe notte nowe pofTefs, To you I leave the tafke ; I kenne your myghte Wyll make mie faultes, mie meynte "of faultes, be lefs. 40 /Ella wythe thys I fende, and hope that you Wylle from ytte carte awaie, whatte lynes mate be untrue.
01 If. n Many.
Playes
tfhet of our Englifh poetry was defigned under this name and character ; and yet it feems by no means improbable, that a writer, whofe ideas were fo fublime and elegant, might not relifli the tedious and uninterefting relation of Chaucer's tales : This fuppofition is rendered {till more probable, by the Chriftian name of Chaucer being ufed on the occafion, and by Milton's allufion, in his Penferofo, to this cir- cumftance, fo particularly pointed out by our poet) viz. the abrupt conclusion of the Squire's Tale; which Milton thus defcribes :
Or call him up, that left -half told
The ftory of Cambufcan bold. If fo grave a poet as Milton amufed himfelf by reflecting on this bufkin'd tale, why fhould it be thought unlikely, that Rowley fhould take notice of it ? efpecially when he was cenfuring a falfe tafte, both in learning and poetry ; and notwith- standing he is faid, in the printed memoirs of Canning, to have been fuch an ad- mirer of Chaucer's poetry, that it prevented him from reading his own with pleafure ; (a confeflion which was well fuited to Rowley's modeity,) yet the niceft obferver will fcarcely difcover a feature of funilitude between the two poets. In fait, we trace Rowley's ideas in no other author except the infpired writers, and in the Greek and Latin claflics. He neither imitates the preceding, nor his contemporary Englifh poets; and thofe who lived fince his time could not borrow from his works, which for three centuries together were buried in Redclifr* church.
The fuperiority of Rowley's ideas and judgment are exemplified in his obferva- tions at the clofe of this epiitle, alluding to a fpecies of dramatical reprefentations, which, under the title of " Myfteries and Miracles," had been exhibited during three preceding centuries, by Monks and Friars, for the amufement and instruction of :he populace : The fubjed of them was generally fcripturc hiftory, or legends of
the
EPISTLE TO MASTRE CANYNGE. 169
Playes made from hallie ° tales I holde unmeete ; Lette fomme greate ftorie of a manne be fonge ; Whanne, as a manne, we Godde and Jefus treate, 45
In mie pore mynde, we doe the Godhedde wronge. Botte lette ne wordes, whyche droorie p mote ne heare, Bee placed yn the fame. Adieu untylle anere q.
THOMAS ROWLEIE.
0 Holy, p Strange perverfion of words. Droorie in its ancient fignifkation flood for tnodefly. i Another.
the faints. The Grey Friars of Coventry excelled in this kind of reprefentation ; two fpecimens of which appear in Stevens's Supplement to Dugdale's Monaft. vol. i. p. 139 ; one called Ludus Coventrias, or the play of Corpus Chrifti; the other reprefenting part of the Bible hiftory, wherein Adam and Eve, Noah and the Patriarchs, even God himfelf, are made the dramatis perfonas. One of the earlieft and moft magnificent reprefentations of this kind, was exhibited by the Englifh bifhops at Conftance, in 14 r 7, to teftify their joy on the Emperor Sigif- mund's return to that council : — " Les Anglois, (as L'Enfant obferves,) fe fignala- " rent entre les autres par une fpectacle nouveau, ou au moins inufite jufque alors " en Allemagne : Ce fut une comedie facre, que les Eveques Anglois firent repre- " fenter devant L'Emperour le Dimanche 31 de Janvier, fur la naijfance du Sau- " veur, fur I'arrivee des mages, & fur le maffacre des innocent." P. 440.
This piece was moft probably performed in Latin; and it feems as if the term Comedy was then applied toferious fcriptural reprefmtations, as Dante's poems were called the Comedy of Hell, of Purgatory, &c. L'Enfant obferves alfo, that the firft profane or claflical comedy produced in Germany, was exhibited by Reuchlin, at Heidelburg, anno 1497.
The grofs abfurdity of thefe fcriptural comedies, could not but give offence to the chffical tafte of Rowley; and they are alfo touched upon with fome humour by Ludovicus Vive's, in his Comment, on St. Auguftin de Civ. Dei. lib. viii. cap. 27 ; who having lived fome time in England, had probably feen the abfurdity of fome of thefe reprefentations. As he died in 1536, he was not much pofterior, either in his age, or fentiments on this fubjecl to Rowley; who was not only the firft to condemn them, but alfo to produce a tragedy written on the plan which he recommends in this epiftle; and, on fuppofition of its being genuine, is acknowledged by Mr. Warton to be the moft ancient regular drama extant in the Englifh language.
Z LETTER
[ 170 ]
LETTER TO THE DYGNE MASTRE
CANYNGE.
STRAUNGE dome ytte ys, that, yn thefe daies of oures, Nete a butte a bare recytalle can hav place; Nowe fhapelie poefie haft lofte yttes powers, And pynant hyftorie ys onlie grace ;
Heie b pycke up wolfome c wecdes, ynftedde of flowers, 5 And famylies, ynftedde of wytte, theie trace ; Nowe poefie canne meete wythe ne regrate d, Whylfte profe, 6c herehaughtriee, ryfe yn eftate.
■ Nought. b They. c Loathfome. d Efteem. e Heraldry.
Lette
This Letter, addreffed to the dygne Maftre Canynge, feems prefixed to Ella with- out fufficient authority ; for it has no apparent connection with the fubjedt of that tragedy; nor is it probable that Rowley would addrefs two poetic epi files to his friend on the fame fubject : It might have accompanied fome other poem prefented to his patron, which, by the tenor of the letter, fhould feem to have been rather of the hiftoric than dramatic kind ; for he connects the caufe of Hiftory with that of Poetry, confidering them under one united view, and attributing the negleft and decline of poetry, to the predominant paffion for heraldry and pedigrees. Nowe poefie canne meete wythe ne regrate, Whylfte profe, and herehaughtrie, ryfe yn eftate. V. 7.
He laments the fate of Hiftory, at that time dwindled into a dry recital of un- interefting events, fuch as ufually compofed the Chronicles of thofe times — and thus far every reader will f.pprove the poet's cenfure; but his love for invention, fo diftindtly marked in all his works, takes a bold ftep in this Letter, wherein he pro- feffes himfelf more concerned for the graces, than for the truth of hiftory; ridi- culing thofe wife greybarbes (as he calls them) who demand the authority of ancient writers for the authentication of hiftorical fa&sj fuch as Affer, Ingulf, 7 Turgot,
LETTER TO MASTRE CANYNGE. i;1
Lette kynges, & rulers, whan heie gayne a throne,
Shewe whatt theyre grandiieres, & great granfieres bore, 10
Emarfchalled armes, yatte, ne before theyre owne,
Now raung'd wythe whatt yeir fadres han before ;
Lette trades, & toune folck, lett fyke f thynges alone,
Ne fyghte for fable yn a fielde of aure E;
Seldomm, or never, are armes vyrtues medeh, 15
Shee nillynge ' to take myckle k aie dothe hede.
A man afcaunfe ' upponn a piece maye looke,
And make hys hedde to ftyrre hys rede m aboute ;
Quod he, gyf I afkaunted " oere thys booke,
Schulde fynde thereyn that trouthe ys left wythoute •, 20
Eke, gyf ° ynto a vew percafe p I tooke The long beade-rolle of al the wrytynge route,
f Such. g Or, in heraldry. h Reward. ' Unwilling. k Much. 1 Obliquely. m Wifdom, council. " Glanced. ' If. p Perchance.
AlTerius,
Turgot, and Bede, whom he very undefervedly and contemptuoufly points out under the character of
The long beade-rolle of al the wrytynge route ; (v. 22.) nor is he afhamed openly to avow, that he and his friend Canning fometimes gave a loofe rein to their poetic fteed, and difdaining to be chained to one pafture, interfperfed their fa&s with poetic fiction ; cleaning them from old ruft (as he calls it) and making them wear a new and different face ; or, to fpeak in his own
words,
Soared above the truth of hiftory. V. 4.0.
This declaration appears like an apology for the Battle of Haftings ; which, altho*
founded in true hiftory, and illuftrated with fome authentic facts from ancient
writers, contains alfo many others, which are the fole production of the poet's fancy;
it being profeffedly hisdefign to pleafe his patron's ear, who ftudied fenfe more than
language, and preferred dygne and wordie thoitghtes to the fetters of metre and the
jingling of rhime.
V. 18. This is not unlike the defcription of Sidrophel in Hudibras ;
Who having three times fhook his head,
To ftir his wit up, thus he faid.
Z 2 Beri
172 LETTER TO MASTRE CANYNGE,
AfTerius, Ingolphus, Torgotte, Bedde,
Thorow hem q al nete lyche ytte I coulde rede. —
Pardon, yee Graiebarbes % gyff I faie, onwife 25
Yee are, to flycke fo clofe & byfmarelie s
To hyftorie ; you doe ytte tooe moche pryze,
Whyche amenufed ' thoughtes of poefie j
Somme drybblette u fhare you fhoulde to yatte x alyfe r,
Nott makynge everyche thynge bee hyftorie; 30
Inftedde of mountynge onn a wynged horfe,
You onn a rouncy z dryve yn dolefull courfe.
Cannynge &. I from common courfe dyffente ;
Wee ryde the ftede, botte yev to hym the reene ;
Ne wylle betweene crafed molterynge bookes be pente, 35
Botte foare on hyghe, & yn the fonne-bemes fheene ;
And where wee kenn fomme ifhad a floures befprente,
We take ytte, & from oulde roufte doe ytte clene ;
Wee wylle ne cheynedd to one pafture bee,
Botte fometymes foare 'bove trouthe of hyftorie. 40
' Them. r Greybeards. * Curioufly, capricioujly. ' Leffened. u Small. x That. >' 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 74 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 Tragediet 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 laverdc 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. x85
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<ft, long bu- ried in oblivion, till it was accidentally difcovered by Mr. Barrett in the original record. It feems that Robert Fitz Harding, about the end of the twelfth century, brought, at his own expence, a fupply of water through pipes, for the benefit of Redcliff church. The grant containing this benefaction is now in Mr. Barrett's pofleflion ; and John, who was Abbot of St. Auguftine's from 1 186 to 1 21 5, is a witnefs to the deed ; the authenticity of which cannot be queftioned, and it is almoft impofiible that Chatterton, or indeed any other modern writer, mould have known the fact, unlets they had feen the deed.
SPRYTE of Fytz Hardynge fpeeketh.
I.
From royalle parents * dyd I have retaynynge,
The redde-hayred Dane confefste to be mie Syre;
The Dane, who often throwe thys kyngdom drayninge,
Woulde marke theyre waie athrowgh wyth bloude and fyre.
* " Roger deBerkleie, temp, conquerr, being lhorn a Monk, Robert Fitz HarJing " obtained a grant of the Caftle and Honour of Berkley, from Henry fill Imperatricis ; " whereupon his descendants afTumed thatfurname. Harding, his father, is faid by ** fome to have been the youngeft fon to one of the kings of Denmark, by others, " " ex Regia profapia Regum Dani;e ortus." Harding, his father, is alio 1 " have come over with William the Conqueror, and to have been at the Battle of " Haftings." Dugdale's Baron, vol. i. p. 350. — See alfo the Cronic de Tewkefbuiy
Monaftic. t. i. p. 155. Leland fays, in his Colb&anea, vol. i. p. 621. " That
" Robert Fitz Harding was furine and heir to the younger brother of the King ot " Denmark."
As
190 TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
As flopped ryvers alwaies rife moe hyghcr, And Rammes ftones t bie oppofures ftronger bee ; So theie when vanquished dyd prove moe dyre, And for one Peyfan » theie dyd threefcore fleie : From them of Denmark's royalle bloudc came I, Welle mighte I boafte of mie gentilitie.
II.
The pypes maiefonnde, and bubble forth my name.
And telkn what on Radcliff'fyde I dyd;
Trimtye Colledge % ne agrutcheb mie fame,
The fayreft. place in Briftol ybulded ;
The royale bloude that threw mie veins flydde,
Dyd tyncle mie harte nythe manie a noble thoughte ;
Lyke to mie mynde, the mynfter yreared,
Wyth noble carvel workmanfhippe was wroughte,
Hie at the deys, like a King on his throne,
Dyd I take place, and was myfelf alone, Sec.
Sir Theobald Gorges, the third principal aftor in this play, (author of the Minftrells Song, v. 208, and one of Canning's convivial friends) was defcended from the family of the RufTels, who, on marrying the Ivirefs of the Gorges family, afTumed that name. In the eighth year of Edward the IVth, he alienated the manor of Kingfton RufTel, in the parifh of Long Briddy,
t Rammesjlones, probably mif-fpclt for rammedjiones, or ftones forced together. a Paganus, or Peafant. b Grudge.
% Leland explains alfo, in his Itinerary, vol. vii. p. 85, this expreflion about Tri- nity College, by faying, that the Fraternity of the Calendars at Briftol (called, in a patent 34 EJw. iii. 81. II. the Prior and Brethren Collegii Kalendarum, See Tanner's Monaft. ) was firft kept at the church of the TriiJtye, fince at All-Hallows, but was removed thither by Robert Earl of Gloucefter and Robert Fitz Harding. Leland alfo calls it Fanum j4u%ufiini, nunc Trinitatis. Is it credible that either of thefe circumllances fhould have come to the knowledge of Chatterton ?
Dorfetfhire ;
TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
191
Dorfetfhirej (Hutchins's Hift. of Dorfetfhire, vol.i. p. 299) and in the tenth year of that king, was pollened of the manor of Georgef- land, in the parifh of Sturminfter Marfhall, which he held of the King in chief; (vol ii. p. 125.) but his connection with Mr. Can- ning probably aiofe from his eflate at Wraxall, in Somerfetfhire, eight miles diftairt from Briftol, where he was buried, and where the family afterwards fettled. His fon Walter dying without ifTue, during his father's life, Edmund, his grandfon and next heir, was found by the inquifit poft mortem, to be fourteen years old at his grandfather's death ; and was knighted 5th Henry Vllth, at the creation of the Prince of Wales. (Anftis's EfTay, Ap- pend, p 39.) By Sir Theobald's alienation of his family eftate at Xingfton RufTel, it feems as if his circumftances were not in a itaunlhing condition j which is confirmed by the introductory account, which fays, " that he mortgaged his family jewels to "Mr. Canning for 160 1." His monument is ftill vifible in Wraxall church, confifling of a flat ftone, with the following infcription engraved round the verge in Gothick letters :
S)cte Igtfce %gr Cgftuot ©orgcs l^ngghtc ann 16annerctt, of tohofe foale <&o^ haue mercg. amen,
JJUA
it e. — 1468.
See Dr. Morton's alphabets of Arabia and Perlia, from the year 900.
It. is remarkable, that the Chrlftian name is here fpelt in the fame manner as in the poems : Does not this monument, and the hiftci ical facts connected with it, add credit to the account here given ? and how could Chatterton have collected, and fo accurately put together, the circumftano s of Sir T'.eobaldo hiftory ?
\\ hen we view Canni.g £lcji innnied with thefe three poets, whofe agreeaHe converfation he h .s celebrated in the Account of his Fcnji, can we forbc w drawing the parallel between this party, and that of Maecenas with his three fi lends, Virgil, Horace, and
Varius,
i92 TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
Varius, united by the fimilar ties of Friendship, Genius, and Poetry ? The companion, however, will be much to the advan- tage of Mr. Canning, who not only equalled Maecenas in libe- rality, and in the patronage of literature, but was alfo a better man, and a fuperior poet.
Maecenas, according to Seneca, Ep. 114, was as affected and effeminate in his ftile, as he was in his drefs ; and his compo- iitions were as diilolute as his manners.
" Quomodo Maecenas vixerit, notior^fl, quam ut narrari nunc " debeat ; quomodo ambulaverit, quam delicatus fuerit, quam " cupierit videri, quam vitia fua latere noluit. Quid ergo ? " Non oratio ejus seque foluta eft, quam ipfe difcinclus ?" The quotations given by Seneca from his works juitify the cenfure. Velleius Paterculus fays of him, that he was, " Vir " otio ac mollitiis pene ultra faeminam fluens." Lib. ii. feci. 88. How different is the poetry of Canning, in its fubject, har- mony, and excellence ? But to proceed with the play.
The Introduction is very applicable to the fubjecl of the Tra- gedy, from which a moral inftrudtion is drawn, and a laudable ambition excited after that everlafting fame, which crowns the memory of heroes, who have laved their country by the valour of their arms. Their faults (as the poet truly obferves) are buried with them, whilft their names are perpetuated with honour to the lateft pofterity.
ELLA, the hero of this Tragedy, is fuppofed to have been Governor of Briflol caftle, or (as he is here c-^led) Warden of the Caftle Jlede, towards the clofe of the Saxon Monarchy, when the kingdom was fo much inf:ftedby the Danes, againft whom he headed the Saxon forces, and gave them a fignal defeat at Watchet in Somerfetihire.
It will add little to the merit of the poem, or to the fatisfac- tion of the reider, to determine whether Ella was a real or only an imaginary perfonage. The name is undoubtedly Saxon ; but our hiftorians record no fuch perfon : The unpublilhed Hiftory
of
TRAGEDY OF ELLA. i93
of Briftol, afcribed by Rowley to Turgot, mentions, indeed, a long fucceffion of governors, from the earlieft Saxon period down to Robert Earl of Gloucester, the natural fon of Henry the firft ; amongft whom Ella /lands as one of the mod diftinguifhed cha- racters : He was undoubtedly fuch in the poet's efteem ; for he has not only made him the hero of this Tragedy, but has alfo penned an Ode to his honour, and which he ftiles
The beft performance of his lyttel wytte.
Chall. to Lydgate. Confcious of his wanting authentic hiftory to fupport the cha- racter of Ella, he puts this queftion, in his poem on Canning ;
Why is thy adlion left fo fpare in ftory ? Hiftory, however, affords fome foundation for the fubject of the play. The Saxon Chronicle, Huntingdon, and Hoveden, agree, that in the year 9 1 8, the Danes, who inferred the Britith Channel, under the conduct of their Earls Hroald and Ohter, were attacked and beaten by forces lent from Hereford and Gloucefter, in which engagement, (according to the Saxon Chronicle) Hroald, and the brother of Count Ohter were killed ; and the Danifh troops be- ing furrounded, attempted twice to efcape, once to the eaft of iVcced, and another time at Pcrloc. Magnus was a name very common among the Danes ; one of whom, defcended of the blood royal, is buried in St. John's church at Lewes in Suffex; and by his epitaph in Leonine verfes, publifhed by Camden in his Bri- tannia, it appears that he became an anchoret there.
Conditur hie miles, Danorum Regia Proles Magnus nomen ei, magna? nota progeniei ; Deponens Magnum fed moribus induit agnum, Praspete pro vita fit parvulus Anachorita.
Camden has not copied this infeription juftly ; he reads prudentior, in the third verfe, inftead of fed moribus.
The Saxon Chronicle obferves further, that Watchet was laid
C c wnfte
194 TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
wafte by the Danes in 987 : They alfo committed great ravages there and in the neighbourhood in 997.
Watchet is a very ancient corruption of its original Saxon name JVeced, or Weced Port, which it feems to have retained to Lam- bard's time. See his Topography, in v. Weced and Holme. — Rowley, indeed, calls it Wedecejler, but upon what authority does not appear, unlefs he chofe to add the ancient name of Cejier to give a dignity to the found.
The fcene is laid at Briftol and Watchet ; the former being the place of Ella's refidence and marriage, the latter the fcene of engagement; the whole tranfaction is included within the fpace of three days. The Tragedy opens with Ella's wedding-day : In the evening he is fummoned to join the army : On the next day, " having done his mattynes and his vows," he engages, de- feats the Danes, and is wounded at Watchet. — Celmond attempts his act of treachery againft Birtha that night ; and on the fuc- ceeding morning fhe is conveyed to her diflradted Lord, expiring, not under the wounds that he had received from his enemies, but from thofe he had given to himfelf, in which the diftrefs of the Tragedy confifts. See v. 1 195 and 12LO.
ENTRO-
TRAGEDY OF ELM. 1^5
ENTRODUCTIONNE.
SOMME cherilaunce a it ys to gentle. mynde, Whan heie have chevyced b theyre londe from bayne c, Whan theie ar dedd, theie leave yer name behynde, And theyre goode deedes doe on the earthe remayne ; Downe yn the grave wee ynhyme d everych fleyne, 5
Whyleft al her gentlenefle ys made to fheene, Lyche fetyve c baubels f geafonne s to be feene.
TElla, the wardenne of thys h caftell ! ftede,
Whyleft Saxons dyd the Englyfche fceptre fwaie,
Who made, whole troopes of Dacyan men to blede, 10
Then feel'd k hys eyne, and feeled hys eyne for aie,
Wee rowze hym uppe before the judgment daie,
To faie what he, as clergyond ', can kenne,
And howe hee fojourned in the vale of men.
* Comfort. b Preferved, redeemed. c Ruin. d Interr. e Elegant. ' Jewels. * Rare. h Briftol. j Caftle. k Clofed. ' Taught, learned.
C c 2 ELLA,
196 TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
CELMONDE, att Brystowe.
BEFORE yonne roddie fonne has droove hys wayne Throwe halfe hys joornie, dyghte * yn gites b of goulde, Mee, happelefs mee, hee wylle a wretche behoulde, Miefelfe, and al that's myne, bounde ynnc myfchaunces chayne.
Ah ! Birtha, whie, dydde Nature frame thee fayre ? 5
Whie art thou all thatt poyntelle ' canne bewreene ■* ?
Whie art thou nott as coarfe as odhers are ?—
Botte thenn thie foughle would throwe thy vyfage fheene,
Yatt (liemres e onn thie comelie femlykeene f
Lyche nottebrowne cloudes, whann bie the fonne made redde,
Orr fcarlette, wythe waylde * lynnen clothe y wreene '', 1 1
Syke ; woulde thie fpryte upponn thie vyfage fpredde.
a Cloathed. b Robes, mantles. c A pen. d Exprefs. e Shines.
{ Countenance, appearance. E Chofen. * Covered. ' Such.
Thys
The firfr fccne opens with a foliloquy of Celmond, exhibiting, in very natural colours, a flrong conflict in his mind between love and defpair. The tender ex- poflulr.tion about her beauty, in the fixth line,
Whie art thou all thatt poyntelle canne bewreene ? is artfully anfwered by himfelf, and illuftrated by two very natural fimilies ; one copied from nature, the other from the drefs of the timrs.
V. 11, IVaihle cloth, that is to fay, choice and fine. It is applied in this fenfe to wine and meats in the complaint of Crefcis;
For
TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 197
Thys daie brave ^Ella dothe thyne honde & harte Clayme as hys owne to be, whyche nee ftomm hys mofte parte.
And cann I lyve to fee herr wythe anere ' ! j?
Ytt cannotte, muMe notte, naie, ytt fhalle not bee. Thys nyghte I'll putte ftronge poyfonn ynn the beere, And hymm, herr, and myfelfe, attenes k wyll flea. Aflyft mee, Helle ! lett Devylles rounde mee tende, To flea miefelfe, mie love, 5c eke mie doughtie ' friende. 20
iELLA, B I.R.TH A.
iELL A. Notte, whanne the hallie priefte dyd make me knyghte, Bleflynge the weaponne, tellynge future dede,
■ Another. k At once. ' Mighty.
Howe
For wailed wine and metis thou had tho, Take moulid bread, pirace, and fider four : v. 29. And outwalk, in the Teft of Crefeis, v. 129, frgnifies the outcaft, i.e. what is not chofen. In this fenfe the word walii occurs in many paflages of Gawin Douglas's Virgil : In the prefent instance it. may imply that kind of tranfparent finenefs, under which the fcarlct cloth -might he feen ; refembling her bluflies appearing through the whitenefs of her fkin. It was alfo ufual in thefe days to wear ftriped garments, of different colours : Gower defcribes fome ladies richly attired,
In kirtles and in copies riche, Thei were clothed al aliche ; Departed even of white and blue. p. 70. a. V. 17. This defperate refolution of Celmond is perfectly confiftent with his character ; and the method of adm in i fieri ng the poifon no lefs fuited to the language and manners of that age.
V. 21. Amongft the three happy and honourable events of Ella's life, previous to his marriage, one was his receiving the henour of knighthood, which, among the Saxons, v.-as attended with great folemnity, and is particularly defcribed by In- gulf, p. 70. The candidate having applied to fome Bifhop or Abbot, was prepared,
the
198 TRAGEDY OF £LLA.
Howe bie mie honde the prevyd m Dane fhoulde blede, Howe I fchulde often bee, and often Wynne, ynn fyghte;
Notte, whann I fyrfte behelde thie beauteous hue, 25
Whyche ftrooke mie mynde, & rouzed mie lifter foule • Nott, whann from the barbed" hoife yu fyjhte dyd viewe The riving Dacians oere the wyde playne roule, Whan all the troopes of Denmarque made g t'. dole9, Dydd I fele ioie wy'th fyke reddourc : as nr> 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. j99
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. 2oi
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 yfoe 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 felyneflef, 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 jubbesB 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 Xih0l"> *3 «<r£T» %h\o<; dpufa. Unhand me, or I'll fcratch your face. So again, v. 119 of the Dialogue, with v. 45 of this Idyll. See ! the crokynge brionie Rounde the popler twyfte hys fpraie.
Aeup' i'<?£ Tra? oLvtyivriv ipai (txS.vmi xvTrocg 071701. See how my taper cyprefs-trees do thrive.
They who compare the fong with the Idyll, will difcover the traces of imitation, and admire the art and delicacy with which our Englifh poet has treated the fubjedt.
TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 205
Here we'lie fytte, yn dewie danke ; Tourne thee, Alyce, do notte goe.
W O M A N N E. I've hearde erfte ' mie grandame faie,
Yonge damoyfelles fchulde ne bee, 100
Inne the fvvotie moonthe of Maie, Wythe yonge menne bie the grene wode tree.
M A N N E. Sytte thee, Alyce, fytte, and harke, Howe the ouzle m chauntes hys noatey
The chelandree n, greie morn larke, 105
Chauntynge from theyre lyttel throate.
W O M A N N E. I heare them from eche grene wode tree, Chauntynge owte fo blatauntlie % Tellynge lecturnyes p to mee, Myfcheefe ys whanne you are nygh. 1 10
M A N N E. See alonsre the mees fo ?rene Pied daifies, kynge-coppes n fwote; Alle wee fee, bie non bee feene, Nete botte fhepe fettes here a fote.
W O M A N N E.
Shepfler fwayne, you tare mie gratche r, 115
Oute uponne ye ! lette me goe.
1 Formerly. m The black-bird. " Gold-finch. ° Loudly, p Lcdures. iButUr-fowtrs. ' Apparel.
Leave
lob TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
Leave mee fwythc ', or I'lle alatche *. Robynne, thys 3-oure dame fhall knowc.
M ANNE. See ! the crokynge u brionie
Rounde the popler twyfte hys fpraiej 1 20
Rounde the oake the greene ivie Florryfchethe and Jyveth aie.
Lette us feate us bie thys tree,
Laughe, and fynge to lovynge ayres ;
Comme, and doe notte coyen " bee ; 125
Nature made all thynges bie payres.
Drooried y cattes wylle after kynde ; Gentle doves wylle kyfs and coe :
WOMANNE. Botte manne, hee mode bee ywrynde *, Tylle fyr preefte make on of two. J30
Tempte mee ne to the foule tbynge ; I wylle no mannes lemannc a be; Tyll fyr preefte hys fonge doethe fynge, Thou fhalt neere fynde aught of mee.
s Immediately. ' Accufe. u Crooked, tivljling. x Coy. - Csuried. z Separated.
* Mijirefs.
MANNE.
V. 125. ThePromptuaf-parvul explains the word coy by modcjl, in the fame G nfe as is affixed to it here; Gafcoigne alfo ufes it in the modern fenfe ; though the 1 d editor, by putting a qu. to the word in the index, Teems to doubt whether there be authority for this fi ;nification,
Ai.i.l how content was coined out of cy. Gafcoigne's Reporter, p, 104.
By
TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
207
M ANNE. Bie cure ladie her yborne b, I-?:
To-morrowe, foone as ytte ys daie, I'lle make thee wyfe, ne bee forfvvorne, So tyde me lyfe or dethe for aie.
W OMANNE, Whatt dothe lette, botte thatte nowe
Wee attenes % thos honde yn honde, 140
Unto diviniftre d goe, And bee lyncked yn wedlocke bonde ?
MANN E. I agree, and thus I plyghte Honde, and harte, and all that's myne ;
Good fyr Rogerr, do us ryghte, 145
Make us one, at Cothbertes fhryne.
B O T H E.
We wylle ynn a bordelle e lyve,
Hailie f, thoughe of no eftate ;
Everyche clocke moe love fhall gyve ;
Wee ynn godenefTe wylle bee greate, 150
* The Virgin's fan. c At once. * A divine. e A cottage. f Happy,
.ELLA.
By the way, he ufes the adjective as a fubftantive, which is not uncommon with our ancient poets.
V. 150. To be great in goadnefs, is objected to as an expreffion mere modern than Rowley's time ; but the idea is natural, and as ancient as goodnefs itfelf: Nor could it be conveyed in more comprehenfive terms. It is equally fuitable to the genius of Rowley's and of Pope's Shepherd.
2o8 TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
JE L L A. I lyche thys fonge, I lyche ytt myckle well ;
And there ys monie for yer fyngeyne nowe ;
Butte have you noone thatt marriage- blefFynges telle ?
CELMONDE. In marriage, bleflynges are botte fewe, I trowe.
MYNSTRELLES. LaverdV, we have ; and, gyffyou pleafe, wille fynge, 155 As well as owre choughe-voyces h wylle permytte.
JE L L A. Comme then, and fee you fwotelie ! tune the ftrynge, And flret j, and engyne k all the human wytte, Toe pleafe mie dame.
MYNSTRELLES.
We'lle ftrayne owre wytte and fynge.
Mynjirelles Songe.
FYRSTE MYNSTRELLE.
The boddynge flourettes blofhes atte the lyghte; 160
The mees be fprenged ' wyth the yellowe hue ;
Ynn daifeyd mantels ys the mountayne dyghte m ;
E Lord. h Or raven voices. ' Sweetly. '' Stretch. k Wrack. 1 Sprinkled. m Cloatbed.
The
V. 160. This fong in four parts (a dialogue or refponfive Hymn in the ftile of the Greek Chorus) is introduced to celebrate the bleffings of matrimony ; which Celmond, with great propriety of character, fuppofes to be very few.
The powers of imagery and defcription are here exerted, to prove that the beau- ties of nature, and pleafures of innocence, are not complete without female fociety, for,
Albeytte alle vs fayre, there lackethe fomethyna,e ftylle.
The
TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 209
The nefli " yonge coweflepe bendethe wyth the dewe ; The trees enlefed °, yntoe Heavenne ftraughte p, Whenn gentle wyndes doe blowe, to whefllyng dynne q ys broughte. 165
The evenynge commes, and brynges the dewe alonge; The roddie welkynne r fheeneth to the eyne ; Arounde the aleflake ' Mynftrells fynge the fonge ; Yonge ivie rownde the doore pofte do entwyne ; I laie mee onn the grafle ; yette, to mie wylle, 170
Albeytte alle ys fayre, there lackethe fomethynge ftylle.
SECONDE MYNSTRELLE.
So Adam thoughtenne, whann, ynn Paradyfe, All Heavenn and Erthe dyd hommage to hys mynde; Ynn Womman alleyne mannes pleafaunce lyes ; As Inftrumentes of joie were made the kynde. 17-
Go, take a wyfe untoe thie armes, and fee Wynter, and brownie hylles, wyll have a charme for thee.
THYRDE MYNSTRELLE.
Whanne Autumpne blake s and fonne-brente doe appere, With hys goulde honde guylteynge ' the falleynge lefe,
"Tender. ° Full of leaves, t Stretched, i Sound. 'Sky. * Maypole. 5 Naked, rather yellow. ! Gilding.
Bryngeynge
The fame docftrine is enforced by the fecond Minftrell, whofe defcription of Adam's fuperiority, exprefled v. 173,
All heavenn and erthe dyd hommage to hys mynde, is not exceeded by any paflage in ^Milton.
V. 178. The fong of the third Minftrell is warm and mellow, as the fcafon which it defcribes, affording a beautiful picture of autumnal fruitfulnefs.
Thefubjeclis refumed by the fecond Minftrell, on a more philofophica! plan; he reafons on the difference' between angelic and human beings, (hewing, from the
E e ong n;
210 TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
Bryngeynge oppe Wynterr to folfylle the yere, tBo
Beerynge uponne hys backe the riped u fhefe ; Whan al the hyls wythe woddie fede ys whyte ; Whannc levynne-fyres x and lemesy do mete from far the fyghte ;
Whan the fay re apple, rudde as even fkie, Do bende the tree unto the fructyle z grounde ; 185
When joicie a peres, and berries of blacke die, Doe daunce yn ayre, and call the eyne arounde ; Thann, bee the even foule, or even fayre, Meethynckes mie hartys joie ys. fteynced b wyth fomme care.
SECONDE MYNSTRELLE.
Angelles bee wrogte to bee of neidher kynde ; 190
Angelles alleyne fromme chafe c defyre bee free ; Dheere ys a fomwhatte evere yn the mynde,. Yatte, wythout wommanne, cannot ftylled bee ; Ne feyndle yn celles, botte, havynge blodde and tere d, Do fynde the fpryte to joie on fyghte of womanne fayre : 19^
Wommen bee made, notte for hemfelves, botte manne, Bone of hys bone, and chyld of hys defire ; Fromme an ynutyle e membere fyrfte beganne, Yvvroghte with moche of water, lyttele fyre ;
■ Ripened. * Flajhes of lightning. Y Flames. z Fruitful. a Juicy. b Alloyed, Jiupified, made heavy. c Hot. A Health, or conjlitution. c Ufelefs.
Therefore
origin, nature, and end of the female creation, that the happinefs of both fexes confifted in their union; and that the man, being joined or take Id to an angel at woman, partook, of angelic joy ; for fo the word tockelod feems to be moft naturally- explained : The burthen of the fong, however, is an injunction to marry, whether the confequence of it be happinefs or mifery.
V. 194. Blodde and tere ; Chatterton explains the latter of thefe words by health; it rather fignifies the human conjlitution ; or, according to Bifhop Douglafs's
Gloffarift,
TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 211
Therefore theie feke the fyre of love, to hete 200
The milkynefs of kynde, and make hemfelfes complete.
Albeytte, wythout wommen, menne were pheeres f To falvage kynde, and wulde botte lyve to flea, Botte wommenne efte s the fpryghte of peace fo cheres, Tochelod h yn Angel joie heie Angeles bee ; 205
Go, take thee fwythyn ; to thie bedde a wyfe, Bee bante k or blefled hie, yn proovynge marryage lyfe.
Anodher Mynjirelles Songe, bie Syr Thybbot Gorges. As Elynour bie the green leffelle ' was fyttvnge, As from the fones hete fhe harried m,
f Fellows, equals. g Often. h Tacield, or joined to. 'Quickly. k Curfed. 1 Bujh, or brake. m Hurried, hajlened.
She
GIofTarift, to digejf, or concotl in the Jlomach ; and thence metaphorically applied ia ■bear or digejl an affront, injury, &c.
V. 2c8. The fong of Syr Thybbot Gorges differs in its meafure from every other in the collection ; being compofed in four-line ftanza's of eleven and nine fyllables, alternately rhiming ; a meafure fometimes ufed by ancient poets, but not by Chaucer: Defdemona's fong in Othello is not much unlike it. The poor foul fat finging by the fycamore tree, &c. This meafure is not uncommon in modern ballads. The ftanza's might be formed into fix lines, by dividing them thus :
Mie hufbande, Lorde Thomas,
a forrefter boulde, As ever clove pynne, or the bafkette, does no cheryfauncys from Elynour houlde, I have ytte as foone as I afke ytte: The fubjeft is an experimental encomium on matrimony, which the preceding Minftrells had celebrated only in theory. It prefents an entertaining picture of the occupations and amuftments of a Knight and his Lady in the country, according to the ftile of living in thofe days: The Knight engaged in hunting and other exercifes of activity : the Lady in domeftick and ceconomical employments, encouraging induftry both by her command and example. The picture is natural,
E e 2 bLIt
aia TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
She fa ■ L> 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</* knit Jlockings, according to the fame author, p. 867, were of an earlier date ; for he fays, " That in the fecond year of that " Queen (1560) her filk-woman, Mrs. Montague, prefented her Majefty with " a pair of black ftlk Jlockings for a new-year's gift ; which pleafed her fo well, that " fhe fent for Mrs. Montague, and afked here where fhe had them, and if (he could " procure her any more: She replied, that fhe had made them on purpofe for the ** Queen, and that (he would fet more in hand ; and from that time the Queen wore 44 no more cloth ftockings. He adds, that King Henry wore only cloth hofe, cut •' of ell-broad taffeta, or that by great chance there came a pair of long Spani/h ftlk '* ftockings fent him for a great prefent; and that Edward the Vlth had a prefent 14 of that kind made to him." But an earlier aera is affigned to this art by Cham- bers's Dictionary ; which fays, 4C that though it is difficult to aflign the origin " of this art, yet it is commonly attributed to the Scots, on this ground, that the 44 firft works of this kind came from thence; and on this account the company. of *' Jlocking-kr.'.tUrs, eftablifhed at Paris in 1527, took for their patron St. Fiacre, 44 who is faid to be the fon of a king of Scotland." — If this Scotch art was fo far advanced in a foreign country at the beginning of the fixteenth century, can there be a doubt of its being known in England half a century earlier ? At leaft the art of knitting, and weaving bone lace, was more ancient,than Queen Elizabeth's time 3. for Shakefpeare fpeaks of old and antick fongs, which
The fpinflers and the knitters in the fun,
And the free maids that weave their thread with bone,
Did ufe to chaunt. Twelfth Night, Act ii. fc. 4.
But the art of knitting hofen may be traced back to the beginning of the fixteenth century at leaft, by the authentic teftimony of John Palfgrave, instructor in the French tongue to the Princefs Mary, daughter of Henry the Vllth; who, in his 41 Eclairceffement de la langue Francoife, printed in 1530," thus explains the feveral meanings of the word knit :
« 1 ft,
TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 213
Mie hufbande, Lorde Thomas, a forrefter boulde, As ever clove pynne, or the bafkette,
Does
" ift. I knitt a knott— Je noue.— — 2d. I knytt as a matt-maker knytheth — Je " tys — J'ay tyiTe — tyftre. He can knitt netts well — II fcayt bieu tyftre des raytz.
" 3d. I knitt bonnetts or hofen — Je laffe. She that fytteth knyttinge from
" morrow, to eve can fcantly win her bread — Celle qyi ik fait que laffer depuis
' matin, jufqu au foyre, a grant peyne peut elle gagner fon payn. 4th. I knytt
" or bind together — Je annexe."
As, therefore, the expreffion of knitting hofen is ufed by Palfgrave, there can be little doubt but it obtained in Rowley's time, efpecially as the fenfe is not neceffarily confined to the prefent mode of knitting flockings ; for it might only imply lacing, agreeably to the French explanation of Palfgrave ; but it was certainly much more than fajlening or binding together, which he mentions as a different fenfe of the word. — Hofen, or (lockings, of whatever materials made, (before knittino- was invented) were neceffarily to be cut, fhaped, and fattened to the leg. Eleanor might in this manner have been knitting her white hofen, and preparing them for wear. — Gafcoigne, in his fatire called the Steel of Glafs, p. 296, defcribes one part of the finery of drefs in his time, viz. Anno 1579, as confiding
\nfilk knitt hofe and Spanifh leather fhoes.
It is a part of Sir Thomas's character, that he was
A forrefter boulde, As ever clove pynr.e cr the bafkette ;
alluding probably to his fkill in archery and backfword, two principal amufements of gentlemen in thofe days, and both connected with the character of a forrefter. The pin was the center of a butt or fhield erected as a mark for the archers • and the cleaving it with the arrow fhewed the perfection of the archer's (kill. In allu- fion to this, in a trial of archery, (Love's Labour Loft, Actv. fc. 1.) Coftard fays of Marcia, " Then will (he get the upfhot by cleaving the pin." — So likewife Drayton defcribes the excellence of Robin Hood's bowmen j
Of archery they had the perfect craft,
With broad arrows or buns, or prick or roving (haft ;
At marks full forty fcore they ufed to prick and rove,
Yet higher than the breaft for conqueft never ftrove ;
Yet at the furtheft mark a foot could hardly win,
At long buttes, (hort and Hoylcs, each one could cleave the pin.
The Bcfkct feems to relate to the backfword3 in which Caverd the Scot is faid to
have
214 TRAGEDY OF .1 L L A.
Does no cheryfauncys ° from Elynour houlde,
I have ytte as foone as I afke ytte. 2 1 5
-- Whann I lyved wyth mie fadre yn merrie Clowd-dell, Tho' twas at my liefe ° to mynde fpynnynge, I ftylle wanted fomethynge, botte whatte ne coulde telle, Mie Iorde fadres barbde p haulle han ne wynnynge.
Eche mornynge I ryfe, doe I fette mie maydennes, 220
Somme to fpynn, fomme to curdell q, lomme bieachynge,
GyfF any new entered doe afke for mie aidens, Thann fwythynne r you fynde mee a teachynge.
Lorde Walterre, mie fadre, he loved me welle,
And nothynge unto mee was nedeynge, 225
Botte fchulde I agen goe to merrie Cloud-dell, In fothen f twoulde bee wythoute redeynge.
* Cemfort. ' Choice. p Hung with armour. ' Card. ' Immediately.
s In truth.
Shee
have excelled, (Battle of Haftings, N\ 2. v. 512.) The fhields with which they -protected themfelves, or the guard that furrounded the wrift of their fword-arm, were made of bafket or wicker work ; and it (hewed the ftrength and dexterity of the combatant, to cleave it with the fword.
V. 21a. The idea of a barbed hall, or a hall in a gentleman's country feat hun<j round with armour, is not yet antiquated or obfolete, and is well defcribed in the Ballad of the Old Courtier :
With an old hall hung about with pikes, guns, and bows,
With old fwords and bucklers that had born many fhrewd blows.
And the javelin is faid to be barbed (or armed) with deathes wynges, B. H. N\ 2.
v. 271. With fubmiflion, therefore, to the learned editor's objection, why is not
the term barbed hall, as jufl: as that of barbed horfe, v. 27 of this poem, and in
3 Shakefpeare's
TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
215
Shee fayde, and lorde Thomas c.me over ths lea,
As hee the fatte derkynnes s was chacynge, Shee putte uppe her knyttynge, and to hym wente fhee; 230
So wee leave hem bothe kyndelie embracynge.
^ELLA. I lyche eke thys; goe ynn untoe the feafle; Wee wylle permytte you antecedente ' bee; There fwotelie fynge eche carolle, and yaped u jeafte ; And there ys monnie, that you merrie bee; 235'
Comme, gentle love, wee wylle toe fpoufe-feafte goe, And there ynn ale and wyne bee dreyncled * everych woe.
/ELLA, BIRTHA, CELMONDE, MESSENGERE,
M E S S E N G E R . E.
iElla ! the Danes ar thondrynge onn our coafle ;
Lyche fcolles y of locufts, carte oppe bie the fea,
Magnus and Hurra, wythe a doughtie hoafte, 240
Are ragyng, to be quanfed * bie none botte thee ;
Hafte, fwyfte as levynne 3 to thefe royners flee :
Thie dogges alleyne can tame thys ragynge bulle.
• Young deer. ' To go before. u Laughable. x Drowned. y Swarms. x Stilled, quenched. > 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 morthe9,
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 recreandeb ? 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 ywryndef. 335
Yette heare mie fupplycate, to mee attender 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 ?
0 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 adenteh; 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.
0 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 loafte1. 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, <ru.xpxyu ai re t:o\to;.
II. B. v. 209.
■ As when old Ocean roars,
And heaves high furges to the neighbouring fhores, The groaning banks are burft with bellowing found, The rocks remuxmur, and the deeps refound.
Pope, B. ii. v. 249.
23o TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
As whanne a tempefte vexethe foare the coafte, The dyngeynge l ounde m the fmdeie ftronde doe tare, So dyd I inne the warre the javlynne tofte ", Full meynte a champyonnes breafte received mie fpear. Mie fheelde, lyche fommere morie gronfer ° droke p, 460 Mie lethalle fpeere, alyche a levyn-mylted q oke.
HURRA.
Thie wordes are greate, full hyghe of found, and eeke r, Lyche thonderre, to the whych dothe comme no rayne. Itte lacketh notte a doughtie honde to fpekej The cocke faiethe drefte % yett armed ys he alleyne. 465
1 Noify, founding. m Wave. " Tofs. ' Fen-fire, or meteor, t Dry. *> 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 §i<ppx;' Suo $ OLfAlpiq iXXCTTOV Quits; oSz£ iXov iix;, t^.'xi vttq Sapt Jos/aevte?,
II. A. v. 746. The foe difpers'd, their braveft warrior kill'd, Fierce as a whirlwind now I fwept the field ; Full fifty captive chariots grae'd my train, Two chiefs from each fell breathlefs on the plain.
Pope, B. ii. v. 880. Pope, in his tranflation, calls the tempeft a whirlwind, and drops the mention of the fpear.
V.465. Drefte. Chattcrton's glofs on this word is directly oppofite to the meaning of the paflage ; which illuftrates what was faid in the preceding line, " The cock fpeais big, or threatens as you do, but then he is armed and prepared " to fight — your words may be big and threatening alio, but you might have faid of " me, and of other brave men, what you have faid of yourfelf." To juftify this explanation, it is neceffary to obferve, that the Saxon word Dfip is explained in
5 Lye's
TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 231
Certls thle wordes maie, thou moteft have fayne Of mec, and meynte of moe, who eke canne fyghte, Who haveth trodden downe the adventayle ', And tore the heaulmes from heades of myckle myghte. Sythence fyke myghte ys placed yn thie honde, 470
Lette blowes thie actyons fpeeke, and bie thie corrage ftondc
MAGNUS. Thou are a warrioure, Hurra, thatte I kenne, And myckle famed for thie handie dede. Thou fyghteft anente u maydens and ne menne, Nor aie thou makefl armed hartes to blede. 47^
Efte w I, caparyfon'd on bloddie flede, Havethe thee feene binethe mee ynn the fyghte, Wythe corfes I inveftynge everich mede, And thou aflon, and wondrynge at mie myghte. Thanne wouldeft thou comme yn for mie renome, 480
Albeytte thou, wouldft reyne awaie from bloddie dome ?
HURRA. How! butte bee bourne " mie rage. I kenne aryghte Bothe thee and thyne maie ne bee wordhye peene y.
1 Armour. a Againflv w Often. x Stopped, or limited. » Trouble.
Eftfoones
I^yc's glofiary, by mina, threats; and the words Dpepan and Deeping, fignify to dijlurb, and le turbulent.
V. 468. Adventayle, or, as it is fpelt in Chaucer, Aventaitte, i. e. a Ventaille, figni- fies that aperture in a clofe helmet, through which the wearer was to breathe. See Mr. Tyrwhit's note on v. 9080 of Chaucer. But it feems to be ufed by our poet as fynonimous to armour in general ; and it may be fo underftood in this paflage, where it is exprefsly diftinguifhed from the hflmet; and in B. H. N°. 2. v. 327, 671, and 676. In the Tournament, v. 13, it denotes the whole fuit of armour. In Godwyn, v. 62, it may fignify the helmet, becaufe it is diftinguifhed from the brygandynet which was body-armour.
232 TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
Eftfoones I hope weefcalle engage yn fyghte; Thanne to the iouldyers all thou wylte bewreen z. 485
I'll prove mie courage onne the burled a greene ; Tys there alleyne I'll telle thee whatte I bee. Gyf I weelde nottethe deadlie fphereb adeene % Thanne lett mie name be fulle as lowe as thee. Thys mie adented a fhielde, thys mie warre-fpeare, 490
Schalle telle the falleynge foe gyf Hurra's harte can feare.
MAGNUS. Magnus woulde fpeke, butte thatte hys noble fpryte Dothe foe enrage, he knowes notte whatte to faie. He'dde fpeke yn blowes, yn gottes ' of blodde he'd wryte, And on thie heafod f peynfte hys myghte for aie. 495
Gyf thou anent e an wolfynnes rage wouldeft ftaie, 'Tys here to meet ytt ; botte gyfFnott, bee goe ; Left I in furrie fhulde mie armes dyfplaie, Whyche to thie boddie wylle wurche h myckle woe. Oh ! I bee madde, dyftraughte '' wyth brendyng rage; 500 Ne feas of fmethynge k gore wylle mie chafed harte aflwage.
HURRA. I kenne thee, Magnus, welle; a wyghte thou art, That doeft aflee ' alonge ynn doled m dyftreffe, $trynge n bulle yn boddie, lyoncelle ° yn harte, 1 almoft wyfche thie prowes were made leife. 505
2 Difplay. * Armed b Spear. « Worthily. d Bruifed. c Drops. ' Head. ' Againjl. h Work. '' Derailed. k Smoaking. ' Slide, or creep. m Painful, grievous. n Strong. ° Lyon.
Whan
V. 504. Hurra replies with the fharpeft irony in thefe two lines ; but Achilles's iarcafm on Agamemnon is more literal ;
^— xuvof o'juaaT lyuM, kpol^iyiv $ t\<x.Qoi9. H. A. V. 22£.
Thou Jog in forehead, but in heart a deer.
TRAGEDY OF ELLA. t33
Whan ./Ella (name dreft uppe yn ugfomnefs p To thee and recreandes q) thondered on the playne, Howe dydite thou thorowe fyrfte of fleers preffe ! Swefter thanne federed takelle r dydite thou reyne. A ronnynge pryze onn feyncle daie to ordayne, 510
Magnus, and none botte hee, the ronnynge pryze wylle gayne.
MAGNUS.
Eternaile plagues devour thie baned ' tyngue ! Myrriades of neders pre upponne thie fpryte ! Maieft thou fele al the peynes of age whylfr. yynge, Unmanned, uneyned, exclooded aie the lyghte, rr r
Thie fenfes, lyche thiefelfe, enwrapped yn nyghte, A feoff to foemen, & to beaites a pheere ' ; Maie furched levynne " onne thie head alyghte, Maie on thee falle the f huyr of the unweere w j Fen vaipores blade thie everiche rnanlie powere, 520
Maie thie bante * boddie quycke the wolfome peenes devoure.
Faygne woulde I curfe thee further, botte mie tyngue Denies mie harte the favoure foe toe doe.
'Terror. 1 Cowards. r Arrow. « Curfed. ' Companion. « Forked lightning.
■ Tempejl. * Curfed.
HURRA.
V. 510. His affigning to Magnus the prize for running at a wake, from the fwiftnefs with which he fled from the Saxons, is an irony well adapted to the cufloms and manners of thofe times.
V. 515. The bitternefs of Magnus's curfes feems to allude to fuch punifhments as were commonly inflicted on malefactors : The lofs of their members— of their eyes, and their confinement in a dark prifon ; which Hurra, in his anfwer, fliles " all tortures that be rou."
V. 523. It is unneceflary to point out particularly the various finking features which diftinguifh this capital fcene, wherein the paflions are worked up, and conduced by a very mafterly hand : It is fufficient to obferve that it yields neither to Shakefpeare's Timon and Jpemantus, nor to Ben Johnibn's fcene of Subtle and Face, in the Alchemift.
H h
234 TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
HURRA.
Nowe bic the Dacyanne goddes, & Welkyns ykynge, Wythe fhurie, as thou dydfte begynne, perfue ; 525
Calle on mie heade all tortures that bee rou z, Banne onne, tylle thie owne tongue thie curfes fele. Sende onne mie heade the blyghteynge levynne blewe, The thonder loude, the fwellynge azure rele a. Thie wordes be hie of dynne b, botte nete befyde ; 530
Bane on, good chieftayn, fyghte wythe wordes of myckle pryde.
Botte doe notte wafte thie breath, left JElla come.
MAGNUS. iElla & thee togyder fynke toe helle ! Eee youre names blafted from the rolle of dome ! I feere noe i^lla, thatte thou kenneft welle. 535
Unlydgefulle traytoure, wylt thou nowe rebelle ? Tys knowen, thatte yie menn bee lyncked to myne, Bothe fente, as troopes of wolves, to fletre c felle j Botte nowe thou lackeft hem to be all yyne d. Nowe, bie the goddes yatte reule the Dacyanne ftate, 540 Speacke thou yn rage once moe, I wyll thee dyfregate e.
HURRA.
I pryze thie threattes jofte as I doe thie banes,. The fede of malyce and recendize f al..
y Sky, or heaven. z Rough, Terrible- a Wave. b Sound. c Slaughter. d Thine. e Break conneition, friend/hip with thee. f Cowardice.
Thou
V. 541. I will thee difregatc. Jbrego, a fimilar word, is explained by the Medulla Grammaticae, to forfake fellowfl/ip with a per/on; which feems to be the proper fenfe of difregate in this pafiage. 7
TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 235
Thou arte a fteyne unto the name of Danes ; Thou alleyne to thie tyngue for proofe canft. callc. 54-
Thou beeft a worme fo groffile s and fo fmal, I wythe thie bloude woulde fcorne to foul mie fworde, Botte wythe thie weaponnes woulde upon thee falle, Alyche thie owne feare, flea thee wythe a worde. I Hurra amme miefel, 6c aie wylle bee, 550
As greate yn valourous adles, & yn commande as thee.
MAGNUS, HURRA, ARMYE & MESSENGER. MESSENGER E.
Blynne h your contekions \ chiefs; for, as I (lode
Uponne mie watche, I fpiede an armie commynge,
Notte lyche ann handfulle of a fremded k foe,
Botte blacke wythe armoure, movynge ugfomlie ', 5^
Lyche a blacke fulle cloude, thatte dothe goe alonge
To droppe yn hayle, 6c m hele the thonder ftorme.
MAGNUS. Ar there meynte of them ?
MESSENGER R.
Thycke as the ante-Ayes ynne a fommer's none,
Seemynge as tho' theie ftynge as perfante n too. 560
s Groveling, mean. h Ceafc. ' Contentions. k Frighted, rather Jlrange, unknown.
1 Terribly. m Help. n Piercing.
HURRA.
V. 545. Thou alleyne to thie tyngue for proofe canft calle. This farcafm fuits the character of Drances in Virgil, Lingua melior, fed frigida bello Dextra. Mn. xi. v. 338.
and one can hardly conceive a more fevere or poignant rebuke than that conveyed in lines 548 and 540.
V. 552. This is one of the very few irregular ftanza's which occur in thefe poems ; one line is wanting, and the whole ftanza deficient in rhime. That beginning at line 571, is alfo deficient in both refpecls.
Hh 2
g36 TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
HURRA.
Whatte matters thatte ? lettes fette oure warr-arraie. Goe, founde the beme °, lette champyons prepare ; Ne doubtynge, we wylle ftynge as fafte as heie. Whatte ? doefl: forgard r thie blodde ? ys ytte for feare ? Wouldeft thou gayne the towne, & caftle-ftere, 565"
And yette ne byker q wythe the foldyer guarde ? Go, hyde thee ynn mie tente annethe the lere r ; I of thie boddie wylle keepe watche & warde.
MAGNUS. Oure goddes of Denmarke know mie harte ys goode.
HURRA. For nete uppon the erthe, botte to be choughens 3 foode:
MAGNUS, H.U R R A, A R M I E, S E C O N D E ". MESSENGERRE.
SECONDE MESSENGERRE. As from mie towre I kcnde the commynge foe, 571
J fpied the crofled fhielde, & bloddie fwerde, The furyous ^Ella's banner; wythynne kenne The armie ys. Dyforder throughe oure hoafte Is fleynge, borne onne wynges of ./Ella's name; 575
Styr, flyr, mie lordes !
MAGNUS. What ? iElla ? & foe neare ? Thenne Denmarques roiend; oh mie ryfynge feare!
• Trumpet, r Lofe. 1 Combat with. ' Leather, fluff. ' Food for crows, or choughs*
HURRA.
V. 567. Annethe the lere. This Lift word may fignify the baggage or fluff belonging to a camp, unlcfs the tents are fuppofed to be fo called ; for Abbo, in his Poem De obfefsa aNormannis Lutetia, A. D. 885, fpeaks of tents conjlrucled with leather. See Aimon de geftis Francorum, ed. Paris, 1603, p. 409.
TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
HURR A. What doefle thou mene ? thys ./Ella's botte a manne. Nowe bie mic fworde, thou arte a verie berne '. Of late I dyd thie creand u valoure fcanne, 580
Whanne thou dydft boafte foe moche of aclyon derne x. Botte I toe warr raie doeynges mofte atturne)', To cheere the Sabbataneres % to deere a dede.
MAGNUS. I to the knyghtes onne everyche fyde wylle burne1', Telleynge 'hem alle to make her foemen blede ; 585
Sythe fliame or deathe onne eidher fyde wylle bee, Mie harte I wylle upryfe, & inne the battelle flea.
£LLA,CELMONDE, & ARMIE near Watchette..
«LLA. NOW havynge done oure mattynes & oure vowes, Lette us for the intended fyghte be boune % And everyche champyone potte the joyous crowne 590*
Of certane mafterfchyppe upon hys gleftreynge browes.
As for mie harte, I owne ytt ys, as ere
Itte has beene ynne the fommer-iheene of fate,
Unknowen to the ugfomme d gratche e of fere ;
Mie bk>dde 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 Enolondes 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 pgore; 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. hFate-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 gared, 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.
i4o 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
t42 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
246 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.
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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
£48 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 rfAuc»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
25o 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.
0 ! 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
258 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.
0 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
'26o 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<t
* Smi of light. * Difcover. ' Torch. 'Betrayed.
C E L M a N D E,
264 TRAGEDY OF ELLA,
C E L M O N D E.
0 ! do nete nowe to ./Ella fyke love bere,
Botte geven fome onne Celmondes hedde.
B I R T H A.
— — — Awaie !
1 wylle be gone, 6c groape mie paffage oute, Albeytte neders f ftynges mie legs do twyne aboute.
C E L M O N D E.
Nowe bie the feynctes I wylle notte lette thee goe, l°35 Ontylle thou doefte mie brcndynge B love amate h. Thofe eyne have caufed Celmonde myckle woe, Yenne lette yer fmyle fyrft take hymm yn regrate '.
0 ! didll thou fee mie breaftis troblous ftate,
Theere love doth harrie k up mie joie, and ethe ' ! 1040
1 wretched bee, beyonde the hele m of fate, GyffBirtha ftylle wylle make mie harte-veynes blethe. Softe as the fommer flowreets, Birtha, looke,
Fulle ylle I canne thie frownes & harde dyfpleafaunce brooke.
BIRTHA.
Thie love ys foule ; I woulde bee deafe for aie, 104.5
Radher thanne heere fyche defiavatie r fedde.
Swythynne flie from mee, and ne further faie ;
Radher thanne heare thie love, I woulde bee dead.
Yee feynctes ! .& fhal I wronge mie iElla's bedde,
And wouldft thou, Celmonde, tempte me to the thynge ? 1050
Lett mee be gone — alle curfcs onne thie hedde !
Was ytte for thys thou dydfte a meffage brynge !
•' Adders, ferpents. % Burning. h Quench. ' Favour. k Tear up. ' Eafe, bapplnefs. "" Help. " Letchery, or unfaithfulnefs.
Lette
TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 26;
Lette me be gone, thou marine of fable hartel Or welkyn ° & her ftarres wyll take a maydens parte.
CELMONDE.
Sythence p you wylle notte lette mie fuyte avele, 1055
Mie love wylle have yttes joie, altho wythe guylte ; Youre lymbes mall bende, albeytte flrynge as ftele; The merkye feefonne wylle your blofhes hylte'.
B I R T H A.
Holpe, holpe, yee feyn&es ! oh thatte mie blodde was fpylte !
CELMONDE.
The feyn&es att diftaunce ftonde ynn tyme of nede. 1060 Strev notte to goe; thou canfte notte, gyff thou wylte. Unto mie wyfche bee kinde, & nete alfe hede.
B I R T H A.
No, foule beftoykerre r, I wylle rende the ayre, Tylle dethe do ftaie mie dynne, or fomme kynde roder 3 heare, Holpe ! holpe ! oh godde !
CELMONDE, BIRTHA, HURRA, DANES.
HURRA.
Ah ! thatts a wommanne cries. I kenn hem; faie, who are you, yatte bee theere ? 1066
CELMONDE.
Yee hyndes, awaie ! orre bie thys fwerde yee dies.
H U R R A.
Thie wordes wylle ne mie hartis fete ' affere u.
• Heaven, f Since, 1 Hide. ' Deceiver. ' Traveller. ' Stability. * Affright.
Mm B I R T H A.
266 TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
B I R T H A, Save mee, oh ! fave mee from thys royner x heere !
HURRA.
Stonde thou bie mee -, nowe faie thie name & londe ; 1070 Or fwythyne fchall mie fwerde thie boddie tare.
CELMONDE.
Bothe I wylle fhewe thee bie mie brondeous y honde.
HURRA,
Befette hym rounde, yee Danes.
CELMONDE.
Comme onne, and fee GyfF mie ftrynge anlace maie bewryen z whatte I bee.
\Fyghte al anenjle Celmonde, meynte Danes he jleath, and- faleth to Hurra.
CELMONDE.
Oh ! I forflagen a be ! ye Danes, now kenne, I075
I amme yatte Celmonde, f.conde yn the fyghte, Who dydd, atte Watchette, fo forflege youre menne ; I fele myne eyne to fwymme yn aeterne nyghte ; — To her be kynde. [Dietb.
HURRA. Then felle a wbrdriie knyghte.
Saie, who bee you ?
* Rubier. y Furious. a Difcover. a Slain.
BIRTHA.
V. 1079. To her he kynde.
This fpeech at the clofe of Celmond's life is concife and expreflive ; and the generous rcafoning of Hurra with his Danes, in behalf of Birtha, is penned with no lefs art, and with equal conformity to the characters of thefe two perfons.
TRAGEDY OF ELLA. 267
B I R T II A. I am greatc ^Ella's vvyfe. 1080
HURRA. Ah!
B I R 1 HA.
GyfF anenfte " hym you harboure io'..1^ defpyte, Nowe wythe the lethal anlace c take mie lyfe, Mie thankes I ever onne you wylle beffowe, From ewbryceayou mee pyghte % the worftc of mortal woe.
HURRA.'
I wylle; ytte fcalle bee fob: yee Dacyans, heere. 108?
Thys ./Ella havethe been on re foe for aie. Thorrowe the battelle he dyd brondeous f teare, Beyng the lyfe and head of everych fraiej From everych Dacyanne pow er he wo!n°ihe daie, Forflagen Magnus, all oure fchippes ybrente; 1090
Bie hys felle arme wee now are made to (If aie ; The fpeere of Dacya he ynne pieces fhente s ; Whanne hantoned h barckes unto our londe dyd commc, ./Ella the gare ' dheie fed, & wyfched hym by tter dome k.
BIRTHA. Mercie !
HURRA. Bee ftylle.
Botte yette he ys a foemanne goode and fryre; I095
Whanne wee are fpente, he foundetne the forloyne ' ;
b Again/}. c Sword. d Adultery. 'Plucked* f Furious. e Brake. b Aaujlcmed. 1 Caufe. k Judgment, cr fate. ' Retreat.
Mm 2 The
265 TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
The captyves chayne he toiTeth ynne the ayre,
Cheered the wounded bothe wythe bredde &c wyne;
Has hee notte untoe fomme of you bynn dygne ?
You would have fmethd m onne Wedeceftrian fielde, i loo
Botte hee behylte " the flughorne ° for. to cleyne p,
Throwynge onne hys wyde hacke, hys wyder fpreddynge
fhielde. Whanne you, as caytyfned q yn fielde dyd bee, Hee oathed ryou to bee flylle, 6c ftrayte dydd fette you free.
Scalle wee forflege ' hys wyfe, becaufe he's brave ? 1 1 05
Bicaus hee fyghteth for hys countryes gare ? Wylle hee, who havith bynne yis ^Ella's flave, Robbe hym of whatte percale he holdith deere ? Or fcalle we menne of mennys ( fprytes appere, Doeynge hym favoure for hys favoure donne, 1 1 10
Swefte to hys pallace thys damoifelle bere, Bewrynne u oure cafe, and to oure waie be gonne ? The lafl you do approve; lb lette ytte bee; Damoyfelle, comme awaie; you fafe fcalle bee wythe mee.
'■ Smothered. "Kept back, or forbid . ° Trumpet. p From founding. q Caption. ' Bound you onyour oath. 5 Slay. ' Mens. " Declare.
BIRTH A.
V. 1101. Behylte. This word is explained v. 938, as derived from the A. S. verb Behehan, to hide, or cover; but it may be here deduced from Behealdan, which is explained by Lye, " Afpicere, cuftodire, cavere." The word in this paf- fage is applicable in either of the two laft fenfes. Ella kept his war-trumpets, or took care that they {hould no longer found to arms, and continue the engagement. The derivation of the fame participle from different A. S. verbs, is not un- common. See Mr. Tyrwhit's obfervation on the participle blent, as deduced from four different verbs, vol. iv. p. 219.
TRAGEDY OF ELLA, 2§9
B I R T H A.
Al blefiynges maie the feyn&es unto yee gyve ! 1 1 15
Al pleafaunce maie youre longe-ftraughte * livynges bee ! jElla, whanne knowynge thatte bie you I lyve, Wylle thyncke too fmalle a guyfte the londe & fea. O Celmonde ! I maie deftlie y rede bie thee, Whatte ille betydethe z the enfouled kynde; n20
Maie ne thie crofs-ilone a of thie cryme bewree ! Maie alle menne ken thie valoure, fewe thie mvnde ! Soldyer ! for fyke thou arte ynn noble fraie, I wylle thie goinges 'tende, & doe thou lede die waie,.
HURRA. The mornynge 'gyns alonge the Eaite to meene ; 11 25
Darklinge the lyghte doe onne the waters plaie; The feynte rodde leme flowe creepeth oere the greene, Toe chafe the merkynefs b of nyghte awaie ; Swifte flies the howers thatte wylle brynge oute die daie -, The fofte dewe falleth onne the greeynge graife ; 1 1 30
The fhepfter mayden, dyghtyngecher arraie, Scante d fees her vyfage yn the wavie glarfe ; Bie the fulle daylieghte wee fcalle iElla fee, Or Bryllowes wallyd towne; damoyfelle, followe mec.
x Stretched out, lengthcntd. r Properly. * Be falleth, a Monument. fc Darkntfs, c Preparing, drejjing. d Scarce.
AT
V. 1 121. How natural and original is this wifh of Birtha. — It was ufual in that early period to erect ftone croffes over the graves of the deceafed ; and fome of thofe raifed by the Danes are much enriched with ornaments and imagery, as thofe at Bakewell, Eyam in Derbyfhire, and at Penrith in Cumberland.
V. 1 125. This defcription of the morning differs from thofe v. 733, & B. H. 2, v. 211, and has its diftinft beauties, which it is unneceffary to point out to the reader. 9
270 TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
AT BRIS T.O W E. /ELLA and SERVITOURES.
M L L A.
TYS nowe fulle morne -, I thoughten, bie Jafte nyghte 1 135 To have been heere ; mie ftede han notte mie love; Thys ys mie pallace; k'tte mie hyndes alyghte, Whylfte I goe oppe, & wake mie ilepeynge dove. Staie here, mie hyndlcttes ; I lhal goe above. Nowe, Birtha, wyll thie loke erihele e mie fpryte, 1140
Thie fmyles unto mie woundes a baulme wylle prove ; Mie ledanne f boddie wylle bee fette aryghte. Egwina, hafle, 6c ope the portalle doore, Yatte I on Birtha's brefle maie thynke of warre ne more.
JE L L A, EGWINA.
EGWINA.
oh m\h !
^LLA. Ah ! that femmlykeene B to me 1 1 45
Speeketh a legendary tale of woe.
E G W I N A. Birtha is —
JE L L A. Whatt? where? how? faie, whatte of fhee?
E G W I N A.
Gone—
c Heal, cure. f Heavy. ' Appearattte.
^LLA.
TRAGEDY OF ELLA, 271
/ELLA. Gone ! ye goddes !
E G W I N A.
Alas ! ytte ys toe true. Yee feynctes, hee dies awaie wythe myckle woe ! iElla! what? JE\lz\ oh! hee lyves agen. 1150-
M L L A.
Cal mee notte JE\h ; I am hymme ne moe.
Where ys fliee gon awaie ? ah ! fpeake ! how ? when ?
E G W I N A. I will.
m L L A.
Caparyfon a fcore of ftedes $ flie, flie, Where ys mee ? fwythynne fpeeke, or inftante thou malte die,
E G W I N A.
Stylle thie loud rage, & here thou whatte I knowe. 1155
M L L A.
Oh! fpeek.
E G W I N A.
Lyche prymrofe, droopynge wythe the heavie rayne, Lafle nyghte I lefte her, droopynge wythe her wiere h3 Her love the gare !, thatte gave her hearte fyke peyne- —
JE L L A. Her love ! to whomme ?
* Grief. ' Caufe.
7 E G W I N A.
*7* TRAGEDY OF ELLA.
E G W I N A.
To thee, her fpoufe alleyne k. As ys mie hentylle ] everyche morne to goe, i i6a
I wente, and oped her chamber doore ynn twayne, Botte found her notte, as I was wont to doe ; Thanne alle arounde the pallace I dyd feere' m, , Eotte culde (to mie hartes woe) nc fynde her anie wheere.
JE L L A. Thou lyefl, foul hagge ! thou lyeft; thou art her ayde 1 165 To.chere her loufte; — botte noe ; ytte cannotte bee.
E G W I N A.
GyrF trouthe appear notte inne whatte I have fayde, Drawe forthe thie anlace fwythyn, thanne mee ilea.
M L L A. Botte yette ytte mufle, ytte mufte bee foe ; I fee, Shee wythe fomme louftie n paramoure ys gone; 1170
Itte mofte bee foe — oh ! how ytt wracketh mee! Mie race of love, mie race of lyfe ys ronne ; Nowe rage, & brondeous ° florm, 6c tempefte comme j Nete lyvynge upon erthe can now enfwote p mie domme.
k Only., alone. l Cujh/n. m. Search. ° Lujly. 'Furious. p Sweften.
.ELLA,
V. 1 165. The conchifion of this tragedy is worked up in a very mafterly manner. The paflions of jealoufy and love, of doubt and diftra&ion, operate on Ella in the fame manner as they do on Othello, in his dialogue with Emilia : Thou lyeft, foul hagge ! thou lyeft ; thou art her ayde To chere her loufte; — 'botte noe ; ytte cannotte bee. And again,
Botte yette ytte mufte, ytte mufte bee foe; I fee.
Such violent and contradictory effufions are the natural effects of jealoufy ; they fpeak the language of the paffions, not that of any particular author.
TRAGEDY OF ELLA, 373
iELLA, EG WIN A, SERVYTOURE.
SERVYTOURE.
Loverde f I am aboute the trouthe to faie. ll75
Lafte nyghte, fulk late I dydde retourne to refte.
As to mie chamber I dydde bende mie waie,
To Birtha onne hys name & place addrefte;
Downe to hym camme fhee; butte thereof the refte
I ken ne matter ; fo, mie hommage made — 1 1 80
£LLA.
0 ! fpeake ne moe ; mie harte flames yn yttes hefte q 9
1 once was JEMa.-, nowe bee notte yttes fliade. Hanne alle the fuirie of mysfortunes wylle
Fallen onne mie benned r headde I hanne been JEUa. ftylle.
Thys alleyn was unburled ' of alle mie fpryte ; 1 18 c
Mie honnoure, honnoure, frownd on the dolce c wynde, Thatte fteeked u on ytte; nowe wyth rage Im pyghte *j A brondeous r unweere z ys mie engyned a mynde. Mie hommeur b yette fomme drybblet c joie maie fynde, To the Danes woundes I wylle another yeve; 1190
Whanne thos mie rennome d & mie peace ys rynde % Itte were a recrandize f to thyncke toe lyve; Mie hufcarles, untoe everie afker telle, GyfFe noblie ./Ella lyved, as noblie J&lh felle.
[Stabbetb hys brejk
i Command. ' CurfeJ, tormented. 'Unarmed. ' Soft, gentle. " Sualed, f<? written in a MS. ofChatterton. * Torn, plucked. >' Furious. z Tempejl. a Tortured. * Honaur. c InconfidUrabh. * Renown. * Stripped, torn aivay. f Cowardice.
N n SERVY.
t74 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,
276 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 tt. 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" mokec 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 gives
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.
286 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. 0 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
29o 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 untentyrfd 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 PPtUlngt 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. 0 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. z9i
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,<rtyi>rnny 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— -
0 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
3o2 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<H THE TOURNAMENT.
magnificent Spectacle of this kind, at his famous interview with Francis the Firft, in the Champ cie drap d'or.
The ceremonial of thefe Tournaments is defcribed in this poem in a manner very Suitable to the accounts given by other writers. There is published in the Antiquarian Repertory, vol. i. p. 39, ccc. (fee alfo Hark MSS. N° 6o>) 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 St0 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. EGuiede 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. <?©$
Anenft * all menne thou bereft to the grounde,
Lyche the hard hayle dothe the tall rofhes pyghte s.
As whanne the mornynge fonne ydronks- the dew,
Syche dothe thie valourous a6tes drocke b eche knyghte's hue. 40
The LYSTES. The Kynge. Syrr Symonne de Bour- tonne, Syrr Hugo Ferraris, Syrr Ranulph Neville, Syrr Lodovick de Clynton, Syrr Johan de Berg-
HAMME, AND ODHERR KnYGHTES,, HeRAWDES, MyN-
strelles, and Servytours c.
K Y N G E. The barganette * ; yee mynftrelles tune the ftrynge, Somme aftyonn dyre of auntyante kynges now fynge.
MYNSTRELLES. Wyllyamm, the Normanncs floure botte Englondes thorne, The manne whofe myghte delievretie ' hadd knite f, Snett s oppe hys long ftrunge bowe and ftieelde aborne h, 45 Behefteynge f all hys hommageres k to fyghte. Goe, rouze the lyonn fromm hys hylted ! denne,. Lett thie floes m drenche the blodde of anie thynge bott menne.
2 Againft. " Pitch, or bend down. b Drink. c Servants, attendants. d Song, or ballad. e Activity. f Joined. s Bent, rather, fnatched. h Burnifhed. ' Commanding. k Servants, or dependents. ' Hidden. m Arrows.
Ynn
V. 43. The ftile of this fo-ng is truly original, and Its merit confifts in the powerful affemblage of horrid objects combmed in the third ftanza, which no pen but Rowley's could have difphiyed in fuch ftrong colours ; and we may obferve, that the moral, or burden of the fong, is not directed againft chivalry, or Tournaments, but agamft war and murder.
310 THE TOURNAMENT.
Ynn the treed forrefte doe the knyghtes appere ; Wyllyamm wythe niyghte hys bowe enyronn'd n plies ° ; co Loude dynns p the arrowe ynn the wolfynn's eare ; Hee ryfeth battent q, roares, he panctes, hee dyes. Forflagen r att thie feete lett wolvynns bee, L.ett thie floes drenche theyre blodde, bott do ne bredrenn flea.
Throwe the merke s (hade of twiftynde trees hee rydes ; 5$
The flemed ' owlett u flapps herr eve-lpeckte * wynge; The lordynge y toade ynn all h'ys pafies hides ; The berten z neders a att hymm darte the itynge j
n Worked with iron. ' Bends. i* Sounds. "» Loudly. ' Killed. * Dark, or gloome. ' and u Frighted owl. x Marked with evening dew, or with dark /puts. y Standing on their hind legs, heavy, Jluggijh. z Venomous, rather, leaping, attack- ing. 3 Adders.
Styll,
V. 51. The obje£ts of Duke William's fport are the wolf and the flag, both inhabitants of this kingdom. The lion is alfo introduced, merely to add dignity to the fport, and variety to the defcription ; but, to avoid impropriety, the poet has anticipated the objection which might be made, by obferving that he was Fromme fweltrie countries braughte, v. 61. The chace of thefe animals is well defcribed ; but there are no lefs than -three inftances, in the third ftanza, wherein Chatterton has miftaken the meaning of his ^author.
V. 56. The eve-fpecle wings of the owl feems to allude to the dark fpots on one fpecies of them, and not to the evening dew.
V. 57. The lording toad is not fo called from the dignity of his poflure, and fitting upon his hind legs, but from the unwieldinefs of his bulk, and the flownefs of his motion. Lottrdy, Jluggijh, has a place amongft Mr. Ray's E. and N. country words. Lourd, in French, fignifies heavy and flnpid. Douglafs's glofiarift explains lurdin by blockhead, Jot, and lurdanry by Jlupidity. But the poet himfelf ufes it in a fenfe much more correfpondent with this paffage ; viz. heavy and unwieldy ; for he calls the Trojan horfe, ox gravis eqiais of Virgil, p. 182, v. 9.
That ftrang lurdane. "So Gafcoigne, in Dan Barth's Tale, p. 115,
Where every lurdin will become a leech.
5 So
THE TOURNAMENT. 3n
Styll, flylle, hee pafl'es onn, hys ftede aftrodde, Nee hedes tlie daungerous waie gyfF leadynge untoe blooddc. 60
The lyoncel, fromme fweltrie b countries braughte, Coucheynge binethe the flieltre of the brierr, Att commyng dynn c doth rayfe hymfelfe diftraughte d, He loketh wytlie an eie of flames of fyre.
Goe, fKcke the lyonn to hys liyltren e denne,, 6c
Lette thie floes f drenche the blood of an'ie thynge botte menn.
Wythe paflent 5 fteppe the lyonn mov'th alonge;, Wyllyamm hys ironne-woven bowe he,- bendes, Wythe myghte alyche the roghlynge h thonderr ftron^e; The lyonn ynn a roare hys lpryte foorthe fendes.. 70-
Goe, flea the lyonn ynn hys blodde-fteyn'd denne, Botte bee thie takelle « drie fromm blodde of odherr menne.
Swefte froom the thyckett flarks the ftagge awaie j The couraciers k as fwefte doe afterr flie.
Hee lepethe hie, hee ftondes, hee kepes att baie,. ye
Botte metes the arrowe, and. eftfoones ' doth die. Forflagenn atte thie fote lette wylde beaftes bee,. Lett thie floes drenche yer blodde, yett do ne hredrenn flee.
Cr
* Hot, fultry. c Sound, noife. d Diffracted. ■ Hidden. ( Arrows. * Walkin leifurely. b Rolling, 'Arrow. k Horfe-courfers, rather horfemm. ' Full foon
Wythe
So-in Evans's Collection of Ancient Ballads, vol. ii. p. go, it is laid of the deer,
The fat lurdanes bleed. And in the old ballad of Adam Bell,.
What, Lurdia, art thou wode ? Percy, vol. i. p. 141; V. 58. The berten neders do not mean venomous, but leaping, to exprefs their manner of attack. The Promptuar. parvul. explains burtyn, by infelio, cormtpeto, to leap upon, or pujh as horned cattle do.
3i2 THE TOURNAMENT.
Wythe murtherr tyredd,.hee fleynges hys bowe alync m. The ftagge ys ouch'd " wythe crovvnes of lillie flowerrs. 80 Arounde theire heaiilmes theie greene verte ° doe entwyne.; Joying and rev'lous ynn the grene wode bowerrs. Forflagenn wyth thie floe lette wylde beaftes bee, Eeefte thee upponne theire flefhe, doe ne thie bredrenn flee.
K Y N G E.
Nowe to the Tourneie"; who wylle fyrfle afFraie q ? 85
HERAlll.DE, Nevylle, a baronne, bee yatte '' honnoure thyne.
BOURTONNE.
I clayme the paflage.
NEVYLLE.
I contake ' thie waie.
BOURTONNE.
Thenn there's mie gauntlette ' onn mie gaberdyne u.
HEREHAULDE.
A leegefull "challenge, knyghtes & champyonns dygne y, A leegefull challenge, lette the flugghorne founde. 90
[Syrr Symonne and Nevylle tylte.
K Acrofs liis moulders, or, without the quiver. n Garlands of flowers being put round the neck of the game, it was faid to be ouch'd, from ouch, a chain, worn by earls round their necks. ° Leaves and branches, f Tumament. t Fight, or encounter. 'That. ' Difpnte. 'Glove. u A piece of armour, rather, cloak. "Lawful. > 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. Berghammct/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
3i6 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 <ZlO«W (TiSr^U.
II. T. V. 371. Nor from yon boafter vh^ll your chief retire, Not tho' his heart were flcel, his hands were fire.
Pope, B. xx. v. 423.
THE TOURNAMENT.
317
Fyve haveth fallenn downe anethe ' hys fpeere,
Botte hee fchalle bee the next thatt falleth heere. 140
Bie thee, Seyncle Marie, and thy Sonne I fweare, Thatt ynn whatte place yonn doughtie knyghte ih;ll fall Anethe u the ftronge pufh of mie ftraught * out fpeere, There fchalle aryfe a hallie Y chyrches walle, The whyche, ynn hormoure, I wylle Mary calle, 145
Wythe pillars large, and (pyre full hyghe and rounde. And thys I faifullic z wylle flonde to all, Gyff yonderr ftraungerr falleth to the grounde. Straungerr, bee boune a ; I champyonn b you to warre. Sounde, founde the flughornes, to bee hearde fromm ftrre. 150 [Bourtonne & the Straungerr tylt. Straungery^/(4'/i6.
KYNGE.
The Mornynge Tyltes now ceafe.
H E R A W D E.
Bourtonne ys kynge. Dyfplaie the Englyfhe bannorre onn the tente ; Rounde hymm, yee mynftrelles, fongs of achments c fynge; Yee Herawdes, getherr upp the fpjeres befprente d ; To Kynge of Tourney- tylte bee all knees bente. 155
Dames faire and gentle, forr youre loves hee foughte;
'•'Beneath. "Stretched out. 1 Holy. z Faithfully. a Ready. "Challenge. c Atchievements, glorious actions. J Broken fpears, featured.
Forr
V. 141. In reprefenting the vow, which fcems to have given birth to this dramatic piece, it was the principal view of the poet to do honour to Briftol, and to its moft liberal benefactors, amongft whom Burton feems to ha\e flood the higheft, after Canning, in Rowley's eftimation.
-i8 THE TOURNAMENT.
j
Forr you the longe tylte-launce, the fvverde hee fhente ' ; Hee jouftedd f, alleine s havynge you ynn thoughte. Comme, mynftrelles, found the ftrynge, goe onn eche fyde, Whyleft hee untoe the Kynge ynn (late doe ryde. 160
MYNSTRELLES.
Whann Battayle, fmethynge h wythe new-quickenn'd gore, Bendynge wythe fpoiles, and bloddie-droppynge hedde, Dydd the merke ' woode of ethe k and reft explore, Seekeynge to lie onn Pleafures downie bedde,
Pleafure, dauncyng fromm her wode, 165
Wreathedd wythe floures of aiglintine ',
Fromm hys vy£\ge wafhedd the bloude,
Hylte m hys fwerde and gaberdyne.
Wythe fyke an eyne fhee fwotelie " hymm dydd view, Dydd foe ycorvenn ° everrie fhape to joie, i~o
Hys fpryte dydd chaunge untoe anodherr hue, Hys armes, ne fpoyles, mote anie thoughts emploie.
All delyghtfomme and contente,
Fyre enfhotynge l fromm hys eyne,
e Broke, deftroyed. f Tilted, or jujied. e Only, alone. h Smoaking, {reaming. 'Dark, gloomy. k Eafe. ' Eglantine, or fweet-brier. m Hid, fecreted. "Sweetly. 0 Moulded, p Shooting, darting.
Ynn
V. 161. The minftrells fong, which fo properly concludes this piece, is written in .the ftile of a Greek Chorus, tending to excite an ardour for military achievements, to do honour to the vi&or, and to fhew that virtue and valour are the mod certain and honourable guides to pleafure and happinefs. The ftile and meafure of the fong are varied with uncommon art, to exprefs, more forcibly, the fenfations pro- duced by each of thefe different objects. 2
THE TOURNAMENT.
3!9
Ynn hys arms hee dydd herr hente % 175
Lyche the merk-plante r doe entwyne. Soe, gyff thou loveft Pleafure and herr trayne, Onknowlachynge s ynn whatt place herr to fynde, Thys rule yfpende ', and ynn thie mynde retayne; Seeke Honnoure fyrfte, and Pleafaunce lies behynde. i?o
11 Grafp, hold. r Night-fhade, rather, the Ivy. $ Ignorant, unknowing.
' Confider.
V. 176. The merk-plant cannot mean the mght-Jhade (as Chatterton has explained it) becaufe it is not a parafitical plant. The description would fuit better with the ivy, which poffeffes that quality in the higheft degree, and is generally found in dark and ftiady retreats. The ivy is alfo a hackneyed fubjecl for love-fimilies. Ariftius, atque hedera procera aftringitur Ilex, Lentis adherens brachiis. Horat. Epod. xv. v. 4. " Brachia non hedera? vincant" is part of an epithalamion written by the Emperor Gallienus. Hift. Augufta; Scriptores, p. 180.
Virgil ranks the ivy as a mournful and lethal tree, with the Pinea and Taxus,. the Pine and the Yew.
Hederae pandunt veftigia nigrae. Virg. Georg. ii. v. 258.
THE
[ 320 ]
THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE:
OR THE DETHE OF
SYR CHARLES BAWDIN.
THIS poem is with great propriety placed immediately after the Tournament ; for though, ftrictly fpeaking, it is only an Hiftorical Ballad, yet, according to the definition of Tragedy given by Chaucer, the i umber and characters of the peribns introduced, the -variety of events, the fcenery, the dialogue, exertion, and difplay of the paffions, may juftly give it a place among Rowley's Dramatic performances. A modern forger would have introduced this poem under the title of an Ancient Ballad, and not have given it a name fo different from our prefent ideas of Tragedy.
It has been confidered, indeed, as the mod fufpicious piece in the whole collection, and the learned hiftorian of our ancient poetry, vol.ii. p. 153. has not ironounced it to be. modern,
on his own judgment, but has ali ondemned it on t:ie opinion of thofe, who maintain all the other poems to be ancient ; but, whatever authority he m~y have for this latter aiTertion, as it is unfupported by proof, it can have but little weight in deter- mining the merits of this qucilion.
The
THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. 321
The obje&ions made to the authenticity of this poem are of two forts ; it is allowed by fomc to be original in its general plan and compofition, but to have been modernifed and ! nproved by Chatterton ; whilfr. others boldly affert the whole to be the invention of that extraordinary youth : Both thefe affertions may be extended to every poem in the volume ; the objectors, there- fore, may think it to their advantage, if we try the authenticity of the whole collection by this queftionable performance ; though they are not apprized that a greater variety of internal proofs may be produced for its authenticity, than for that of any other piece in the whole collection.
The idea of a partial interpolation, fo far as it can be fuppofed to give any credit to Chatterton as the author of the poems, though plaulible at firft fight, will be found, upon examination, a moil indefenfible hypothefis ; and if eftabliihed, would do more honour to Rowley, and lefs to Chatterton, than the objectors are aware of; for it would leave the former poflefled of all the merit arifing from the original plan, the characters, the plot and metre of the poem ; what other part would then remain for the difplay of Chatterton's genius, but to fupply the fuppofed defi- ciency of words and fyllables in the original MS. (which has not yet been proved imperfect) ; or elfe to attempt an improvement of his author, by intermixing his own language and fentiments in the poem. It is by no means confiftent with Chatterton's extrava- gant vanity, to fuppofe that he would offer up his poetical talents at the fhrine of a dead poet, when he was confeious of being able to excel as a living one ; and though he fhould have yielded the palm to his original author, yet he would hardly have Hooped fo low as to appear as a foil to him; which he muff, have done, if he was the author of thofe paiTages only, which are objected to as his interpolations. In either view, the joint labours of two poets, fo different in their ftile and fentiments, their sra and difpolition, rauft have formed fuch a motley compofition, as would have difclofed that fecret, which Chatterton appears fo fludioufly to
T t have
322 THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE.
have concealed from the world. Cut no fuch inequality, or diverfity of genius, appears in thefe poems ; for we may affert, with Mr. Warton, that " they are every where fupported, through- " out poetical and animated. They have no imbecillities of itile •* or fentiment." From this conceffion, may we not infer their authenticity, or (which equally applies to the prefent argument) that they are the work of one and the fame pen ; and therefore muft be afcribed entirely either to Rowley or Chatterton, until fome other per'fon can be produced with a more probable claim to them ? But Mr. Warton views this point in a different light, and, by making inequality the characteriiHc of ancient poetry, con- demns Rowley, not for falling fhort, but for exceeding that Standard -, whereas, in fact, no fuch ftandard can be admitted. Some ancient poets are as uniformly dull, as Rowley is uniformly correct and brilliant ; and although Mr. Warton has extracted a few paffages from our ancient poets, containing ** fplendid ** defcriptions, ornamental comparifons, and poetical images, yet ** he acknowledges, that for many pages the poet is tedious, pro- " faic, and uninterefting :" Nor is this inequality peculiar to ancient poets, or any proof of the authenticity of their works ; the compositions of more modern writers, being almoft as unequal, efpecially the poets, who are unlike themfelves on different Sub- jects ; of which the works of Shakefpear, Milton, and Cowley,, afford fufficient proofs : The objection,, therefore, amounts chiefly to this ; that the purity of Rowley's language, the harmony of his numbers, and the uniform excellence of his poetry, exceed thofe of any other writer in that century : But does not every age and country produce men of genius in all kinds of literature, as far exceeding their contemporaries, as Rowley has excelled the poets of his own age ? It is certainly a much more probable fuppo- fition, that theie poems were written by a learned Prieft, than by an illiterate Boy; that the flory would be more faithfully told by a perfon who lived in the age when thefe events happened, than by an ill-informed relator at the difhance of three, centunes ; and
10 the
THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE.
323
the ideas of chaflity and virtue with which thefe poems abound, are undoubtedly more fuitable to the character of a moral and religious Prieft, than to that of an unprincipled and diffolute Youth.
As to the other fuppofition, they who can believe Chatterton to have been the original and fole author of this poem, rauft afcribe to him a variety of knowledge in feveral branches, which neither his youth, nor his opportunities of information could enable him to attain : By what means could he become acquainted with the birth and parentage, the family and character, of Sir Bald- win Fulford, the number of his fons, the names, offices, and fituations of the feveral perfonages introduced in this poem ; the prefence of King Edward at Fulford's execution ; the church at which he fat to fee the fpedtacle, and the fituation of that church, with refpect both to the prifon and place of execution ? Thefe, with many other particulars mentioned in the poem, which have been fully verified by various authentic records on a fubfequent enquiry, would never have been thought of, or examined into, had not the authenticity of the poem been queflioned : It was impoffible, indeed, that they fhould have been thus accurately related by any one, who was not well acquainted with the hiftorv.
There is a third idea concerning this poem, lefs probable than either of thofe already mentioned ; viz. That the whole was new formed by Chatterton, both in language and verfification, from an original poem of Rowley, which furnifhed the hiftory, plan, •and fentiments, much in the fame manner as the prefent Ballad of Chevy Chace is fuppofed to be modernifed from the ancient Battle of Otterburn, or Prior's Henry and Emma, from the Song of the Nut-brown Maid. It is furficient to fay, that this hypothefis is unfupported both by fact and probability; even the objection admits the exigence of fome original poem, which Chat- terton muit be fuppofed to have new modelled, borrowing from Rowley the plan, circumflancss, and action of the piece, wherein
T t 2 the
324 THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE.
the principal merit and beauty of it confifts. This fuppofition, if adopted, muft be extended to every other poem in the collec- tion ; which is an idea too improbable to be efpoufed by the objectors.
As to the modern complexion of the language, and the correct - nefs of the metre, which are alfo urged as objections to its authen- ticity; the former may be accounted for from the nature of the fubject, the latter from the clearnefs of the author's imagination, and from the harmony of his ear. Every judicious poet will adapt his language to the ftile of poetry in which he writes; and it may be obferved, that Rowley has clofely followed the advice of Horace, in the magnificent words and compound epithets which appear fo frequently in his epic and dramatic pieces ; and on the other hand, with what eafe and fmoothnefs does his language flow in the fongs and eclogues ! how plain and familiar is the flile of this poem ! how fuitable to that of all the ancient Ballads, which relate fuch doleful events ! Dr. Johnforr obferves, in his life of Cowley, " that the familiar part of •' language continues long the fame. The dialogue of comedy, " when it is tranilated from popular manners and real life, is " read from age to age with equal pleafure."
The objections anting from the correctnefs of the metre, will apply to every other compofition in the volume, wherein we rarely meet with a redundant or deficient fyllable, an irregular or imper- fect ftanza. But this circumftance, which fhews the fuperiority and perfection of Rowley's poetry, having been already con- fidered, it will be unneceffary to refume the fubject in this place; we may therefore proceed to the more immediate confideration of the hiftory and facts reprefented in the poem. There can be no doubt but the hero of it was a real perfonage, and the Tragedy (as far as it relates to his execution, with many of its concomi- tant circumstances) is authenticated by our hiftorians : Leland, in his Itinerary, vol. vii. p. 8. fays, that " Sir Baldwin Fulfirte, a " Knight of the Sepulchre, was under-admiral to Holland duke c "of
THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. 325-
" of Exeter, who was then admiral of England* :" His character feems to have been well known in thofe days j for the hiftorian of Henry the Vlth's reign, in Kennett's Collection fays, " that " Queen Margaret (to whom it appears he was particularly *' attached) entertained a groundlefs propofal to deftroy the Earl *« of Warwick, made to her by Sir Baldwin Fulford, a man of " more daringnefs than prudence, who undertook, upon pain of " lofing his head, to kill the Earl of Warwick, till, after he had " fpent the king a thoufand marks, he returned without doing " any thing." Stowe gives the fame account of Fulford's under- taking; and to this the entry in Rowley's yellow roll is perfectly conformable, which fays,
" Sir Charles Bawdin a Fulford, commonly depend Baldwyn " Fulford, his bond to the King, that he would bring the Earl of " Warwick, or lofe his hedde; which he did not perform, but loft " his hedde to King Edwarde t." Such a declaration of perfonal hoftility, againft a nobleman to whom Edward was indebted for his crown, marked out Fulford as a peculiar object of the king's refentment ; no wonder then that he fentenced him to immediate execution, and declared, in the words of the poem, He would not tafte a bit of bread,, Whilft thys Sir Charles dyd lyve..
This fact is further confirmed by two ancient MS. chronicles*; fhewn to me at Briftol, by Mr. Barrett ; one of them fays,.
* William of Wirceflre, in his Annals, printed by Hearn at the end of Liber Niger, fpeaking of what happened in London after the Battle of St. Albans, fays, " & eodem die Baldwynus Fourforthe miles de comitatu Devon & Alexander " Hody miles cum multa gente armata exiftentes apud Weftmonaftcrium ex parte " Regime fuerunt, quia communes civitatis Londonianum infurgebant contra " eos." P. 488.
f Amongft Rymer's unpublished papers, in the Britifh Mufeum, there is an order from Edward the IVthj dated June 17th, 1461, for arrcfting Thomas Baftard of Exeter, and Baldwin Filford, as adherents to his enemies, and to King Henry. He was probably taken foon after ; for he was executed Sept. 9th.
" Anno
326 THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE.
" Anno 1461, In the month of September, the King came to " Briilol, and beheaded Sir "John Baldwin Fulford and Hejfant, " and returned back the fame day."
The other mentions a third traitor, beheaded at the fame time, agreeably to the defcription in the poem,
Charles Bawdin, and his fellows Pwayne, To-day mall furely die. But by miflaking Sir John Baldwin, and Fulford, for two different perfons, he reckons them as four; " King Edward came to " Britlow, where he beheaded Sir John Bawdin, knight, and " three efquires, Fulford, Bright, and HeJJ'ant."
This chronicle calls him John, and Rowley gives him the name of Charles, both without authority; for it appears by his hiftory, and family pedigrees, that his Chriflian name was Baldwin, pro- bably fo called from Baldwin de Belflon, whofe heireis was married to one of Fulford's anceftors.
The day of his execution, and fubfequent attainder by act of parliament, are alfo upon record. It appears by the Inquifitiones poft mortem, that the jury made the following return to a com- miffion of enquiry ilfued in Devonshire, in the fourth year of Edward the fourth, Nov. 31.
" Item juratores dicunt quod didlus Baldewinus in parliamento " dicYi domini regis, apud Weftmonafler. quarto die Novembris, " anno regni fui primo tent, de alta proditione erga ipfum regem " facta, automate ejufdem parliament! attinctus fuit — 6c idem Bal- " dewinnus obiit nono die Septembris dicto anno primo, & quod " Thomas Fulford, miles, en: filius 6c haeres ejus propinquior, 6c " en: aetatis viginti 6c octo annorum." The act of parliament which palled in the feventh year of that king, and is quoted in the introductory account, as reftoring his eldefr. fon, Thomas, to his title and eftate, fays, " that Sir Baldewin was tried by a fpecial " commiflion, holden before Henry Earl of Effex; William " Haftyngs, of Haftyngs, knyght ; Richard Chock; William «' Canyng, maior of the faid town of Briftol ; and Thomas Yonge;
" by
THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. 327
" by force of letters patents, to determine all treafons done within " the towne of Briftowe before the 5th of September that year." The continuator of Stowe takes notice, that " this year, in the " harveft-feafon, King Edward rode by the fea-coaft to Hampton, " and thence to the marches of Wales, and to Bri/lowe, where " he was mojl royally received" P. 416. It appears, by a record in Anftis's Supplement to Aihmole'i Hiftory of the Garter, p. 35, that George Nevill, Bifhop of Exeter, then Lord Chancellor, was at Briflol on the fourth of September, probably in attendance on the King. Thefe circumstances, compared with the day of Ful- ford's execution, make it exceedingly probable, that the king was prefntat it; at leaft his being at Briftol during that time, was fumcient to juftify the author in dignifying his poem with fo capital a cLrcumftance.
B R I S T O W E
[ 3*8 ]
BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE:
OR THE DETHE OF
SYR CHARLES BAWDIN.
THE featherd fongfter chaunticleer Han wounde hys bugle home, And tolde the earlie villager
The commynge of the morne :
Kynge Edwarde fawe the ruddie ftreakes 5
Of lyghte eclypfe the greie ; And herde the raven's crokynge throte
Proclayme the fated daie.
«* Thou'rt ryght," quod hee, " for, by the Godde
" That fyttes enthron'd on hyghe ! 10
c< Charles Bawd in, and hys fellowes twaine, " To- daie fhall furelie die."
Thenne
THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. 329
Thenne wythe a jugge of nappy ale
Hys Knyghtes dydd onne hymm waitc ; " Goe tell the traytour, thatt to-daic 1 -
" Hee leaves thys mortall fLte."
Syr Canterloue thenne bendedd lowe,
Wythe harte brymm-fulle of woe; Hee journey'd to the caftle-gate,
And to Syr Charles dydd goe. 20
Butt whenrie hee came, hys children twaine,
And eke hys lovynge wyfe, Wythe brinie tears dydd wett the floore,
For goode Syr Charleses lyfe.
" O goode
V. 13. The defcription of King Edward's breakfaft is chara&eriftical of the age, and not unlike the fupper given to Edward the lid by the Miller of Mansfield, who treated the king
With nappy ale, good and (tale, in a brown bowle.
Percy, vol. iii. p. 183.
V. 17. Sir Canterloue is called Sir Canterlone by Chatterton, who has fre- quently written by miftake n for w. The name was not uncommon at that time : One Nicolas Cant low, a Wclfhman of good family, and a Monk of Briftol, is mentioned in Kennett's Hiftory amongft the remarkable perfons who flourished in the reign of Henry the Vlth. John Cantlow was Abbot of Bath in 1489 *; and Sir William Cant low, knight, was flier iff of London in 1448; he died in 1.62, and was buried in St. Mary Magdalen, Milk-Street f. But theperfon who attended the king at Briftol, was probably the fame Sir William Cantlow, who, with others, was created Knightof the Bath, Junc26th, 1461, on the eve of King Edward the IVth's coronation % (it being ufual on fuch occafions to knight thofe who held pofts of ho- nour, or attended on the king's perfon) : He was probably the William Cantlow men- tioned in the fragment printed with Sprott's Chronicle, who took King Henry pri- foner after the battle of Hexham, in 1463. " And after this fkirmiih, King Harry ** was taken in a wood by one Willia?n Cantlow, and broughte to the king, and after " committed to the Tower of London, whereas he continued in captivite unto the " 1 8th day of Oclober, in the year of our Lorde 1469." P. 292. • Willis's Mitred Abbies, f Weaver, p. 6^5. J See Antis's Eflay on Knighthood, App. p. 30.
U U
33© THE BRISTOWE T R A G E D I E.
" O goode Syr Charles !" fayd Canterloue, 25
" Eadde tydyngs I doe brynge." , F
" Speke boldiie manne," fayd brave Syr Charles, " Whatte fays thie traytor kynge ?"
" I greeve to telle, before yonne fonne
'* Does fromme the welkinn flye, 30
*' Hee hath uponne hys honour ftvorne,
" Thatt thou (halt furelie die."
" Wee all muff die," quod brave Syr Charles ;
" Of thatte I'm not affearde ; *« Whatte bootes to lyve a little fpace ? 3^
" Thanke Jesu, I'm prepar'd :
" Butt telle thye kynge, for myne hee's not,
" I'de fooner die to-daie '* Thanne lyve hys Have, as manie are,
" Tho' I fhoulde lyve for aie." 40
Thenne Canterloue hee dydd goe out,
To telle the maior ftraite . To gett all thynges ynne reddynefs
For goode Syr Charleses fate.
Thenne Maifterr Canynge faughte the kynge, 45
•And felle down onne hys knee;
" I'm come," quod hee, " unto your grace
" To move your clemencye." %
" Thenne,"
V. 45. Canynge attended the king, not only officially as the Mayor of Briftol, but alfo as a friend to his caufe ; which Edward acknowledges by faying, You have been much our friend.
His trade, opulence, and intereil with his fellow citizens, had given him no fmall
weight
THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE. 331
'* Thenne," quod the kynge, " youre tale fpeke out,
" You have been much oure friende ; 50
" Whatever youre requefr. may bee, " Wee wylle to ytte attende."
" My nobile liege ' alle my requefl
" Ys for a nobile knyghte, " Who, tho' may hap hee has donne wronge, r r
" Pie thoghte ytte flylle was ryghte :
" Hee
weight with the king, though the cafe was probably much altered when this poem was written, wherein Rowley may be fuppofed to fpeak the fentiments of his friend; and the warmeft Lancaftrian could not have drawn a more unfavourable comparifon between the two kings, nor have placed the conduct of Edward in a more difadvantageous light. This change of fentiment might have been occafioned by the king's impoiing a heavy fine of 3000 marks on Canning, and endeavoi to force him into a marriage with a lady of the Widdeville family, which he avoided by taking refuge in the orders of the church. Rowley, warmed with an honeft re- fentme;it, might have written this poem with a view of doing jufticc to Canning's former attachment to King Edward, and of reproving that monarch's ingratitude, by putting into Fulford's mouth the keeneft reproaches againft the houfe of York. From the prophecies in the poem, and the dangerous political fentiments expi in it, we muft conclude it to have been written late in King Edward's i probably about the year 1469, when fortune took a turn in King Heriry's favour. It was certainly very dangerous, during Edward's reign, to take any liberties with the crown ; and nothing but the fecrecy irtdfhip of Canning could .
fecured the poet from the cognizance and refentment of the king.
At this period, i: -deed, . compositions of any kind extended very little b« circle of the author's fociety, or the acquaintance of the patron to whom they were add re fled : The number of poets were few, their admirers far from beins; numei and the means of communication not very extenfive : The modefty of the and prudence of the patron, will fuggeft additional reafons againft the circul; of a poem fo political in its fubject, and fo free in its fentiments.
V. 53. It may be oblerved, that Canning's addrefs to tiie king, though full of fimplicity and good fenfe, is neverthelefs tinctured with the fuperftition of thofe times : We can fcarcely fuppofe him to have believed fo abfurd a doctrine as the impeccability of the Pope, which even the church of Rom now-
ledge, and therefore probably he meant only the papa . I bility, under that title ;
though either of thofe opinions might with propriety have been urged as a motive
U 11 2 for
332 THE BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE.
" Hee has a fpoufe and children twaine,
" Alle rewyn'd are for aiej " YfF thatt you are refolv'd to lett
" Charles Bawdin die to-daie." 60
** Speke nott of fuch a traytour vile,"
The kynge ynne furie fayde ; ** Before the evening itarre doth fheene,
" Bawdin fhall loofe hys hedde :
" Juftice does loudlie for hym calle, 65
** And hee fhalle have hys meede a : " Speke, Maifter Canynge! Whatte thynge elfe
" Att prefent doe you neede ?"
* Reward, or deferti,
" My
(or the king's compaflion. The firmnefs v/hich animates the fpceches of Sir Bald- win as a hero, is mod beautifully contrafted with the tendemefs of his affection in the characters of hufband, father, and friend ; and the account which he gives of his life and education (which may be verified in feveral instances) {hews him to have been a man of diflinguifhed valour and high reputation. It appears by the Fulford pedigree in the Heralds Office (which is incorrect in fome inflances) and by more authentic evidence, that his father's name was Henry ; and, according to Sir William Pole (a very accurate Devonfhire antiquary and gencalogifl) his grand- father bore the fame name, and was a judge of the King's Bench. Weftcot (ano- ther Devonfhire antiquary) calJs this judge V. illiam, and Godwin confounds him with William Fulthorp, who pronounced fentence of death on Archbifhop Scroop and Earl MarfL -ill Mowbray, in 14C2, for high trcafon againft Henry thcIVth. But this error, which has been followed by Prince, is corrected by Richardfon in his edition of Godvvynj for he obferves that Clement of Maydeftune, the original author, calls him Miles non Jr dex ; and his name was certainly Fulthorp, not Fulford. Though we cannot trace this Judr Fi >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 rontra 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 forefendeb,
" 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. Regr 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. SDc1*.
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. 34r
*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, Anj. 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/lery 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
3So TJfE 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 gatea 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. NJ2. 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 Morglaien1 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 Ift.
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<? yn the coppyce, delle, and grove, Where ne one eyne mote theyre difporte engage ; There dydde theie tell the mcrrie lovyrge fageq, 55
Croppe the prymrofen floure to decke theyre headde ; The feerie Gendolyne yn woman rage Gemoted r warriours to bewrecke s her bedde; Theie rofe ; ynne battle was greete Locryne fleene ; The faire Elftrida fledde from the enehafed l queene. 60
A tye of love, a dawter fayre fhe hanne, Whcfe boddeynge u morneyng mewed a fayre daie,. Her fadre Locrynne, once an hailie " manne. Wyth the fayre dawterre dydde fhe hafte awaie, To where the Vv eftern mittee Y pyles of claie 6 c
Arife ynto the cloudes, and doe them beere; There dyd Elftrida and Sabryna ftaie ;
The fyrfte tryckde out a whyle yn warryours gratch * and gear; Vyncente was fhe ycleped *, butte fulle foone fate Sente deathe, to telle the dame, fhe was notte yn regrate b. 70
0 Sweet, p Oft. * A tale. r Aflembled. s Revenue. ' Heated, enraged. " Budding. * Happy. * Mighty. x Apparel. a Called. b Efteem, favour.
The
V. 65. It was natural for the poet to fearch for high mountains near the fourees of the Severn, whence the waters of Sabrina might flow after her metamorphofis ; he has therefore judicioufly chofen the Clee Hills in Shropshire, not far diftant from the Severn ; their fituation and name agreeing with the poet's defcription; and for a fimilar reafon he raifed the more lofty and diftant mountain of Snowdon out of the afhes of the Giant Knight. The defcription of him is one of Rowley's capital images, far exceeding thofe of Polypheme in Homer and Virgil : The latter exprefles the Giant's power by the loudnefs of his voice, Rowley by the greatnefs of his actions.
360 ENGLYSH METAMORPHOSIS: BOOK P.
The queene Gendolyne fente a gyaunte knyghte, Whofe doughtie heade fwepte the emmertleynge c ikies, To flea her wherefoever flie fhulde be pyghte* Eke everychone who fhulde her ele e emprize f. Swefte as the roareynge wyndes the gyaunte flies, 75
Stayde the loude wyndes, and (haded reaulmes yn nyghte, Stepte over cytties, on meint e acres lies, Meeteynge the herehaughtes h of morneynge lighten Tyll mooveynge to the Welle, myfchaunce hys gye ', He thorowe warriours gratch k fayre Elltrid did efpie. 80
c Glittering, or, ambient. d Settled. 'Help. f Adventure, or, undertake. s Many.
h Heralds. 'Guide. k Drefs.
He
V. 72. Whofe doughtie heade fwepte the emmertleynge ikies, Like Difcord in Homer, and Fame in Virgil,
-Caput inter nubila condit. iEn. iv. v. 177.
Emmertlyng, though unexplained by the gloffaries, feems to be compounded of the Saxon prepofition ymbh*;i, circum, and to have the fame import with refpeel to the earth, that Aumcre has to a garment.
V. 77. Stepte over cytties, on meint acres lies, How correfpondent is this idea to Homer's defcription of Neptune's motions : ''Aurmx $ i% opio; Y.a.-vi%y\<TXTQ ■wocnrct.xdiVTOi;,
'K.PX\TT]l<X, TTOITi TTOvQltctt;, TPtfJ.1 $ ZPllX, fAXUPX Jtj vXt) T«lf f*-lV OPlfccCT IUV} TO <?£ TITPXTQV IKITO TtX.jJ.aP
Aiydc. II. N. v. 17.
Thus translated by Mr. Pope ;
Prone down the rocky fteep he rufh'd along, Fierce as he pad the lofty mountains nod, The forefts fhake, earth trembled as he trod, And felt the footfteps of th' Almighty God; From realm to realm tVee ample (hides he took, And at the fourth the diftant JEge fhook. B. xiii. v. zS. This is not the firft inftance wherein Rowley has chofen thofe images in Homer for his imitation, which have been diftinguifhed by the notic; and commendation of critics. Longinus confefTes himfelf wonderfully (truck with the fublimity of this defcription : Seel. ix. 17. See alfo Mr. Pope's note upon it.
V. 80. Thj ideas contained in this and the four following lines are majcftictflly i wild,
ENGLYSH METAMORPHOSIS: BOOK Ift. 361
He tore a ragged mountayne from the grounde,
Harried k uppe noddynge forrefts to the fkie,
" Toft.
Thanne
wild, and well adapted to the romantick hiftory of this poem ; they feem to be borrowed from the Battle of the Giants, as defcribed by the heathen pocts3 and particularly by Claudian in the following lines :
Hie rotat iEmonium prasduris rupibus CEten, Hie juga connexis manibus Pangaea corufcat, Hunc arm2t glacialis Athos ; hoc Ofla movente Tollitur, hie Rhodopen Hebri cum fonte revellit, Et focias truncavit aquas, fummaque volutus Rupe gyganteos humeros irrorat Enipeus; Subfidit patulis tellus fine cuhnine campis.
Gygantomachia, v. 66.
There feems to be fome connection between this lafl line and that in the Me(a-
morphofis :
On a broad graflie playne was layde the hill.
Claudian, in the wildnefs of his fancy, reprefents a giant lifting up the moun- tain on his back, and the river Enipeus, which arofe from it, flowing down between his fhoulders : Our poet, with a greater exertion, but with lefs improbability, lets fly the mountain into the middle ayre, buries Vincent and Sabrina under it and poetically defcribes the purple fountain of their blood, as boiling up thro' their fandy grave, which, in the true fpirit of metamorphofis, he transforms into a river char.
Mr. Addifon, ir. his Spectator N° 333, has introduced this paflage of Claudian, as a foil to Milton's defcription of the war of the Angels; obfervinw, " that the " Roman poet's ideas favour more of the burlefque than of the fublime ; that they " proceed from a wantonnefs of imagination, and rather divert the mind than ** aftonifh it: But Milton has taken every thing that is fublime in thefe pa/Ta^es " and compofes out of them the following great image :
" From their foundations loofening to and fro " They pluck'd the feated hills with all their load, " Rocks, waters, woods ; and by the fhaggy tops " Uplifting, bore them in their hands."
Though the author of the Metamorphofis mould be fuppofed to have lived fince Milton's time, yet it appears that he borrowed his ideas from the Latin, and not from our Englilh poet ; and upon comparifon he will not be found inferior to
3 A either.
Z6z ENGLYSH METAMORPHOSIS: BOOK F.
Thanne wythe a fuirie, mote the erthe aftounde ly To meddle ayre he lette the mountayne fie. The flying wolfynnes fente a yelleynge crie ,• 85.
Onne Vyncente and Sabryna felle the mount j To lyve jeternalle dyd theie eftfoones die j Thorowe the fandie grave boiled up the pourple founte, On a broade graffie playne was layde the hylle, Staieynge the rounynge courfe of meint a limmed m rylle. 90
The goddes, who kenned the aclyons of the wyghte, To leggen n the fadde happe of twayne fo fayre, Houton ° dyd make the mountaine bie theire mightc.
'Aftonifh. a Gla.tfy, refle&ing. " Leffen, alloy. ° Hollow, rather, lofty.
Fortli
either. — To tear a ragged mountayne from the grounds, is a more gigantic exertion,, than to loofen it to and fro from its foundations — To let it fly into the middle ayre, a greater effort than to hear it in his hands, and — To harrie up the noddynge forrefls to the fkie, exprefles more than to uplift them by their Jhaggy tops. The aftonifhment imprefied on the earth, and the cry excited by the flying wolfins fear, are images peculiar to Rowley; and the nodding forrefls, which are omitted by Claudian, and mentioned only in general terms by Milton, are particularly pointed out by Homer, who fays, " that the Giants heaped upon mount OfTa, the, for efl- bearing- " Pel ion j"
CUVTOip ITT OCCYI
Iln'Aioi/ uvoa-lfvXKov. OdyiT. B. A. v. 314.
V. 81. Meddle ayre ; (p Robert Gloucefter and P. PI, call the world the mcddel erthe, ■
V. 88. Has one, if not two, redundant fyllables.
V. 0,3. Chatterton mifinterprets the word houton; it does not mean hollow, nor could that circumftance be any alleviat'on to the fate of Elftrid and Sabrina; but hawten is explained in the Prompt. Parv. by exalto, and is ufed in this fenfe by Peter Langtoft ; and huutain, in old French, fignifies proud or lofty. The fize and heightof the mountain are mentioned as an exertion of might by the gods, to add dig- nity to their fate ; and with the fame idea, the poet has chofen the higheft hill in q Wales
ENGLYSH METAMORPHOSIS: BOtfK I*. 363
Forth from Sabryna ran a ryverre cleere,
Roarynge and rolleynge on yn courfe byfmare p j g$
From female Vyncente fhotte a ridge of ftones, Eche fyde the ry ver ryfynge heavenwere ; Sabrynas floode was helde ynne Elftryds bones. So are theie cleped ; gentle and the hynde Can telle, that Severnes ftreeme bie Vyncentes rocke's ywrynde ,.
The bawfyn r gyaunt, hee who dyd them flee, 101
To telle Gendolyne quycklie was yfped f ; Whanne, as he ftrod alonge the fhakeynge lee, The roddie levynne ' glefterrd ' on hys headde : Into hys hearte the azure vapoures fpreade; 105
He wrythde arounde yn drearie dernie u payne; Whanne from his lyfe-bloode the rodde lemes x were fed, He felle an hepe of afhes on the playne : Stylle does hys afhes fhooteynto the lyghte, A wondrous mountayne hie, and Snowdon ys ytte hyghte r. no
t Bewildered, curious. i Hid, covered. r Huge, bulky. f Difpatched. • Red lightning. ' Glittered, Jhone. u Cruel, or fecret. x Flames, rays, y Called.
Wales for the monument of the giant : In this fenfe we may alfo underftand that line in Robert Canning's epitaph.
Houton are wordes for to tell his doe. It required lofty, not hollow, words to celebrate his praife.
V. 94. It may be imputed to Rowley's partiality for his native country, that he calls the Severn a river clear ; but there is fufficient foundation in etymology to derive the word from clarus, noble or dijlinguijhed, an epithet more worthy of its ftream.
V. 95. This, together with v. 40, are fpecimens of our author's exprcflive alliterations; a figure which he does not often make ufe of, though he might be fufficiently juflified by the example of Homer.
V. 107. The idea is bold, and perhaps fingular, of the red flafhes of lightning being fed by the Giant's blood.
3 A 2 AN
[ 364 ]
AN EXCELENTE BALADE
OF CHARITIE.,
TH E Excellent Ballad of Charity, fo well deferving that title, was the laft poem of Rowley's produced by Chat- terton, who fent it to the printer of the Town and Country Magazine only a month before his death ; in whofe hands it re- mained till Mr. Tyrwhit added it to this collection : It is more fully gloried and explained by Chatterton,. than any other of Rowley's work?, in proportion as he became more converfant with our ancient language ; but his anecdotes concerning the birth, education, and death of Rowley, muft reft upon his own authority, for want of more authentic evidence, and carry fuch a degree of credit as the reader may be inclined to allow them. Rowley's Memoirs fay, that he declined the offer of a Canonry from his friend Canning, in the church of Weftburyj after whofe death, he lived in a houfe which he had purchafed in Briftol.
This poem is written in the ftile of a moral fatyrift, cenfuring the pride, pomp, and want of generality in the wealthy Eccle- fiaftics of thofe days. It is in effect an illuftration of the parable of the good Samaritan, marking, with the moft fevere and poig- nant reflections, the contraft between the charitable Limitour, and the fupercilious Abbot. The fatire is keen, the morality
excellent,
AN EXCELENTE BALADE OF CHARITIE. 365
excellent, and the defcription worked up with wonderful art, propriety, and dignity of expreffion. The ripenefs of the Autum- nal feafon, the heat of the fun, the clofenefs of the atmofphere, the gradual approach of the thundcr-ftorm, with its violent effects, the momentary intervening calm, and return of the ilorm, cannot be defcribed in words more exprefiive of their effects.
A N
I 366 ]
AN EXCELENTE BALADE OF CHARITIE:
AS WROTEN BIE THE GODE TRIESTE
THOMAS ROWLEY1, 1464,
IN Virgyne b the fweltrie fun gan fheene, And hotte upon the mees c did carle his raie; The apple rodded d from its palie greene, And the mole e peare did bende the leafy fpraie ; The peede chelandri f funge the livelong daie ; 5
'Twas novve the pride, the manhode of the yeare, And eke the grounde was dighte5 in its mofe defteh aumere!.
a Thomas Rowley, the author, was born at Norton Mal-reward in Somerfetfhire, educated at the Convent of St. Kenna at Keynefham, and died at Weftbury in Glou- cefterfhire. b The fign of Virgo. c Meads. " Reddened, ripened. c Soft. f Pied goldfinch. g-D reft, arrayed. h Neat, ornamental. ' A loofe robe or mantle.
The
V. i. It was ufual with our ancient poets to defcribe the feafon of the year by the figns of the Zodiac. Thus Lidjrate,
When Phoebus in the Crabbe had nere his courfe run. And in Chaucer's Prologue;
— and the young Son
Hath in the Ram half his courfe run. In the Proem to Troil. and Creff. b. ii.
And when Phoebus doth his bright becmis fpread. Right in the white Bolle.
So
AN EXCELENTE BALADE OF CHARITIE. 367
The fun was glemeing in the midde of daie, Deadde ftill the aire, and eke the welkenk blue, When from the fea arift ' in drear arraic iq
A hepe of cloudes of fable fullen hue, The which full faft unto the woodlande drewe, Hiltringm uttenes n the funnis fetive ° face, And the blacke tempefle fvvolne and gatherd up apace.
Beneathe an holme, fafte by a pathwaie fide, 15
Which dide unto Seyncle Godwine's coventp lede, A haplefs pilgrim moneynge did abide, Pore in his viewe, ungentle q in his weede r, Longe bretful f of the miferies of neede,
k The fky, the atmofphere ' Arofe. m Hiding, fhiouding. " At once. 'Beau- teous. ' It would have been charitable, if the author had not pointed at perfonal characters in this Ballad of Charity, The A!bot of St. Godwin's, at the time of the writing of this ; was Ralph de i e:lomont, a great fUckler for the Lancaftrian family. Rowley was a Yorkift. « Beggarly. ' Drefs. ' Filled with.
Where
So Skelton, in his Piologue to the Bouge of Court;
In Autumpne, whan the Sun in Virgine,
By radyant Sunne enrvpend had our corne. / 1 Gawyn Douglas's Prologue to the 13th book of the Eneid ;
Towart the evyn, amid the Someris hete,
Quhen in the Crab Apollo held hvs fete. V. 16. The htuation of St. Godwin's Abbey is amongfl Rowley's hiftoricul dif- ficulties : No Saint of that name, nor any church dedicated to fuch a Saint, occurs either in our Legends or Ecclefiaftical Hiftory. It may be therefore a fictitious title, under which he intended to lafli the character of fome wealthy Abbot. The Memoirs before mentioned, fpeak ferioufly of fuch an.abbcy, to which Rowley went on a comrmiTion from Mr. Canning, in fe'arch of drawings ; but to anfwer for the authenticity of that account, is no part of tne prefent undertaking.
V. 18. Pore in his viewe, ungentle in his weede, Dunbar, the Scotch poet, has a defenption net unlike this, in his Golden Tcrgej
Rude is thy weid, deflitute, bair, and rent:
Well aucht thou be affeirit of the licht. Warton, vol- ii. p. 271. V. 10. Bretfull is an expreffion ufed by Pierce Plowman ; Brttfuil of brtatb ; — snd'in Chaucer's Knights Tale, Bntfull of Ruiies.
36S AN EXCELENTE BALADE OF CHARITIE.
Where from the hail-ltone coulde the aimer * flie ? 20
He had no houfen theere, ne anie covent nie.
Look in his glommed' face, his fprighte there fcanne ; Howe woe-be-gone, how withered, forwynd Y deade ! Hafte to thie church-glebe-houfe x, afshrewed y manne ! Hafte to thie kifte z, thie onlie dortoure a bedde. 2 5
Cale, as the claie whiche will gre on thie hedde, Is Charitie and Love aminge b highe elves j Knightis and Barons live for pleafure and themfelves.
The gatherd ftorme is rype ; the bigge drops falle;
The forfwatc meadowes fmethe d, and drenche" the raine ; 30
The comyng ghaftnefs f do the cattle pall g,
And the full rlockes are drivynge ore the plaine ;
Dafhde from the cloudes the waters flott h againe ;
s 'Beggar. ' Clouded, deje£f.ed. A perfon of fome note in the literary world is of opinion, that glum and glom are modern cant words; and from this circum- ftance doubts the authenticity of Rowley's Manuicripts. Glum-mong in the Saxon fignifles twilight, a dark or dubious light; and the modern word gloomy is derived from the Saxon glum. u Dry, faplefs. * The grave. * Accurfed, unfortunate. z Coffin. a A fleeping room. b Among. c Sun-burnt, fwcating. d Smoke. c Drink. f Ghajllinefs. s Pall, a contraction from appall, to fright. h Fly, rather, float.
The
V. 22. This account of the Aimer's face and drefsis marked with Rowley's de- fcriptive lineaments : The word glommed wanted not an explanation from Chat- terton; clum, in the Miller's Tale, means liiencc, clofely connected with the gloom or glommed face of melancholy. Woe-begohi is alfo a familiar word both with Gower and Spenfer.
V. 29. The ftorm gathers and advances mod poetically in the fifth ftanza. In that which follows, the elements themfelves feem to fpeak, and every idea is reaHfed in the defcription : The flow approach, loud burft, and grrdual dying away of the thunder, conveyed both in the meafure and found of the poetry, the
2 fucceeding
AN EXCELENTE BALADE OF CHARITIE. 369
The welkin opes ; the yellow levynne ' flies ; And the hot fierie fmothek in the wide lowings ' dies. 35
Lifle ! now the thunder's rattling clymmynge m found Cheves n flowlie on, and then embollen ° clangs, Shakes the hie fpyre, and loflt, difpendetlp, drown'd, Still on the gallardq eare of terroure hanges ; The windes are up ; the lofty elmen fwanges ; 40
Again the levynne and the thunder poures, And the fall cloudes are brafle r attenes in ftonen mowers.
Spurreynge his p^lfrie oere the watrie plaine, The Abbote of Seyndte Godwynes convente came ; His chapournette s was drented with the reine, 45
And his penile ' gyrdle met with mickle fhame ; He aynewarde tolde his bederoll u at the fume ; The ftorme encreafen, and he drew afide, With the mid * almes craver neere to the holme to bide.
1 Lightning. k Steam, or vapours. ' Flames. ra Noify. n Moves, rather, trembles. ° Swelled, ftrengthened. ' Exhaujlcd. t Frighted. ' Built. • A fmall round hat, not unlike the fhapournette in heraldry, formerly worn by ecc.lefialt.ics and lawyers. 'Painted. u He told his beads backwards; a figurative exprefiion to fignify curfing. * Poor, needy.
His
fucceeding (torm of wind, the trees bending under its fury, with the return of thunder, lightning and hail, compleat a defcription not to be excelled either in ancient or modern poetry.
V. 37. Cheves expreffes that tremulous found, which is heard on the diftant ap- proach of thunder. It is ufed by Gower and Chaucer, as equivalent to jhivcr, R. R. 173a. In that day I have cheverd oft ; and in Black Knight's Tale, 231. That ntnvl cbiver far default ofhete. Chatterton did not know the force of the exprei&on, when he explained it by moves.
V. 38. Difpetdid or exhaujled, is a word ufed by Gower.
V. 43. The defcription of the Abbot's drefs is fuitable to the age, and not un- like that of Chaucer's Monk:
3 B l faw
37°
AN EXCELENTE BALADE OF CHARITIE.
His cope y was all of Lyncolne clothe fo fyne, 50
With a gold button faften'd neere his chynne; His autremete z was edged with golden twynne,
v A cloke. z A loofe white robe,, worn by priefts, .rather, a cowl.
And
I faw his fleevis purfiled at the hand
With gris, and that the fineft in the land ;
And for to fallen his hood under his chin,
He hadde of gold ywroughte a curious pinne. V. 193. The girdle was a principal part of drefs, and a painted one was a capital piece of finery.
V. 50. The Abbot's cope was of Lincolne clothe, in high repute at that time for its finenefs and colour, efpecially the grsen, which probably the Abbot wore, whilft the drefs of the Monks was grey or black : So Lidgate, in his Canterbury Tale, defcribes himfelf as the reverfe in drefs and equipment from the richer ec-
clefiaftics,
In a cope of black, and not of grene,. On a palfray {lender long and lene, With rufty bridle made not for the fale, . My man to forne with a void male *. Edward the Hid made Lincoln a ftaple for wool ; and the extenfive neighbouring heath, which fed great flocks of fheep, contributed to the eilablifliment of the woollen manufacture there: Drayton, in his 25th Song, defcribes
Her fwains in fhepherds gray, her girls in Lincoln green : • And in the following book, Robin Hood's men are defcribed as All clad in Lincoln green: So Spenfer — All in a woodmans jacket he was clad of Lincoln green : In the old ballads about Robin Hood, publifhed by Evans, vol. i. p. 141, he is re- prefented as clothed in a mantle of Lincoln green ; and p. 88, it is faid of his mother, That flie got on her holyday kirktle and gown, They were all of Lincoln green. See again p. 151. It is by no means probable that Chatterton could have known the reputation of this manufacture.
V. 52. Autremite was not, as Chatterton explains it, a long, loofe robe, but a cowl, coif, or head-drefs. Skinner, who calls it fimply veftimentum, adds forfan q. Alteia mitra; and fo it is ufed by Chaucer in his Monk's Tale, where he defcribes the reverfe of Zenobia's fortune :
And flie that helmid was in ftarke flouris, Shall on her hedde now werin Autremite.
* Pertiuantea-u,
Mr.
AN EXCELENTE BALADE OF CHARITIE. 371
And his ihoone pyke a a loverds b mighte have binne; Full well it (hewn he thoughten cofle no finne : The trammels of the palfrye pleafde his fighte, 55
For the horfe-millanare c his head with rofes dighte.
* Picked Jhoes. b A lord. c I believe this trade is ftill in being, though but
feldom employed.
An
Mr. Tyrwhit, vol. iii. p, 282, from the authority of M3S. calls it " vilrymih; " wytermite, ivintermite, and vitryte, but acknowledges the printed editions read it " Autrcmite; which he fays is equally unintelligible :" But does not this paflage confirm the printed text of Chaucer, both in the orthography and feme ?
V. 53. The Jhoone pyked, or picked fhoes, was another elegance of drefs in thofc days. Thus, in the Story of William Canning, Truth is defcribed as having Nebrowded mantell of a fcarlett hue, Ne/w«w pykes plaited o'er with ribband geere. This cuftom of projecting the pikes or points of their fhoes, to a moft inordinate length, became fo fafhionable, that in 1465 (the year after this poem was written) Stowe fays, " It was proclaimed through England, that thebeakes or pikes of ihoone ' or boots fhould not pafs two inches, upon pain of curling by the clergy, and for- ' feiting twenty (hillings, to be paid, one noble to the king, another to the cord- ' wainers of London, and the third to the chamber of London ; and in other ' cities and townes the like order was taken : Before this time, and fince the year ' of our Lord 1382, the pikes of fhoon and boots were of fuch length, that they ' were i'aine to be tyed up to their knees with chaines of filver gilt, or at the ' lead with filk lace."
This ballad bearing date a year before the proclamation, invalidates the objector's remark in Gentleman's Magazine for May 1777, p. 207, " That the Abbot was " a bold man, to retain this cuftom to the laft."
V. 55. The furniture of of their horfes was likewife a great object of attention: It is faid of Chaucer's Monk,
That when he rode, men might his bridel here, Ginfrelinrr in a whiffling wind, as clere, And eke as loud as doth the chapelle belle. V. 169. The holt obferves on the meannefs of Lidgate's appearance,
That his bridle had neither bofs nor bell. And in another pafTage, it is remarked,
His palfrey was as brown as a berry. V. 207.
3 B 2 T.
372 AN EXCELENTE BALADE OF CHARITIE.
An almes, fir priefte ! the droppynge pilgrim faide, O ! let me waite within your coven te dore, Til the fume fheneth hie above our heade, And the loude tempefte of the aire is oer ; 6o
Helplefs and ould am I alas ! and poor ; No houfl-, ne friend, ne monei; in my pouche ; All yatte I call my owne is this my filver crouche *.
Varlct, replyd the Abbatte, ceafe your dinne;
This is no feafon ahnes and prayers to give; 6.5
Mie porter never lets a faitour r in ;
None touch mie rynge who not in honour live.
And now the fonne with the blacke cloudes did ftryve,
d Crucifix. e A beggar, or vagabond, deceiver, impoflor.
And
To the fame purpofe, Mr. Warton quotes a paffage from WiclifF's Trialogue, who inveighs again.t the priefts for their " fair hors and jolly and gay faddeles, and bridles ringing by the way." Vol. i. p. 164, note.
It is not doubted, I prcfume, that the perfons who made trappings and furniture for horfes, were called Horfe Millanars ; for though the word is now generally confined to the drefs of the fair fejf, yet the etymology of both is the fame, taking its rife from a trade begun and carried on by th« inhabitants of Milan ; though we cannot regularly deduce the hiilory and progrefs of it.
In a roll of expences, temp. Henry VIII. (publifhed with the Form of Cury, by Mr. Pegge,) mention is made of myllen Jleeva of ivhyte fatten, and a tnillon bonnett 4r,fid with agletts. The office of horfe-rr.illiner, however, is frill preferved in the king's {tables, and has a place in the Red book, with a yearly falary of ten guineas annexed to it, in favour of a female, vvhofe bufinefs it is to fupply the rofes and ribbands with which the king's horfes are adorned on particular occa- fions, fuch as reviews, or when the king goes in ftate to the Houfe of Peers, or in any other great and folemn proceffion. I am alfo credibly informed, that the term of Horfe Milliner is ftill fo common at Norwich, as to be ufed in adver- tifements and han I-bills, and applied to collar-makers ; who furnifh molt kinds of geer for farmers draught-horfes, and are more generally called Knackers.
V. 67. It is well known that Bifhops and Abbots wore rings of ftate, adorned
with a gem, generally a fapphire ; the azure colour being emblematical of heaven.
3 John
AN EXCELENTE BALADE OF CHARITIE. 373
And ihettynge f on the grounde his glairie c raie, The Abbatte fpurrde his fteede, and eftfoones roadde awaic. 70
Once moe the fkie was blacke, the thounder rolde ; Fafte reyneynge oer the plaine a priefte was feen ; Ne dighte full proude, ne buttoned up in golde ; His cope and japeh were graie, and eke were clenej A Limitoure' he was of order feene ; 7*
And from the paihwaie Tide then turned hee, Where the pore aimer laie binethe the holmen tree.
An almes, fii 1 rieft ! 'he droppynge pilgrim fayde,
For fwecte Seyndlc Marie and your order fake.
The Limitoure then looiln'd his pouche threade, 8c
' Shsoting. e Clear., Jhining. h A fhort furplice, worn by friars of an inferior clafsj and fecular priefts. ' A licenced begging friar.
And
John Bifhop of Ardfert, who died at St Albans, bequeathed to that Abbey no Iefs than three magnificent fapphire rings. — (See Sir James Weare's lives of the Irifh Bifhops, and the Regiiter of St. Albans in the Cotton Library) This cuftom continued even after the Reformation, for Archbifhop Parker bequeathed his bed fapphire ring to Grindall, Archbifhop of York (who happened to be bis fucceffor), and his fecond fapphire ring to William Cecil. — So likewife Grindall, Archbifhop of Canterbury, bequeathed a fapphire ring to Whitgift, Bif.iop of Worcefter, who was alfo his fuc< cfTor. — See Strype's Lives of the Archbifhops. The touching this ring by an inferior, or at leaft the kiO:ng the hand which wore it, was confidcred as a mark of .litt.int refpeft on approacning their perlons ; and the permiffion denoted an acceptance of tile compliment.
V. 6q. Shettynge for (hoc ting, is the vulgar pronunciation of the word in De- vonshire to this day.
V. 75. Limitours were fiiarswho had a licence to beg within a certain diftricl; the word occurs in Chaucer's Prologues. The form of his purfe, his manner of wearing it, and the piece of money given in charity, fpeak the genuine language of that age.
374 AN EXCELENTE BALADE OF CHARITIE.
And did thereoute a groate of filver take ; The miller k pilgrim dyd for halline ' lhake. Here take this filver, it maie eathe m thie care ; We are Goddes {rewards all, nete n of oure owne we bare.
But ah ! unhailie ° pilgrim, lerne of me, 85
Scathe p anie give a rentrolleq to their Lorde. Here take my femecope r, thou arte bare I fee ; Tis thyne ; the Seyncles will give me mie rewarde. He left the pilgrim, and his waie aborde'. Virgynne and hallie Seyncte, who fitte yn gloure', 90
Or give the mittee u will, or give the gode man power.
k Needy. ' Joy. m Eafe. n Nought. ' Unhappy, p Scarce. 1 An account of their rent. ' A fliort under-cloke. a Went cm. 'Glory. u Mighty, rich.
V. 82. The mifter pilgrim. This word is explained by Johnfon and others as fignifying trade or occupation ; and indeed Chaucer ufes it in that fenfe,
What miftere men ye be. V. 5614. But Dr. Johnfon has not obferved, that it alfo fignifies want and nccefftty :
If that men had miftere of thee. Chaucer, v. 6078.
And han of council more mifter. v. 651 1.
So Gawen Douglas,
Quhare I offend it or my/leris correction. And Spenfer,
As to my name, it mijlreth not to tell. F. Q. B. iii. 1. 7. ft. 51. "V. 86. Rentrolle here, and renteynge rolles in the Storie of William Cannyngc, v. 128, mean rent, or the money due for what they occupy. One of thefe parch- ments called a. Rent-roll, and containing an account of Canning's chantries, for the year 1467, is in Mr. Barret's poffeflion : The manner of fignifying the difcharge of each quarter's rent, was by cutting a fmall hole in the left hand margin of the roll, in the fhape of a lozenge.
The concluding prayer of this Ballad marks the genuine difpofition of its au- thor, who, in all his compofitions, ftudied not lefs to improve, than to amufe the mind of his reader.
THE
[ 375 ]
SONGE TO JE L L A.
T T J E may now confider Rowley's abilities in Lyric poetry, of * ™ which fome fpecimens have been already given in the Minftrells Songs in Ella, Godwin, and the Tournament : But the Song to Ella was, in the opinion of the author, when he wrote it ; The beji performance of his lyttel wytte. The reader will de- termine whether the Chorus in Godwin, though imperfect, does not excel in defcriptive expreffion.
This Song or Ode, being prefaced with a challenge to Lidgate, and followed by his anfwer; and the authenticity of all thefe pieces being queftioned ; the objections muft be removed, before the merit of the Ode can be confidered: Unfortunately for the poet, the Challenge and Anfwer are fuppofed to be fpurious by Mr. Warton, on account of the affected meannefs of the compofition; whilit other critics, with no lefs precifion, condemn the Ode itfelf, as exceeding the poetic abilities of the fifteenth century : Other objections, of a particular kind, are made to the feveral pafftges; all which ihall be duly confidered.
Rowley's fuppofed competitor, John Lidgate, Monk of Bury, was a poet of great fame at the beginning of the fifteenth century ; for even the catalogue of his poems (many of which are printed) fills more than three folio pages in Tanner's Bibl. Britan. who fpeaks of him not only as " an elegant poet, and a good orator, " but alfo as an expert mathematician, an acute philofopher, and
5 " no
376 SONGE TO iELLA.
" no contemptible divine." Having travelled in France and Italy, and acquired the languages of thole countries, he enriched his native tongue with poetic translations from them. He was ordained prieft in 1397, and was certainly alive in 1446, as appears by one of his poems. (See Tanner's Bibl. Brita'i.)
If the Ballad on the Craft of Lovers, afcribed by Urry to Chaucer, p. 353, from a mistake in the date *, was written by Lidgate, (of whofe poetry it makes a part, in the original MS. in the Harleian Collection) it will extend that poet's life to a much later period, and render him Still more nearly contemporary with Rowley. But notwithstanding fo confiderable a difparity in their age, they might have had communication with each other; and the note in the fecond poem on the Battle of Hastings feems to imply that Rowley had Submitted that poem to Lidgate's perufal. The Challenge is addrelTed to him in London, where he mult fre- quently have been, when he prefented his poems to King Henry the Vlth, and to the Duke of Gloucester: The printed title calls him Ladgate, but Mr. Barrett convinced Chatterton, from the original, that he had miftaken it for Lidgate; it was not eafy, however, to make him acknowledge an error, though he had fallen into other miitakes in the fame poem, as appears by the various readings in the Introductory account. By the wa,, this was the firfl of Rowley's compositions produced by Chatterton to Mr. Barrett; and, befides the apparent antiquity of the vellum, ink, and handwriting, it had this unufual, but ftrong proof of authenticity, that it was written in continued lines, extending the whole breadth of the parchment, like a profe compofition. Mr. VVarton himfelf has obfervjd, vol. i. p. 3 j, " That it was cuf- " tomary with ancient fcribes, when ftanzas confuted of Short
* Which, inflead of 1347, Should be 1459 ; for it (lands thus in the original MS, In the yere of our Lord M by rekoning, Four handled fiftic & nine following.
" verSes,
SONGE TO £LLA.
• — »
"' verfes, to throw them together like profe." The yellow colour of the ink and parchment (which Mr. Warton concludes to be a fraud, without bringing the leaft proof to give credit to his aflertion) is certainly a prefumptive argument in favour of its au- thenticity j but the parchment from which Mr. Warton formed his judgment, is now no longer the fubjedt of appeal; having been lent by Mr. Barrett, to gratify the curiofity of fome friends, it was unfortunately loft, almoft beyond the hope of re- covery; that deficiency, however, may be fupplied by internal proofs.
It has been alfo objected by the fame learned critic, that the writing of this roll did not correfpond with the record hand of that age ; but is there any neceffity that thefe poems fhould have been written in a record hand ? and as to the common running hand of the fifteenth century, it was much more deficient in re- gularity and orthography than the fpecimens in queftion.
As to the Challenge, it can hardly be confidered as a real com- petition for fame between thefe two poets. The dilparity in their age, and the eftablifhed reputation of Lidgate, forbid the fuppo- fition, and make it more probable that this fpecimen of Rowley's Mufe was intended as a compliment and mark of deference to Lidgate, afpiring to fame under the favour of fo confiderable a poet. Lidgate's reply confirms the idea : He produces no poem in oppofition to Rowley : But the Anfwer is intended as a com- pliment to his genius, by comparing him with the jfirft poets of our own or other countries. Indeed Rowley feems to difclaim all idea of rivaling Lidgate, in thofe words,
Rememberr Stowe, the Brightftowe Carmalyte, &c. He might rather fay with Lucretius,
Haud ita certandi cupidus, quam propter amorem, Quod te imitari aveo ; quid enim contendat hirundo Cycnis ? ■
3 C May
378 SONGE TO ^ELLA.
May it not not be fuppofed that Lidgate had fent to Rowley, in a manner not to be denied, exprelTing a curiofity to fee fome of his compofitions; which, though no challenge, or bowting match, Rowley, in compliment to Lidgate, might affect to confidcr as {uchl A Aawting match agrees with the language of ancient ballads. See Evans's Collection, vol. i. p. 134, where Robin Hood fays,
A boiot with thee I mean to have.
As to John Clarkynge's literary merit (who is faid to be one ofmickle lore) we know nothing more of it than is here mentioned; but Stowe may mean 'John Stone, a famous divine, and Carmelite- fryar at Briftol, contemporary with Rowley, who is faid by Tan- ner to have written Sermones de tempore. It has been already ob- ferved, that Chatterton frequently miftook <w for n in his tran- fcripts.
It will not detract from the authenticity of thefe pieces to fup- pofe, that both the Challenge and Anfvver were ideal, the produce of Rowley's imagination, founded either in his love for invention, or his ambition for fame : Such fictions are not without example : Skelton, poet laureat to Henry VHIth, reprefents himfelf as in- troduced by the Queen of Fame to her temple, amongfl feveral celebrated writers and poets : Gower, Chaucer, and Lidgate com- pliment him feparately on his poetic merit, and he is dubbed by Lidgate Prothonotary of the Court. See his " Crown of Laurel." The conteft between Lidgate and Rowley, if it had been real, mud: have been very unequal. In that view, no objection can be made to the meannefs of Lidgate's reply ; who, notwithstanding his high reputation as a poet, and fome brilliant defcriptions felected from his works by Mr. Warton, is faid by him to be " verbofe *' and diffufe in his manner, often tedious and languid, feldom " pathetic or animate." Vol. ii. p. 58.
A fpecimen of his literature and poetic merit will appear from a
part of his Prologue totheTranflation of Boccace's Fall of Princes.
3 I never
SONGE TO iELLA.
379
I never was acquainted with Virgile, Nor with the fuggard ditties of Homere, Nor Dares Phrygius with his golden ftile. Nor with Ovide in poetry moft entire, Nor with the lbvereign Ballads of Chaucer, Which among all that ever were read or fung, Excelld all other in our Englifh tung.
B. ix. c. 18. And in his addrefs to the Prince,
I was never yet at Citheron, Nor in the mountain called Parnafs, Where nine mufes have their manfion ; I will procede furth with white and black, And where I fail, let Lydgate bear the lack. But Mr. Warton, on another occafion (vol. ii. p. 59) expreffes fo much furprize at the merit of Lidgate's verfes, " that in this " fagacious age we fhould have judged them to be a forgery, was " not their genuinenefs authenticated, and their antiquity confirm- " ed, by Caxton's types and unqueftionable manufcripts :" Why may not, then, his judgment be equally deceived with refpect to Rowley, whofe poetry is fupported by a weight of internal evi- dence, not inferior to the external one of Caxton's types.
There is an impropriety charged on Lidgate's Anfwer to the Challenge, for placing King Alfred among the poets. But it muft be acknowledged, that he was a great hiftorian and lawgiver; and eminent for his parables, which is aifo a fpecies of poetry. " In ** parabolis ita enituit, ut nemo poft ilium amplius." See Annales Winceft. apud Dugdale's MonafL t. i. p. 32. A fpecimen of them may be feen in Spelman's Life of Alfred, lib. ii. feci:. 46. This circumftance alone might juftify the poet in faying, that To the Saxon men He fang with elocation. And for a fimilar reafon Turgotus might have been placed
3 C 2 in
.
380 SONGE TO ^ELLA.
in the fame company j for he was mod indifputably an eminent hiftorian : And the beam which Rowley caught from him might have conveyed hiftoric light, not poetic fire. But, in fact, Alfred is ranked by our hiftorian s among the poets. Bale fays, " Poeta non vulgaris haberetur:" Spelman, in his life, quotes an author who calls him " Saxonicorum poetarum " peritiffimus;" and he is filled, in the Biographia Britannica, ** the Prince of Saxon Poets." Mr. Warton alfo charges the Anfwer rather uncandidly, for making Chaucer and Stowe con- temporaries with Turgot j for it was not the intention of the poet to diftinguiih precifely their refpective aera's, but to deduce the fucceffion of thefe eminent geniufes from thofe of Greece and Rome, to our own countrymen, Merlin, Alfred, and Turgot, under the three fucceffive governments of Britons, Saxons and Normans. The two perfons next in order, viz. Chaucer and Stowe, could not be otherwife defcribed, as living at a fucceffive period : The word then being equivalent to afterwards. But it is not to be fuppofed, that poets of that or any other age attended to fuch nice chronological accuracies j nor indeed is the objection of any force ; for if Chatterton had half the knowledge of poetry that his advocates wifh to give him, he was not more likely than Rowley to have mifcaken the age in which Chaucer lived.
But enough of Lidgate. Let us proceed to the objections made to the Song, from the excellence of its poetry, and the peculiarity, of its meafure. The former of thefe will extend to every poem in the collection, and. amounts only to this, that the fifteenth century has not produced, and therefore could not produce, !b great a genius as Rowley. But this point having been already confidered, and anfwered, it may be fufficient to obferve, that the like objection may be extended to every other great genius in poetry, and in all other fciences, who, by furpaffing their contem- poraries, have been confidered as prodigies of the age in which they lived : Might not the works of Homer and Pindar, of Shakefpeare
2 and
SONGRTOiELLA. 381
and Milton, be condemned as fpurious on the fame prin- ciple ? and with what conliftence of argument can thefe excel- lencies (uncommon as they are) be denied to a perfon mature in age, learned by education and profeffion, and yet be allowed (without the advantages of age, experience, ftudy, and learning) to the earlieff. efforts of a diffipited youth of feventeen years of age, born in indigence, and educated in a charity-fchool ?
The objections to the met-e of the Song are, that the Pin- daric or (tofpeak more properly) irregular meafure, was unknown, or at leaft not revived in Rowley's time *. It muff be acknow- ledged, that the firft efforts of our Englifh poets were unenriched with variety, being chiefly confined to lines of equal feet, rhim- ing either in couplets or alternately. The many-line flanza was afterwards introduced, and terminated by an Alexandrine. This meafure was thought fufficient to defcribe hifforical events, or to exprefs the common emotions of the human paffions; and Rowley himfelf is a proof how adequate they are for that purpofe, under the conduct of fo great a poet. But might not the fire of his genius, when infpircd by his fubject, take the fame liberty in varying the poetic meafure, as other contemporary poets did in the rhime, even on a fuppofition that he had never feen or heard of the works of Pindar, which the objectors cannot take upon them to prove ?
The irregularity in the metre of this Song is very considerable;, dividing it into fix ffanzas of fix lines each, the fecond anfwers ex- actly to the fifth, and the fourth to the fixth, and the difference between all four is a mere trifle. The third is quite irregular, and the firft, though quite unlike the reft, is not inharmonious.
The perfon, character, and offices of Ella having been already defcribed, the following remarks fhall be confined to fuch paifages of the Song as may feem to require illuftration.
* Cowley obierves, that Pane i.uilus might have counted this in the lift of the loft inventions ui ai tiquity, which ne made a bold and vigorous attempt to re- cover. See Johnfon's Life of that Poet.
TO
[ 382 ]
TO JOHNE LADGATE.
[Sent with the following Songe to JElla.]
T T 7 ELL thanne, goode Johne, fythe a ytt muft needes be foe,
* * Thatt thou & I a bowtynge matche mud have, Lette ytt ne breakynge of oulde friendfhyppe bee, Thys ys the onelie all-a-boone b I crave.
Rememberr Stowe, the Bryghtftowe Carmalyte, Who whanne Johne Clarkynge, one of myckle lore % Dydd throwe hys gauntlette-penne, wyth hym to fyghte, Hee fhowd fmalle wytte, and fhowd hys weaknefTe more.
Thys ys mie formance, whyche I nowe have wrytte, The beft performance of mie lyttel wytte.
SONGE TO .ELLA,
LORDE OF THE CASTEL OF BRYSTOWE YNNE DAIES OF YORE.
Oh thou, orr what remaynes of thee, ./Ella, the darlynge of futurity, Lett thys mie fonge bolde as thie courage be, As everlaftynge to pofteritye.
* Since. b Favour. c Much learning.
Whanne
SONGE TO /ELLA. 383
Whannc Dacya'sd formes, whofe hayres of bloude-redde hue 15 Lyche kynge-cuppes c braftynge wythe the morning due,
Arraung'd ynne dreare arraie,
Upponne the lethale daie, Spredde farrc and wyde onne Watchets fhore;
Than dyddft thou furioufe ftande, 20
And bie thie valyante hande Beefprengedd f all the mees wythe gore.
Drawne bie thyne anlace * felle,
Downe to the depthe of helle
Thoufandes of Dacyanns went ; 2 C
Bryftowannes, menne of myghte,
Ydar'd the bloudie fyghte,
And adtedd deeds full quent1'.
Oh thou, wheieer (thie bones att refle)
Thye Spryte to haunte delyghteth befte, 30
Whetherr upponne the bloude-embrewedd pleyne,
Orr whare thou kennft fromm farre
The dyfmall crye of w^rre, Orr feefl fomme mountayne made of corfe of fleyne ;
d The Danes. * Butter-flowers. f Sprinkled. g Terrible /word. h Strange.
Orr
V. 29. The invocation at the beginning of the fecond flanza, refembles Virgil's addrefs to the Spirit of C*far. — Georg. B. i. I. 24.
Tuque adeo, quem mox quae fint habitura Deorum Concilia, inctrtum tft, urbifne invifere Casfar,
Terranimque velis curam
An D us immenfi venias maris— Quicquid eris ■
3S4 SONGE TO /ELLA.
Orr feeft. the hatchedd ' ftede, 35
Ypraunceynge o'er the mede, And neighe to be amenged k the poyndledd fpeeres ;
Orr ynne blacke armoure ftaulke arounde
Embattel'd Bryflowe, once thie grounde, And glovve ' ardurous m onn the Caftle fleeres ; 40
' Armed and covered with atchievements. k Among, or mingled with.
1 Look earnejlly, flare. m Burning.
Orr
V. 35. The hatched horfe (in the ftile of that age) or the horfe covered with achievements,
Yprauncyng o'er the mead, Who neighs to be among the pointed fpears, may remind the reader of the horfe in Job, ch. xxxix. v. 21.
21. He paweth in the valley, and rtjoiceth in his ftrength : He goeth on to meet the armed men.
23. The quiver rattleth againft him, the glittering fpear and the fhitLl. But this may be only a cafual coincidence of ideas, which (like others before men- tioned) occur to original poets without any communication with each others works.
The critic before quoted, in the Gentleman's Magazine, May 1777, p. 207, objects to the mention of hatchments or devices on the fhields. See E. H. N" 2. v. 279, 280, 489, and 572 ; where each Norman knight is faid
To beer war-token in a fiiielde fo fyn This ufage he fuppofes not to be as ancient as the Conqueror's time ; but devices on fhields, and even mottoes to them, are as old as /Efchylus and Euripides, and even as the heroes they introduce on the ftage. Sec the "Etttcx. tni 0r'=^;f, v. 393, of the former, and the Phasniffae, v. 1 1 14, & feq. of the latter. They are undoubtedly coeval with the Conqueft, at leaft they arc to be found on the Bayeux Tapeftry, which is fuppofed to be almoft as ancient; but if the fadf. Was otherwife, fuch a poetical anachronifm would not affect the authenticity of the poem.
V. 36. Chatterton having miftaken the word ypraunceynge, wrote.it ifrayning. See the Introd. Account : A fure proof that he was the copier, and not the author of the Song.
V. 40. Cajllejleeres. Davie, in his Gejle of Alexander, ufes the word Steris for cpartments ; and Jlede for lodging. See Warton, vol. iii. p. 124.
SONGETOiELLA. 385
Orr fierye round the mynfterr glare ;
Lette Bryftowe flylle be made thie care ; Guarde ytt fromme foemenne & confumynge fyre ;
L. che Avones itreme enfyrke " ytte rounde,
Ne lette a flame enharme the grounde, ±e
Tylle ynne one flame all the whole worlde expyre.
n Encircle.
V. 41. Orr fierye round the mynfterr glare. It has been already obferved, that the word min/ler can only be applied to St. Ewin's church, fituated in the center of the town, where he might furvey it encircled by Avon's ftream ; a circumftance noticed by Lcland, " So that Avon doth " peninfulate the town," Itin. vol. v. p. 6llj but Briftol, in its prefent Hate, can furnifli no fuch idea.
V.43. The danger of fire and thieves are deprecated in all cities ; but Rowley's genius alone could dignify the idea, by connecting it with the general conflagra- tion ; an event which Chatterron publickly ridiculed and totally diibelieved.
A reference is made in this Song, v. 30, and in the Tragedy of Ella, to th; Caftle of Briftol, of which Ella was Waro.cn or Governor in days of yore: Without recurring to the particulars relating to it in Turgot's MS. Hiftory of Briftol, it is obferved by John Rofs and Leland, that Robert, the natural fon of Henry the firft, Conful of Gloucefter, who married Mabill, the heirefs of Robert Fitz Hamon, founded the caflle, or at leaf!: built the large fquare tower, called the Dongeon, with (tones brought from Caen in Normandy. " Circa haec tempora Robertus " fili lis Hamonis Comes GloTiccfhiae caftrum Briftolia: fundavit cum prioratu " Sl| Jacobi." Rofs Warwic. p. no. — " Robert Conful builded the caftle of " Brightftowe, or the moft part of it, Every man fayeth that he builded the great " fquare dongeon, and that the ftoncs thereof came out of Caen in Normandy." Leland's Itin. vol. vi. p. 85. But Sir William Dugdale, Baron, vol. i. p. 535, afierts, on the authority of Glover's MS. that Walter Conftabb of England, the father of Milo Fitz Warren, Earl of Hereford, built the caftles of London, Ro- ■chefter, and Brijhl ; which cannot be ftriclly true, thofe caftles having had a more early foundation ; but from the nature of his ofHce, we may fuppofe that he rebuilt, or at leaft repaired them, and the rather, becaufe (as Sir William Dugdale obferves) his fon Milo came over to the Emprefs Maud's party at Briflol, and entered into a ftricr. and folemn league with Robert, Conful of Gloucefter, to aid him in keeping his cajlles. The papers now in Mr. Barrett's pofTeffion furnifh a very extraordinary and authentic evidence of thisfacl : Amongft them are fomc drawings reprefenn ,
3 D
386 SONGETOjELLA.
the ground plan and elevation of the different parts of the caftle, efpccially the Square Tower or Dongcon, probably as they flood in Rowley's time, in a ftile of architecture fomewhat different from, but not of a more modern tafte than the buildings of the fifteenth century. The reprefentation of the Square Tower, or Don»eon, is conformable in its fize, fhape, and external difpofition, to thole of Lon- don, Roehefter, and other ancient towers erected about the fame period ; but it is remarkably decorated with images, ornaments, tracery-work, and croflfes within circles, in a ftile not ufually feen in thofe buildings :. Near the top of each buttnefs are alternately carved in the ftone the following fhicliis oi coat armour, viz. Gules, three bow refts, Or; and Gules, two bends, one argent the other Or. The refpeiSlive blazons (which are not expreffed in the drawing, nor could be re- prefented on the ftone) are here mentioned, in order to (hew, that the former is the coat armour of Fitz Hamon, which was born by Robert Conful of Gloucefter, firft founder of this caftle (fee Milles's Catalogue of Honour, p. 358) and the latter that of Milo Fitz Warren, Earl of Hereford, the fecond founder, or repairer of it. (Milles, p. 1 06 1.) Amongft thefe drawings, one reprefents this Robert Earl of Gloucefter, with a fword in his right hand, and a fhield with his coat-armour in his left.
Can there exift a more convincing proof of the originality of thefe drawings, at leaft as far as Rowley is concerned ? What can be more probable, than that the two great perfonages, who are faid in hiftory to have been the founders of this caftle, fhould be reprefented by their coat-armour in the fubfequent im- provements of it ? If the form of the building correfponds with that of the ancient Norman caftles, why fhould the decorations be thought ideal, becaufe no other buildings of the kind appear thus highly ornamented ? The Caen ftone, of which this Dongeon was built, is well adapted to receive carved ornaments ; and, by Robert of Gloucefter's account, this caftle was one of the moft elegant ftruclures of the kind in England ; for he fays of Robert, the firft Earl of Gloucefter,
Slno HBrtttotu tbour ftps toyf teas alfo Jnw,
«ant> 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
[ 388 ]
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 furcotert graie, t
Twayne lonelie fhepfterres e dyd abrodden f flie, (The roftlyng8 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
392
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 derniek 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. Swotep flouretts, mantled meedows, foreftes dygne"'; Gravots r far-kends arounde the Emmets ' cell ; The fwote ribible u dynning x yn the dell ; 25
The joyous daunceynge ynn the hoaftriey 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 flourep 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. Calked1 from everych joie, heere wylle I bledeb; Fell ys the Cullys-yattec 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 bredec fea doe the banners glemedj 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 Conteke3 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. 0 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 fhemrynge0 ryfe ;
Upfwalynged 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
4o2 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 giff to dare,. Boun e the merk h fvverde, theie feche to fraie !, theie blyn k.
fMighty. 'Affright. c Woeful. "Covered. * T DifFerentkinds of boats. zFull. foon, prefently. a Joining. b Afucb, glitter. c United, aflembled. d Running, cFoes. fIf. 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:
Enchafyngea echone champyonne war to wage.
Speeres bevyleb 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
0 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$.
ccptPyXei <Jt o« xvyxi QaiiioiiTXi iroAAoifl-f jj.it arfixiri vjktos a/j.o\yu.
II. X. v. 27.. And o'er the feeble ftars- exerts his ray. Pope. Spenfer has twice copied the fame idea,
A precious ftone,
Shaped by a lady's hand, exceeding fhone, Like Hefperus among the lefler lights. B. i. c. 7. ft. 30.'. And again,
Compared to her that fhone as Phoebus bright, Among the leffer ftars, in evening clear.
B. iv. c. 5. ft. 14. V. 53. The ideas conveyed in the three next lines, are thofe of the terrific fablime, very expreflive, and much in the ftile of the Iliad.
AiitAOS t riSi pe£(§P, x, 'E01? a^OTOf fj.iy.ix.-Stx.
11. A. v. 440. Pale Flight around, and dreadful Terror reign, And Difcord raging bathes the purple plain.
Pope, B. iv. v. 50.. V. 57. Nor is the following defcription of the engagement lefs Homerical, <J>0<x£«VTfj Sopv Szpi, nexus (rxasT TrpoQiXvfAva, 'Aa"7r7y etp' aV^i^' tpeiJ'f, xeeuj xopvy, xviox S avnj.
II. N. v. 130. .v Spears
ECLOGUE THE SECOND. 405
Sprytes of the blefte, and everych Seynfte ydedde, Poure owte youre pleafaunce on mk fadres hedde.
The foemen fal arounde ; the crofs reles e hye j Steyned ynne goere, the harte of warre ys feen ; Kyng Rycharde, thorough everyche trope dothe flie, 6$ And beereth meynte f of Turkes onto the greene ; Bie hymm the floure of Afies menn ys fleene *-, The waylynge h mone doth fade before hys fonne; Bie hym hys knvghtes bee formed to actions deene s, Doeynge fyke marvels k, ftrongers be afton '. 70
Sprytes of the blefle, and everych Seyncie ydedde, Poure owte your pleafaunce onn mie fadres hedde.
'Waves. f Many, great numbers. * Slain. h Decreafing. ' Glorious, worthy, k Wonders. ] Aftonifhed.
The
Spears lean on fpears, on targets targets throng,
Helms {tuck to helms, and man drove man along.
Pope, B. xiii. v. 181. See alfo Iliad n. v. 214.
Homer indeed thus defcribes the march of the army, but Rowley is fpeaking of she aclual engagement.
V. 66. The poet ufes the words Saracens, Turks, and Afias men as fynonymous ; but he fpeaks by anticipation of the Turks, \v.ho having conquered the Saracens, againft whom the Crufade was dire&ed, became a fovereign power in 1274, and fixed their feat of empire at Conftantinople in 1453- Though they were ori- ginally Heathens, they embraced Mahometifm, the religion of the people whom they had conquered. The terrible ideas which the Chriftians had entertained of the Saracens during the crufade, made the writers of thofe times to rank them under the general title of Heathens, who are by them filled Saracens. Thus Gower and Pierce Plowman call Trajan a Saracen ; and a poetical verfion of the Gofpels for Sundays, not lefs ancient than Chaucer's time, gives the fame name to the Heathens mentioned in the Old Teftament. Robert of Gloucefter fays, that St. Edwyn forfook the Law Sarracyn, i. e. the Pagan religion. And in a romance of Merlin (Cotton Library, Caligula, A. 2. f. 33,} the Saxons are called Saracens,
4o6 ECLOGUE THE SECO ND.
The fyghte ys wonne ; Kynge Rycharde matter is ;
The Englonde ban n err kilfeth the hie ayre;
Full of pure joie the armie is iwys m, 75
And everych one haveth it onne his bayre n ;
Agayne to Englonde comme, and worfchepped there,
Twyghte ° into lovynge amies, and feafted eft p;
In everych eyne aredyngeq nete of wyerer,
Of all remembrance of pad: peyne berefte 80
Sprites of the bleile, and everich Seyncle ydedde, Syke pleafures powre upon mie fadres hedde.
Syke Nigel fed, whan from the bluie fea The upfvvol s fayle dyd daunce before his eyne j Swefte as the wifhe, hee toe the beeche dyd flee, 85
And founde his fadre fteppeynge from the brync. Lette thyffen ' menne, who haveth fprite of loove, Bethyncke untoe hemfelves how mote the meetynge proove.
01 Certainly. n Brow, or beaver. ° Plucked, pulled. 'Often. * No conftderation, or though. ' Giief, trouble. ' Swollen. ' Thefe.
V. 74. The Englonde bannerr, is put for the Englijh banner; and bayre, v. 76, is only a contraction for beaver, meaning his head or his face.
The poet has brought home the {hip which carried Nigell's father, making it the obj eel of joy and triumph ; but the perfonal return of Richard is not mentioned, either by Nigell or the poet: And as to the return of his army, what is faid v. 77. is perhaps mere poetic vifion, in which Nigell anticipates his wifhes ; at leaft it might be thought improper to lefTen the fplendor of that expedition, by taking notice of the unfortunate accident that attended it : Nor fhould it pafs unremarked, that the repeated invocation of the blefTed fpirits at the end of each ftanza, is not only a mark of antiquity, but alfo a great additional beauty to the poem.
ECLOGUE
I 407 1
ECLOGUE THE THIRD,
P I ^HE third Eclogue is a moral efTay formed upon a paftoral- _I_ plan, wherein the author does juftice to his own character a3 a pious ecclefiaftic and inftructive moralift ; whilit he copies the genuine ideas and language of the peafants in their part of the dialooue. A chaftity and delicacy of fentiment, united with the molt ierious impreflions of religion and virtue, are the diftin- guifhing characters of Rowley's poems : He feenis a ftranger to every irreligious and impure idea ; and if there be found a paf- fage in this Eclogue lefs delicate than in any other of his poems, it mult be confidered as a facrifice to the juftice of the character he meant to reprefent, by copying a deformity, in order to pre- ferve a clofer refemblance with the original.
The various metres of this dialogue, and the tranfition of it from a flow to a quicker meafure, are remarkably expreflive of gravity and mirth,
ECLOGUE
[ 408 ] I
ECLOGUE THE THIRD.
\\T OULDST thou kenn nature in her better parte ?
Goe, ferche the logges a and bordels b of the hynde c; GyfFa theie have anie, itte ys roughe-made arte, Inne hem e you fee the blakied f forme of kynde %. Haveth your mynde a lycheynge h of a mynde ? 5
Woulde it kenne everich thynge, as it mote ' bee ? Woulde ytte here phrafe of the vulgar from the hynde, Withoute wifeegger k wordes and knowlache ' free ? Gyf foe, rede thys, whyche Iche dyfporteynge r" pende ; Gif nete befyde, yttes rhyme maie ytte commende. 10
M A N N E. Botte whether, fayre mayde, do ye goe ?
0 where do ye bende yer waie ? I wille knowe whether you goe,
1 wylle not bee afleled " naie.
3 Lodges, huts. b Cottages. c Servant, flave, peafant. d If. ' A contraction of them. f Naked, original. E Nature. * Liking, an idea of likenefs. "Might. The fenfe of this line is, Would you fee every thing in its primaeval ftate. k Wife- egger, a philofopher. ' Knowledge. m Sporting. n Anfwered.
W O M A N N E.
V. ii & 12. A very natural and eafy introduction to the dialogue, not unlike one in Evans's Collection of Ancient Ballads, vol. i. p. 91. Robin Hood fays, Fair lady, whither away ? O whither, fair lady, away ?
ECLOGUE THE THIR D. 4o9
W O M A N N E. To Robyn and Nell, all downe in the dellc, 15
To hele° hem at raakeynge of haie.
MANN E. Syr Roggerre, the parfone, hav hyred mee there,
Comme, comme, lctt us tryppe ytte awaie, We'lle wurke r and we'lle fynge, and wylle drenche ^ of ftronge beer As longe as the merrie fommers daie. 20
W O M A N N E. If ow harde ys mie dome to wurch !
Moke is mie woe. Dame Agnes, whoe lies ynne the Chyrche
With birlette' golde, Wythe gelten* aumeres ' flronge u ontolde, 2 s
What was fhee moe than me, to be foe ?
0 Aid, or help. p Work. 1 Drink. r A hood, or covering for the back part of the head. s Guilded. ' Borders of gold and filver, on which was laid thin plates of either metal counterchanged, not unlike the prefent fpangled laces, or bracelets. u Strung.
M A N N E.
V. 24. The object of envy and difcontent in the woman, was the head-drefs and girdle of Dame Agnes, which were at that time the diftinguiflihur parts of female attire: So late as Henry the VHIth's time, anno 1534, Sir Thomas More thus writes to Mrs. Roper, " which thing, (i.e. a farther fearch of his houfes) if it " fhould happen, can make but game to us that know the trouth of my poverty ■ ". but if (i. e. unlefs) they fynd out my wyves gay gyrdle and her gelden ledes." Sec his works, p 1447-
The Birlette 01 ■ Bourele/te, a diminutive from the French Bcurette, (in modern Italian Beretta) fignified a covering for the head, which was probably ornamented with gold, not unlike the head-drefs of Olynpus, defcribed by Adam Davie. Yer yallow har was foyre attired,
Mid riche ftringe of gold wired. VTarton, vol. i. p. 223. V. 25. The gelten aumeres Jlronge ontolde, might have been golden or ^ilt
3 G bracelets
4io ECLOGUE THE THIRD.
MANN E. I kenne Syr Roger from afar
Tryppynge over the lea; Ich afk whie the loverds x fon
Is moe than mee. 30
SYR ROGERRE.
The fweltriey fonne dothe hie apace hys wayne *, From everich heme a feme a of lyfe doe falle; Swythyn b fcille c oppe the haie uponne the playne ; Methynck.es the cockes begynneth to gre J talle. Thys ys alyche ouie doomee; the great, the fmalle, 35 Mofte withe f and bee forwyned g by deathis darte. See ! the fvvote h flourette ' hathe noe fwote at alle ; Itte wythe the ranke wede bereth evalle k parte. The cravent1, warrioure, and the wyfe be blente m, Alyche to drie awaie wythe thofe theie dyd bemente". 40
M A N N E. AU-a-boon°, Syr Priefl, all-a-boon,
Bye yer preeflfchype no we faye unto mee ;
x Lord, y Sultry. * Car. a Seed. b Quickly, prefently. c Gather, or, dofe up. a Grow. e Fate. f A contraction of wither. 8 Dried. h Sweet. ' Flower. k Equal. ' Coward. m Ceafed, dead, no more, rather, mixed, united. " Lament. 0 A manner of afking a favour.
Syr
bracelets or girdles, ftrung with a number of gla& or amber beads j an ornament much ufed in thofc days.
V. ?g. Chatterton has millaken the meaning of the word blent, which in this paffage fignlfies mixed, not ceafed, or dead. This participle, as Mr. Tyrwhit has obferved, is derived from four different verbs, and applied to four different nullifi- cations, viz. dead, blinded, mixed, and forunk.
The daily amufements of the peafant are charadteriftical of that age, and it would have been difficult for a modern poet to have drawn fo juft a refemblance.
V. 41. The term a la boon, is as much as to fay, by your favour ; and the repeti- tion of it is juftified by the Ballad of King Arthur ;
A Boone,
ECLOGUE THE THIRD. 41 1
Syr Gaufryd the knyghte, who lyvethe harde bie, Whie fhoulde hee than mee
Bee more greate, 45
Inne honnoure, knyghtehoode and eftate ?
SYR ROGERRE.
Attourne ? thine eyne arounde thys haied mee, Tentyflie'1 loke arounde the chaper r delle s ; An anfwere to thie barganette ' here fee, Thys welked " flourette wylle a lefon telle : 50
Arifl " it blew \ itte floriflied, and dyd welle, Lokeynge afcaunce* upon the naighboure greene; Yet with the deigned a greene yttes rennome b felle, Eftfoones c ytte fhronke upon the daie-brente J playne, Didde not yttes loke, whileft ytte there dyd ftonde, 55 To croppe ytte in the bodde move fonime dred honde.
Syke ' ys the waie of lyfFe ; the loverds f ente s Mooveth the robber hym therfor to fleah; Gyf thou has ethe ', the madowe of contente,
v Turn, v Carefully, with circumfpection. r Dry, fun-burnt. 5 Valley. c A fong, or ballad. u Withered. " Arifen, or arofe. y Bloflbmed. z Difdain- fully, afide. a Difdained. b Glory. c Quickly. d Burnt. e Such. f Lord's. g A purfe or bag. h Slay. i Eafe.
Believe
A Boone, A Boone, O King Arthur,
I beg a Boone of thee. Percy, vol. iii. p. 12.
So in Evans's Old Ballads, vol. i. p. 124.
Aboon, Aboon then Robin cries, if thou will grant it me. And in the Ballad of Robin Hood and the Curtal Fryer j p. 140. Aboon, Aboon, thou Curtal Fryer ;
I beg it on my knee. See alfo, p. 153.
V. 56. The died honde means a bold hand, one that ieas to be dreaded.
3 G 2
4i2 ECLOGUE THE THIRD.
Beleive the trothe k, theres none moe haile ' yan thee. 60 Thou wurcheir."1; welle, canne thatte a trobble bee ? Slothe moe wulde jade thee than the rougheft daie. Couldefl thou the kivercled n of foughlys ° fee, Thou wouldft eftfoones p fee trothe ynne whatte I faie; Botte lette me heere thie waie of lyffe, and thenne 6$ Heare thou from me the lyffes of odher menne.
MANN E.
I ryfe wythe the fonne,. Lyche hym to dryve the wayne% And eere mie wurche is don I fynge a fonge or twayne \ 70
I followe the plough- tayle, Wythe a longe jubb s of ale.
Botte of the maydens, oh ! Itte lacketh notte to telle ; Syre Preelte mote notte crie woe, jc
Culde hys bull do as welle. I daunce the befte heiedeygnes', And foile u the wyfeft feygnes ".
On everych Seyncles hie daie Wythe the mynnrelle7 am I feene, 80^
All a footeygne it awaie, Wythe maydens on the greene. But oh ! I wyfhe to be moe greate, In rennome, tenure, and eflate.
* Truth. ' Happy. ra Workeft. n The hidden or fecret part of. • Souls. » Full foon, or prefently. 1 Car. ' Two. • A bottle. ' A country dance, ftill pra&ifed in the North. u BaiHe. x A corruption of feints, a term of fencing. 1 A minftrel is a mufician.
SYR
ECLOGUE THE THIRD. 413
SYR ROGERRE.
Has thou ne feene a tree uponne a hylle, 85
Whofe unlifte * braunces a rechen far toe fyghte ; Whan fuired b unwers c doe the heaven fylle, Itte fhaketh deere" yn dole" and moke affryghte. t Wbylelt the congeon f flowrette abeffie s dyghte",
Stondethe unhurte, unquaced L bie the ftorme : 90
Syke is a picle k of lyffe : the manne of myghte Is tempeft-chaft ', hys woe greate as hys forme, Thiefelfe a flowrette of a fmall accounte, WouldfE harder felle the wynde, as hygher thee dydfte mounte.
1 Unbounded. 'Branches. b Furious. c Tempcfls, florms. d Dire. e Difmay. ! Dwarf. g Humility. h Decked, or, humbly clad. ' Unhurt, not dejiroyed. k Picture. ' Tempefl-beaten.
V. gi. Syie is a pyfie of ' liffe : and can any pencil paint it in more jure and lively- colours ? But how could an unprincipled youth, who knew little, and thouo-ht lefs about the mutability of human affairs, whofe attention had been directed to the objects of pleafure and of diffipation only, dictate a converfation replete with ien~ timents of religion and morality, and fo well adapted in every refpect to the cha- racters of the fpeakers ?
The concluding fimile may remind the reader of Horace's obfervation ; S^pius ventis agitatur ingens Pinus, et celfae graviore lapfu Decidunt turres, feriuntque fummos Fulmina montes.
And in this refpect it bears the diftinguifhing mark of Rowley, who generally concludes his fubjetfr. either with a linking cataftrophe or with an excellent pre- cept of morality. The firft and fourth Eclogues, the Ode to Ella, and the Enp-lifh Metamorphofis, terminate in the former ftile ; whilit the Tragedies of Ella and Godwin, the Ballad of Charity, the Hiftory of Sir Charles Bawdin, the fecond and third Eclogue, and the two Poems on our Lady's Church, may l"»rve as examples of the latter,
ECLOGUE
[ 4>4 ]
ECLOGUE THE FOURTH,
O R
ELINOURE AND J U G A.
THE fourth Eclogue is truly paftoral, and formed on the fame plan with thefirftj reprefenting the confufion and melancholy effects of the civil war at that time raging between the Houfes of York and Lancafter. In the firft Eclogue, the complainants were peafants deploring the lofs of their fubifance; in this, twapynynge maydens lament their lovers flain at the battle of Bernard's Heath, near Saint Albans, fought on the 17th of February 1461, between Queen Margaret and the Earl of War- wick, wherein the Earl was defeated with the lofs of 2800 men, and in confequence of it King Henry regained his liberty. The fcene of the dialogue is properly laid on the banks of a rivulet, which rifes a few miles north of the village of Rudborn in Hert- fordfhire, and paffnig near Saint Albans, mixes its waters with the Colne; The etymology of the rivulet is alluded to, v. 30, and explained by Chatterton's note on v. 1. It was undoubtedly its original Saxon name, the village being ftill denominated from it; though, where it wafhes the ruins of the ancient Verulamium, it is called Verlumc, and by the modern maps Wonmer. But it is
10 no
ECLOGUE THE FOURTH. 415
no unufual circumfhnce for rivers to bear different names in different part of their courfe, and to affume thofe of the towns or pariihes by which they pafs. The vicinity of it to the {cene of battle juftifies the poet's choice, and makes it incredible that Chatterton could have been the author of the Eclogue, unlefs we can fappofe him to have been acquainted not only with the hiftory of that battle, but alfo with the geography of the coun- try, together with the fituation and etymology of the place, which he has chofen for the fcene of the poem.
If Chatterton had bet n the author of this Eclogue, it is highly improbable that he fhould at the fame time have penned an imi- tation of it in modern poety, exerting his belt abilities under a feigned name, and then attempting to rival himfelf under another fignature, which equally concealed him from the public. The original Eclogue, fent by him to the Town and Country Magazine, was dated May 1769, and printed in the fame month. The imitation either accompanied or foon followed the original, for it appeared in the Magazine for June, but was not fubferibed with Chatterton's ufual initials, D. B. which he fometimes varied, and at other times totally omitted ; it profeffed to be written by W. S. A. aged 16. The fhort interval between the publication of thefe two pieces, the ftile of poetry fo much refembling Chat- terton's other compofitions, and the age of the author lb accu- rately pointed out, determine this fecond Eclogue to Chatterton ; it was probably written fome time before it was fent to the Printer, efpecially as the original had been at lead a twelvemonth in his poffeffion. The Simplicity of Rowley's ideas, the purity, eafe, and fluency of his language, might have encouraged this attempt; in which he has fo far fucceeded, as only not to equal the original; but there wants no better proof of his inferiority to Rowley in point of poetic exprefiion, than to compare the concluding lines of his imitation, with thofe of the original Eclogue.
ELINOURE
I 416 3
ELINOURE AND JUG A.
ONNE B.uddeborne a bank twa pynynge May dens fate, Theire teares fafte dryppeynge to the waterre cleere ; Echone bementynge b for her abfente mate, Who atte Seyn<fte Albonns fhouke the morthynge' fpeare. The nottebrowne Elinoure to Juga fayre 5
Dydde fpeke acroole d wythe languifhment of eyne, Lyche dreppes of pearlie dew, lemed c the quyvryng brine.
ELINOURE. O gentle Juga ! heare mie dernie f plainte, To fyghte for Yorke mie love ys dyghte E in ftele ; O maie ne fanguen h fteine the whyte rofe peyncle, 10
Maie good Senedle Cuthberte watche Syrre Roberte wele. Moke s moe thanne deathe in phantaiie I feele ; See ! fee ! upon the grounde he bleedynge lies j Inhild k fome joice ' of lyfe, or elfe mie deare love dies.
a Rudborne (in Saxon, red-water), a river near Saint Albans, famous for the battles there fought between the Houfes of Lancaftcr and York. b Lamenting. c Murdering. d Faintly, rather, in a murmuring tone. c Gliitened. f Sad com- plaint, orfecret. % Arrayed, or cafed. h Bloody. i Much. k Infufe. 'Juice.
JUGA.
ECLOGUE THE FOURTH. 417.
JUGA, Syfters in forrowe, on thys daife-ey'd m banke, 1 5
Where melancholych broods, we wyll lamente ; Be wette wythe mornynge dewe and evene danke ; Lyche levynde n okes in eche the odher bente, Or lyche forlettenn ° halles of merriemente, Whofe gaftlie mitches p holde the traine of fryghte % 20
Where lethale r ravens bark, and owlets wake the nyghte.
[E L I N O U R E.]
No moe the mifkynette s fhall wake the morne, The minflrelle daunce, good cheere, and morryce plaies No moe the amblynge palfrie and the home Shall from the leffel ' rouze the foxe awaie; 2C
I'll feke the forefle alle the ly ve-longe daie ; Alle nete u amenge the gravde chyrche glebe x wyll goe, And to the paffante Spryghtes lecture y mie tale of woe.
m Probably daifed. n Blafted, with lightning. ° Forfaken. p Ruins, fragments. q Fear. r Deadly, or deathbodir.g. s A fmall bagpipe. ' In a confined knCe, a bufh or hedge, though fometimes ufed as a foreft. ■ Night. x Church-yard. y Relate.
[JUG A.]
V. 19. Conveys fome of thofe horrid ideas, which receive wonderful force from the powers of Rowley's imagination. The ghaftly mitches, in Latin mica, in French miches, mean the broken and hideous fcraps, or fragments, of ruined buildings. The ftile of the following ftanza has a caff, of that poet's turn, whom melancholy had marked for her own, and who found a lingular pleafure in exprefling fuch folitary ideas :
The breezy call of incenfe-breathing morn, The fwallow twittering from his ffraw-built fhed, The cock's fh rill clarion, or the ecchoing horn, No more fhall roufe them from their lonely bed.
Poem in a Church -yard.
3 H
4x8 ECLOGUE THE FOURTH.
[JUG A.]
Whan mokic * cloudis do hange upon the ieme Of leden a Moon, ynn fylver mantels dyghte ; 30
The tryppeynge Faeries weve the golden dreme Of Selynefs b, whyche flyethe wythe the nyghte ; Thenne (botte the Seyndt.es forbydde !) gif to a fpryte Syrr Rychardes forme ys lyped % I'll holdc dyftraughte d Hys bledeynge claie-colde corfe, and die eche daieynn thoughte.
E L I N O U R E.
Ah woe bementynge c wordes ; what wordes can fhewe ! 36 Thou limed ' ryver, on thie linche s maie bleede Champyons, whofe bloude wylle wythe thie waterres flowe, And Rudborne ftreeme be Rudborne ftreeme indeede ! Hafte, gentle Juga, tryppe ytte oere the meade, 40
To knowe, or wheder we mufte waile agayne, Or wythe oure fallen knyghtes be menged" onne the plain.
Soe fayinge, lyke twa levyn-blafted ' trees, Or twayne of cloudes that holdeth flormie rayne ; Theie moved gentle oere the dewie mees k, 45
To where Seyncte Albons holie ihrynes remayne. There dyd theye fynde that bothe their knyghtes were flayne, Diftraughte ' theie wandered to fwollen Rudbornes fyde, Yelled theyre leathalle knelle m, fonke ynn the waves, and dyde.
* Black, or thick. ' Decreafing, or heavy. bHappinefs. e Linked, or likened, qu. P Dijlracled. e Woe-bewailing. l Glafiy. * Bank. h Mingled. ' Lightning- flruck. k Meadows. ' Diftraited. m Funeral knell.
ONN
f 4^9 I
ONN OURE LADIES CHYRCHE.
UNDER the laft head of Rowley's poetry, are to be ranked thofe compofitions which celebrate the hifiory and munifi- cence of his friend Canning, and to thefe he lays a perfonal claim, by declaring the merits of his patron to be
Greeter than can bie Roivlies pen be fcande. v. 12.
The two poems on our Lady's (i. e. Redcliff ) church, feem to be mifplaced in point of chronological order; for the latter, which mentions its defying fyre-levyn and mokie Jlorms, and fpeaks of the tallfpire, v. 20, as a wonderful firudture, mult have been penned before that fpire was thrown down by lightning; which, according to the MS. Chronicles of Briflol, happened in 1445, foon after it was erected, and, it is faid, did much hurt in divers places : William of Wireeftre, who wrote about the year 1480, fpeaks in more than one paflage of the accident which happened to this fteeple : — " Altitudo turris de Redcliff" continet 300 pedes, " de quibus 100 pedes, funt per fulmen dejecti." p. 120. Again, p. 196, " Qua? quidem fpera fiat modo ultra 100 pedes." And again, p. 244, " Spera altitudo ut ifto die fiat, quamvis defal- «' catur ex fcrtuna procella? & fulminis 200 pedes, per relationem <• Norton Magifiri Ecclefi# de Redcliff." The feeond poem, therefore, muft have been penned before the year 1445, unlets the
3 H 2 author
420 ONN OURE LADIES CHYRCHE.
author wilfully concealed the accident which had happened to the favourite ftructure of his beloved friend. As to the former of thefe poems, the date is clearly afcertained by the title of Reverend Father, given to Canning, which could not belong to him till the year 1468, when he was ordained prieft, by Carpenter, bifhop of Worcefler.
Though the fabrick is filled in this poem our Ladies Church, yet it is more than once called a chapel, as if it was only a part of, and not the entire edifice. It is alfo put on the fame footing with a chapel which he built at Weftburyj
And eke another in the town,
Where glaffy bubbling Trim doth run.
But that chapel, which only made a part of the prefent parochial church of Weftbury, cannot be admitted to any companion with the magnificent ftruclure of Redcliff church ; and it feems to be a queftion yet undecided, whether William Canning was the fole builder, or only the principal benefactor to this latter edifice : In both thefe poems, and in one called the Parliament of Sprites, (yet unpublished in Mr. Barrett's hands) he is fpoken of as the fole founder ; but the Chronicle of Briftol, before cited, gives him only the credit of a principal benefactor. " Anno 1441. " This year, William Canninge, and others of the worfhipfulle " towne of Briftol, employed mafons, workmen, and labourers, " and did repair, edify, cover, and glaze Saint Mary RedclifF *' church, at his and their own proper cofts."
It may be obferved alfo, that William Wirceftre, a native of Briftol, and contemporary with Canning, (whofe accounts and meafurements of that building are fo precife and accurate) who mentions Canning's trade and riches, his houfe and college of priefts at Redcliff, does not fpeak of him either as the fole, or even principal benefactor to the work; even the evidence contained in Canning's will is far from being decifive ; for he orders him- felf to be buried " in loco quern conjirui feci in parte auftrali
" ejufdem
ONN OURE LADIES CHYRCHE. 421
" ejufdem eccleRx, juxta altare St£ Catharinae, ubi corpus " Johanna? uxoris meas eft fepultum *."
Accordingly, his monument is placed under the principal fouthern window, in the fouth tranfept of the church, near to which the altar of Saint Catharine probably flood: But would Canning have defined the place of his interment by the words locum qucm confiriii fecit if he had been the fole builder of the church ? It may be inferred, on the other hand, from the uniformity of the ftructure, that the whole was built at the fame time ; and both ancient and modern tradition give the credit of it to Mr. Can- ning ; nor is the acknowledgement of this point more in favour of Chatterton's, than of Rowley's claim to thefe poems.
The church of Weftbury (to the deanery of which William Canning was collated June 3d 1469, on the refignation of Henry Sampfon) was originally collegiate, founded by Godfrey Giffard, bifhop of Worcefter, in 1288, and afterwards augmented by vari- ous benefactors. It had five prebendal flails, one of which, (viz. that of Aufl) was enjoyed by the famous Wicliff. Bifhop Carpenter conceived fuch a partiality for the place, that he fpent a great part of his time there, adding the title of Weftbury to his epifcopal one of Worcefter, (whence William Wirceftre calls it " Ecclefiam Cathedralem") and ordered himfelf to be buried there, though he died at Northwick in Worcefterihire. It ap- pears by Canning's will, that Bifhop Carpenter founded a cha- pel there for fix priefts and fix almfmen ; for he bequeaths " fex prefbiteris novas capella: nuper fundatse per reve- " rendum admodum Johannem Epifcopum Wigornenfem, 3s. & " 4d. ad orandum pro anima mea. — Sex pauperibus eleemo- *' fynariis de Weftbury fundatis per eundem Epifcopum i2d.;" and though he is faid by Sir Robert Atkyns and Bifhop Tanner
* William Canning's will is dated November 12, 1474- It was proved the 29th of the fame month, and is in the Prerogative Office, in a book called Wattie, p. 125.
" to
422 ONN OURE LADIES CHYRCHE.
" to have rebuilt the college, and to have founded an almfhoufe " there," yet the former might be meant chiefly of the habit- able part of the building, and the chapel begun by Bilhop Car- penter, which he might have finifhed, and to whofe priefts and almfmen, as well as to the fellows, chaplains, deacons, and cho- rifters of the church, he bequeaths fmall legacies, without men- tioning any endowment of his own ; and gives only forty millings to the fabrick of the church.
The new chapel of Bifhop Carpenter, is probably that which now forms the fouthern chancel of the parifh church ; on the north fide of which is a recumbent figure in ftone of Bilhop Carpenter, drefied in his epifcopal habit; and on the floor are many painted tiles, fome with the arms of Bifhop Carpenter, others with thofe of the Berkeley family, the remains of the ancient pavement. Rofs of Warwick tells us, that miracles were per- formed at the tomb of Bifhop Carpenter; a proof that he was highly beloved and reflected in that neighbourhood.
ONN
[ 423 ]
ONN OURE LADIES CHYRCHE.
AS onn a hylle one eve fittynge, At oure Ladie's Chyrche mouche wonderynge, The counynge handieworke fo fyne, Han well nighe dazeled mine eyne ;
Quod I ; fome counynge fairie hande r
Yreer'd a this chapelle in this lande -, Full well I wote b fo fine a fyghte Was ne yreer'd of mortall wighte. Quod Trouthe ; thou lackefl knowlachynge c ; Thou forfoth ne wotteth of the thynge. j.q
A Rev'rend Fadre, William Canynge hight ', Yreered uppe this chapelle brighte ; And eke another in the Towne, Where glaflie bubblynge Trymme doth roun. Quod I ; ne doubte for all he's given k
His fowle will certes goe to heaven. Yea, quod Trouthe ; than goe thou home, And fee thou doe as hee hath donne. Quod I ; I doubte, that can ne bee ; I have ne gotten markes three. 20
* Erttled. " Know. c Vndirfanding. * Named.
Quod
424 ONN OURE LADIES CHYRCHE.
Quod Trouthe ; as thou haft got, give almes-dedes foe • Canynges and Gaunts culde doe ne moe.
T. R.
V. 22. Gaunts was a collegiate church, founded by Sir Henry- Gaunt, who quitted the world, and retired thither for devotion. It was afterwards converted into an hofpital for orphans. See Leland's Itin. vol. vii. p. 85.
ON THE SAME.
STAY, curyous traveller, and pafs not bye, Until this fetive a pile aftounde thine eye. Whole rocks on rocks with yron joynd furveie, And okes with okes entremed b difponed c lie. This mightie pile, that keeps the wyndes at baie, 5
Fyre-levyn d and the mokie e ftorme defie, That fhootes aloofe into the reaulmes of daie, Shall be the record of the Buylders fame for aie.
Thou feeil this mayftrie of a human hand,
The pride of Bryftowe and the Wefterne lande, 10
Yet is the Buylders virtues much moe greete,
Greeter than can bie Rowlies pen be fcande.
Thou feeft the fayncles and kynges in ftonen flate,
That feemd with breath and human foule difpande f,
a Elegant. b Intermixed. c Difpoftd. d Lightning. c Mighty, or, cloudy.
! Expanded.
As
There are fome particulars in this feccnd poem, relative to Redclift church, which dcferve notice.
V. 13. How could Chatterton have been enabled thus to defcribe the ftatues n which
ONN OURE LADIES CHYRCKE. 425
Aspayrde e to us enfeem thefe men of flatc, 15
Such is greete Canynge's mynde when payrd to God elate.
Well maiefl thou be aftound, but view it well ;
Go not from hence before thou fee thy fill,
And learn the Builder's vertues and his name ;
Of this tall fpyre in every countye telle, 20
And with thy tale the lazing rych men fliame ;
Showe howe the glorious Canynge did excelle ;
Compared.
How
which were formerly placed in the niches furrounding the northern portico of the church, which, by Wirceflre's account, was a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and which he defcribes in the following words. But the outermolt porch, which he calls round, is hexagonal ; the inner is an oblong.
*' Longitudo primae portae porticus ecclefiae per meridiem continet feptem virgas, " & capclla continuata ad portam introitus ports ecclefiae principalis continet fcx "virgas." And again (p. 221) " Quantitas rotund i tat is principalis capelle S'= "Marie cum ymaginibus regum operatis jubtiliter in opere de Frejlor.e, continet in " circuitu cum hoftio introitus fubtiliter operatis 44. virgas."
The virga, by which he computes the meafure of this chapel, is a yard. The real dimenfions of the outward porch, and of the inner chapel are as follow : Each fide of the hexagonal porch is eight feet fix inches long ; its breadth, from the outer door to the fteps of the chapel, fourteen feet (even inches. There are fix fteps, each one foot and one inch broad. The inner chapel is twelve feet five inches wide, and fixteen feet five inches long, from the uppermoft ftcp to the door at the entrance into the church. This chapel is decorated on each fide with a row of five fmali fliort pillars of Purbcck marble, making a kind of recefs, end fupporting a fmall pointed arcade, which appears by its form to be much more ancient than the church itfelf or the hexagonal portico. The entrance from the chapel to the church is through a ftone door-cafe., apparently coeval with the church, neatly carved, but fquare at top, and not arched ; as other an- cient door-cafes ufually were. This communication therefore feems to have been made fubfequent to the building of the church; and indeed tr..u;t;on ftill calls it St. Mary's Chapel, and icports it to have been built by a Finite an hundred and thirty years antecedent to the church. May wc not therefore fuppofe it to have been erecied by Lamington the Pirate, or rather by his cognamefakc the priefr,
q J before
426 ONN OURE LADIES CHYRCHE.
How hee good man a friend for kynges became, And gloryous paved at once the way to heaven and fame.
before mentioned, whofe monument has been before defcribed, and on whofe head the tonfure is very obfervable ; and that this chapel was Lamhigtons Ladies Chamber^ which the Pirate is faid not to have pulled down, as he did the reft of Burton's church, hoping that it might hereafter pafs for his work?
Though Rowley profeffes his inability to defcribe the mafterly beauties of this building, yet he has given a degree of animation to thek Jlanen figures, in a fimile which does honour to the fculptor's art, and to Canning's mind, by marking the refemblance, at the fame time that it e.xpreffes the infinite diftance between him and his great Creator.
V. 23. Canning is elfewhere called by Rowley " the friend of kings," al- luding to the influence which he had with Edward the fourth, on account of ras trade,, Jiis intereft, and his riches. ■
EPITAPH
[ 427 3
EPITAPH ON ROBERT CANYNGE.
THYS mornynge ftarre of Radcleves ryfynge raic, A true manne good of mynde and Canynge hyghtc, Benethe thys flone lies moltrynge a ynto claie, Untylle the darke tombe fheene an eterne lyghte. Thyrde fromme hys loynes theprefent Canynge came; Houton b are wordes for to telle hys doe; For aye fhall lyve hys heaven-recorded name, Ne fhall yt dye whanne tyme fhalle bee no moe ; Whanne M'ychael's trumpe fhall founde to rife the folle % He'll wynge to heavn wyth kynne, and happie bee hys dolled.
a Mouldering. b Magnificent, or lofty. c Soul. d Portion.
This epitaph implies that he was the great grandfather of William Canning, if the expreflion third from his loins, is to be underftood of a lineal defcent. A note of Rowley, in the pofleflion of Mr. Barrett, fays, " that in the year 14.31, " Robert Canynge was buried in the minfter of St. John's;" but no fuch Chriftian name appears in the pedigree of the Cannings of Foxcote, in Warwickfhire ; William Canning is there faid to be the fon of John, the fon of Jeffery Canning, from whofe elder brother Thomas, the family of Foxcote are defcended. His fa- ther, and confequently William's grandfather, was called John. But this pedigree differs from fome authentic records of the family at Briilol, collected by Mr. Barrett, which he will be better able to explain. The mifhomer, however, might have been a miftake in the tranfeript; nor is it of much confequence, any more than the Epitaph itfelf, except that it records an anceftor of William Cuming, and fhews in another inftance how well the poet could adapt his lan^iu^c to his fubject.
5I2 THE
( 4^8 ]
THE STORIE OF WILLIAM
C A N Y N G E.
THE Story of William Canning is on many accounts one of the moft interefting pieces in the whole collection. The firft thirty-fix lines are ftill extant in the original parchment; hich being brown and dirty with age, has been made itill more dark, by Mr. Barrett's having ftained it with the infulion of galls, in order to reftore the decayed writing. This tlip of parchment is about eight inches and a half long, and four and a half broad. 'I he four or five firft lines in it are the conclufion of Rowley's Mil oi' (hilled Painters and Carvellers, and contain an account of ]ohn Challenner, a Monke of St. Auftyne's, a natyf of Briftowe, a ikylled Carveller, 6cc ; then follow the arms of Canning, with the following account or preface to the poem: "William " Canynge was borne fecond fon of John, fon of William, fonne " of Robert Canynge, alle of St. Mary of Radeclyve : He was " related to Gurnies, Nevylles, Mountaccute, and oder gentilee " howfes ; butte he dereivethe hys glory in oderwyfe than hie " Paynclers and Carvellers, ande foe wylle I gyve ytte in verfe."
Anent a brooklette, Sec.
This was the fecond piece of Rowley's compofition, produced
by Chatterton to Mr. Barrett ; and though the remainder of the
7 poem
THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE. 429
poem is not extant in the original, yet the uniformity in ftile and fentiment, and its fimilarity to other compofitions afcribed to Rowley, are almoft as convincing a proof of its originality, as if the whole had been authenticated by the fame kind of evidence. The hand in which this fragment is written, is fomewhat diffe- rent from The Accounte of Canynges Feajl; of which the engraved fac fimile does not do juflice to the original. It has been objected to both, that they are not written, in the ufuil record-hand of that age; but why is the fuppofition neceffary, that they mu ft have been written in that hand ? Why might they not have been tranferibed by different amanuenfes ? and is there not a very great difference and variety obfervable in the hand-writing of that, and of the following century, as well in refpeft of fpelling and grammar, as in the manner of forming their letters ? The fig- natures of the three laft Henries, of Edward the IVth, and Richard the Third, which are to be found in the Cotton Library, and in Mr. Aflls's collection of fac fimiles, contain the molt dec i five proofs of this variety.
Though Canynge is the principal character celebrated in this poem, yet occafion is taken from his hiftory to introduce; thofe famous men who had done honour to Briftol, either by their birth or achievements, their fanctity or good workc ; as Ella and St. Warburghus, Briktric and Fitzhardir.g.
H E
[ 43° 3
THE STORIE OF WILLIAM
C A N Y N G E.
ANENT ' a brooklette as I laie reclynd, Lifteynge to heare the water glyde alonge, Myndeynge how thorowe the grene mees b yt twyndj Awhilft the cavys refpons'd c yts mottring fonge, At diftaunt ryfyng Avonne to he fped d, $
Amenged c with ryfyng hylles dyd fhewe yts head;
Engarlanded wyth crownes of ofyer weedes And wraytes f of alders of a bercie fcent,
a Near. b Meadows. c Anfwered to. d To be fped, or baflened. e Mingled.
{ Wreaths.
And
V. i. The brooklet, near which he defcribes himfelf as laying reclined, bears a remarkable fimilitude in point of fituation with the rivulet Trym at Weftbury, where he is fuppofed to have retired with his friend Canning, when he became Dean of that church. This glaffy bubbling brooklet (as he truly defcribes it in the Poem on our Lady's Church) having paft Weftbury, trickles through the green meadows, and joins the Avon at Pill, two miles below Briftol : It is, indeed, the only rivulet in that neighbourhood which anfwers to the defcription of mixing its waters with the Avon, near the place of its union with the blatant Severn, which Rores flemie o'er the fandes that (he hepde.
V. 3. TUe ivraytes of alders may mean the wreaths of alders, correfponding with the garlands of ofyer weeds in the preceding line, and with the reytes which crowned
the
THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE. 431
And ftickeynge out wyth clowde agefled g reedes, The hoarie Avonne fhow'd dyre femblamente h, 10
Whylefl blataunt ' Severne, from Sabryna clepde k, Rores flemie ' o'er the fandes that (he hepde.
Thefe eynegears m fwythyn " bringethe to mie thowghtc
Of hardie champyons knowen to the floude,
How onne the bankes thereof brave j^lle foughte, 15
JElle defcended from Merce kynglie bloude,
Warden of Bryftowe towne and cartel ftede,
Who ever and anon made Danes to blede.
Methoughte fuch doughtie" menn mufl have a fprighte Dote p yn the armour brace q that Mychael bore, 20
Whan he wyth Satan kynge of helle dyd fyghte, And earthe was drented' yn a mere of gore 5
* Lying on the earth or clodde. h Appearance. ' Noify. k Named ' Frighted. ™ Objecls of the eyes. n Quickly. ° Valiant. «■ Drejftd, * Suit of armour, or accoutrements for the arms. ' Drenched.
Orr,
the water-witches in the Roundelai of Ella, v. 8gg. But if wrayies and reytes fig- nify reeds, and not wreaths, we muft read the paflage,
Wraytes and alders of a bercie fcent. The meaning of bercie is not explained in any of oar gloffarie? ; but, as hyrce is the Saxon word for a birch-tree, which frequently grows in moift fituations, it may probably be the fubjeft of this allufion.
V. 9. Clowde agefled reeds, is an unintelligible expreffion ; but the change of two letters will give fenfe and propriety to it. Read clod-agejhd reeds, or reeds lying or agijled on the clod, or earth out of which they grow, and the difficulty is removed.
V. 13. The eynegears are the objects of the eye. The word gear has a very ex- tenfive fignification, implying manner, form, drefs, and all kinds of implements and furniture.
V. 20. Dote is a participle of the verb dight, which fignifies to drefs, or prepare. The participle, regularly formed, fhould be dighted; but many fimilar inftances are collected in the preface to Lye's Gloil'ary.
g The
432 THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE.
Orr, foone as thcie dyd fee the worldis lyghte,
Fate had wrott downe, thys mann ys borne to fyghte.
/Elle, I fayd, or els my mynde dyd faie, 25
Whie ys thy adtyons left fo ipare yn ftorie ?
Were I toe difpone % there fliould lyvven aie
In erthe and hevenis rolles thie tale of glorie ;
Thie adtes foe doughtie fliould for aie abyde,
And bie theyre tefte all after adles be tryde.. 30
Next holie. Wareburghus fylld mie mynde. As fay re a fayncte as anie towne can boafte,
5 Tfifpsfe.
The armcurbrace may mean the armerlraa, or that which was braced on the arm ; fo the Squiers yeoman, in Chaucer,
Upon his arm wore a gay bracer.
V. ib. The poet complains, that the actions of his favourite Ella are left fo fpaie ynfiorie, which may be intended as an apology for introducing an ideal hero; or, if he was a real perfonage, may imply, that he was pofleiTed of fome anecdotes concerning him, which had not been mentioned by other hiftorians.
V. 31. His favourite faint, Wareburghus, is truly apocryphal ; nor is his name to be found in any of our Englifli legends, which fpeak only of the female faint Werburga, the daughter of Wulfer, king of Mercia, who reigned about the year 659. According to the MS. Hiftory of Briftol amongft Rowley's papers, afcribed to Turgot, {he was baptifed by this Wareburghus ; fo that it was not ig- norance of the real faint, and of her merits, that induced Turgot or Rowley to fubftitute a commentkious one in her place. She was made Abbefs of Ely, and died in hicrh reputation for fanftity. Her body was removed from Henbury, in StafTordflrire, the original place of her interment, to the prefent cathedral church of Chefter, which is dedicated to her, as are fome other parochial churches in England and Ireland : But the Saint Wareburghus of Rowley (or rather of Tur- got, whefe MS. Hiftory of Briftol contains the legend) preached in 6?8, to the inhabitants of Caer Brito, which is faid to have been fituated on the banks of the Severn, not far from the prefent city of Briftol ; but, on their treating the Saint with neglect, he threatened to deftr.oy them with a flood, arid, afcending by the
banks
THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE. 43T
banks of the Avon, fluclc his ftaff in the channel of the river, oppofite to RcdclifF, •where the people of the place attentively heard him. In confequence of the Saint's denunciation againft Caer Brito, at midnight the Severn overflowed its banks, and the inhabitants fled to the hills, with the lofs of their goods and cattle: But by Wareburghus's interceflion the waters retired, and the inhabitants came and built their city oppofite to Redcliff, making a wooden bridge over the river. Six years afterwards, viz. A. D. 644, the inhabitants of RedclifF built a wooden church, cafed with fable ftone, by the water-fide, which they dedicated to our Lady and St. Wareburghus. It was rebuilt in ftone by Briktricus, in 789, with a tower ; but was fallen down when Turgot is fuppofed to have written this account. The church which he defcribes, feems to have been fituated at RedclifF, whereas that dedicated to the female Saint of the fame name (called by William Wirceftre ec- clefia fantta IVerburga) {lands in Corn-ftreet, nearer to the centre of the city, and, according to the Chronicle of Briftol before-mentioned, was eredted in 1384. It would be mifpending time, to point out the inconfiflencies of this legend. Such a collection of fables could not be the work of fo refpeclable a pen as Tur^ot's, and there are feveral circumftances which make it impofllble to have been the inven- tion of Chatterton : To whom then can it be afcribed but to Rowley ? whofe fertile invention, and fportive fancy, inftead of being confined to the fimplicity of fafts, delighted, in this inftance alfo
To foar above the truth of hiftorie.
His account of the ceremonial in pafling the new bridge at Briftol, referring to the year 1247 (when, according to Leland, Itin. vol. vii. p. 88, and the Briftol Chronicle, the new bridge was built,) was the firft of Rowley's papers communi- cated to the public by Chatterton, being printed in Farley's Briftol Journal, Oift. ift, 1768. A part of that ceremony confifted in finging a hymn to the honour of St. Wareburghus, and another to St. Baldwin. Neither of thefe hymns having been printed, either in that paper or elfewhere, they may afford fome entertainment to the reader; exhibiting additional fpecimens of Rowley's poetical talents, and affording room for frefh obfervations on the fubject.
1
SONG OF SEYNCTE WARBURGHE.
I.
WHANNE Kynge Kynghill3 ynn his honde Helde the fceptre of thys londe, Sheenynge ftarre of Chryftes lyghte, The merkie b myfts of pagann nyghte Gan to fcatterr farr and wyde : Thanne Seyncle Warburghe hee arofe, Doffed hys honnores and fyne clothes ;
1 King Cotrituulf, b Dark.
1 K Preechynge
434 THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE,
Preechynge hys Lorde Jefus name, Toe the lande of Weft Sexx came,
Whare blaekec Severn rolls hys tyds.
II. Stronge ynn faithfullneftc, he trodde Ovcrr the waterrs lyke a Godde, Till he gaynde the diftaunt hecke1', Ynn whofe bankes hys ftaffe dydd fteck,
Wytneffe to the myrracle; Thenne he preechedd nyghte and daie, And fet manee ynn ryghte waie. Thys goode ftaffe great wonders wroughte, Moe thann g-uefte bie mortalle thoo-hte,
Orr thann mortall tonge can tell.
III.
Thenn the foulke a brydge dydd make Overr the ftreme untoe the hecke, All of wode eke longe and wyde, Pryde and glorie of the tyde ;
Whyche ynn tyme dydd falle awaie : Then Erie Leof e he befpedde f Thys grete ryverr fromme hys bedde, Round hys caftle for to rynne, T'was in trothe ann ancyante onne,
But warre and tyme wyll all decaie.
IV.
Now agayne, wythe bremie g force, Severn ynn hys aynciant courfe Rolls hys rappyd ftreeme alonge,. With a fable h fwifte and ftronge,.
Moreying ' manie ann okie wood* Wee the menne of Briftowe towne Have yreerd thys brydge of ftone, Wyftiynge echone that ytt maie lafte Till the date of daies be paft,
Standynge where the other ftoode..
There appears a remarkable anachronifm in this Song ; for St. Werburgh, who is faid to have preached here in 638, is made contemporary with King
t Ttllo'W. * Height. * Earl Leofwin. t Difpatched, turned aivay. s Furious,
njhler.t. >> Sand. " Rooting up,fo explained in the glojfary to Robert Gloucefer—Mored, i. e. Jigged, grubbed. The mots of trees are fill called Mores in Devoitfiire.
Kynghill,
THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE. 435
Kynghill, or Coenwulf, king of Mercia, who did not reign till 796. And the terms in which he defcribes LeoPs or Leofwin's caftle, T'was in trothe ann ancyante onne, But warre and tyme wyll all decaie. sre not applicable to fo early a period as 1247, at which time the caftle was in its full ftrength ; but might be very true at the time when Rowley wrote ; and indeed it is fo defcribed by his contemporary William of Wirceftre.
" Aula quondam magnifica in longitudine latitudine, altitudine ejl totum ad " ruinam; capella alia magnifica pro Rege Si Dominis & Dominalus fcita in " principalifiima warda, exparte boreali aulae, ubi cameras pulcherrimae funt xdifi- Xi cata?, fed difcoperta, nuda; & vacua de planchers & copertura ;" p. 270. And Le- land, in defcribing this caftle, obferves, that all tendith to mine. Itin. vol. vii. p. 84. The Chronicle of Briftol before mentioned, fays, " that in the year 1247, the " mayor and commonalty of Briftol concluded to build a bridge qver the river " Avon, with the confent of the governors of Redcliffand Temple, tfrfereby to in- " corporate them with the town of Briftowe, and to make of the two but one cor- " porate town : For this purpofe they purchafed lands of Sir William Bradftone, " then Abbot of St. Auguftin." See Leland's Itin. vol. vii. p. 88.
Another part of this ceremony confifted in finging the following fong of St. Baldwyn.
SONGE OF SEYNCTE BALD WYNNE.
WHANN Norrurs a & hys menne of myghte,
Uponne thys brydge darde all to fyghte,
For flagenn manie warriours laie,
And Dacyanns well nie wonne the daie.
Whanne doughty Baldwinus arofe,
And fcatterd deathe amonge hys foes,
Fromme out the brydge the purlinge bloods
Embolled b hie the runnynge floude.
Dethe dydd uponne hys anlace hange,
And all hys arms were gutte de fangue c.
His doughtineflfe wrought thilk difmaye,
The foreign warriors ranne awaie.
Erie Baldwynus regardedd well,
How manie menn for flaggen fell ;
To Heaven lyft oppe hys holie eye,
And thankedd Godd for vi£lorye ;
Thenne threw hys anlace ynn the tyde,
Lyvdd ynne a cell, and hermytte died.
» King of Norway. *> Swelled. c i.e. Drops of blood; an heraldic alluf.on, fuitabU H
the genius of that age.
7 K 2 The
436 THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE.
The hiftory of this hero-faint is alluded to in a part of the ceremony, " A mickle " ftrong man in armour, reprefenting St. Baldwin, carried a huge anlace — ftode " on the fyrft top of a mound yreered in the midft of the brydge, and when the " proceflion arrived" there, they fung the Songe of St. Baldwynne; which being " done, the manne on the top threw, with great myght, his anlace into the fea." But this Saint, and his hiftory, like that of St. Warburgh, is tptally unnoticed by our writers, and not at all explained by the fong.
The engagement here alluded to, was with the Danes or Dacyans ; for Norrurs fignifies the King of Norway : But the aera is not afcertained. The name of Baldwin was little, if at all, known in England during the incurfion of the Danes j but fome countenance is given to this legend, by Baldwin's crofs, which formerly flood in the city of Briftol, and a ftreet which is ftill called by that name.
Upon the whole, it appears from authentic records, that a new bridge was built at Briftol in 1247 '■> anc' a proceflion might have been inftituted on that occafion, in which the hymns to thefe two Saints were introduced. The ceremony might have been performed but once, or it might have been renewed every century ; this, how- ever, is the only memorial of it now extant, and is far from being a perfect or fatisfactory account. If no fuch ceremony had ever been performed, Rowley could have had no inducement to invent fo ftrange a tale; nor could he hope to impofe on his friend Canning, or on the inhabitants of Briftol, the names of two Saints, of whom they never before had heard : If that ceremony was renewed, and exhibited in Rowley's time, the two fongs, as they now ftand, might have been fubftituted by him in the place of fome more ancient and lefs elegant compofitions on the fame fubject ; the language of them being too modern for the thirteenth century, and the ftate of Leofwin's caftle, as therein defcribed, though fuitable to the age of Rowley, was not applicable to the other more early period, in which the caftle was in its full ftrength. If the ceremony was reprefented only in 1247, at the time here mentioned, his fportive genius was both capable and ready to drefs up this old ftory in his own language, for the entertainment of Mr. Canning; but it is im- poflible to conceive that Chatterton could be acquainted with any of thofe hiftorical facts, which were neceflary to give a plaufibility to the account.
A fingular circumftance relating to the hiftory of this ceremony has been com- municated to the public within thefe two laft years; and candour requires that it fhould not pafs unnoticed here, efpecially as the character of the relator leaves no room for fufpicion. The objectors to the authenticity of thefe poems may poflibly triumph in the difcovery of a fact, which contains, in their opinion, a decifive proof that Chatterton was the author of this paper, and (as they would infer) of all the poetry which he produced under Rowley's name ; but, when the circumftances are attentively examined, the reader will probably find, that even this fact tends rather to eftablifh, than to invalidate the authenticity of the poems.
Mr. John Ruddall, a native and inhabitant of Briftol, and formerly apprentice to Mr. Francis Grefley, an apothecary in that city, was well acquainted with Chat- terton, whilft he was apprentice to Mr. Lambert : During that time, Chatterton frequently called upon him at his mailer's houfe, and, foon after he had printed
this
THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE. 437
this account of the bridge in the Briftol paper, told Mr. Ruddall, that he was the author of it ; but it occurring to him afterwards, that he might be called upon to produce the original, he brought to him one day a piece of parchment, about the iize of a half-flieet of Fools-cap paper ; Mr. Ruddall does not think that any thing was written on it when produced by Chatterton, but he faw him write feveral words, if not lines, in a character which Mr. Ruddall did not underftand, which he fays was totally unlike Englifh, and, as he apprehended, was meant by Chatterton to imitate or reprefent the original from which this account was printed. He cannot determine precifely how much Chatterton wrote in this manner, but fays, that the time he fpent in that vifit did not exceed three quarters of an hour ; the fize of the parchment, however, (even fuppofing it to have been filled with writing) will in fome meafure afcertain the quantity which it contained. He fays alfo, that when Chatterton had written on the parchment, he held it over the candle, to give it the appearance of antiquity, which changed the colour of the ink, and made the parchment appear black and a little contrasted; he never faw him make any fimilar attempt, nor was the parchment produced afterwards by Chatterton to him, or (as far as he knows) to any other perfon. From a perfect knowledge of Chatterton's abilities, he thinks him to have been incapable of writing the Battle of Haftings, or any of thofe poems produced by him under the name of Rowley; nor does he remember that Chatter- ton ever mentioned Rowley's Poems to him, either as originals or the contrary, but fometimes (though very rarely) intimated that he was poffeffed of fome valuable li- terary productions. Mr. Ruddall had promifed Chatterton not to reveal this fecret, and he fcrupuloufly kept his word till the year 1779 ; but, on the profpect of procur- ing a gratuity of ten pounds for Chatterton's mother, from a gentleman who came to Briftol in order to collect information concerning her fon's hiftory, he thought fo material a benefit to the family would fully juftify him for divulging a fecret, by which no perfon now living could be a fufFerer. It ought to be mentioned, that Chatterton foon after broke off" his acquaintance with Mr. Ruddall, improperly jefenting by a challenge fome good advice which Mr. Ruddall had given him, in a point very eflential to his temporal and eternal happinefs ; and the propriety of that advice too foon appeared, in the fubfequent fate of that unhappy youth.
This account only proves that Chatterton was difpofed to exercife his inventive genius, and to make Mr. Ruddall believe that he could counterfeit the hand-writ- ing and appearance of ancient MSS. : But the experiment does not feem in any re- fpect to have anfwered the end he propofed ; for the contraction of the parchment is no difcriminating mark of antiquity : The blacknefs given by fmoke appears upon trial to be very different from the yellow tinge which parchment acquires by age; and the ink does not change its colour, as Mr. Ruddall feems to apprehend. Nor indeed did this experiment carry proper conviction even to Mr. Ruddall ; who, profefling himfelf ignorant of the character in which Chatterton wrote, and being a ftranger to the other fuppofed originals, which Chatterton had never (hewn or even fpoke of to him, could be no judge of their refemblance or difagrectnent with each other : If Chatterton really meant to convince Mr. Ruddall of theadroitnefs of this manoeuvre, he would have produced and compared them in his presence (even on the fuppofition 10 that
438 THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE.
that they had all been forgeries,) unlefs he meant to act by him, as he afterwards did by Mr. Barrett, and chofe to declare himfclf the author of the paper, that he might avoid producing the original. Indeed his conduct on this occafion fhews that he did not ferioufly mean an impofition on the public: If he was capable of inventing this account, which he printed as an ancient fragment, and wiihed to authenticate it by a forged original, would he not have prepared it before the pub- lication, that it might be produced in evidence, to eftablifh the credit of his ac- count, whenfoever it fhould be questioned ? But inftead of fuch a premeditated plan, this acT: of forgery was in confequence of an afterthought, that the original might be called for; nor did he make any ufe of the experiment, either thinking it unnecefTar)-, or bccaufe he was convinced of its imperfection and in- fufriciency for his purpofe ; as Mr. Ruddall never afterwards either faw the parchment, or heard Chatterton mention it. It was not fhewn by him either to Mr. Barrett or Mr. Catcot, nor has it appeared amongft the originals he lefc behind him. It is alfo very improbable, that in this early period of his life, he ftiould have formed a defign to impofe his own performances upon the world for ancient anecdotes, before he had cither information or abilities to compofe them. For, when he fhewed this parchment to Mr. Ruddall, he was not fixteen years of age, had been difcharged only three months from Colfton's fchool, where he could have no opportunity to borrow books, nor leifure to read them ; much lefs to colled!: anecdotes relating to the hiftory of Briftol. It is to be obferved alfo, that this poem was the fecond piece of Rowley's compofition which Chatterton produced to Mr. Barrett. As he was not acquainted with the ancient parchments till after he became apprentice to Mr. Lambert, the period of three months, which intervened between that event and the publication of this paper, was little more than fufficient for him to felect, decypher, and transcribe this account for the prefs.
The tranfadtion with Mr. Ruddall, as he fays, followed at the diftance of about ten days or a fortnight ; for the recency of the publication, and the converfation cor.fequcnt upon it, gave rife to Chatterton's forgery : Had the fubjecl: been a fhort poem, or any profe account, which required only genius and invention in the au- thor, Chatterton might be fuppofed equal to it ; or, if the forgery confifted only of a few lines, he might have imitated an ancient hand with a tolerable degree of ac- curacy and uniformity ; but the length of this account, including the two Songs, would have made it very difficult for him to preferve the fame uniformity, and much more fo .to tranferibe all thofe reputed originals which are now in Mr. Barrett's hands, under the name of Rowley, and of which he has obligingly furnifhed mc with the following catalogue.
Parchments penes me, W. B.
The Song to Ella, with the Challenge to Lidgate, and the Anfwer. This poem was fent by Mr. Barrett to a friend, and is unfortunately loft. Canyngis Feaft : A poem. The fii'ft thirty-fix lines of the Stone of William Canynge.
9 The
THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE. 439
The following are Hijlorical Profe Compofitions.
1. The Yellow Roll, containing an Account of the origin of Coinage in England,
and of the Curiofities in Canynge's Cabinet. This alfo was lent, with the Song to Ella, by Mr. Barrett to a friend, and is loft.
2. The Purple Roll, thirteen inches by ten, containing an Account of particular
Coins, and the fecond and third Sections of Turgotus's Hiftory of Briftol. N. B. The flrft Section above quoted is alfo extant in Chatterton's own hand, but the original does not appear.
3. Vita Burtoni, a parchment roll, about eight inches long and four broad,
very clofely written ; containing an account of Sir Simon De Burton, and his rebuilding Redcliff Church.
4. Knights Templars Church ; a Hiftory of its foundation, &c.
5. St. Mary's Church of the Port : A Hiftory of it from its foundation, ending
with the Verfes on Robert Canynge.
6. Roll of St. Bartholomew's Priory, with a Lift of the Priors.
7. An Account of the Chapel and Houfe of Calendaries : A drawing of th-j
Chapel, and underneath an explanation of it.
8. Ellas Chappie. No drawing, except of the Kill of Ella ; but there is an,
account of its foundation.
q. St. Mary Magdalen's Chapel: A drawing only.
10. Grey Friars Church : A drawing only.
11. Drawing of three monumental infcriptions.
12. Ancient Monument, and Rudhall ; Mere delineations.
13. Leffer and Greater St John's : Only a rude delineation.
14. Several drawings of the Caftle of Briftol.
15. Strong Hold of the Caftle : A drawing, and account of its foundation by
Robert Earl of Gloucefter, and fite thereof.
16. Old Wall of Briftol : Mere drawings.
17. Carne of Robert Curthofes Mynde in Caftlefteed : A drawing or figure, with
the words Came, &c. underneath.
The hiftorical anecdote which Chatterton pretended to have written, and of which he affected to forge the original, was fo far founded in truth, that a new •bridge was built over the Avon at Briftol in 1247; but the ceremony performed at the opening of it, refts folely on the authority of this account. If the fa"i was true, Chatterton muft have been indebted for it to Rowley's papers, or to fome other ancient documents : If it was a fable, the genius of Rowley might be equal to the invention, but the fubject, was altogether foreign to Chatterton's ideas, and the circumftances beyond the reach of his knowledge or imagination ; for though we fhould fuppofe him capable of drefTuig up a mock proceflion of the mayor and citizens parading over the new bridge, yet how could he invent i'o circumftantial
a hiftory
440 THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE.
Or bee the erthe wyth lyghte or merke ' ywrynde ", I fee hys ymage waullceyng thro we the coafte : Fitz Hardynge, Bithrickus, and twentie raoe 35
Ynn vifyonn fore mie phantafie dyd goe.
Thus all mie wandrynge faytour * thynkeynge flrayde, And eche dygne buylder dequac'd " onn mie mynde, Whan from the diftaunt ftreeme arofe a mayde, Whofe gentle treffes mov'd not to the wynde ; 40
' Darknefs. u Covered. w Deceiver. x Dajbed.
Lyche
a hiftory of St. Wareburghus, in whofe honour a fong was fung as a part of the ceremony ? The account of that Saint, is the fame with that given by Turgot in his firft fection of the Hiftory of Briftol, and an allufion is made to the fame hiftory in the poem now before us : Muft we not therefore infer, that all three are the work of the fame author; and! if they are not to be afcribed to Rowley, muft we not fuppofe, in contradiction to reafon and experience, and to the teftimony of Chatterton's own friends and acquaintance, that this illiterate youth, at the age of fixteen, was capable of writing all thefe poems, of compiling the hiftorical anecdotes in profe, which are ftill extant in Mr. Barrett's poffeflion, and of giv- ing to them all the appearance of authenticity, by tranfcribing them in a feigned but uniform character, affecting to be ancient? To fuch dilemmas as thefe are the opponents to Rowley, and the advocates for Chatterton, reduced ; and if any fur- ther argument was wanted, to fliew that the authenticity of the poetry could not be affected by this fingle inftance of Chatterton's forgery, the learned Editor of the poems might be appealed to, as an able and impartial judge ; who, in his pre- face, has thus given his opinion of the point in queftion :
" If the writing of the fragment fhall be judged to be counterfeit, and forged " by Chatterton, it will not of neceflity follow, that the matter of them was alfo *' forged by him ; and ftill lefs, that all the other compofitions, which he profeffed " to have copied from ancient MSS. were merely inventions of his own : In either " cafe, the decifion muft depend upon the internal evidence.,>
V. 35. But the hiftory of Rowley's other heroes is better authenticated; for Leland obferves, that Brictric was Lord of Briftow before the conqueft. See alfo the note on B. H. N° 2. v. 116. The name of Robert Fitzharding is perpetuated as the founder of the Auguftinian convent, now the cathedral church.
V. 40. The beautiful fimplicity in the perfonification of Truth need not be fug- gefted to the reader, nor the modeft defcription of the Poet's innocent and virtuous fentiments, fo truly correfpondent to his profefiion ;
For well he minded what by vow he hete.
THE STOR1E OF WILLIAM CANYNGE. 441
Lyche to the fylver moone yn froftie neete, The damoifelle dyd come foe blythe and fweete.
Ne browded y mantell of a fcarlette hue,
Ne moone pykes z plaited o'er wyth ribbande geere,
Ne coftlie paraments a of woden b blue, 45
Noughte of a dreffe, but bewtie dyd fliee weere ;
Naked me was, and loked fwete of youthe,
All dyd bewryen c that her name was Trouthe.
The ethie d ringletts of her notte-browne hayre
What ne a manne mould fee dyd fwotelie c hyde, 50
Wrhych on her milk-white bodykin f fo fayre
Dyd fliowe lyke browne ftreemes fowlyng the white tyde,
Or veynes of brown hue yn a marble cuarr E,
Whyche by the traveller ys kenn'd from farr.
Aftounded mickle there I fylente laie, 5c
Still fcauncing h wondrous at the walkynge fyghte j
Mie fenfes forgarde ' ne coulde reyn awaie ;
But was ne forftraughte k whan Ihee dyd alyghte
Anie to mee, drefle up yn naked viewe,
Whych mote yn fome ewbrycious ' thoughtes abrewe \
But I ne dyd once thynke of wanton thoughte j 6i
For well I mynded what bie vowe I hete n, And yn mie pockate han a crouchee0 broughte, Whych yn the blofom woulde fuch fins anete p;
1 Embroidered. z Piked or picked Jhocs. a Robes of Jlate. b Dyed with woad. 9 Difcover, /hew. d Eafy. c Sweetly. ' Body. g Quarry. b Looking obliquely. 1 Loft. k Confounded. l Adultrous. m Brew, or mix. n Promifed. ° Crucifix. * Deftroy, annihilate.
3 L I lok'd
442 THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE.
I lok'd wyth cyne as pure as angelles doe, 65
And dyd the everie thoughte of foule efchewe.
Wyth fweet femblate "* and an angel's grace
Shee 'gan to lecture from her gentle brefte;
For Trouthis wordes ys her myndes face,
Falfe oratoryes fhe dyd aie detefle : 70
Sweetnefle was yn eche worde fhe dyd ywreene r,
Tho fhe ftrove not to make that fweetneffe fheene.
Shee fayd ; mie manner of appereynge here Mie name and fleyghted myndbruch r maie thee telle y. I'm Trouthe, that dyd defcende fromm heaven were, 75- Goulers ' and courtiers doe not kenne mee welle ; Thie inmofte thoughtes, thie labrynge brayne I fawe,. And from thie gentle dreeme will thee adawe '.
Full manie champyons and menne of lore ",.
Payncters and carvellers have gaind good name, 8q
But there's a Canynge, to encreafe the flore,
A Canynge, who fhall buie uppe all theyre fame.
Take thou mie power, and fee yn chylde and manne.
What troulie nobleneffe yn Canynge ranne.
' appearance. * Difplay. Firmnefs. ' Ufurers. ' Awaken. * Learning.
As
V. 69. The obfervation that
Trouthis worJes ys her myndes face,, is an improvement of that idea in Gower;
It needeth not to make it quaint, For trouthe hys wordis will not paint, p. 9. V, 80. The poet here alludes to the lift of fkilld Paindtorrs and Carvellers already mentioned. The feveral references which are made to perfons and things mentionf-d by him in other poems, (hews a connection of ideas, which is a ftrong prcfumptive evidence in favour of the authenticity of the whole.
THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE. 443
As when a bordelier w onn ethie * bedde, 8 c
Tyr'd vvyth the laboures maynt of fweltrie daie, Yn flepeis bofom laieth hys deft ' headde, So, fenfes fonke to refte, mie boddie laie ; Eftfoons mie fprighte, from erthlie bandes untyde, Immengde z yn flanched a ayrc wyth Trouthe afyde. 90
Strayte was I carryd back to tymes of yore,
Whylft Canynge fwathed yet yn flefhlie bedde,
And faw all aclyons whych han been before,
And all the fcroll of Fate unravelled ;
And when the fatc-mark'd babe acome to fyghte, oc
I faw hym eager gafpynge after lyghte.
w Pea/ant. x Eafy. 1 Neat, cleanly. * Mingled. • The arched firmament.
In
V. 91. Rowley was certainly well qualified to draw the character of Canning from his childhood, if (according to the unpublifhed account of his life) their friendfhip commenced with their education at the White Fryars, or Carmelites at Briftol. The expreflion of his eating down learning with the wajf el-cake may appear childilh, and fuggeft the idea of a gingerbread horn-book ; but is any objection made to a fimilar phrafe, to fuck in wifdom with the milk P The gravity of Rowley's pen, and the nature of his fubject, forbid us to fuppofe any farcafm implied in the comparifon between Canning's wifdom and that of the mayor and aldermen though Canning himfelf has elfewhere made free with them.
With regard to Canning's family, the father, whofe name was John, and the
lder brother Robert, are characterifed in this poem, as being attentive only to money. The unpublifhed life of Canning, in Mr. Barrett's hands, feems to fay that they did not long furvive each other, and that " the father loved not William " as he did Roberte, fithence he bent not hys wholle rede togette lucre :" But nei- ther the poem nor thefe memorials mention any other brother except John. ** Hys brodher Robert was than hym oulder, John yingere.— Brodher John is a " lacklande, beyinge left uponne mie goode wylle :" And in another letter of Canning, he tells Rowley, " that he mail goe to Londonne to fettle his brodher " Johne;" agreeably to what is mentioned in the ftanza from line 127. But
John was not the brother whom he put in fuch a trade,
That he lorde mayor of Londonne towne was made.:
7 L 2 for
e
444 THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE.
In all hys fnepen b gambols and chyldes phie,
In everie merriemakeyng, fayre or wake,
I kenn'd a perpled c lyghte of Wyfdom's raie ;
He eate downe learnynge wyth the waflle cake A. ioo.
As wife as anie of the eldermenne,
He'd wytte enowe toe make a mayre at tenne.
Innocent, or fwiple. c Scattered. & Tht white/} bread.
As
for the perfon who held that high office anno 1457, 36 Henry Vlth, was called Thomas. This ftanza, therefore, may allude to two different perfons ; he might fupply the wants of his brother John, and even fettle him in London; but Thomas had probably an earlier eftabiiftiment in trade, by the- fuccefs of which, he was advanced to. the higheft city honours. Canning's fon William died before him, leaving a fon of the fame name, to whom the grandfather be- queathed fome tenements in Briftol, together with the reverfion of another tene- ment, then pofleffed by Ifabella Pewett, who is ftiled nuper uxor JVUUlmi Cannyngs fili't mei defurMl.
It would be foreign to the prefent purpofe, as well as anticipating a more per- fect account of Canning's family (which we are to expect from Mr. Barrett) to enter more largely into his hitlory. It may be fufficient, therefore, to add the portraiture of him and his family, as it appears among Rowley's papers.
" Hee is talle and ftatelie, his eyes and haire are jette blacke, hys afpefte " fweete, and fkin ablaunche ; Han he not foe moke fwootinefie, proude and dif- " courteous innc look; hys lyppes are rudde, and hys lymbes, albeytte large, are " h""g * ne lyk a ftrong pole. Mayftres Cannynges chyldrenn doe gree lyk " himfelfe." This portraiture cannot be more exactly verified, than by compar- ing it with the alabafter figure on his monument, in RedclifF church, efpecially that which reprefents him in his ecclefiaftical habit (for there is another in his city drcfs) in which his length of.flature, and the ftrong lines of his features, are particularly marked out.
William Wirccffre calls him " ditiffimus & fapientiffimus mercator ville Brif- " tolie," p. 83. We may judge of the extent of his traffic and wealth from the fame author, who fays, that he kept eight hundred failors employed for eight years, and maintained daily a hundred carpenters and mafons, and had ten fhips in trade, confifting of above two thoufand nine hundred ton of (hipping; and that he paid
* Either tie fliould be omitted, or the word unlyk be fubftituted inftead of lyk.
5 three
THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE. 445
As the dulce e downie barbe beganne to gre,
So was the well thyghte f texture of hys lore s j
Eche daie enhedeynge " mockler ! for to bee, 105
Greete yn hys councel for the daies he bore.
All tongues, all carrols dyd unto hym fynge,
Wondryng at one foe vvyfe, and yet foe yinge*.
Encreafeynge yn the yeares of mortal lyfe,
And hafteynge to hys journie ynto heaven, no
Hee thoughte ytt proper for to cheefe ' a wyfe,
And ufe the fexes for the purpofe gevene.
Hee then was yothe of comelie femelikeede m,
And hee had made a mayden's herte to blede. •
He had a fader, (Jefus reft hys foule !) 115
Who loved money, as hys charie joie ;
* Soft. f Con/olidatedy connected. E Learning. h Being careful. ' Stronger. k Young.
1 Cbufe. m appearance.
Hee
three thoufand marks to Edward the IVth, " pro pace habenda." We mult not omit givin.o- him hi^ due credit for his fkill in poetry and painting : The former will appear in the pieces which clofe this collection ; and Rowley, fpcaking of him in the Lift of Paincterrs and Carvellers, fays, " Mayftre Cannynge ys ne foule " pavnterr, ne bad verferr." As a proof of the former, he " dyd paynde the ** depydure of the Kynges, the Vyrgyn, and odhere matters in the windowes of the " ifle of -the Ladies table." Indeed the choice of his three friends, and their poetical merics, are a convincing proof of his tafte, and juftify every thing that his panegyrift has faid in his favour. How far he was concerned in rebuilding Rtd( iifF church has been already mentioned. The menace of King Edward, to force a daughter oi Woodville, Lord Rivers, upon him for a wife, and his fhelter- ing himfelf under the protection of holy orders, is a fact eftablifned by the moll authentic records.
As to his poetical merit, The Poem on Happinefs is thought by many not inferior to thofe-of his friend Rowley.
446 THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE.
Hee had a broder (happie manne be's dole !)
Yn mynde and boddie, hys owne fadre's boie ;
What then could Canynge wiflen n as a parte
To gyve to her whoe had made chop of hearte ? 120
But landes and caftle tenures, golde and bighes ",
And hoardes of fylver roufted yn the ent p,
Canynge and hys fayre fweete dyd that defpyfe,
To change of troulie love was theyr content -,
Theie lyv'd togeder yn a houfe adygne q, 125
Of goode fendaument ' commilie and fyne.
But foone hys broder and hys fyre dyd die,
And lefte to Willyam ftates and renteynge rolles,
And at hys wyll hys broder Johne fupplie.
Hee gave a chauntrie to redeeme theyre foules ; 130
And put hys broder ynto fyke a trade,
That he lorde mayor of Londonne towne was made.
Eftfoons hys mornynge tournd to gloomie nyghte j
Hys dame, hys feconde felfe, gyve upp her brethe,
Seekeynge for eterne lyfe and endlefs lyghte, 13 c
And fleed good Canynge j fad myftake of dethe!
Soe have I feen a flower ynn Sommer tyme
Trodde downe and broke and widder ynn ytts pryme.
Next Radcleeve chyrche (oh worke of hande of heav'n, Whare Canynge fheweth as an inftrumente,) 140
•
JVtJh. ° Jewels. » Purfe. 1 Creditable. « Appearance.
Was
THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE. 447
Was to my bifmarde ' eyne-fyghte newlie giv'n j 'Tis part to blazonne ytt to good cont:nte. You that woulde faygn the fetyve ' buyldynge fee Repayre to Radcleve, and contented bee.
I fawe the myndbruch ° of hys nobille foule 145
Whan Edwarde meniced a feconde wyfe %
I faw what Pheryons yn hys mynde dyd rolle ;
Nowe fyx'd fromm feconde dames a preefte for lyfe.
Thys ys tbe manne of menne, the vifion fpoke ;
Then belle for even-fonge mie fenfes woke. 150
• Deluded. ' Elegant. u Firmnefs.
ON HAPPIENESSE, BY WILLIAM CANYNGE.
M
AIE Selyneffe a on erthes boundes bee hadde ? Maie yt adyghte b yn human fhape bee founde ?
a Happinefiy b Drejfed, cloatbed.
Wote
Chatterton has written a poem on the fame fubjeft, which has alfo been printed. Whether this now before us was penned by Canning himfelf, or whether it was written by Rowley, (See Love and Madnefs, p. 155) whofe ftile it rcfembles, and who might give his friend and patron the credit of the performance; in either view we cannot but obferve the different ftile, fentiment, defign, and manner in which the fubje& is treated in the two poems.
3^; Canning,
44» ON HAPPINESS.
Wote yee, ytt was wyth Edin's bower beftadde % Or quite eraced from the fcaunce-layd d grounde, Whan from the fecret fontes the waterres dyd abounde? jj Does yt agrofed c fhun the bodyed waulke, Lyve to ytfelf and to yttes ecchoe taulke ?
All hayle, Contente, thou mayde of turtle-eyne,
As thie behoulders thynke thou arte iwreene f,
To ope the dore to SelynefTe ys thyne, 10
And Chryftis glorie doth upponne thee fheene.
Doer of the foule thynge ne hath thee feene ;
In caves, ynn wodes, ynn woe, and dole B dinrefTe,
Whoere hath thee hath gotten Selyneffe.
c Fixed. d Uneven. c Frighted. f Difplayed. s Sorrowful.
Canning, in the fpirit and meeknefs of Chriftianity, places happinefs in a virtu- ous and religious contentment — Chatterton, on the other hand, after having in the groffeft manner infulted revelation, and reprefented education as entitled to the curfes of mankind, refolves happinefs into mere opinion, and concludes his poem with an affertion too falfe and profligate for his editor and apologift to give it to the public ; nor lhould it have a place here, if it were not to (hew the contrail between the fpirit of Chatterton, and tho'fe of Rowley and Canning: The faint and finner, wife and fool, attain An equal fhare of eafinefs and pain.
V. 3. Bejiad fignifies ftriiSUy a {late or fituation, but it is very frequently join- ed with an adjective, implying uneafinefs and diftrefs. Thus we have in Ifaiah hardly hejlad; in Gower, firroiv 'fully bejlad. In the prefent paffage it feems merely to imply a fixed fituation.
V. 4. The fcaunce-layd grounde, alludes to the obliquity and unevennefs in the furface of the earth, which is fuppofcd to have been the effect: of the deluge, and affords another inftance of the fenfe in which the word fcaunfe, or afcaunces, is applied by our poet.
V. 6. Agrofed, or agrifed, fignifies terrified^ and the word is thus explained by Mr. Tyrwhit in his Gloffary.
O NN
i 449 ]
ONN JOHNE A DALBENIE, BY THE SAME.
J
OHNE makes a jarre boute Lancafter and Yorke; Bee ftille, gode manne, and learne to mynde thie worke.
This Diftich furnifhes no other remark, but that the family is of ancient origin, and long continuance in Briftol. Maifler Gregory Dalbenie makes a principal figure in the ceremony of opening the new bridge, anno 1247. Sir Giles Daw- beny, amongft other offices, was appointed conftable of Briftol caftle, 1 ft Henry Vllth, Rot. Pari. p. 374 ; afterwards created Lord Dawbeny, 7 Hen. Vllth. This John Dalbenie was probably of the fame family ; and the Dawbenies ftill fub- fift with good credit in Briftol.
THE GOULER'S R E QJJ I E M,
BY THE SAME.
M
IE boolie a entes b, adieu ! ne moe the fyghte Of guilden merke mall mete mie joieous cyne,
a Beloved. " Purfes.
N
e
Genie, according to theiPr. Parv. means ufury. Skinner, who quotes the word "rom the ancient Englith Dictionary, as derived from gula, doubts both the ex- ftencr. and et", nialogy of the term: Where then could Chattertcn meet with r, bujt in a L.. tin GloiTarift, whom be did not underftand, and who did not bc- ieve the word to be ancient ?
V. 2. Canning does not fpeak of the mark and noble in the ftficl language of
3 M the
450 THE GOULER'S R E QJJ I E M.
Ne moe the fylver noble fheenynge bryghte Schall fyll mie honde with weight to fpeke ytt fyne; Ne moe, ne moe, alafs ! I call you myne : ^
Whydder muft you,, ah ! whydder muft I goe ? I kenn not either ; oh mie emmers c dygne, To parte wyth you wyll wurcke mee myckle woe ; I mufte be gonne, botte whare I dare ne telle ^ O florthe ,f unto mie mynde ! I goe to helle. 10
Soone as the morne dyd dyghte c the roddie funne, A fhade of theves eche ftreake of lyght dyd feeme -, Whann ynn the heavn full half hys courfe was runn, Eche ftirryng nayghbour dyd mie harte afteme ' ; Thye lofs, or quycke or flepe, was aie mie dreme -t I 5
For thee, O gould, I dyd the lawe ycrafe B ; For thee I gotten or bie wiles or breme h ; Ynn thee I all mie joie and good dyd place ;
c Coined money. d Death. ' Drefs, or prepare. { Terrify. * Break. h Violence.
Botte
the mint; The former was a nummulary eftimate, in value' two-thirds of a pound ; The Jatter, a gold coin, half the value of the mark ; but they were the common names by which fums were then computed. Our ancient records fpealc of golden marks, which confifted of two-thirds of a pound in gold ; and the memory of them is ftill preferved in the royal coronations, where the King makes two offerings, viz. one in a pound, the other in a mark of gold. The mark and the noble being con- sidered here as money of account, rather than as fpecies of coin, the larger denomi- nation is given to the gold, and the fmaller to the filver.
V. 7. They may be called emmers, either from the yellow colour of gold, re- fembling embers-, or live coals of fire, as Pindar calls gold
— — — — ycutrof cZ$iy.ivov true. (O)ymp. V. 2.)
or as the gold coin of the lower empire was ftiled Ciri^irv^ov; or from their circular form, deriving emmer, like aumere and emmertlyng, from the A. S. prepofition ymb-ber, which fignifies to encircle or furround.
THE ACCOUNTE OF W. CANYNGES FEAST. 45 r
Botte now to mee thie pleafaunce ys ne moe, I kenne notte botte for thee I to the quede ' muft goe. 20
1 The devil.
V. 20. Shtad, according to Skinner and the gloffarifts, fignifies evil or wicked; but Rowley ufes it, both here and in a paffagc of Ella, emphatically for the devil.
1 1 — memmmm ■
THE ACCOUNTE OF W. CANYNGES
FEAST.
THOROWE the halle the belle han founde; Byelecoyle * doe the Grave befeeme b ; The ealdermenne doe fytte arounde, Ande fnoffelle oppe the cheorte c fteeme.
2 Fair welcome. b Is becoming, or proper. c Chearful.
Lyche
Mr. Warton has objected to the word Accounts, in the title of this laft piece, as laving been formerly ufed only in an arithmetical fenfe ; but the French words jnter, and racontcr, are at leaft as ancient as Rowley's time, and have been always ••pplicabie in this fenfe. Indeed it is fo ufed by Gower,
Which for to accompte is but a jape, As thing which thou might overfchape. P. 20. col. 2. V. 2. Bialacoil, in modern French Bel accucil, fair -welcome, or good reception, is icrfonified by Chaucer, and uniformly explained by the Gloflarifts j Spcnfer alio
3 M 2 ufes
452 THE'ACCOUNTE OF W. CANYNGES FEAST.
Lyche affes wylde ynne defarte wafte Suotelve the morneynge ayre doe tafte.
Syke keene theie ate ; the minftrels plaie,
The dynne of angelles doe theie keepe -,
Heie ftylle the gueftes ha ne to faie,
Butte nodde yer thankes ande falle aflape.
Thus echone daie bee I to deene,
Gyf Rowley, Ifcamm, or Tyb. Gorges be ne feene.
ufcs the expreflion of feeming Bel-accoil, B. iv. C. 6. St. 25. The paflage means, that the grave Aldermen deferve a civil reception. The picture of them at table is humorous, but equally applicable to any other corporation-feaft; and though the fimile here introduced might not be meant as a compliment, yet it is copied f;om a very refpeclable oiiginal.
The prophet Jeremiah defcribes the wild afs in the wildernefs, as fnuffng up the wind at his pleafure. Chap. ii. v. 24.
The wild affes did ftand in the high places ; they fnuffled up the wind like dragtns. Chap. xiv. 6.
But the account of this feftivity might relate principally to the public occafioial entertainments given by Canning, either as mayor, or as a wealthy merchant of the town.
THE END OF THE POEMS.
Si^o tr^<=»
<§■
($Vrt<3>^ (^tVhpnju^ to© ™<PcS> fen^--
0 4 6 6
l.Sb-utt JctJfii
i 453 J
ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE.
TH E feries of external and internal evidence contained in the preceding fheets, unite in confuting every idea which would afcribe thefe poems to Chatterton as their author. If the caufe wanted further fupport, it would receive the ftxongeft con- firmation from the following letter, which was communicated too late to be add:d to the other external evidence contained in the Preliminary Differtation. Poffibly it may be introduced with equal propriety in this place, where it may prove decifive of the queftion, and carry the moil: fatisfactory conviction to the mind of every reader. The author, who is at prefent fettled in a profeffion in this metropolis, was a native of Briftol, where his acquaintance with Chatterton commenced and terminated ; and in confequence of ir, is enabled not only to bear tefHmony to the existence of the ancient parchments, and to the tranfcripts made of them by Chatterton, but alfo to defcribe, with great accuracy, the fituation, circumftances, genius, temper, purfuits, and amufements of this extraordinary youth : A teflimony which comes recommended by this circumftance, that it correfponds with the accounts given of Chatterton by himfelf, his neareft relations, and mod intimate friends ; but Mr. Thiillethwaite's account muft be delivered in his own words.
« SIR.
45+ ADDITION A,L EVIDENCE.
"SIR,
** IN obedience to your requeft, and my own promlfe, I lit " down to give you the bell: account in my power, of the rife, " progrefs, and termination of my acquaintance with the late " unfortunate Thomas Chatterton.
" In the fummer of 1763, being then in the 12th year of my " age, I contracted an intimacy with one Thomas Phillips, who " was fome time ulher or atfiftant mailer of ahofpital, or charity- " fchool, founded for the education and maintenance of youth at " Briftol, by Edward Colfton, Efquire. Phillips, notwithftand- " ing the difadvantage of a very confined education, poflelfed " a tiite for hiftory and poetry ; of the latter, the magazines, and " other periodicals of that time, furnim no very contemptible " fpecimen.
" Towards the latter end of that year, by means of my inti- " nvtcy with Phillips, I formed a connection with Chatterton, " who was on the foundation of that fchool, and about fourteen " months younger than myfelf. The poetical attempts of Phil- " lips had excited a kind of literary emulation amongft the elder " claffes of the fcholarsj the love of fame animated their bofoms, " and a variety of competitors appeared to difpute the laurel witli ** him: Their endeavours however, in general, did not meet with " the fuccefs which their zeal and afijduity deferved ; and Phil- " lips It ill, to the mortification of his opponents, came off '•' victorious and unhurt.
" In all thefe trifling contentions, the fruits of which are " now, and have been long iince defervedly and entirely for- " gotten, Chatterton appeared merelv as an idle fpedtitor, no " ways interelled in the bufinefs of the drama; limply content- " in°- himfelf with the fports and paftimes more immediately " adapted to his age, he apparently poiTelTed neither inclination " nor indeed ability for literary purfuits ; nor do 1 believe (not- " withftanding the evidence adduced to the contrary by the au- o " thor
ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE. 45 j
" thor of Love and Madnefs) that he attempted the compo- " fition of a fingle couplet, during the firft three years of my tl acquaintance with him.
" Going down Horfe-ftreet, near the fchool, one day, during
'* the fummer of 1764, I accidentally met with Chatterton :
" Entering into converfation with him, the Subject of which
'* I do not now recollect, he informed me that he was in pofTef-
" lion of certain old MSS, which had been found depefited in
" a cheft in Redcliffe church, and that he had lent fome or one
" of them to Phillips. Within a day or two after this, I faw
" Phillips, and repeated to him the information I had received
" from Chatterton. Phillips produced a MS, on parchment or
44 vellum, which I am confident was Elenoure and "Juga, a kind
" of Pafloral Eclogue, afterwards published in the Town and
" Country Magazine for May 1769. The parchment or vellum
" appeared to have been clofely pared round the margin, for
" what purpofe, or by what accident, I know not, but the words
" were evidently entire and unmutilated. As the writing was
44 yellow and pale, manifestly (as I conceive) occafioned by age,
" and confequently difficult to decypher, Phillips had with his
" pen traced and gone over feveral of the lines (which, as far as
** my recollection ferves, were written in the manner of profe,
" and without any regard to punctuation) and by that means
" laboured to attain the object of his purfuit, an inveftigation of
" their meaning/ I endeavoured to amft him; but, from an almolt
** total ignorance of the characters, manners, language, and ortho-
" graphy of the age in which the lines were written, all our
" efforts were unprofitably exerted ; and although we arrived at
" an explanation of, and connected many of the words, ftill the
*' fenfe was notorioufly deficient.
'■* For my own part, having little or no tafte for fuch ffudies, " I repined not at the diiappointment ; PJiillips, on the con- 44 trary, was to all appearance mortified, indeed much more To
" than
456 ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE.
" than at that time I thought the object deferred, exprefiing his " forrow at his want of fuccefs, and repeatedly declaring his " intention of refuming the attempt at a future period. Whether " he kept his word or not, is a circumftance I am entirely un- " acquainted with, nor do I conceive a determination thereof " any ways material at prefent.
" In the year 1765, I was put apprentice to a flationer at " Briltol, at which period my acquaintance and correfpondence " with Chatterton and Phillips feem to have undergone a tempo- " rarv diiTolution ; however, towards the latter end of 17.67, or >*' at the beginning of 1768, being fent to the office of Mr. Lam- " bert, an attorney then refident at Briftol, for fome books which " wanted binding, in the execution of that errand, I found Chat- ** terton, who was an articled clerk to Mr. Lambert, and who, " as I collected from his own converfation, had been adventur- *' ing in the fields of Parnafius, having produced feveral trifles, " both in profe and verfe, which had then lately made their ap- " pearance in the public prints.
" In the courfe of the year 1768 and 1769, wherein I fre- " quently faw and converfed with Chatterton, the excentricity '« of his mind, and the verfatility of his difpolition, feem to have " been firrgularly difplayed. One day he might be found bufily " employed in the ftudy of Heraldry and Englifli Antiquities, " both of which are numbered amongfl: the raoft favourite of his " purfuits; the next, difcovered him deeply engaged, confounded, " and perplexed, amidft the fubtleties of metaphyfical difquifition, 4< or loit and bewildered in theabflrufe labyrinth of mathematical " refearches ; and thefe in an inftant again neglected and thrown " afide to make room for aftronomy and mufic, of both which " fciences his knowledge was entirely confined to theory. Even " phyfie was not without a charm to allure his imagination, and ''■ he would talk of Galen, Hippocrates, and Paracelfus, with all <■' the confidence and familiarity of a modern empirick.
7 "To
ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE. 45?
" To a genius io fickle and wavering, however comprehensive " the mind may be, no real or folid attainment could reafonably '* be expected. True it is, that by not confining himfelf to one " fcience only, he contracted an acquaintance with many, but " fuch an acquaintance, as fuperficial in itielf, neither contri- ** buted to his interelt nor his credit.
" During the year 1768, at divers vifits I made him, I found " him employed in copying Rowley, from what I then confidered, '* and do ftill confider, as authentic and undoubted originals. ** By the affiftance he received from the gloffary to Chaucer, he " was enabled to read, with great facility, even the mod difficult " of them ; and, unlefs my memory very much deceives me " I once faw him confulting the Etymologicon Linguce A?iglicance " of Skinner.
" Amongft others, I perfectly remember to have read feveral «« ftanzas copied from the Deatbe of Syr Charles Bain-din, the " original alfo of which then lay before him. The beautiful fim- " plicity, animation, and pathos, that fo abundantly prevail thro' " the courfe of that poem, made a lading impreffion on my " memory ; I am neverthelefs of opinion, that the language, as <{ I then faw it, was much more obfolete than it appears in the «' edition published by Mr. Tyrwhitt ; probably occafioned by " certain interpolations of Chatterton, ignorantly made, with " an intention, as he thought, of improving them.
" Several pieces which afterwards rmde their appearance in " the Town and Country Magazine, (notwithstanding their " more modern date) were written by him during this year, " 1768, particularly certain pretended tranflations from the " Saxon and Ancient Britilh; very humble, and in fome in- *' fiances very unfuccefsful attempts at the manner and fiile " of Oihan. Chatterton, whenever afked for the originals of " thefe pieces, hefitated not to confefs, that they exitled only a in his own imagination, and were merely the orfspring and
3 N " invention
458 ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE.
" invention of fancy ; on the contrary, his declaration, when- " ever queftioned as to the authenticity of the poems attributed " to Rowley, was invariably and uniformly in fupport of their " antiquity, and the reputation of their author Rowley, inftantly " facrificing thereby all the credit he might, without a poffibi- " lity of detection, have taken to himfelf, by afTuming a cha- f racier to which he was confcious he had no legal claim ; " a circumflance which I am aflured could not, in its effec~t, " fail of operating upon a mind like his, prone to vanity, and " eager of applaufe even to an extreme.
" With refpect to the firfr. poem of the Battle of Raftings, " it has been faid that Chatterton himfelf acknowledged it to be " a forgery of bis own ; but let any unprejudiced perfon, of com- " mon difcernment, advert only for a moment to the fituation in ** which Chatterton then flood, and the reafon and neceflity of '-* fuch a declaration will be apparent.
" The very contracted flate of his finances, aided by a vain " defire of appearing fuperior to what his circumftances afforded, " induced him, from time to time, to difpofe of the poems in his " pofTeflion, to thofe from whofe generofity and patronage he ex- •' peeled to derive fome confiderable pecuniary advantages : I will " not hefitate to affert (and I fpeak from no lefs authority than " Chatterton himfelf) that he was difappointed in this expecta- " tion, and thought himfelf not fufficiently rewarded by his " Briflol patrons, in proportion to what he thought his commu- " nications deferved.
" From this circumflance, it is eafy to account for the anfwer " given to Mr. Barrett, on his repeated folicitations for the " original, viz. that be himfelf wrote that poem for a friend ; think- *' ing, perhaps, that if he parted with the original poem, he " might not be properly rewarded for the lofs of it.
" That vanity, and an inordinate thirfl after praife, eminently " diftinguifhed Cliatterton, all who knew him will readily ad- " mit. — From a long and intimate acquaintance with him, I
" venture
ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE. 459
" venture to affert, that from the date of his firft poetical attempt, " until the final period of his departure from Briftol, he never " wrote any piece, however trifling in its nature, and even un- *' worthy of himfelf, but he firft communicated it to every ac- " quaintance he met, indifcriminately, as wifhing to derive ap- " plaufe, from product ions which I am affured, were he now " living, he would be heartily afhamed of : from a full afluranee ** of the truth of which propoiition, I conceive myfelf at liberty " to draw the following inference — that, had Chatterton been the " author of the poems imputed to Rowley, fo far from fecreting " fuch a circumflance, he would have made it his firft, his " greateft pride ; for to fuppofe him ignorant of the intrinfic " beauty of thole compofitions, would be a mcft unpardonable " prefumption.
" Towards the fpring of 1770, fome differences having pre- " vioufly thereto arifen between Chatterton and his mailer <f Mr. Lambert, the former publickly exprefied his intention of *f quitting his fituation, and repairing to the metropolis, whicli " he flattered himfelf would afford him a more enlarged field for " the fuccefsful exercife and difplay of his abilities ; accordingly, " in April, he began making the neceflary preparations for his " journey. Anxious for his welfare, I interrogated him as " to the object of his views and expectations, and what mode *' of life he intended to purfue on his arrival at London. The " anfwer I received was a memorable one ; ' My firft attempt, laid " he, fhall be in the literary way : The promifes I have received *' are fufficient to difpel doubt ; but fhould I, contrary to my ex- " pecfations, find myfelf deceived, I will, in that cafe, turn *' Methodift preacher : Credulity is as potent a deity as ever, and " a new fed: may eafily be devifed. But if that too fhould fail me, "' my laft and final refuurce is a piftol.'
«« That fpirit of literary Quixotifm which he poflelied, and <* which had the immediate afcendency over every other coniide- " ration, had been much encreafed by his correfpondencc with
-7 N 2 " divers
46» ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE.
f* divers bookfellers and printers ; who finding him of advantage " to them in their publications, were by no means fparing of " their praifes and compliments; adding thereto, the moll: liberal " promifes of afiiftance and employment, fhould he choofe to " make London the place of his refidence.
" Thefe were the hopes upon which he relied : This it was " which induced him to quit the place of his nativity, and throw " himfelf for a precarious fubfiftence upon ftrangers. It is un- " neceffary to remark, how far his expectations were anfwered: " His unfortunate and untimely exit, deplorably fhews the fallacy " of his hopes, and the extreme deficiency of his knowledge of " the world; who could for a moment idly fuppofe that the mofl: " diftinguifhed talents, unpatronized, would meet with fuccefs, " and lift him to that eminence which he flattered himfelf he ** merited.
" Thus, Sir, I have attempted, in a hafly and curfory manner, " to prefent you with whatever comes within the limits of my " own obfervation and knowledge relative to this extraordinary " youth ; in refpecl to whofe memory, I beg leave to make one '* further remark.
" It has been faid, that he was an unprincipled libertine, de- " praved in his mind, and profligate in his morals; whofe abi- " lities were proftituted to ferve the caufe of vice, and whofe lei- " fure hours were wafted in continued fcenes of debauchery and '* obfcenity.
'* Mr. Warton tells us, that he was ' an hireling in the trade " of literature, unprincipled, and compelled to fubfift by ex- '* pedients.' (See his emendations to the fecond volume of Hiftory " of Poetry:) And another gentleman tells us, ' that his death " was of no great confequence, fince he could not long have ** efcaped hanging.' (See Love and Madnefs, p. 132.) Whether " any or all of thefe epithets are meant as arguments to prove " that Chatterton is the author of Rowley's Poems, abounding " as they do with piety and morality, and the mofl refined fenti-
" ment?
ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE. 4ci
" ment, I know not; but I cannot help obilrving, that fuch ex- " preflions (unfupported, as they appear to be, by truth and " reafon) neither do credit to the heads or to the hearts of thofe " who fo uncharitably beftow them.
" I admit, that amongft Chatterton's papers may be found many " paflages, not only immoral, but bordering upon a libertinifm " grofs and unpardonable. It is not my intention to attempt a " vindication of thofe paflages, which, for the regard I bear his " memory, I wifh he had never written ; but which I neverthe- " lefs believe to have originated rather from a warmth of imagi- " nation, aided by a vain affectation of Angularity, than from any '* natural depravity, or from a heart vitiated by evil- example.
" The opportunities a long acquaintance with him afforded " me, juftify me in faying, that whilft he lived in Briflol he was " not the debauched character reprefented. Temperate in his " living, moderate in his pleafures, and regular in his exercifes, he " was undeferving of the afperfion. — What change London might ** have effected in him, I know not ; but from the {train of his " letters to his mother and lifter, and his conduct towards them " after he quitted Briftol, and alio from the teftimony of thofe " with whom he lodged, I have no doubt but the intemperances " and irregularities laid to his charge did either not exiit at all, " or, at the worft, are confiderably aggravated beyond what can- " dour can approve.
" I am, Sir,
" with the utmoft refpect, \th April, 1 78 1. " your moft humble fervant,
" JAS. THISTLETHWAITE."
This letter may be illuftrated by Chatterton's correfpondence with his mother and After, printed in a pamphlet entitled Love and Madnefs ; in which it appears, that the turn of his thoughts, the objects of his purfuit, and the choice of his company, were
directly
402 ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE.
-directly oppofite to the principles profeffed by the author of thefe poems.
In a letter written to his mother, May the 14th 1770, p. 175, he acknowledges that, " although-, as an apprentice, no one had " greater liberties than himfelf, yet the thoughts of fervitude " killed him." On his firft arrival in London, he was happy to find himfelf in the company of printers and bookfcllers : Mr. Edmonds, Mr. Fell, Mr. Hamilton, and Mr. Dodfley, were among his firft acquaintance, and he plumed himfelf not a little on the encouragement he hoped to receive from them. (Letter April 26th 1770, p. 169.) — And yet his ambition, at that time, foared no higher than to be a writer in a Magazine, by which alone he boafted that he could get four guineas a month; adding, in a ftrain of exultation, " What a glorious profpect !" (Letter May 6th, page 171.) — He was alfo to write occafional eflays for the daily papers, and to afiift in compiling a Hiftory of England. He flattered himfelf, that all deficiencies both of character and conduct would be made up by his pen. — " A character, fays he, n (Letter May the 6th) is now unneceffary ; an author carries his *'* character in his pen ;" and fo highly did he rate the patronage of bookfellers, that, '* without this neceffary knowledge, he <f thought the greateft genius muft ftarve, and with it the greateft " dunce live in fplendor." This knowledge he thought he had pretty well dipped into; and obferves in another letter, (May the 14th, p. 177) " that if Rowley had been a Londoner, infcead of '< a Briftowyan, he might have lived by copying his works." What encouragement then might he not have expected, if he had really been the author of thefe poems; and how eafy andpleafant was his road to opulence and fame, if he could have continued to exercife his genius in the fame ftile of poetry ? But he had not the leaft idea of any fuch refource. In fiict, his fund of ancient poetry was exhaufted, having been diftributed among his friends at Briftol ; one piece only remained in his poffefilon, the Ballad
of
ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE. 463
of Charity,, which he had taken the trouble to explain by a copious gloflary: but (if we judge by the letter that accompanied it) he was very little folicitous of reaping either honour or profit by the performance; for he fent it to the printer of the Town and Country Magazine, not much more than a month before his death, under his ufual fignature of D. B. but without elo^e or recommendation. (See the Introd. Account). — As he could not compofe other poems in this fr.il e, and his vanity for his own compofitions increafed in proportion as his profpecls improved, he naturally indulged his pen on thofe fubjects which were moft agreeable to his inclination, viz. Satire, Romance, and Love: and it cannot be fuppofed that a Hiftory of England, or Effays in a Gofpel Magazine, (both which he tells his fifter he was engaged to write,) could flourifh under the direction of fo defultory and licentious a genius. (.See his letter, May the 6th, p. 171, and July nth, p. 186).
But could the author of thefe poems thus debafe his pen, at the time when he was moft encouraged to dignify it ? Could a mind, which had been habituated to ideas fo delicate, fo chaffe, and fo lofty, condefcend to fink at once into a hackney writer, and fub- mit to pen political fquibs for either party, declaring, " that he «« was a poor author, who could not write on both fides?" (Letter May the 30th, p. 179.) — Such a conducl, though totally irrecon- cileable with every idea that can be formed of the author of this poetry, is very confident with the character of Chatterton, as the tranfcriber of it.
Without repeating the arguments which every page of thefe poems has furnifhed in fupport of their authenticity, it may be fufficient to obferve, that they ftand diftinguiihed by the follow- ing great and characleriftical lineaments.
Firft, A loftinefs of idea,, dignity of fentiment, luxuriancy of imagination, and uncommon powers of defcription.
Secondly, A purity of language, uniformity of ftile, accuracy 10 of
464 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
of metre, and harmony of numbers; nor is the author lefs to be admired for the chaftity of his ideas, the integrity of his principles, the confiftence of his character, his knowledge of human nature, and his fkill in conducting the paffions.
Thefe characters, which mark, a great poetical genius, as well as a learned, judicious, and experienced writer, are rarely united in one perfon ; and though fome of them might have been attainable by Chatterton, yet it is beyond credibility, that he fhould have polfefled them all, and that to this rare affemblage, fhould be added fuch a perfect knowledge of the language, idiom, and phraleology of the fifteenth century, as to enable him to write it with the fame eafe and accuracy with which he penned the lan- guage of his own time.
To avoid the force of fuch powerful evidence, the learned Editor has denied the laft of thefe affertions, and published an Appendix to thefe poems, exprefsly endeavouring to prove, that the language of them is not the language of the fifteenth century, and therefore that they were not written by any ancient author, but entirely by Thomas Chatterton.
This affertion, both in its negative and politive part, will re- quire all the fupport which fo able a pen can give it. The two propofitions are diftinct and unconnected ; nor does the latter necefi'arily follow on the eftabliihment of the former. Whether the learned objector has proved either or both his affertions, mud; be determined by the candid reader; to whom the following remarks are offered, in defence of the antiquity and coniiitency of the lan- guage of our poet.
The arguments drawn by the author of the Appendix, from
this part of the internal evidence, againft the authenticity of the
poems, does not appear to lay within a narrow compafs, nor to be
fo decijive of the quejlion as the learned Editor feems to apprehend.
If, indeed, the language of the fifteenth century could be di- ftinguifhed by certain criteria from that of the preceding and
following
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 455
following periods, the queftion might be tried by the contemporary writers, though they are few in number, and inconfiderable iii merit. But if the fame words were ufed by writers from the be- ginning of the thirteenth, to the middle of the fixteenth century, a very extenfive field Will be opened for enquiry; the profe writers, as well as poets, during that whole period, mud: then be produced as witneffes to the ufage, Jigfiijication, and inflexion of words; and it does not feem to be within the compafs of any man's induftry or reading to convict thefe poems of forgery on this principle, or to prove a negative againft Rowley from the works of the writers during thole three centuries.
The learned objector has indulged himfelf in all this latitude of proof; and, inftead of adhering to the ftandard which himfelf had eftabliihed, and trying the language of Rowley by that of his contemporaries, has ufually appealed to Chaucer, a writer of the preceding century, to whom he refers as almoft the fole touch- ftone of truth and antiquity : (See the Appendix from page 3 1 5 to page 320, and pages 326 and 327.) He is well apprifed, however, that the writers of that period are not fo much diftin- guiflied by the words they make ufe of, as by their manner of putting them together. Some of our poets, who lived long after Chaucer, being more uncouth in their numbers, more antiquated and obfolete in their expreffions, and in every refpect more inferior to Chaucer, than Chaucer is to Rowley.
Mr. Warton, who confiders Chaucer as a genial day in an Englijh fpring, (vol. ii. p. 51) acknowledges, " that m oft of the *' poets who immediately fucceeded him, feem rather relapfing " into barbarifm, than availing themfelves of thofe ftriking orfla- " ments which his judgement and imagination had difclofed :" And in another paflage, (page 188) he fays, " that the verification " of Bradihaw (a poet who died in 1513) is infinitely inferior to " JLidgate's word manner."
3 © But
466 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
But to proceed to the objections in the Appendix, which are made,
Firft, to fuch words as are not ufed by any other writer.
Secondly, to fuch as are ufed by other writers, but in a different fenfe. And
Thirdly, to fuch as are inflected in a manner contrary to gram- mar and cuftom.
Specimens under each head are produced, and by them let the queftion be decided.
The firft of thefe objections, if admitted, muft affect the works of all our ancient poets ; for each of them have fome original words, and a phfafeology peculiar to themfelves. There are ex- preffions in Gower, which do not occur in Occleve or Lidgate; and thofe two poets make ufe of words which are not to be found in Chaucer. Would it then be unreafonable to extend the argu- ment arifing from this fad:, to the works of Rowley ?
Our language, originally barren, has been enriched by fuccef- five additions from the Saxon, Danifh, and Norman tongues. Every denomination of writers, efpecially the poets, have taken the liberty of adding and changing, of compounding and in- troducing words upon their own authority; not to mention their ufe of provincial expreffions, which are confined to certain diftricts, and of technical terms, which are arbitrary in their origin, confined in their ufe, and fhort in their duration. Even the learned editor of Chaucer, who produces this objection, has taken notice of above fifty words in his author, which remain yet unexplained, and therefore, we may prefume, unauthenticated by other writers.
But it will not follow, from a want of fuch authentication, that the words themfelves are modern, much lefs that they were chofen to give colour to a forgery. The prefent objection is an unanfwerable proof, that fuch a conduct would defeat, inftead of promoting that end.
o In
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 467
In copying the language of antiquity, a writer would I - ill advifed, who Should either lofe fight oi~ his original, or al to write in a Stile different trim that of his ov. n age, till he furniShed with a f'flicient number of authentic and eStabliShed wo'ds and phnfcs, without being obJig d to coin them from his own imagination, or to ufe thofe of doubtful and difputable origin. With regard to fmuller inaccuracies of expreffion, gram- miticil crors, and vari ition of orthography, our ancient poets are :-quJl liable to cenfure, and differ as frequently from them- fel cs as they do from one another in that refpect. By what rule then, of jnftice or criticifm, Shall the authenticity of thefe poems be questioned, on a point which has never yet been urged in objection to any other ancient writer ?
The force of the objection will depend upon the extent of it. If by words not ufed by any other writer, it is meant that every •word and phrafe in thefe poems mould be authenticated by pre- ceding or contemporary writers, in a Strictnefs of Signification and orthography, the rule of criticifm will be found too Strict for the language of that age, which was liable to great variation, in- accuracy, and uncertainty ; and if any latitude be allowed to the words taken notice of by the learned editor, they will no longer be the objects of his cenfure ; fome of them differing in the addi- tion of the A. S. prefix, others varying only in their orthography, either on account of rime or meafure, or from the uncertainty that then prevailed in the manner of fpelling. There are, again, others arbitrarily compounded, contracted, or altered, at the fancy of the authors who ufe them ; a liberty at all times taken, efpecially by the poets, without the leaft impeachment to the authenticity of their works. Some technical words, or terms of art, may alio be found in thefe poems, which do not occur in other authors : In- stances of all thefe will appear in the fpecimen of objectionable words, and therefore the authority for each muft be Separately considered.
% O 2 1. Abessie.
468 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
1. Abessie. This word, with its various fynonyms of Abafe, Abeje, AbaiJJ'cr, Abajfarc, and Abaxare, in the Englifh, French, Italian, and Spanifh languages, is eflabliihed beyond contradiction, in point of etymology and antiquity: Lye and Skinner explain it by deficere and deprimere. But it may be more to the purpofe to obferve, that Gower ufes the expreffion " To AbeJJ'c his royalty," (page 19. col. a:) Abejie dyghte, correfponds exactly with the Scripture phrafe, to be chat bed with humility, 1 Peter v. 5. AbeJJie is here put adverbially, and joined with a participle : So Spenler has the expreffion of ivarlike-dight, (B. v. c. 4. ft. 21.)
2. Aborne, like many other words in thefe poems, has the A.S. prefix, which Rowley, and all our ancient poets, infert or omit at their pleafure -, for there feems to be no certain rule to determine the proper or improper ufe of it. This obfervation may ferve as an anfwer to the objection made in the Appendix, p. 351, That Chat- terton ufes the prefix, without any regard to cufiom or propriety.
Bume, Burned, Bourne, and Tbourned, are frequently ufed by our ancient poets in the fenfe here affixed to them. Gower defcribes a Coppe,
Which flood upon a foote on highte-,
Of horned gold. (Page 22, col. a.)
and of a fuit of armour,
Which burned was as filver. (Page 100, col. c). Lidgate mentions the wayne of Apollo, as
Of gold ybourned bright and fair : And Chaucer fpeaks of armour
Wrought all of burnid fteele. Aborne or Thome is here ufed as a participle, with the final d omitted -, a liberty frequently taken by Chaucer and other poets.
•2. Abredvnge, Upbraiding. Both the orthography and meaning of this word are juflified by Speght and Skinner : Gower fpeaks of a Roman conful, who put an end to his life, for having committed an offence which himfelf had made capital, faying,
That
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 469
That Rome fhould never abrayde
His heires, whan he were of dawe,
That hir anceftres broke the lawe. (P. 157. col. d.) The word upbraid, which has the fame etymology, is more fre- quently ufed by our ancient writers, and is fometimes fpelt Obraid, as in the ballad of Gill Morrice.
Obraid me not, my Lord Barnard,
Obraid me not, for fliame. See Percy.
The Saxon participle Abraid admits great variety of fignifications ; it means, according to Speght and Skinner, arofe, recovered, broken off, upjiart ; but Abrede, and Upbraid, feem rather to have their origin from the A. S. word Reban, to counfel or advife. 4. Acroole, with the prefix,
Did fpeak Acroole with languifhment of eyne, expreffes ftrongly the meaning affixed to it by Skinner, To fpeak in a murmuring voice. Hence comes our modern word grow/ ; and nearly allied to it is the word crowde, ufed by Gawin Douglas for the noife made by doves. (P. 404. v. 29.)
So pricking hir green courage for to crowde. The fame author expreffes the noife of cranes by crowping : Of crannies crowping fleing in the aire.
(P. 326. v. 32.) and his gloffarift has alfo, to crune, or crcyne, fignifying mugire, to low, forte ab A. S. Runnian,fufurrare. See Ray in Gloff". Nor- thumb. p. 140. Bailey has alfo " to croo or crookell, or to make " a noife like a dove."
5. Adave is the paft tenfe of Addaw, a word of effablifhed antiquity and fignification, ufed by our ancient poets to fignify either the awaking from fleep, the rifing of the fun, or the dawn- ing of the day : So Govver fays,
The day beddaweth ; (P. 94. col. c.)
Chaucer, in his Prologue to the Legend of Good Women,
That daweth me no day t
and!
4jo ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
and Lidgate, in his Life of our Lady, compares her to a ftar,
That down from Heavyn addaivetb all our forrowe.
War ton, vol. ii. p. 58. Mr. Warton has explained this word hy two others of very dif- ferent import, viz. Affright and Remove; both equally diftant from the true meaning of this paffage ; which fignifies to fiiine upon, to brighten, or to gild oar Jbrrow. So Kenewalche was " the fyneft dame the fun or moon adave," i. e. arofe or floone upon. Jf an objection be made to the irregularity of the tenfe, it may be juftified by many limilar instances in our ancient writers, who form gaff from give, droff from drive, groff from grafen, thohte from thinchan, with various other irregular pad tenfes men- tioned in Manning's Saxon Grammar, prefixed to Lye's Gloffary.
6. Adent, with the prefix, admits of two different origins and fignifications. Dent fignifies in Chaucer zjiroke, or a bruife, and is derived from the A. S. word Dint. In this fctiHe. we may understand the adented or braifed fhield of Hurra, (JE. 490) and the dentful bruife made by Alfwold's bill, (B. H. N° 2. v. 673:) But the two paflages referred to in the Appendix, viz.
Unto thie vefte the rodde fonne ys adente ■, (JE. 395.) and
Adented prowefs to the gite of wite j (G. 32.)
with a third,
Adented to a load of peyne ; (JE. 263. )
mult be rendered fixed ovfajiened, from the French word Adenter; which fignifies, according to Cotgrave, " to join by a mortaife, " or to enchafe one thing within another." The idea is bor- rowed from the teeth of a faw, or from the union of the upper or lower jaw. In reference to this, the lance and fighting fpear are called, (B. H. N° 1. ver. 196, 257) Dented, i. e. JJ:arp and pointed; and the denting of briers, in the Roundclai of .'Ella, (v. 885) is crofling them in an indented form, as fiill practifed in our church-yards.
7. Adramws.
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
'
7. Adrames. Dolt Adrames, may fignify either ftupid dreamers, or dreaming churls. We have the authority of Shakefpeare for this word, and for the fenfe in which it is ufed.
Hamlet, in his foliloquy upon the actors, thus exprcifes his own inattention, and abfence of thought:
Like 'john a Dreames, impregnant of my caufe, I can fay nothing Act ii. fcene laft.
A word fomewhat limilar occurs in the Exmoor Courtfhip, (which contains a fpecimen of the dialect fpoken in that part of Devonlhire) where, to tell Doil, and Dildrames, means " the " deliriums of a lick man, or old wives fables." Douglas ufes the word Dram for forrowful ; and in this fenfe it might be faid of Vevyan's Tales, and of his audience, that they were at once very ferious and very abfurd. This may be put in the lilt of pro- vincial words.
8. Alatche, admits of various explanations. It may be equivalent to alledge or declare, from the A. S. verb Alejan. So Gower fays,
And many other caufe alleyde. (P. 73.) In this fenfe, the threat muft be thus underftood, " Leave me, or " I will accufe you ;" or it may be the fame with Chaucer's word Lachen, which fignifies, according to Mr. Tyrwhit, to blame, or Jind fault. Lacken, alfo, according to Skinner, fignifies to defpife or condemn ; or the word may mean the oppofite to ylached, i. e. enclofed,fiut up; (See B. H. N° 2. v. 436 ;) or laftly, it may be deduced from the French word Lacher, to loofe, or to let go; Lachcr le pied, to run away; and Latch, in old Englilh, fignifies to leave: as if fhe had faid " Let me alone, or I will run away from you."
9. Almer, called alfo Almes-craver, and more than once Pilgrim : And why may not this word be applied to the receiver as well as to the giver of alms; as Treafurer is derived from treafure, and Prijoner from prifon ? At leaft, fuch an application of the word in Latin is juftified by Canning's will, who leaves legacies to the
altnfmen
472 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
almfmen of Weftbury College, under the title of Eleemofynarii or Aimers. This inaccuracy (if it is one) might be eaiily corrected, by changing Aimer into Palmer; but the meaning of the words is too much alike to make any alteration neceflary. See the dif- tin<ftion between Palmer and Pilgrim in Speght's Gloflary.
10. Alust, and 12. Alyse, may be confidered as the fame word. If Alajlan is not to be found amongft the A. S. verbs, at leaft the participle Alyjcd, or Alujle, may be formed from Alyj-an ; and it is not uncommon with our ancient poets to ufe the parti- ciple inftead of the infinitive mood ; we have two inftances of it in the Tragedy of Ella. Magnus fays,
So did I in the air my javelin tojle, (or tofs.) V. 458. And in a preceding line, the participle is fubftituted inftead of a fubftantive,
IVhgnus prefTynge wroghte his foemen loajle, (for lofs.) So Gower, V. 455.
As thou haft heard me /aide. (P. 92. col. B.) And Occleve,
To hope him, (inftead of to help him.)
Warton, vol. ii. p. 42. If the infertion of the / be confidered either as a grammatical error j or as a blunder in the original MS, or tranfcript, we fhall have the word Alyfe perfectly correfpondent in meaning with the feveral paftages where it occurs. According to Lye, it bears the double fignification of liaerareandfolvere, implying both deliverance and payment, and he brings many quotations from Saxon authors to confirm it. As Redimere terram, i.e. tributum pendere,y5/^,?r^ jejunium, Alyj-be exfolvebam: So Verftegan explains Alife to releafe, Alijcdnejs, releafe, ranfom, and redemption. Alured could not Alujle, i. e. Alyfe or free bimfelf 'from his falling horfe. ^B. H. N° 1. v. 88.) So alfo Celmond wiihes to upriie Flla's witt from marvel,
And the warrior to alyfe. (JE 277.) i.e. to deliver or jree his warlike fpirit from the attachment of
Lis
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 473
his love to Birtha. Thus again, in his foliloquy on the profpeft of fuccefs in his treachery againft Birtha (v. 407) he fays,
Blake ftandeth future doom, and joie doth me alyfe. i. e. my future fuccefs is evident, and joy frees me from all doubt and anxiety. In the other fenfe of the word, as it may imply de- livery, payment, or allowance, we may underftand thole paffages in Godwin,
Whilft Edwarde to thie fonnes wylle nete alyfe. (V. 36.)
Fulle twentie manca's I wylle thee alife. (V. 180.)
i. e. " whilft Edwarde will pay no regard, or make no allowance, to " Englifhmen." And nearly in the fame fenfe may be underftood that paffage in the letter to Canning,
Some drybblette fhare you fhoulde to yatte alyfe. (V. 29.) i. e. you fhould pay fome regard to it ; or, as Horace expreffes it,
Verum age, et his qui fe leclori credere malunt,
Curam redde bre-oem. There feems to be no foundation, therefore, for the conjecture, that Chatterton borrowed this word from Skinner, miftaking it for Ahpeb. The three firft of thefe paffages being left without a glofs, and the three laft being explained by Allow, fhew that he only gueffed at the meaning of the word, and therefore could not be the author of thofe paffages where it occurs. Inftead of being accufed of plagiarifm, he may more juftly be charged with miftake and mifapprehenfion.
1 1 . Alyne, with fome fmall variation in the fpelling and figni- fkation, occurs very frequently in thefe poems, viz. Alyne, Alleyn, Alleyne, and Aleine ; fometimes it is put adverbially for only, (fli. v. 276, 370, 487, 545, 822, 1185;) at other times it is ufed as an adjective for alone, (Eel. 1. v. 56. JE. 174, 191, 243, and 297. G. v. 183 ;) and in other places it emphatically Hgmfiesfngle and feparate ; (T. v. 19. M. v. 340, and 425.) In this laft fenfe Burton is faid to have joufted Alleine, (T. v. 158) i. c.fngly and fepar at e/y.
3 P So
474 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
So i^Ella fays, (v. 289)
Ne fchall the wynde uponne us blowe alleyne. In the pafTage referred to in the Appendix, T. 79. Duke William, after he had finifhed his fport, flung his bow over his (houlders Alyne, i. e.fmgle and fepar at ed from the concomitant quiver. So likewife (Eel. 1. v. 52)
Mie fonne alleyn yftorven ys ; which expreflion, if it does not imply his only fon, may fignify that his fon died feparated and at a diftance from his father.
There will be no difficulty, however, in defending this ex- preffion from the objection in the Appendix, viz, " that no *' fuch phrafe was ever ufed by any ancient writer \" for there will be found more harfli and unnatural tranfpofitions than this, in our ancient poets, Chaucer himfelf not excepted : What fhall we fay, for inftance, to the following expreffions : — To broken ben the Jlatutes, inftead of The Jlatates to be broken? or to f/je Greeks horfe Sinon, inflead of The horfe of Sinon the Greek? (See his Ballad of the Village without Painting, and the Squire's Tale). Mr. Tyrwhit, (vol. iv. p. 291) acknowledges the latter to be an aukward exprefjion. And if fuch tranfpofitions had not been then common, Gafcoigne would not have given this caution, in his rules for Englifti verfe ; " Not to follow the Latin idiom, " in putting the adjective after the fubftantive, as fome who *' write thus,
" Now let us go to temple ours.
" I will go vilit mother mine." And yet, notwithstanding this cenfure, we find him frequently ufing the like tranfpofltion ; as for inftance — O father mine. p. 118. — O worthy mother mine. Jocafta, p. 91. b. — Dear daughter mine. p. 94. — 'O lovely lady mine. Fable of Gero- nimo, p. 277. — This country -mine. p. 138. Even Shakefpeare himfelf is guilty of the fame tranfpofltion — O mijlrefs mine. Twelfth Night, Act ii. fc. 3. To abate the feverity of criticifm
againft
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 475
againft thefe liberties taken with our language, as well as to remove fome of the objections made to the words ufed by our poet, the following quaint obfcrvation of Gafcoigne may be ap- plied. " This poetical licence is a fhrewd fellow, and com- <c mitteth many faults in a vcrfe ; it maketh words longer, '* fliorter, mo fyllables, or fewer, newer, older, truer, falfer; M and to conclude, it turneth all things at pleafure : for example, '* ydone for done, adowne for down, orecome for overcome, tane for " taken, &c."
As to the authority of the word itfelf, Gower ufes Allonly, as Douglas does Allane, for alone, and myne Allane for my/elf alone ; Alanerly and Anerly for only or particularly. Alleine (as it is fpelt in thefe poems) is properly (peaking a German word, explained by Ludwig, who gives it two nullifications, very correfpondent to the fenfe in which it is here applied.
I ft, Alone, All alone, By yourfelf, Single.
2dly, Only, But. — And thus alfo Skinner explains it, Solus, folum, pro? fas unus, nullis aliis conjunclus ad conjiciendum numerum.
13. Anere, for another. Contractions of this kind are to be found in Gower, Lidgate, Chaucer, Skelton, and Spenfer, not only in the intermediate, but alfo in the initial and final fyllables of words. See Upton's notes, and Warton's obfervations on Spenfer. But Mr. Tyrwhit himfelf has anfwered this objection, by quoting a word from Chaucer, very analogous in found, though not in fenfe.
" Nere," fays he, " is a contraction for nerre, and that for " nerere (nigher) the comparative of near;" and in his Gloffary, we find nere, and nere it, as contractions for were not, and were it not. See alfo his note upon Ferre, (vol. iv. p. 191.) " Ferre, " i. e. Ferer, the comparative of Fer, (Far) ; So Chaucer ufes " Derre for Derer, the comparative of Dere ('Dear J." Robert of Gloucefler has alfo Nadde, Nas, Naji, and NiJle, for bad not,
3 P 2 art
476 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
art not, has not, will not. Had either of thefe poets more autho- rity than Rowley for making fuch contractions ?
14. Anete, is the old Englifh word Nete or nought, with the A. S. prefix ; Nete is ftill in vulgar ufe, to which correfponds the old French verb Aneantifed, ( Anihilated) which is ufed by Chaucer.
15. Applyns. Enough has been faid on this word, in the ob- fervations on the firft Eclogue ; to which may be added, that Chaucer has juftified this diminutive (if it be one) by ufing the word Setting for a graft, fromfette/es. (Teft of Love, p. 515 a. p. 518 b.)"
16. Arrow-lede, may be a mif-fpelling for arrow- hede -t for it is faid of Duke William,
An arrow with z fiver hede drewe he.
B. H. N°i. v. 102. And in Evans's Collection of Ancient Ballads, vol. i. p. 227, mention is made of
An arrow with a golden hede,
And fliafte oi fiver white : And if arrows were headed with gold and filver, might they not alfo be with lead ? But the orthography or meaning of fuch terms of art can be of little weight in deciding the queftion of authen- ticity, any more than the word Afnglave, next mentioned in the Appendix, which has been already fully explained. (See p. 86).
18. Aslee, here fignifies, to fink away like a coward; as Crefeid is defcribed in Troilus, " tender-hearted fliding of " courage j" or, according to Speght, faint. Ray, amongft his north-country words, has to five, humi trahere, a f ever ly fellow, a name given in Lincolnshire to a ft 'oven, an idle, or lazy fellow. The word is probably derived from the A. S. Slapian, Piger ejj'e. See Lye's GlofTary. Hence the modern words foth, fonch, and Jlawney, fignifying, an indolent or idle man.
19. Asswaie,
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 477
19. Asswaie. Ella's departure from Birtha, made him ex- perience, or fuffer the t rial of moft torturing pains: What is this but the French word efiayer, and in Englifh ajfay, trial? So Gower,
I fall in fuch afjaie. (P. 51.)
But Spenfer comes nearer to the word,
Didiljway (o fharp a battle. (B. v. c. 3. ft. 22.)
20. Astend, i. e. AJtound, is probably fpelt in this manner on account of the rime, fuch liberties being frequent with our ancient poets. So Chaucer ufes fare for/ore, and fa for Jo, and it would be endlefs to quote fimilar inftances from other poets.
Upon examining, therefore, the twenty words which compofe the firft lift in the Appendix, we find all of them, except three or four, ufed by ancient writers, fome with, others without the A. S. prefix; others varying only in their orthography; and as to the few words where fuch authority is wanting, it may be fup- plied by their being deducible in fignification, and according to the ftricl rules of etymology, from words of eftablifhed antiquity and ufage.
If the criterion laid down in the Appendix is infufficient to determine the queftion of authenticity, as to the ufage of words, it is ftill lefs admiffible with regard to their fignification ; for it cannot be fuppofed that the meaning of an ancient word is to be determined by the authority of a fingle writer, or confined to the fenfe of the author who firft ufes it. Inftances occur in the courfe of thefe remarks, of the fame word being ufed in diffe- rent fenfes, remote and unconnected with each other, and many of our Anglo-Saxon verbs admit a great variety of fignifications. The objections made in the Appendix, to words under this head, relate either to a difference in orthography, to the application of nouns in an improper number, to their being ufed as verbs, or to their being applied in a different meaning from that which Chaucer has affixed to them. The difference in all thefe cafes
is
4;3 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
is (o immaterial, that it might be thought unneceflary to juftify them by a circumstantial proof; but, as the words in this lilt may be authenticated upon the beft authority; juftice to the poet, and refpect to the learned objector, require that each of them ihould be feparately considered.
i. Abounde. His crefted beaver did him fmall abounde. This word is questioned, becaufe not applied in its moft ufual fenfe; but, in fact, it has two different Significations and etymo- logies. To abound, as it implies plenty, is derived from Unda and Undare, alluding to the overflowing of water ; (See Voffius's Etymol. in voce onda;) but Abounde, in the fenfe to which it is here applied, is derived from Bonum, and is equivalent to bo?iu/n facere in Latin, to abbonir in French, and abbonare in Italian : It might be deduced alfo from the Englifh word Boon ox favour; i. e. his crefted beaver did not favour or protecl him : But our ancient poets do not confine themfelves to the moft generally received Signification of Latin words. Thus, though the word invent ufually implies an exertion of the mind and imagination, yet Spenfer ufes it in that fenfe of invenire, which Signifies to find by feeking: So Florimel forfook the court,
Till Marinel alive or dead fhe did invent.
B. iii. c. 5. ft. 10. It is to be obferved alfo, that the fame word frequently bears two different and very remote fignifications ; Coyjlrcl, for instance, is ufed by Chaucer for a drinking-cup ; but in the language of other writers, it means a ferving lad. See the note on this word, p. 106. So likewife Dole Signifies grief , but it means alfo a part or Jhare of any thing.
2. Allege, and Allegeance, Signify in Chaucer relief,
and alleviation : But are not the verb leggen, (M. v. 92) and the
participle leggende, (ibid. v. 32) applied in the fame fenfe? and
will not even the prefent paSTage admit of that construction ? i. e.
Let not your anger ceafe, nor Stand compofed (or relieved- J
If
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 479
If we are to deduce this word from an Anglo-Saxon origin, we ihall find in Junius Ate^an coantatus, and Alegd exterritus, both equally applicable to this paflage, and to the fituation of the perfons deicribed in it.
3. Alaboon. Thephrafe only, and notthe meaningof the words, is objected to in the Appendix; but Speght and Skinner both con- lider it as a phrafe ; the former gives it an Engliih origin, and explains bade alaboon, he ?nade requeji ; Skinner interprets it preces, fupplicatio, petitio viro principi adhibit a ; and Chatterton calls it a manner of a/king a favor. Thus Benvenu is ufed by Gower, and Bia- lacoil, Belaccoil, and Byelecoyle, by Chaucer, Spenfer, and Rowley, as zfalutation or welcome. The explanation of the Gloifarifts, and the objections made to them in the Appendix, are founded on the following paflage in Chaucer's Merchants Tale : And alder firft he bade them allabone, That non of hem non argumentes make. Mr. Tyrwhit, inftead of confidering the three words collectively as one phrafe, applies the word all to the perfons then prefent •, but is not the fenfe of the paflage at leaff, as perfect, in admitting it as a phrafe, agreeably to the explanation of the Gloflarifts ? According to the idiom of the Engliih language, all is fome- times ufed as an expletive, fometimes intenfive, and fometimes inclufive. Thus in Sir Thopaz,
His good fteed he al beftrode j (v. 1383) and in the Monk's Tale,
Alwere it fo, — and Alio foon, — and Al were this Odenate. In thefe poems, it feems to be ufed only as an expletive. In the Challenge to Lidgate, All a boone fignifies fimply favor, unlefs all is coupled with only, meaning the only and all the favor he craved. In the Addrefs to the Prieft, (Eclogue 3d) it is a fuppli- catory falutation, and the repetition of it is very conformable to the language of our ancient poets. In Queen Eleanur's Confef- fion (Percy, vol. ii. p. 147)
5 . Aboone,
480 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
Aboone, Aboone, quoth Earl Marfhal,
And fell on his bended knee : And in the fame ballad the Queen is thus addreffed,
Aboon, Aboon, our gracious Queen,
That you fent fo haftily. See alfo Evans's Collection of Old Ballads, vol. i. p. 140.
4. Alleyn. This word having fully explained under N" 11 of the firft lift, it is unneceifary to add any thing more in this place.
5. Ascaunces, and AsrtAUNCE, feem to be applied by Chaucer and Gafcoigne in two different fenfes, both conveying an idea of obliquity: The former is explained by Speght, as who jhould fay, as though, as if, and afide ; agreeably to the meaning affixed to it by Mr. Tyrwhit, who makes it equivalent to quafi diccffe in Italian ; but does not even this imply a fpeech fuppofed to be fpoken or delivered privately or afide, which the perfons prefent were not to hear? and though fome of the paflages in Chaucer, quoted by Mr. Tyrwhit, may convey that meaning, yet the two following inftances feem to mark an obliquity even in the look : The flop in the latter of thefe paffages is placed immediately after afcaunfes, as if to point out the particular direction of the countenance :
And with that word he gan caft up the brow, Afcaunfes lo, is this not well ifpoken ?
Troil. B. i. v. 205. And again, verfe 292,
Her look a little afide fhe let fall in fuch mannere, Afcaunfes, what may I not fland here ? But the meaning of the word is more precifely determined by the following paffage in La belle Dame fans merci:
When they full fore begin to figh afkaunce.
P. 242. col. a.
i. e. they
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 48r
i. e. they uttered their fighs qfide, or in private, that they might not be heard.
It is faid in the Appendix, that Gafcoigne ufes Afcaunfe in the fenfe adopted by Mr. Tyrwhit, alluding, probably, to the two following paffages in that poet :
AJkaunfes loe now I could kill your corfe, And yet my life is unto thee refynde. and, (Dan. Bart. p. 78.)
Therewith he raifde his heavy head alighte, AJkaunces, ha indeed ! and thinks thou fo ?
(Ibid. p. 101.)
But in another paffage of the fame poet, it fignifies obliquely, or Jideways :
I lookt of late, and fawe thee loke ajkancc
Upon my donre, to fee if I fat there.
(Flowers, p. 16.) So Lidgate defcribes Fortune,
Looking afcoyne, as flie had had difdain.
And of the fame import and etymology is the word ajkie, ufed by Gower,
And with that word all fuddenly
She paffes as it were afkie,
Al clene out of the ladies fight. (P. 71 a. col. 1.) So Spenfer,
Scornfully afkew. (B. i. c. 10. ft. 29.)
So that the words ajkannce, afcoyne, cfkie, and nfkcio, are not de- rived (as Mr. Tyrwhit fuppofes) from the modern Italian adverb a Schiancio, but from the ancient A. S. verb Arcunian, evitt: nare,toJhun. So likewife the word [quint, tranjverfe tueri, is derived, according to Skinner, from the German word Schewen, r;t:"r, to lookffjy, difdainfnlly, or obliquely, becaufe difdain is conveyed in that obliquity of look : Indeed the Gloflaries confine the word to
3 Q~ that
482 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
that fenfe, nor does it admit any other fignifkation in thefe poems,. So Afcaunce, (Eel. 3. v. 52, and Le. v. 17,) AJkaunted (Le. v. 19,); AJkaunte (B. H. N° 2. v. 143, and 507,) Scaunfng (St. of Can. y. 56,) and Scaunfe-layd, (Can. on Hap. v. 4.)
6. Astert. The meaning of this word is doubted in the. Appendix ; but Chatterton's explanation is founded on the au- thority of Speght, who renders it let pafs, efcaped, pajfed ; and of Skinner, who explains it elapfus, qui prceteriit ; and is alfo juftiried by many paflages in our ancient poets. In Gower and Chaucer, it frequently fignifies to Jlart from, or efcape :
Whofe eye may nothing aftarte. (Gower, p. 23 b.)
That he mould nete aftert. (p. 25 b.)
So Occleve fays of Chaucer, in his Prologue ;
His hie worthe ajlartith,
Unflayn by death
And, in a fenfe more fimilar to that ufed by our poet, it fignifies to decline, or relinquifo :
He might not the place aflert. (p. 26 b.) And in the following paffage of Lidgate ;
When he wift he might not afert,
Of his fate the difpoiition. (p. 267 a. coL. 2.)
So Gawen Douglas,
If deathe this way be to me fchape,
Now may I not aflert, nor it efchape ; (p. 508. v. 41) where a difference feems to be made between aflert and efchape ,- but his Gloffarift explains the word " Aflert, to efcape, run, leap." All thefe ideas are derived from the A. S. word Apnnnian, ?novere, to fir, and fart, which is perfectly correfpondent with the behaviour of King Edward to his Englifh fubjects, he efcaped from, avoided, declined, and fuffered their merit to efcape his notice.
7. Aumere. Rowley's application of this word is eitablilhed on the flrongeft proofs in the three different paffages where it
occurs*
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 483
occurs, rfhe gelten aumcres of Dame Agnes (Eel. 3. v. 25) are properly explained by Chatterton, borders of gold and filver ; they might be bracelets (for they are faid to be flrung) or any other ornament that furrounded a part of the body j like Jupiter's drefs, in the Teftament of Crefeis :
His garment and his gite full gaie of grene,
With golden lift es gilt on every geare. (V. 78.) The earth's Defte Aumere, in the Ballad of Charity, (v. 7) is no lefs properly called " a loofe robe or mantle" furrounding it ; and the wide Aumere, or garment of Hope, (JEWa., v. 397) is equally applicable in either fenfe. The word does not occur in any of our ancient poets, except in Chaucer's R. R. v. 2271 :
Weare ftreight gloves with Aumere
Of filk, and always with good chere ;
Thou geve, &c. on which Skinner has the following explanation : " Aumere ex " contextu videtur efle Fimbria vel Inftita, nefcio an aTeut Umbher " circum, circa, q.d. circuitus vel ambitus." So likewife Junius: Aumere; Limbus, Fimbria : Amaervy, Amaerivy, in Cornu-Britifh. There are, in Lye's Saxon Dictionary, five or fix pages full of words compounded with the Saxon prepofition Tmb, denoting things circular in their form, or circumambient in their nature. Thus Bifhop Douglas ufes umbefit, and umbefegit, for befet and be- fieged round about , both being compounded of the fame prepoiition. So the Emmertlyng iky, (M. v. 72) which Chatterton explains glittering, rather means the circumambient fky ; and the Earners (as the gold coins are called in the Gouler's Requiem) may be Co denominated from their circular form : But Mr. Tyrwhit objects to the application of this word, becaufe he fuppofes it to corre- fpond with the boitrfe de foye, in the following p.ifiage of the French original :
Des gans, 6c de bourfe de foye,
Et de Saincture te cointoye :
3 0^2 The
4$4 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
The SainElure, or girdle, has efcaped the notice of the learned Editor, though, as a principal ornament in ancient drefs, it was more likely to he mentioned by the poet than the purfe. It was generally offilk : So Gower fays of Phillis,
A Seynte ofjilkc (lie had. (P. 676. col. 2.) and in the Child of Elle;
And here fhe fends thee zfilkenfcarfe.
(Percy, vol.i. p. 109.) Chaucer's Plowman fpeaks of the golden girdles grete and fmall, which were the ornaments of the Pope's drefs. His Serjeant at Law was
Girt with a Seint of Silk, with barres fmall. So the Carpenter's wife, in the Miller's Tale,
A Seynte fhe weared, barred all wlthjilke. (v. 49.) But her purfe was of leather j
And by her girdle hung a purfe of leather,
Taffed with filk, and perled with latoun. The Haberdafher, Carpenter, &c. " had their Girdeles and Pouches, " (i. e. purfes) ychaped with filver." The Abbot of St. Godwin, in the Ballad of Charity, had a painted girdle, and the purfe which hung at it, was conlidered only as an appendage ; hence the claf- fical word Zona, originally fignifying a girdle, was applied to the purfe likewife.
Mr. Tyrwhit fuppofes Aumere to be a contraction of the French Amnener (or Alms purfe) which is ufed by Chaucer in another paffage of this poem ;
Then from his Aumener he drough
A little key fetife enough : (v. 2087.) But the original does not call it either Aumener or Aumere, but bourfe :
Adonc de fa bourfe il traicr.,
Un petit clef bien fait. So that Aumener, from which Chaucer is fuppofed to borrow
Aumere,
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 485
/iitmere, not being ufed by the French poet in cither of thcfc patfages, his authority cannot be quoted for it. In fact, we (hall oonfult the French Dictionaries in vain for this word, which is only to be found in the Brithh Etymologies, and applied folely in the fenfe affixed to it by thefe poems. Though Chatterton might be acquainted with Chaucer, yet he mult have been a ftranger to the French original : How then could he have given fo juft an explanation of Le Meuns SainSlure, which had entirely efcaped the notice of Mr. Tyrwhit ?
8. Barbed Hall. If there is no objection to the Barbed Horfe in Shakefpeare's Richard the Second, there can be none to that in ^Ila ;
Whann from the barbed horfe in fyghte did viewe ; (v. 27) nor probably to
The javelin barbed with death'is wynges.
(B. H. N°2. v. 261.) Much lefs can that paffage be objected to in Shakefpeare, where Coriolanus expreffes a reluctance to appear before the fenate of Rome as a fupplicant, with his head bare and unarmed, which had been ufually covered with a helmet :
Muft I go fhew them my unbar bed fconce? (Act iii.) Not his unjhaven head, as Dr. Johnfon has explained the word; for that would have been no unufual appearance for a Roman,, in the days of Coriolanus; but (as Sir Thomas Hanmer juftly calls it) unarmed. Can there be any impropriety, then, in applying this expreflion to the hall in a gentleman's country feat, which, according to the cuftom of that age, was hung round with all the variety of armour then in ufe, and is very well defcribei in the Ballad of the Old Courtier ?
With an old hall hung round with pikes, guns, and bows ; With old fwords, and bucklers that had born many hard bl(
9. Blake, has two different fignifications in the two paflag quoted in the Appendix, (iEUa 178, and 406.) Blake Aufu
means
486 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
means yellow autumn; which is very properly connected with the idea of fun- burnt (as it is there called.) Autumn is alfo faid to have 2l fallow hand, (B. H. N°2. v. 551.) This fenfe of Blake is well known in the northern and weftern parts of England, where a yellow-hammer is called a Blakclyng. But Blake fignifies alfo pale, fallow, black; Chaucer ufes the word in almoft all thefe fenfes; and Bailey explains it by Bleak, i. e. open, expofed, and therefore cold; and obferves, that Blakefield, in German, fignifies an open f eld, a plain, or fat. In the two following paffages of Rowley we are to underftand Blake in this fenfe;
Blake ftondethe future doome. (JE. v. 406.) j. e. my future fate is open and expofed to my view. So The Blakied forme of kinde, (Eel 3. v. 4.) fignifies the naked and und'f gulfed manners of men. Similar to this is the paffage in the Complaint of Crefeid., which unites the ideas of cold and nakednefs, fo often mentioned together by writers, Of all blithnefs now thou are Blake and bare. (v. 4.) If Chatterton had underftood the meaning of this word, he would not have given the true fenfe of it in two inftances, and omitted the explanation of it in another paffage, where it carried a diffe- rent meaning.
10. Bodykyn, i. e. Corpufculum, a diminutive of body, and un- doubtedly of the fame etymology with bodkin, though not applied in Chaucer's fenfe. It comes, however, much nearer in fignifi- cation to the original Latin word, and Shakefpeare has applied it in that fenfe to the Body of Chrift, in the facramental bread or wafer, ufing it as an oath or exclamation ; " God's Bodikins, man," fays Hamlet. The oath is null in ufe amongft the common people in Hampfhire, and perhaps in other counties.
11. Swarthe, Swarthless, and Sw ARTHIN g, fignify the [pi fit, ghofl, vital principle, or departing foul of man. Swarthe is here oppofed to body. — " And for a Body kin a Swarthe obtain." — " The Swarthlefs bodies on the plain," (B.H. N°2. v. 563) and —
" With
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 487
" With Swartbkfs corfe befprent," (B. II. N* 2. v. 7oo) were bodies from which the foul was departed: And — " Ynne tydes of '* teares my S.warthyng Jpryte will drayne," (M. v. 294) means u. my departing fpirit." Though this word is not to be found in the common gloffaries, yet Ray gives it as a Cumberland expref- fion, fignifying the ghoji of a dead man. Bifhop Douglas ufes Wraythis, or Wrethis, a word fomewhat fimilar, for ghojts, appari- tions, phantoms.
Nor zit nane vane wrethis 'nor gaiflis queint. (p. 339. v. 15.) Aut vans vertere ex hofUbus umbrae. (/En. x. v. 593.) And again,
Thiddir went this wrayth or fchado of Enee. (p. 442. v. 2 1 .)
Hue (e{c trepida JEnex fugientis imago,,
Conjicit in latebras, (JEn. x. v. 656.)
12. Bordel. A diminutive from the A. S. word Bord, which
fignifies a cottage inhabited by poor people, fuch as are called in
the Domefday Survey Bordarii', and though Bordel, or Brothel,
afterwards bore a more difreputable lignification in French, yet'
in an old poem of the fourteenth century, quoted by Profper
Marchand, " Un horde portable," is rendered " une maifon cam—
" peflre portative ■" and by the Latin tranflation, " Hie cafa fixa
'* fuit portabilis." It would be difficult indeed to afcertain any
precife time, when the meaning of this word was fo entirely
changed, as to exclude all fubfequent application of it in the
original fenfe which it bears in thefe poems ; for though Celmond
joins the Bordelier with the Robber, as equally infcnfible to the
calls of honour, yet this infenfibility proceeded, in the former,.
merely from an ignorance of its principles, in the latter, from a
violation of its laws. Our poet, as an Engliihman, gives the
word its Saxon import ; Chaucer, more converfant with, and
imitative of the French, adopts their perverted meaning. It may
not be impertinent to remark, that arsyce and Tgyos figniiied
originally a Shed, but afterwards a Brothel. Even after fuch
pexverfions.
488 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
perverfions have taken place, words are frequently ufed in their firft and proper fenfe, and retain their meaning in a derivative language, after they have loft it in the primitive tongue. But although it mould have become obfolete in both languages, by what law of criticifm was Rowley forbidden to revive it ?
Obfcurata diu populo bonus eruet, atque Proferet in lucem fpeciofa vocabula rerum ; Quae prifcis memorata Catonibus atque Cethegis, Nunc fitis informis premit, 6c deferta vetuftas.
Hor. De Arte Poet. 13. Bismare (M. 950) Bifmarde, (St. of Can. v. 141) and Bifmarlie, (Le. 26) and wherever elfe the word occurs in thefe poems, it fignifies capricious, fanciful, delufive ; in which fenfe it is explained by our GlofTarifts. Speght, who makes it the fame as bizarre, interprets it fantaftical Jirangenefs j and Skinner calls it curiofty, deriving it from the A. S. word Bij-mejuan, illudere^ deridere. Chatterton's explanation, bewildered, curious, feems to be borrowed rather from the former than the latter author. Hearne's Gloflary to Robert Gloucefter gives it a more extenfive fignification, viz. fcorn, derifion, curiofty, vanity. According to Lye, it fignifies blafphemy, mockery or derifion. In the latter of thefe fenfes, the A. S. tranflators of the Bible ufe it in the complaint made by Potiphar's wife againft Jofeph, that he mocked her ; and in Pfal. ii. 4. " The Lord fhall have them in derifion ':" So alfo the deriding fpeech of the mockers, Pfal. lxxiii. v. 11. "How *' mould God perceive it ?" They ufe the fame word for the mockery of the Jews againft our Saviour, Matt, xxvii. v. 29. Bifmare may therefore fignify mockery and derifion, whether it be of a ferious or pleafant kind. In the former fenfe we may explain the pafiage in P. PI. (p. 108 b.) quoted by the learned Editor in his Gloftary :
Bold and abiding bifmeres to fufter. In the latter fenfe, as a pleafing delufion, we may underftand the 6 mokynge
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 4S9
tmkynge brooklett, mentioned in B. H. N° 2. v. 584, which corre- fponds with the courfe Bifmare of the Severn, M. 95. Agreeably to this idea of delufon, the word is applied by Douglas to a Bawd. (Prol. JEn. iv. p. 97-1) and (in Prol. to ./En. viii. p. 2 , b. 27) to a whore, both on account of their deceitful and delufroe behaviour. But the education and character of the Miller's Wife, in Chaucer's Reves Tale (the only paflage where the word oc- curs in that poet) will fcarcely admit Mr. Tyrwhit's explanation, abujive language ; for me was the daughter of the parfon, and bred in a convent j in confequence of which
There durfl ne wight clepen her but Dame. ******* She was fo full of hoker, and of bifmare, As though that a ladie mould her fpare ; What for her kinred and her norterly, That flie had learned in the nonnery. Mr. Tyrwhit acknowledges fome part of her character to be ob- fcurej but if abufvve language was her fault, was it not exprefled under the name of Hokir j for Junius explains pocoppypbe, con- tumelies ? (See the Addenda to his GloiTary.) It is much more confident with her character, to fay that me was proud, and full o'tfrowardnefs and derifon or caprice.
13. 14. It is objected to Champi'on, and Con teke, that there is no in dance of their being ufed as verbs by any writer much earlier than Shakefpeare, and that the latter word is ufed by Chaucer as a noun. It is a fufficient anfwer, to quote Robert Gloucester for the word Conteked -, which his Gloflarift explains contefted, or contended. Champyon occurs in thefe poems, not only as a verb, (P.G. v. 12, T. 108, 148) and fubjlantive, (B. H. N° 2. v. 630, 690, &c.) but as an adjecJive alio ; as for indance, The Champyon crown, (JE. v. 631) Champyonne blood, (T. v. 134) Cham- pyonne warr, (E. ii. v. 56) and Champyon array, (B. H. N° 1. v. 24.) — Gauntlette is alfo ufed as a fubftantive and verb, (T. v. 88
3 R and
490 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
and 1 16) and as an adjective, Gaunt let 7^ penne, (Chall. to Lidgatc v. 7.) That liberties of this kind are taken by our ancient poets, the following inftances may ferve as examples. — Govver applie s the word unkinde both as an adjective and fubjlanthe, in the fame line ;
And thus unkynde, unhynde fond. (P. 174 b.)
and Gafcoiene makes the fame word ftand both for a noun and a •verb, in two lines immediately following each other : And tho' we made a brave retire in field, Yet who retires, does always lofe his place. (P. 152.) So again,
This vain avayle. (P. 130) At this depart. (P. 82)
dole decay, (P. ciii) for doleful decay. An old poet, quoted in Hicks's Gram. A. S. p. 71, converts an interjection into a noun fubjlantive :
f} Till ivelleicay him teacheth," — (i. e. till he is taught by
diftrefs.) Mr. Tyrwhit's gloffary contains feveral inftances of
words applied both as nouns and verbs; as Accord, Affray, Difport, Dull, Dede, Fere, Hard, Happe, Plain, &c.; and many others might be collected from ancient writers. Gower ufes the words New, Green, and Noife, as verbs ; on the other hand, Spenfer turns the verbs Adorne, Defame, Entertaine, and Upbraid, into nouns. This poetical liberty cannot be cenfured by the learned Editor of Chaucer, without taking notice that his own poet has con- verted the noun Felloiujliip, into the aukward verb Fellowjhippeth, even in writing profe. (See his tranilation of Boethius, B. iv. p. 217 a. col. 2. Speght's edition, 1602.)
15. Derne, or Dernie. Three of the four paffages wherein this word is quoted by the Appendix, may be interpreted^/^rv/, in the fenfe to which the learned Editor would confine this word; as Dernie tale, (Eel. i. v. 19) Dernie plainte, (Eel. iv. v. 8) and Drearie Dernie payne, (M. 106) ; but Actions Derne, (JE. 581) 1 0 Dernie
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
49 1
Dernie dede, (/E-i 683) and Force Aderne, (B. H. N" 2. v. 262) muft fignify cruel, agreeably to the explanation given by Speght and Skinner, viz. Dints, crudelis, from the A. S. word Dentin, lader e, and Dene, damnum. Agreeably to the idea of 'fecret, Dertie may fignify folilary or melancholy; as the Derne hawthorns, (B. H. N" 2. v. 522) which are faid to grow on barren and fruitlefs heaths ; and the Derne Autumn (an epithet twice given in the fame poem, v. 359 and 551) may well deferve that title, when it is faid in the following verfe, to
Tare the green mantle from the lymed trees. So the Gloffarift on Robert of Gloucefter explains Derne, by dif- mal,fad; and Ray has Dearn amongft his north-country words, for lonely, fohtary, far from neighbours. In this fenfe Spenfer feems to have ufed this word in the following paflages : They heard an ruefull voice, that dearnly cryd, With piercing fhrieks and many a doleful lay.
(F.Q. B.ii. c. 1. ft. 35.) for the cry could not be fecret, which was uttered with piercing fhrieks. — So again :
Had not the Lady
dearnly to him called. (B. iii. c. 12. ft. 34.) and it appears by the context that the call was loud, woeful, and earnefl.
16. Droorie, has a more extenfive and liberal fignification than is affigned to it in the Appendix. Droorie, (Ep. 47) figni- fies modejly, and Drooricd (JE. 127) means courted ; but is not the language of courtfhip the language of modefty ? Tru, the origi- nal word in Teutonick, fignifies Fidelis, from which are derived our Englifh words True and Truth. Druhte, fignifies an efpoufed virgin, Dru, arnica ; and in an old French poem, quoted by Profper Marchand, written at the clofe of the fourteenth century, and defcribing the pleafures of a country life, the pealant and his wife, at their table, are called he Dru, and La Dnw,
3 R 2 rendered
492 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
rendered by Clemangis Beatce convives -, and by Marchand, Lt Gaillard, and La Gaillarde. Menage obferves, that in the language of the moft ancient writers, this word bears a chafte and honourable meaning, but that modern authors have applied it to unchafle love; not fo our A. S. Gloflarifts, for Speght explains it modejiy, fobriety, chearfulnefs ; Skinner, Jidelitas, veracitas ; and- Junius fays, Drurie Cbauceri denotat amicitiam, amorem.
Certainly no fuch beafl,
To be loved is not worthy,.
Or bear the name of Drury. (V..5064, Urry.)
So Gower,
■ — That for no Druerie,
He wol not leave his fluggerdie. (P. 7S a. col. 1.) Druriage, in Bilhop Douglas., fignifies a marriage portion. Luf T)ronryis-momwientum et pignus amoris ; gifts, or love prefents : and the word is always ufed by that author in a modeffc fenfe. In a romance written in the time of Henry Vlth, and quoted by Mr. Warton, (vol. iii. p. 132^)
She was al dight with Drewries dere. he explains the word- Drewries by gallanteries, or jewels. In a poem of Adam Davie, defcribing Alexander's battles, it is faid that many a lady loft her Drewery ; and that Athens " was the " Drywery of the world." (See Mr. Warton's note on the pafTage.) In P. Plowman's Crede, Truth is faid to be as dere- worth a Drury as God himfelf. (P. 17 b.) In a metrical verfion of the Gofpels for the year, which feems to be of the fourteenth centuryr (the property of the Reverend Mr. Moore, Canon of Exeter) the word is applied to the human foul, as the object' of our Saviour's love.
Bot be we tender of that Drury, Yat Chrift fo dere on rode wolde by. (P. 341.) It is applied in the like religious fenfe, in an infeription engraven in Gothic letters round the Staff of Office belonging to the
Mayor
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 493
Mayor of Ilchefter : Dr. Stukeley has printed it in his Itinerar. Curiof. p. 147, but without explaining the language, or meaning of the infcription :
3[efu Dc Drucric, J13e me IDuncrtme.
Which probably may be thus rendered :
Jefu, of thy love (or failhfidncfs) forfake me not. 17. Fonnes. When the learned Editor of Chaucer objected to this word, probably he did not recoiled: that his own poet had ufed it in the fame fenfe; for he has not explained it in his Gloflary: Ne in defire none other Fownes bred, But arguments to his conclulion. (Troil. B. i. v. 466.) But Rowley, with a more accurate orthography (becaufe nearer to the original fubfl.au tive Fon, and to the verb FondenJ calls them Fonnes. Indeed the word is fo fpelt in the editions of Speght's Gloflary, 1602 and 1687, but in that of 1598 it is written Fownes. It would be no wonder, however, if Chatterton had mif-fpelt this word, who fo frequently confounded the n and w. Speght explains Fownes., devices ; and Junius, referring to this paflage, fays, Fownes, Chaucero videntur efl'e, devices, ima- ginations, and conceits. In this fenfe we may underltand that paflage in /Ella :
One of the Fonnis whych the church have made, Menne wydoute fprytes and wommen for to fleme. (v. 420.) So in Eel. ii. v. 14, the oars of the veflel which carried King Richard are faid to be
Decorn with Fonnis rare ; i. e. decorated with fancied ornaments. — The verb Fonden, formed from the fubftantive Fon, is ufed by our ancient writers in a great variety of fignifications ; as, to Jind, invent, contrive, fancy, or /port with the imagination. Thus Gower, Liggend alone than Ifonde, To dream a merry fvveven e'r daie.
3 R 3 FowTtes
494 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
Fownes expreffed likewife any irregular or violent exertion of the imagination or affections, which was either {trained into madnefs, or degenerated into dotage and folly. Thus Chaucer,
when age approaches on,
The lu ft is laid, and all the fire is queint ; So frefhly then thou fhallt begin to fonne, And dote in love, and all her image paint.
(Court of Love, v. 456.)
And the reproof in the Reves Tale is fimilar in its meaning, and jocularly fpoken : " Thou is a fonne — i. e. Thou art a fool;" both paffages implying rather a mifapplication than a ivant of under/landing. So likewife Spenfer,, in the Speech of Defpair,, means by fond an improper exertion of the fmcy :
Moft envious man, that grievft at neighbours good, And fond that joyeft in the woe thou haft.
(B. i. c. 9. it. 39.)
And in his defcription of immodeft mirth, fondly fignifies fanci~
fully, zn& fantajlically :
And other whiles vainc toyes file would devyze^ As her fantafticke wit did moft delight : Sometimes her head (he fondly would aguize With gawd'y girlonds (B. ii. c. 6. it. 7.)
Dr. Johnfon had no reafon, therefore, to call Fun " a low cant •* word;" it being of great antiquity, and eftablifhed iignification,, as well as the verb Fonden, which is formed from it.
1,8. Kmpped. The words Knop, Knob, or Knott, fignify the
knot of a tree, or indeed any other knot : Chaucer ufes it
for a rofe bud, and a button, both implying concentred fub-
fances, and both expreffed by bouton in the French tongue. But
why ihould the lignificatLon of the word be confined to this fingle
Z idea>.
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 495
idea, and the allufion be charged with impropriety, as if the poet had faid,
Theyre myghte ys buttoned ynne the frofte of fere?
(Metam. v. 14.) For the animal fpirits might be driven to, and concentred in the vital parts of the body, by the froft of fear (agreeably to the juft and beautiful allufion of our poet) in the fame manner. As -t'K> fpirit in liquor is driven to, and confined by froft and cold in the center of the liquid.
19. The Lecturn of Rowley, and the Leclorn of Chaucer, though derived from the fame Latin word LeSlura, bear different fignifications ; the former being applied to the lecture itfelf, and the latter to the place where the lecture is read. The verb Lecture occurs in more than one pafiage of thefe poems, (See Eel. iv. v. 28. and St. of Can. v. 68) ; and the noun Letlurn. (Le. 46) But Lebturnys, or Letturings, (JE. 109) may be a participle, formed in the fame manner as Chaucer ufes commanding* for commands : And the reader may obferve, in a preceding remark on the word Abounde, that it is not uncommon for the fame word to bear two very different fignifications.
20. Lithie. The exiftence and etymology of this word, al- though doubted in the Appendix, are eftablifhed by the Gloifarifts. It is acknowledged that the word Luther fignifies ivicked, idle,
Jlovenly, wanton ; but Let by, or Lithe, in the language of Chaucer, fignifies foft,
So oft falleth the Lethy water on the hard rock. And again, (Tett. of Love, B. iii.)
To maken Lithe that erft wras hard.
(Book of Fame, B. i. v. 119.) In his preface to the Aftrolabie, he fpeaks of Lith Englifh, by which he means plain Englifh. Spenfer, in his Calendar for February, has the expreffion " Lithe as a lafs in Kent." Robert of Gloucelter
ufes
496 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
ufes Lithlyche for eafy. Shakefpeare, by the word Lither mean* yielding or pliant.
Two winged Talbots through the lit her fky. And JYlilton, fpeaking of the elephant, fays,
He writh'd his Lithe probofcis. (Par. Loft, B. iv.) According to Speght, Skinner, and Junius, Lithe iignines foft, mild, light, gentle, quiet, placid ; and the epithet is certainly very applicable to a monk, who by his profeffion, and the rules of his order, was to be mild, gentle, and pliable ; a character here properly oppofed to the ftifFnefs and pride of an Englifh Baron.
We are now to confider the words objected to under the third head, as inflected contrary to Grammar and Cujlom. But neither the rules of grammar, nor the law of cuftom, were fo well elta- blifhed, or fo generally obferved, in the fifteenth century, as to furnifh a criterion for afcertaining the precife asra when a poem was written ; and if fuch a criterion could be eftabliflned, it is apprehended that the words objected to in the Appendix would not come within the reach of its cenfure.
If the authenticity of an ancient poem was to be determined by the ftrict rules of grammar, what Aval I we fay to the Father of our Englifh Poetry ; who, though more correct in his language than his contemporaries, and even than many fucceeding writers, yet ftands charged by his learned Editor with the following grammatical errors and inaccuracies ?
" i. In making a difagreement between the nominative cafe " and the verb, by that ungrammatical phrafeology— / is a Miller '* — Thou is a/on. (vol. iv. p. 251.)
" 2. In putting the nominative in (lead of the accufative cafe, it as — we for us. (Ibid. p. 296.)
" 3. In ufing the pronouns redundantly, (vol. iv. p. 233.) *' 4. It is too frequent a practice with him to omit the " governing pronoun before his verbs, both perfonal and rela- *f tive. (vol. iv. p. 216 and 277.)
9 " 5- He
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 497
y 5. He frequently abbreviates the third perfon angular of " the prefent tenfe; as bid, rid, for biddeth and ridetb ; fo that f they may eafily be miftaken for the part tenfe. (vol. iv. p. 199.)
" 6. He puts the participle of the pafi tenfe improperly for " the infinitive mood. (Ibid. p. 222.)
" 7. He fometimes forms the participle of the prefent tenfe " in en, even in thofe verbs of which he alfo ufes the participle " in ed; as wa/Jjen,faren, for wafted, fared." (vol. iii. p. 317.)
Other grammatical errors might be pointed out, which are not mentioned by his Editor j and it would be a tedious and un- neceffary talk, to felecl the numberlefs errors of Gower, Occleve, Lidgate, and our ancient poets preceding Spenfer, who is not to be acquitted entirely of this charge.
With regard to cuftom, independent of grammar, it will be dif- ficult to eftablifh any precife rules (at leaft in orthography) upon the authority and confent either of our ancient poets or profe- writers -, nothing being more various and uncertain than the fpelling of the fame word by different, or even by the fame authors. Here likewife the testimony of the learned Editor may be called in defence of our poet.
" Quadrio (fays he) has a long chapter upon the licences taken " by the Italian poets, for the fake of the rhime, and as long a " chapter might be filled with the irregularities which the old " French poets committed for the fame reaibn. It mould feem, " that whilft orthography was fo variable in all the living Euro- " pean languages, before the invention of printing, the poets " thought it generally advifable to facrifice propriety of fpellirtg *' to exadnefs of rhiming. Of the former offence, there were " but few judges, the latter was obvious to the eye of every *' reader." (vol. iv. p. 280.)
Mr. Warton alfo has taken notice of Spenfer's ellipfes, his con- fufed conftrudliion, his tautology, and felf-contradi&ion -, obferv- ifng, " that he often new fpells a word, to make it rime more
3 S «« perfectly,
498 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
** perfectly, and that this was a liberty which Chaucer, Gower, " and Lydgate frequently made ufe of." He gives likewife the following fentiments of a critic in Queen Elizabeth's days upon this fubjedt.
" The author of the Art of Englifh Poefie fays; There cannot " be in a maker a fouler fault, than to falfify his accent, to ferve " his cadence, or by untrue orthography to help his rhyme ; " for it is a fign that fuch a maker is not copious in his own " language. — However, he feems afterwards to allow the devia- " tion from the true fpelling in fome meafure, for he adds, — It " is fomewhat more tolerable to help the rhyme by falfe ortho- " graphy, than to leave an unpleafant diffonance to the ear, by " keeping trewe orthographie, and loiing the rhyme ; as for ** example, it is better to rhime dore with rejiore, than in its true ** orthographie, which is door : Such men were in effect the " mod part of all your old rhymers, andefpecially Goiver, who, to ** make up his rhyme, would for the moft part write his termi- " nant f) liable with falfe orthographie, and many times not flick " to put a plain French word for an Englifh ; and fo, by your ** leave, do many of your common rhymers to this day."
(Warton's Obfervations upon Spenfer, vol. i. p. 1 1 8.)
Thefe liberties have been alfo frequently taken with words independent of rims : Thus ony is written for any, faft for foft, bald for bold, go for gone, neye for eye, obove, obrode, ogrant, and ogrife, for above, abroad, grant, ogrife, &c. That the reader may judge how far this liberty was extended by one of our moft con- iiderable poets, at the beginning of the fixteenth century, the following, amongft other general rules, are given by the Editor of Bifhop Douglas's tranflation of Virgil, for the better under- ftanding that poet's language.
I. The way of fpelling is far from being uniform; a general fault of this, and of former times, among them who wrote in the Saxon, old Scot, and Englifh dialects.
Z. 2*. Our.
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
2. Our author, and other writers of thofe times, both for the verfe fake, and otherwife, ufe fome words which are now fuper- fluous: On the other hand, feveral are omitted or underftood.
3. Words and fentences are tranfpofed from their natural order.
4. The plural of nouns is frequently ufed for the Angular, and lbmetimes, though very rarely, vice verfa.
5. Participles are put metri gratia for verbs, which is alfo ufual with the Anglo Saxon poets : On the other haijd, verbs are more frequently ufed for participles, and fometimes for verbals ; as blow for blawin, and performe for performed: On the other hand, he ulesfulden for fuld, warren for were, daren for dare.
6. A great liberty is taken in the perfons and number of verbs, the terminations being often ufed promifcuoufly.
7. The author has a great number of preterits of verbs, mod of which continue among the vulgar of Scotland to this day, fuch as ran, lap, fwang,- fwate, 6cc. inftead of did run, leap, firing, and
fweat ; and he omits the final d in participles, putting fparate, confitute, and contribute, for feparated, confitnted, and contributed.
8. The laft fyllable is often changed, to make crambe or rime, zsfaw for five, be for bene,fayme for fay, &c.
9. Many words of Latin original, in our author's time, are taken from the prefent tenfe, which are now brought from the fupine, as extreme, pof'ede, propone, &c.
10. Two words now feparated are joined into one, and fome- times words now joined were then feparated, and fometimes joined and fometimes feparated.
11. Sometimes a letter is added to, or towards the end of a word, fometimes to the beginning ; as aback, adown, &c. and fome- times taken away.
12. The initial Be, in composition, very often adds little or nothing to the fignincation ; as bekend, begrave, beknitt ; and fome- times By is written for Be.
3 S 2 Ma
5oo ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
Many other obfervations are made with regard to the poets ufe and application of each letter in the alphabet; but thofe already" felecled, are fufficient to juftify the few liberties taken by our poet. In fact, the anomalies of Rowley being very few, his lan- guage is more fufpected for its correctnefs and elegance, than for its deviation from grammar and cuftom.
From thefe general obfervations, we proceed to juftify the par- ticular words objected to on this account.
Clevis occurs twice in thefe poems, (B. H. N° 2. v. 46 and 510) and in both paftages in the lingular number. The Appendix fays, that Chaucer ufes it in the plural ; but the only in'ftance where the word occurs in that poet, might be applied to either :
Roming on the Clevis by the fe.
(Leg. of Hyfip. v. 103.) The GloiTarift of Bifhop Douglas calls Clewchis, or Cleivis, a rock or hill, a cliff or cliff. But the Clevis mentioned in thefe poems, is not fo properly the rock or cliff in general, as the cleft, or torn part of the rock. :
Fierce as a Clevis from the rocke ytorne.
And again, (B. H. N° 2. v. 46.)
The thunder fhafts in a torn Clevis flie.
(B. H. N°2. v. 510.) This word feems to be formed from the old French verb Cliver, which, according to Cotgrave, fignifies to lean, bow, or hang out- ward, as the cliff, or Jleep Jide of a hill; an idea which exactly cor- responds with the meaning of both thefe pafiages : Not that this authority is necefiary for the poet's juftification ; it would be fufficient to fay, that the meafure of his verfe required the word to be lengthened into a diffyJlable.
Eyne. Our poet was not ignorant that Eyne was a contraction
of Eyen, the plural of Eye; for he has very frequently applied both
6 words
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. coi
words with great propriety in thefe poems ; efpecially in thofe two lines where he defcribes Kenewalche's
— — featly fparklyng eye ;
Thofe eyrie that did oft mickle pleafed look.
(B. H. N°2. v. 418.) There are above twenty paffages in thefe poems where eyne muft be underftood in the plural number, and only three produced in the Appendix, where it is ufed as a noun fmgular. In the two following inftances,
In everych eyne aredynge nete of wyere ; and, (Eel. ii. v. 79.)
In everie eyne I kenne the lowe of myghte. (JE. 680.) everie eyne may be underftood collectively, as equivalent to all eyes : So in the other paiiage, viz.
Wythe fyke<z« eyne (he fwotelie hymm didd view. (T. v. 169.) fyke an eyne may Cignif y Jiich eyes ; or we might read \tfyken eyne, in the plural number. In another infiance, not mentioned in the Appendix;
Where ne one eyne mote theyre difporte engage. (M. 54.) ne one eyne is the fame as no eyes. The word eye, though lingular, having frequently a plural iignification, implying both eyes, or a ■pair of eyes. Inftances, however, arc not wanting in our ancient poets, to countenance fuch a miftake, (if this be one) for Gower ufes the word Eie as a noun plural ;
And whan the Egyptiens fie The feldes before her eie : — i. e. their eyes. We may fuppofe, indeed, that this word was made fubfervient to the rime; but not fo in the following paflage of the fame poet; But yet hem likelh not to Mere — i. e. them. Her ghoftly eie for to fee. — i. e. their ghojily eyes. So likewife in the Teftament of Crefeis, the word eien is ufed with a verb Angular :
All cryftal was his eien. (p. 181 b. col. 2.)
As
502
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
As to the pronoun Heie, Mr. Tyrwhit only conjectures that it was obfolete in the time of Rowley; but conjecture ought not to have the force of proof. Hii is uied for they by Robert of Glou- cefter; and Verftegan has Hi or Hibe for the fame pronoun. Adam Davie ufes Thii, and Rowley fometimes Heie, and fome- times I'beie. The omitting the initial T, can be no material ob- jection, nor is it probable that the nominative Heie mould be quite obfolete, whilft the accufative Hem continued in com- mon ufe.
The learned Editor cannot believe that the word Thyssen was ever in ufe as the plural of This ; but in his DifTertation on the language of Chaucer, (page 37) he obferves from Dr. Wallis's Grammar, that the pronouns poilefiive, His, Hers, Ours, Tours, are frequently pronounced by the common people, Hifn, Hern, Ourn, Tourn; and why not, by parity of reafon, the pronouns demonura- tive, Thifn, Thefen, and Tbofen, for this, thefe, and thofe. In facl, we ftill find thefe words fo pronounced by the vulgar in many parts of England ; but we have better authority for this word, both in the Anglo-Saxon and German languages. It is obferved by Lye, in his Saxon Grammar prefixed to Junius's Etymologicon, that the dative and accufative cafes plural of the Saxon pronoun Der-, Hie, are Dij-um and poetice Dipon ; and that Dij-ne is the accufative fingular of the pronoun Dif, ijiic. The pronoun Diefer, 'This, in German, makes Diefen in the dative lingular, and in the genitive, dative, and ablative plural ; as Diefen abeiid, this night; Von Diefen fachem, of thefe things ; Diefen maiuien, to thefe men. (See Ludwig's German Didionary.)
It is poffible, indeed, that the termination in en might be added for the fake of the rime; additions or abbreviations of this kind being occafionally ufed by our ancient poets ; but there is no reafon to think, with the learned Editor, that it was owing to the author's ignorance concerning the propriety of fuch addi- tions.
We
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 503
We are now to juftify what is cenfured in the Appendix "as ** a capita] blunder which runs through all thefe poems, viz. the " termination of verbs in the lingular number in n, and efpecially " the frequent ufe of the word Han in the fame number, which, " as an abbreviation of Haven, is faid never to be ufed by any " ancient writer except in the prefent tenfe plural, and in the ** infinitive mood.
No doubt, this termination is more generally applied to thofe tenfes ; but feveral inftances may be given from ancient authors, to juftify our poet for ufing it in the Angular number. Thus Adam Davie fays in his Alexander :
Olympias, that fair wife,
Woldf/z make a rich feft. So Gower, (Warton, vol. i. p. 22.)
Thou wilteTz. (p. 73 b.) And again,
The harm that fallen, (p. 67 b.) And in another place,
That with the help of his brocage,.
That maken feme where is nought.
(P. 73 b. v. 32.)
vVe may find in Chaucer feveral inftances of the fame kind, without recurring to Urry's edition, which abounds with them; that author having frequently added this termination to words merely to make up the deficiency of metre, without any authority from ancient manufcripts.
The following inftances are felecled from Speght's edition of. Chaucer, 1602 ; which probably may furnifh many others: From him that felen no fore nor fickne
(La Belle Dame, p. 242 a. col. i.)
I tell/;-* you him had. (Sir Thopas, v. 47.)
Though.
5o4 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
Though a pried, lye with his lemman all night. And telle?; his fellowe.
(Plowman's Tale, p. 90 a. col. 2.) Forth flew the gentle nightingale, And befoughtevz hem, &c.
(Cuckow and Night, p. 317b. col. 2.) ■ — your dreme,
Cometh of the grete fuperfluitie Of red colour that is in you parde, Which caufezz folks to drede in her dreames.
(Nonnes Prieft's Tale, p. 81 b. col. 1.) Afkaunce that he would?;? for 'em pray.
(Sompner's Tale, p. 39 a. col. 1.) That any heart coulde'zz guefs.
(B. of Fame 3d, p. 270 a. col. 1.) We old men I dread?/;. (Prol. to Reves Tale, p. 14 a.) And haftily this foudon fent his fond, And praidevz hem, &c.
(Man of Lawe's Tale, p. 18 b. col. 2.) I wretch that weep and wailf/z thus.
(Knights Tale, p. 1 b. col. 1.)
for fuch a luftie life,
She fhoulde7/ lede with this luftie knight.
(Leg. of Hyfypile, p. 191 b. col. 2.) See alfo, in the Court of Love, Thou Servr/z, (v. 290) Thou muftt-w, (v. 389) I keep/;/, (v. 685) If this matter fpringra, (v.72^) If I doen again, (v. 927) If I greiw/z you, (v. 928) She gaw/z, (v. 1209) Onhighevz caft. (H. of Fame, verfus finem.)
If it fhould be faid that thefe terminations are added on ac- count of the rime; the following inftances may be quoted from his profe works; — " Soch writing exciten men." (Prol. to Teft. of Love, Speght, p. 272 a.) And towards the end of the fame Prologue, ** Their paffing ftudy ban refrefhed our wits, our
*« underftanding
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 505
" underftanding ban excited." — And in the Teft. of Love — " Till " aflay of the people ban proved it." Again, " The fight of the '* better colours geven to them more joie." (Teft. of Love, B. i.) " Altho' the virtue of deedes of mercie iirctchen." (Ibid. Speght, p. 273 b. col. 1.) " And albeit that Mercurius often ** with whole underftanding knoww fuch perilous matters." (Teft. of Love, p. 292 b. col. 1.) " The firft fpecies of philo- " fophy is nature, which in kindly things treat/« and flieweth :" (Ibid. p. 293 a. col. 2.) — " Ne cefiedcvz thee never to compare." (Boeth. B. iii.)
In fact, the ancient authors appear to have made an arbitrary ufe of the en final, annexing it to almoft every fpecies of words into which fpeech has been or can be diftinguifhed : To fubftan- tives fingular as well as plural ; as for inftance, " Greecen for " Greece, Jokn for Jole, Soleyn for Sole ; Himfelven, hirfehen, ** and theirfelven, in almoft every page of Gower and Chaucer :" To imperatives fingular, as underftand<?«, (p. 284 b. col. 1.) — geven, — approach/;?, — go afk//z : To adjectives, as bothm, famy« : To adverbs, prepofitions, and conjunctions, as out//;, zboven, about^«, afore_yw, atwixen, befid^, iithen : And though it is more frequently applied to participles, infinitives, and to nouns and verbs plural, yet it is no charadteriftical mark of any of thefe — Many of them have it not ; and the fame word, in the fame mood, tenfe, number and perfon, fhall be written with it in one fentence, and without it in the next ; fo that the criticifm which would entirely exclude this termination from verbs fingular, is not fupported by fact, and therefore cannot be made a fufficient criterion of antiquity.
If then verbs fingular of the paft or prefent tenfe may termi- nate in en ; and Han is an abbreviation of haven, the ufe of it may be juftified by the learned Editor's own conceflion : But in fact ban is ufed in thefe poems as a contraction of the paft tenfe bad, and not of the prefent tenfe haven, as will appear by
3 T referring
5o6 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
referring to the feveral quotations in the Appendix. Chaucer feems thus to have ufed it in the Romaunt of the Rofe : The birdes that han left their fong, . While they han fuffred cold fo ftrong. (V. 71.)
The word enthoughteyng is particularly objected to " becaufe the " initial fyllable is added to lengthen the verfe, and a participle " of the prefent tenfe is formed from a fictitious part time." But this initial fyllable is very frequently prefixed to Eng- lish verbs, and generally gives an additional energy to them; as to enchain, encircle, encumber, endanger, enfeeble, enforce, &c.$ and we meet with the verb enjlrengthen in another ancient author *. There is no neceffity to fuppofe this participle to be derived from a verb of the part time ; for it may be formed from the fubfbntive thought, as well as from the paft tenfe of the verb think -, in the fame manner as draughting is de- rived from the fubftantive draught, though draughted is alfo a par- ticiple of the pail: tenfe. So the verbs enlighten and enliven, are formed from the fubftantives light and life; and Chaucer has created the verb feilowfoippetb from the fubftantivey^//sw/2>/)>.
We proceed next to that objection which fuppofes Chatterton to have borrowed moil of his ancient words, together with the explanations of them, from Skinner's Etymologicon, either copying his blunders, or mift.ak.ing and mifapprehending his meaning. This charge is eafily refuted by the following fact, communicated to me by Mr. Barrett : — Chatterton calling on him one day, faw Skinner's Etymologicon laying on his table, and having afked what the book was, Mr. Barrett offered to lend it to him, which he accepted, but returned the book in two days,, faying that it was of no ufe to him, as he did not underfland Latin. Indeed he could have gained very little information from it within fo fhort a time, efpecially as his ignorance of Latin muft
* See an Exhortation by R, Morrifon, printed for Berthelett, 1549.
have
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 507
have rendered Skinner's explanations very difficult, if not unin- telligible to him. But the Gloffary to which he was principally indebted, (for there is a tranfcript of it in his own hand) was that of Speght, prefixed to his edition of Chaucer 1598, as ap- pears by their perfedt agreement in the explanation of words ; confirmed by this circumftance, that Chatterton borrowed this edition of Chaucer from Mr. Green, a bookfellcr of Briftol; it was afterwards purchafed by Mr. George Catcot, and is now the property of Dr. Glynn. A remark on one of the words in that Gloffary, in Chatterton's own hand, is a lure proof that he had made fome ufe of it. It was the tranfcript of this Gloffary which Chatterton defired his fitter to fend to him in London, for he had left it behind him at Briftol. (See his letter in Love and Mad- nefs, p. 175, and 179 j) Mr. Barrett copied it, and that tranfcript is ftill in his poffeffion.
When we confider that Skinner publifhed his Gloffary above feventy years after Speght, and copied his explanations of the words which occur in Chaucer, we mall find that Chatterton's in- terpretation of thofe words was taken from Speght, and not from Skinner ; and therefore, where he feems to be miftaken in the interpretation, the blunder muft be imputed to the former, and not to the latter author ; but it remains yet to be decided, whe- ther the explanations given by thofe authors zrejujlly objected to in the Appendix; fuch of the words, indeed, as are not ufed by Chau- cer, could not be explained by Speght ; and for thofe Chatterton might be indebted to Skinner ; he might even copy his miftakes : But the queftion is not fo much concerning the true meaning of the words, as concerning the authority upon which his interpre- tations are founded.
The Appendix ftates fome inftances of blunders fuppofed to be copied from Skinner; of thefe, A la boon, and Aumeres, have been already explained; and as to the word Bawfin, large, it has certainly efcaped the notice of the learned Editor, that it occurs in one of
3 T 2 ChaucerY
5o8 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
Chaucer's Ballads, and is explained by Speght in the fame manner as by Chatterton : There is therefore older and better authority than Skinner 's for the interpretation. In that fevere ballad againft a female, printed in Chaucer's works, (Speght, p. 325 b. col. 2.) which begins " O mofly quince," he calls her " Bawjin- " buttoeked, bellied like a Tunne." The reader will judge, whether the application of the word in this pafTage, does not juftify Speght' s interpretation, and the ufe made of it in thefe poems.
Brondeous, Brondeynge, and Bronded, i. e. furious ; fo interpreted by Chatterton from. Speght, who explains Bronde by fury, fire ; to which the fenfe of the word in thefe poems is perfectly applicable. Thus " England's Brondeousfons," (Ecl.ii. v. 24) "The " Brondeynge foe," {JE. 703) and "The Bronded flood," (B.H. N°2. v. cc8.) Butit is not likely that Chatterton fhould borrow Skinner's Latin explanations of Furia, Titio, Torris. If he had been indebted to him for this word, would he not have followed him alfo in the. explanation of Burly-Brand, (G. v. 7.) i, e. Magnus en/is ? but he adheres to Speght's idea, and improperly renders that term by. Fury, Anger, Rage. Though Brond originally fignified a torch or firebrand, yet it was applied alfo to a fword, on account of its flaming and fiery appearance. " Brando enfis fie dictus a flammea. " fpecie et igneo fpendore." (Hicks's Gramat. Theotifc. p. 93). He obferves alfo, (Gram. A. S. p. 192, note) that " Brand, Glad,. u and Glod, i. e. gladius, torris, and pruna ignita, are fynonymous <« terms, becaufe the luftre of fwords refembles fire ; Odin's Hall " is therefore faid to be enlightened only by drawn fwords, and «■ hence the Englifh term of brarjijhing a. fword. is derived." But authority more ancient than theTeftamentof Crefeismay bequoted. for the application of this word, and for the term Burly-Brand. The poetical romance of Richard the Firft,. written before the year 14.00, (See Warton, vol. i. p. 160) fpeaks of Helme, hauberke, and brondes bright.
Blind,
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 509
Blind Harry, who wrote the Hiftory of Sir William Wallace, in 1361, (Warton, vol. i. p. 323) thus defcribes his armour:
His good girdle, and fyne his buirly brandy
A ftaff of iteele he gripped in his hand.. And in another paffage,
His burnifht brand braithly in hand he bare. It is unneceffary to add, that the poets fubfequent to Rowley, efpecially Spenfer, generally ufe brand for a fword, as fatal brand, heart-thrilling brand, bronde-iron, and fteely brand. And,
A fword that flames like burning brand.
(F. O^B.ii. c. 3. ft. 18.) When Campynon is faid
To dree his fwerde in Burlie Brande,
(B. H. N°2. v. 664) it may be literally rendered " that he drew it in armed fury."
Burled, armed. So explained on Speght's authority, and. juftified by the feveral paffages in the poems where that word occurs; as The Burled Dacyanns, (M. v. 707) A Burled Trojan, (M. v. 20) Fitzhughs Burled hide, (B. H. N° 2. v. ^j) and, The fhepfters Burled croke, (B.H. N° 2. v. 86) : Skinner agrees in the fame explanation, but both he and Chatterton borrowed it from, Speght. The fame may be faid of the word Bifmare, which has already been confidered.
Calked, cajl out, ejedled. This explanation of Chatterton, feems to be taken from Speght's rendering it by the general word call : Had he confulted Skinner, that author's remark could hardly have efcaped him, " Credo, cajl up." In the paffage of Godwin where that word occurs, Calke awaie the hours, may be eaffly fup- pofed a. miitake for Cajle away the hours; and if the paffage; (Eel. i* v. 49) Calked jrom everie joie, will not bear the fame in- terpretation, we may change it for the word Cachit, ufed by Biihop Douglas to fignify driven, and which the Pr. Parv. explains by abigo.
Thefe.
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
Thefe are inftances of words fuppofed in the Appendix to have been borrowed from Skinner, and applied in the fanciful fignificatiom which that author has afcribed to them : Their meaning, however, feems to be fufficiently eftablifhed by antiquity ; and if it was not, yet the explanations of Chatterton appear to be borrowed from Speght, and not from Skinner.
We are in the next place to confider fome inftances of words and interpretations founded (as the Appendix fuggefls) on a mif- appreheniion of paffages in Skinner.
Alyse is fuppofed to be a miftake for Alrfeb, allowed; but the former of thefe words has been already fo well defined, and its meaning fo fully eftablifhed, as to leave no room for fuch an
imputation.
Bestoiker is fuppofed to originate from a like mifapprehen- fion bf Skinner, becaufe his gloffary has the word Befwike in the fame fenfe; but Chatterton might have mif-fpelt an ancient word, without even feeing it in Skinner : It is more probably a miftake for a German word of the fame fignification, and which comes nearer to it in orthography, requiring the change only of a fingle letter ; Bejlrikan, according to Ludwig, fignifying to decoy, entice, enfnare, &c.
Blake has been already explained, with its concomitant, meaning of naked; but not borrowed from Skinner, for it is unlikely that he ihould have taken his idea from the Latin word nuda, which he did not underftand : Would he not rather have adopted Skinner's Englifh interpretation of Bleak and Baref
Hanceled, cutoff. So explained by Speght and Skinner; the latter indeed fays, that the primary or more proper fenfe of the word is, to cut off by way offpecimen or fample ; but if the word really imports the fa ft, the poet's ufe of it may be juftified, though he applies it in a different manner.
He ufes alfo Halceld in the fame fenfe, (M. v. 37); and Chaucer
has the word Rameled, to which Speght has given the like inter-
2 pretation :
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 5n
pretation : This idea feems to be conveyed in the word Hancelines, or breeches worn in Chaucer's time, which he calls cutted flops. (See Parfons Tale, p. 184 Tyr. and Speght, p. 97 b. col. 2.)
Shap is objected to only bccaufe it is ufed as a noun ; for the verb jhapen, with its participles Jliopen, ijljope, and ijhape, occur very frequently in our ancient writers, in a meaning exactly cor- refponding to the ufe of the word in thefe poems, thapen figni- fies not only to create, Jorm, model, or Jhape, but alfo to allott appoint, and fix by ajuperior power and unalterable decree ; of which the following paflages,.amongll: many others, are proofs. Gower fays
But if thyn happe thereto be Shape. (P. 56 a.)
Me Shapen no fuch defiiny. (P. 78 a.)
That I am Shapen all to ftrife. (P.. 82 a.)
So that the fpede of everie love
Is Jhape there as it befal. So Chaucer, in the Knight's Tale :
And if fo be our dejline be Shape. (Tyr. p. 44. v. 1 1 10.)
There is thee Shopen of thine woe an ende.
(P. 55. v.i 394.)
Were it by aventure or deftinee,
For where a thing is Jhapen it fhall be. (P. 58. v. 1467.)
That each of you fhall have his dejlinee
As him is JI:ape (P-73- v- 1844-)
Or if my dejlinee be Jhapen fo. (P. 91. v. 2325.)
Wherefore to Jhapen that they fhall not die.
(P. ioo.v.2543.) And in Queen Annelida, (Speght, p. 244 b. col. 2.)
My dejlinee hath Jljaped fo full yore.
Thus with care, forrow, and tene am Ifiapt
Myne end with death to make.
(left, of Loye, B. i. Speght, p. 273 a. col. 1.)
And
5i2 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
And in the lines quoted in the Appendix : Now is mzfiape eternally to dwell, Not only in purgatory, but in hell.
Bifhop Douglas thus tranflates that line in Virgil, (JEn. vi. v. 466.) Quern fugis ? extrcmumfato quod te alloquor hoc eft.
Quham fleis thou ? this is the latter day,
By loerdisfchap that with thee fpeek I may. (P. 180. v. 12.) Werdis fcbap, means par car 'umfato, whom Douglas in other places calls the weird Jijler is. Uunbi jij-capu occurs alfo in the Har- monia Evangelica Franco-Theotifc. quoted by Hicks in his Gram. A. S. p. 112, and is there rendered parcarum decreto. But the meaning of the word may be eft^blifhed upon more certain authority. Verelius, in his Scandic Lexicon, has iSkap, /orfuna,and Skcepna,fatum. So Junius (in voce Werd) referring to the word Ifliape in the Knight's Tale, fays, " Poeta prifci quo- " que fermonis indubium veftigium exhibuit in verbo Ifoape, *' fiquidem Skeffne Danis eft Fatum ; antiquoribus ad hasc Cimbris " parcae olim didtae HViB Skop & ^lFiBil/fi Skopur Creatio, " quod parcie profpera fimul atque adverfa hominibus decernere " & veluti concreare foieant."
It remains only to obferve on the words collected, p. 331 of the Appendix, and fuppofed by their agreement with Skinner to have been borrowed from him, that the five laft are explained in the fame manner by Speght ; and if the other {even are not to be found in his Gloffary, it is becaufe they do not occur in Chaucer. Two of thofe words, viz. Abounde and Alujle, are not even explained by Chatterton; but the meaning and antiquity of them all has been eftabliftied by the preceding obiervations. If the words are well defined, their being explained by Skinner can be no objection to their authenticity ; but it is on every account unlikely that Chatterton fhould have depended on that author for his words and explanations, which being conveyed in Latin, muft have been exceeding difficult for him to underftand.
It
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 513
It is aflerted alio in the Appendix, (p. 331) " that Chatterton " has applied the prefix A, to words of all forts, without any " regard to cuftom or propriety j" but one of the words in his lift, viz. Agrame, or Agreme, occurs in the Plowman's Tale of Chaucer, v. 2283 ;
Then woll the officers be agramed: And as to the general charge, Chaucer applies this prefix to verbs in the prefent tenfe, as Arreafoneth, Acchyth, Atyde, and Afyle ; to part tenfes, as Aftranglit, Agathered, Aforced, &c.j to nouns, as Avifion, Avow, &c ; to adjectives, as Avoid, Aerobe, &c.; to adverbs, as Abacke, Anye, A/2010, &c.; and the obfervations relat- ing to this prefix, both in Urry's and Mr. Tyrwhit's Gloflaries, will juftify the ufe of it in thefe poems. It muft not be unnoticed, however, that the words referred to in the Appendix on this occafion, are fometimes ufed by our poet without the prefix, as boune, come, derne, dygne, left, &c.
The reader having been detained fo long in a feries of verbal criticifm, it may be neceflary to recal his attention to thofe points, on which the authenticity of the Poems is defended againft the objections of the Appendix.
It is contended, that the criterion of antiquity therein laid down cannot be admitted, with regard either to the ufe, fignif cation, or inflexion of words j and that, if any fuch criterion was eftablifhed, the words objected to in the Appendix would not come within that defcription, being authorifed, both in their ufe and fignifica- tion, by ancient writers and gloflarifts ; and the liberty taken in their inflection, with refpect to grammar and cuftom, juftified by the examples of other poets.
In anfwer to the fuggeftion, that Chatterton borrowed ma of his ancient words and explanations from Skinner; it has been proved, that he had no knowledge of the exiftence of fuch a Glollary, till he had produced feveral of thefe poems to Mr. Barrett; that he then borrowed the book, and returned it at th--
3 U end
5i4 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX,
end of two days, declaring it could be of no ufe to him, becaufe he did not underftand Latin ; but that he had read and copied Speght's Gloffary for his own ufe (as Skinner had done before) : And the explanations of Speght, confuting, for the mod part,, of a fingle word in Englifh, were eafy and intelligible to Chatterton ; whereas thofe in Skinner being more difFufe, and in Latin, could not be underftood by him. That his adoption of the errors of Speght and Skinner, of which he is accufed in the Appendix, fliews at leafr. that he was not the maker of the Gloffary ; and his frequent mifmterpretation of words, affords a proof equally convincing that he did not always underftand the language of the poems, and therefore could not have been the author of them.
It muff beobferved, that our modern imitators of ancient poetry are very liberal in their ufe of unmeaning expletives and adverbs, in order to give an air of antiquity to their compolitions, without being able to add force and energy to their expreffion : But the ftile of this poetry is very different; the words are all alike ancient, the language equally nervous ; no word appears to be borrowed or forced, to exprefs the poet's ideas, or to fill up the meafure of his verfe. Many of thefe words are explained by Chat- terton, upon the authority of Speght and other common gloffaries : But there are others, which are only to be found in old French Dictionaries,, in Lye's Junius,, in his Saxon Gloffary, in the Me- dulla Grammatices, and the Promptuarium Parvulorum. Some of thefe he has left unexplained, to others he has attempted to affix a meaning; but the Gloffaries in which alone they exifted were not in his hands, nor was it within his ability to underftand them if they had been before him. He was therefore to fupply the meaning by his own ingenuity; and though in fome inftances he has fixed a probable fenfe to them, yet that fenfe (lands unfup- ported by any authority, and is not the fame with that given by the ancient Gloffaries above mentioned to thefe words : Thus, for .inflance, the epithet of Bertm neders.. (T. v. 58) is explained by-
Chatterton.
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 5*5
Chatterton venomous; not knowing that the Pr. Par. had explained that word by darting or leaping: The Lordynge Toad he thought was fo called from the dignity of his pofture, fitting on his hinder legs ; not being aware that the word Lourdin exprefl'ed the heavy and fluggilh nature of the animal. Houton, or Hautain, is ex- plained in the Pr. Par. by the word exalto, which fenfe agrees \ well with the paflages where that word occurs ; but Chatterton renders it hollow, without the leaf* authority or propriety of inter- pretation. Other inftances might be produced, but thefe are fuf- ficient. The inference from this fa£t is decifive, " That the ** paflages in which thefe, or any fuch words occur, could not be '*. the compoiition of Thomas Chatterton."
The reader may have obferved, that the poems and profe com- pofitions which pais under the name of Rowley, contain feveral hiflorical particulars, which tend to eilablifh the authenticity of thefe MSS, becaufe they could not have been known to Chat- terton.
But there are other circumflances and anecdotes, efpecially in the unpubliihed profe works, which feem to be contradicted by true hiitory; as thefe rauft be imputed either to Rowley or Chat- terton, it ought to be confidered which of the two perfons was moil: capable, and which the mofl likely to pradtife this deceit.
It will be admitted, I prefume, that a perfon anfwering the character of Rowley, might have exifled in the 15th century: A prieft learned in his profefiion, and great in his poetical abili- ties. He might alfo be poflefled of a fertile and fporiive imagina- tion, be fond of embellifhing his compofitions with anecdotes of early times, the produce of his own invention, either to add im- portance to his narration, or to amufe his friend and patron; whofe genius, confefledly flmilar to his own, difdained the plain recital of Ample facts, and delighted to four above the truth of hi/lory. (See his Letter to Canynge, v. 33.)
This turn of mind is not without example in the annals of
3 U 2 literature.
5i6 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
literature. The 15th century produced a contemporary author with Rowley, of the fame character and difpolition. Annius of Viterbo, an eminent divine, well ikilled in the learned and orien- tal languages, and mailer of the Pope's palace, forged hiilories and antiquities under the names of Berofus, Manetho, and other ancient authors j of which a catalogue may be feen in Voflius and Bayle. Agoftini alfo fays (Dialogue 1 ith) that he fabricated in- fcriptions, and caufed them to be buried in a vineyard near Viterbo, where he knew they would foon be dug up ; and on their difcovery, carried them in triumph to the magistrates, to convince them, upon the authority of thefe infcriptions, that their city was 2000 years more ancient than Rome. The pofr. which this monk held in the Pope's palace, and the honour done to his memory by his native city, in repairing his epitaph in 16 18*, mew that he was held in high efteem by his countrymen for his literary abilities.
This fpecies of forgery was not uncommon with the Italian antiquaries. Agollini mentions the names of four perfons who fabricated infcriptions and medals, either to do honour to their town and country, or to eftabliih fome favourite point of an- tiquity.
Not to mention a collection of infcriptions, in different languages and characters, difcovered at Grenada, and fuppofed to be a forgery of the 16th century, which Juan Flores, Prebendary of Grenada, engraved, but without explanation, in 67 copper- plates, (a copy of which is in the library of the Society of Anti- quaries at London) Mr. Swinburn, in his Travels through Spain, p. 155, fpeaks of one Medina Conti, at Grenada, a learned and ingenious man, profoundly Jkilled in the antiquities of his country, who, to favour fome preteniions of the church, in a great law-fuit, forged deeds and infcriptions in an unufual character, which he
* See his life in Bayle. 8 caufed
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 517
caufed to be buried where he was fure they would be du"- upj and on their being difcovered, publiflied engravings and explana- tions of them, in fupport of the claims for which they were forged : But the fraud being detected, and proved upon him, he was committed to prifon, where, Mr. Swinburn fays, lie was likely to continue. It is very material, in the prefent queftion, to obferve that thefe forgeries took their rife from the learning and abilities of the antiquaries who practifed them, and who were enabled, by giving an appearance of probability to their fictions, more eaiily to impofe on mankind.
The cafe of Rowley's MSS. is exactly fimilar. His notes, or, as he calls them, Rmendals, on a hiftory of Briflol, afcribed by him to Turgot, but probably written by himfelf — His hiftory of coinage, contained in the yellow roll — His drawings and defcriptions of ancient coins and inferibed ftones, faid bv him to have been dug up in the city and neighbourhood of Briftol, and calculated to do honour to the place, (though no fuch Genuine coins or inferiptions could have exifted) contain fuch a mixture of probable and improbable facts, fuch a foundation of truth and fuperftructure of fable, as fhew the author to have been well ac- quainted with the antiquities of this kingdom, and capable of misleading the generality of readers; who, in that illiterate a°-e. were very incompetent judges of hiftorical truth*.
The tendency therefore of his natural inclination, coinciding with that of his friend and patron, and fupported with abilities for carrying on his plan, might engage him in this fy item of deceit, and furnilh us with a rational folution for this extraordi- nary conduct.
But no motive of this kind could prefent itfelf to Chatterton. Had he been author of the poems afcribed to Rowley, his o-reat
* All thefe will make part of Mr. Barrett's hiftory, from which the public will be better enabled tojudgeof the learning and ingenuity contained in thefe anecdotes.
object
5p8 ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
object, would have been to give them credit, and the appearance of authenticity ; but he could have no inducement to aflume unnecefiarily the characters of an hiftorian and antiquary. The for'dno- anecdotes concerning Briftol, could do no honour to his poetic character, and would rather encreafe than remove fufpicions concerning the authenticity of the poems. He had neither difpo- fition nor literary abilities to qualify him for fuch an undertak- ing. His youth, his ignorance of the learned languages, and his total want of hiftorical information, muft have rendered every at- tempt of this kind ridiculoufly abfurd, void of all probability, and unfatisfa&ory to the reader.
I fhall not enter into the arguments which arife from' the prole compositions which ftiil remain unpublished in Mr. Barrett's hands ; and are confefiedly a part of the fame ancient treafure, difcovered at the fame time, fupported by the fame evidence, referring to the fame asra, treating of the fame fubjefts, and mutually confirming and eitablifhing each other : Thefe materials being chiefly local, and relating to Briftol, come more properly under Mr. Barrett's cognizance, who will do ample juftice to the fubjedT:, whenever he fhall favour the world with his Hiftory of Briftol, which he has purfued with very conftant attention, and will complete to the great fatisfacftion of the public. It would be unjuft to anticipate him in this ufeful undertaking : I (hall therefore conclude thefe remarks, by felecl- ing a Angle inftance from thofe papers, containing an unanfwer- able proof, that thofe documents, and confequently the poems that accompany them, were written at the time to which they more immediately refer, viz. the middle of the fifteenth century.
The MS. Lift of Skilld Painclerrs and Carvellers, which has been quoted more than once in the courfe of thefe obfervations, concludes with the following words :
" Now havynge gyvenn accounte of thofe Skyllde Payncterrs
*' and Carvellers, I wyll faie of John a Milvertone, a great
o, " Carmelytc
ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX. 5*g
" Carmelyte Fryer in this citie, whofe tongue wyll goe neer toe *.' make hymme rue therefore, 6c knowen unyeere."
Unyeere, with a fmall variation in the fpelling, is the lame with unweere, a word frequently ufed in thefe poems for Storm or Tempeft. (See JE. v. 519,965, 11883 and E. iii. v. 87.) To knowen unyeere may therefore fignify, to experience the Jlorms of oppofition which were raifed againft Milverton on account of his opinions and do&rine ; and the hiftory of this remarkable Frier, will fully juftify the account here given of him, and point out the confequenees which attended the freedom of Milverton's tongue. He was contemporary with, and poffibly a fchool-fellow of Rowley; for he received the rudiments of his education at the Carmelites or White-Friers in Briftol, where Rowley alfo is faid to have been bred : He compleated his ftudies at Oxford, where he was made Doclor and. Profeflbr in Divinity. In 1456 he was appointed Provincial of the Carmelites within the three king- doms, and became afterwards an eminent preacher in London, but followed the do&rines of Henry Parker and Thomas Hold- ing, monks of the fame order, and others, in preaching up the poverty of Chrift, and thence taking occafion to inveigh againft the pride, luxury, and riches of the Bifhops and fuperior clerg-v. It is to this doclrine, and to this period, that the opinion of Rowley applies. And it was fully juftihed in its confequenees ; for Milverton, being excommunicated by the Bifliop of London, fled to Rome;, where Pope Paul the Second, on a complaint pre- ferred againft him by the Bifhops, kept him confined three years in the caftle of St. Angelo; during which time he addrefted letters to the Pope, to fome of the Cardinals, and to the Nobles of Italy. He was at laft honourably acquitted, by the judgment of feven Cardinals, not only with the liberty of returning to the fee of St. David's, to which he had been elected (though not confecrated) but alfo with the additional offer of a Cardinal's hat ; both which
(as
52o ANSWER TO THE APPENDIX.
(as Leland obferves) he modeftly declined : He died at the Carme- lite Convent of the White-Friers in London, in 1476, and was buried in the middle of their choir. — This account, which is given by Leland * and Pitts -j-, will afcertain, within a certain number of years, the time when Rowley gave him this character : It muft have been fubfequent to his being made Provincial, in 14^6 ; and prior to his excommunication and departure for Rome, in the Papacy of Paul the Second, whofe Pontificate extended from 1464 to 1470. It is needlefs to add, that this confiftent account of Milverton muft: have been penned by one who was cither his contemporary, or was well acquainted with his liiftorv and character.
Here then let the evidence be clofed; and if there yet remain in the mind of the candid reader, any doubts which prevent him from fubfcribing to the authenticity of this poetry, as the genuine compolitions of Rowley, and the production of the fifteenth cen- tury, let him confider the almoft infurmountable difficulties which are oppofed to the affected claim in behalf of Chatterton. The keen and harfh fpirit of criticifm has indeed attempted to deftroy this fair fabrick, and in Stripping it of the venerable form of antiquity, hath endeavoured to caft a Shade over the intrinfic merit of the composition. It has been the endeavour of the pre- ceding Sheets to place the evidence in a clear and impartial view, and to remove that cloud which overshadowed the beauties of the poetry, though it could not deftroy them. Between thefe two claims the public muft decide; for as to any intermediate author, or period of the poems, the improbability will be greater, and the difficulties attending fuch an hypothefis infurmountable.
* De Scriptoribus Britannicis. See alio Tanner's Bibliotheca Britan. ■f De illuflribus Angliae Scriptoribus.
P. S. SINCE
POSTSCRIPT.
521
P. S. SINCE the foregoing fheets were printed, I have been favoured with the account of two imperfecl and unfuccefsful at- tempts by Chatterton's dramatic mule; the only efforts he is known to have made in that ftyle of poetry. They are both communicated by Chatterton's friends, and one of them authen- ticated under his own baud, for which I am obliged to Mr. Ruddall of Briftol. It contains, in a fingle fheet of paper, the two firft fcenes of a ballad opera, under the title of Amphytrir,}, a Burlctta, evidently borrowed from Dryden's play of the fame name ; but whether he made any further progrels in it, does not appear. From his choice of the iubject, which has been con- sidered as a characferiltical diftinclion between Rowley's and Chatterton's poetry, and from his adopting the ideas and lan<*ua°-e of Dryden, no delicacy can be expected in the performance ; nor indeed has he fliewn any ; for the language is coarfe, and even indecent, the airs are without fentiment, fpirit, or wit, almoft unfit to be prefented to the reader, and therefore not pofiibly to be afcribed to that poet, who wrote the minftrels fongs in Ella.
But that the reader may form fome judgement of this poetry, the following reply of Nox to the commands of Jupiter, brought by Mercury, may ferve as a fpecimen.
How now ! would you make me a bawd ? Muft I too affift him to whore ? If Jove will be prowling abroad, Mull heroes and gods hold the door ?
A bawd is a name I detefi;
A whore, I confefs, is no fcorn.
Why fhould he choofe me from the reft,
To aid him in grafting the horn ?
Mercury. Why, where's the mighty fcandal in the pofl ? On earth pimps and procurers rule the roafl.
3 X This
522 POSTSCRIPT.
This fhort fpecimen alfo fhews how little he was acquainted! with Latin; for he marks Jupiter and Mercury quitting the (bene together by the following reference, **_ Exit Both."
Mr. Thiftlethwaite fpeaks of another unfuccefsful attempt of Chattsrton in the dramatic ftyle, which he communicated to h.m a few weeks before he left Briflol ; it confuted of two or three acts of a comedy, or farce, which was political in its plan, and wherein the characters of very refpectable perfonages were fatyrized with great indecency. As far as Mr. Thiftlethwaite can recollect at this diftance of time, he thought it greatly inferior to Chatterton's other productions, and unworthy of his pen. How unlike then muft it have been to the poems afcribed to Rowley ! and how juftly does Mr. Thiftlethwaite conclude, that the " Author of the «' poems afcribed to Rowley, and Thomas Chatterton, were two *' diftinct beings, furnilhed with different ideas, endued with •• different abilities, pofleffed of different morals, and living in •c different centuries !"
In addition to what is laid of Sir Baldwyn Fulford, p. 325, it may be remarked, that he was an unfuccefsful^ if not an indif- creet, friend to the Lancastrian caiife; for Campbell, in his Lives of the Britifti Admirals, vol. I. p. 2 J 7, fays " that he undertook *' to burn the Earl of Warwick's fleet in the haven of Calais y •'< which rjuickly appeared to be but a vain enterprife."
A GLOSSARY
[ 5*3 ]
A GLOSSARY OF UNCOMMON WORDS IN THIS VOLUME.
THE advertifement prefixed to this Gloflary in the former editions obi. • " That Chatterton's explanations at the bottom of the fcveral pages were " therein drawn together and digcilcd alphabetically, with the letter C. " of them ; but that thefe explanations were not to be admitted without great ciu- *' tion, a confidcrable number of them being (as far as the learned Editor could ** judge) unfupported by authority, or analogy; and that the explanations of:' " other words, omitted by Charter ton, were added by the Editor, where the mcan- " ing of the writer was Efficiently clear, and the word itfelf did not recede too " far from the eftablifhed ufage."
The Gloflary, in its prefent form, is enlarged with the explanation of many words which were left unnoticed by Chatterton ; who has given no glofs on . Battle of Haftings, nor on the poems which follow in that volume, and or.' very fparing one on the Tragedy of Ella.
Where the interpretations of CirattertcSi appear to be of doubtful atithoritw or to be contradicted by other writers, an alteration, or correction, - I In
italics* by which all the additions of the prefent Editor may be diftioguifh
The meaning of the words was determined, i:i the former Gloflary, on the thority of a fingle paffcge ; but, a5 our Poet has frequently ufed the fame word in -, variety of fignifications, it is a fatisfaction due to the reader, to refer him to feveral pafTages where thofe words occur; that he may determine the proprieif* of their application, and admit the authenticity of the poems, from the command of language i'o vifible in them. Thefe additional references are extended alfo to other ancient words, which, although they occur frequently-, are ufed only in one determinate fenfe.
It has been neceflfary to correct the miftaken references in the former Gloflary* which arofe from mifnumbering the lines in fome of the p.-ems. Thofe in Ella, from v. 380, being anticipated by one line ; and thofe in the fecond poem on the Battle of Haftings, from v. 150, by ten lines. The Lrter error wa» corrected in the poem by the fubfequeiu editions ; but the Gloflary formed on the firfr edition continuing unaltered, produced a difagreement of ten lines between the notes of reference in the GlofTary and the lines as they flood in the poem. The miftake in Ella continued through all the editions; but Both are now corrected, and the references are made to correfpond with the text, except in a few inftSntes, which, having efcaped the attention of the Editor, are noticed in the Errata.
The additional explanations of this.Gloflary, which are not directly f-ipported by authority, are, for that reafon, marked with a qu.
For want of Italic figures, it has been neceffary to diftinguilh the numerals, in the additional references of this Gloflary, by prefixing to them the following mark, [.
3X2 EXPLANATION
E 524 ]
EXPLANATION OF THE LETTERS OF REFERENCE.
|
Page |
||||
|
H. i. |
— |
Battle of Haftings, N° i. — |
— |
4a |
|
H. 2. |
— |
Battle of Haftings, N° 2. — |
— |
97 |
|
EP. |
— |
Epiftle to M. Canynge. — — |
— |
165 |
|
Le. |
— |
Letter to M. Canynge. — |
— |
170 |
|
Ent. |
— |
Entrodu&ionne to EUa. — — . |
— |
195 |
|
JE. |
— |
Ella, a Tragycal Enterlude. ■— |
— |
196 |
|
P. G. |
— |
Prologue to Goddwyn. — — |
— |
280 |
|
G. |
— |
Goddwyn, a Tragedie. — — |
— |
285 |
|
T. |
— |
The Tournament. ■ ■ ■■ ■■ |
— |
306 |
|
B. T. |
— |
The Briftowe Tragedy. — — |
— |
3*8 |
|
M. |
— |
The Ehglyfh Metamorphofis. — |
— |
355 |
|
Ch. |
— |
Balade of Charitie. — — — |
— |
366 |
|
S. E. |
— |
Challenge to Ladgate, and Song to Ella. — |
— |
382 |
|
Lad. |
— |
Ladgate's Anfwer. ■ — — |
— |
388 |
|
E.I. |
— |
Eclogue the Fitft. — •— |
— |
39i |
|
E. 11. |
— |
Eclogue the Second. — — |
— |
400 |
|
E. III. |
— |
Eclogue the Third. — — |
— |
408 |
|
E. IV. |
— |
Eclogue the Fourth. — — |
— |
416 |
|
L. C. I. |
—. |
Onne our Ladies Churche. Poem the Firft. |
— |
42.3 |
|
L. C. II, |
» ■ |
On the fame. Poem the Second. — |
— |
424 |
|
R. C. |
•— |
427 |
||
|
St.C. |
— |
The Storie of W. Canynge. — — |
— |
43° |
|
C. H. |
— |
On Happienefle, by W. Canynge. — — |
— |
447 |
|
G. R. |
— |
The Goulers Requiem. — — |
— |
449 |
|
C. F. |
— |
The Accounte of Canynges Feaft. — |
— |
45i |
|
P. Pa. |
— |
Promptuarium Parvulorum. |
||
|
P. PL |
— |
Pierce Plowman's Crede, |
A GLOSSARY.
[ vs ]
GLOSSARY.
ABES S IE, E. III. 89. humility, C. humbly Aborde, Ch. 89. went on Aborne, T. 45. burnifhed, C. See Borne Abounde, v. H. 1. 55. do fervice or benefit Aboune, v. G. 53. make ready, C. See
Bonne Abredynge, IE. 334. upbraiding, C. Abrewe, St. C. 60. as brew Abrodden, E. I. 6. abruptly, C. abroad Acale, G. 191. freeze, C. P. Pa. Accaie, IE. 356. aflwage, C. Achevments, IE. 65. fervices, C. Achments, T. 153. achievements, C. See
Hatched, and Hatchments Acheke, G. 47. choke, C. Acome, St. C. 95. as come Acrool, E. IV. 6. faintly, C. or, in a
murmuring voice Addawe, v. St. C. 78. awake, Addawd, H. 2. 1 10. [/£. 398. awakened Adave, H. 2. 392. dawned upon Adeene, M. 488. ivorthily. See Adigne Adente, and Adented, G. 32. fattened,
annexed, C. [/£. 263. 395. Adented, IE. 490. indented, bruifetl. See
Dente, Dented, Dentfull Aderne, H. 2. 262. cruel, fierce. See
Derne, Dernie Adigne, and Adygne, Le. 46. nervous,
worthy of praife, [H. 2. 7. 154. 387.
St, C. 125. g'od. See Deene Adte, without adoe, H. I. 202. immedi- ately Adradde, H. 2. 86. P. 180. afraid Adrames, Ep. 27. churls, C. Adrew, H. 2. 546. for drew Adventailc, T. 13. armour, C. [H. 2.
327. 671. 676. M. 468. G. 62. Jdyghte, C. H. 2. death fd
Adygne. See Adigne
Affere, v. AS. 1068, to affright, or ter~
rify, P. Pa. Affraie, n. JE. 755. 794. E. II. Si- fright,
or terror v. T. 85. 108. to fight, or engage
in a fray. See Fraie v. /E. 794. 1005. E.I. 7. 18. to
terrify Affryghie, n. E. III. 88. fear, or fright Affynd, H. 1. 132. related by marriage,
P. Pa. Afleme, G. R. 14. as fleme, to drive away,
to affright Agejled, Clodde-agefled, St. C. 9. lying on
the clod, or earth Agleeme, H. 2. 602. to Jhine upon. See
Gleme
Aerame, G. c. 02. 7 . _
b ' 3 v/ \ greivance, torture, C.
Agreme, IE. 356. 3
Agrofed, C. H. 6. as agrifed, terrified
Agroted, IE. 348. fwollen. See Groted,
[/E. 382. 944. P. Pa. Agrutche, P. 190. grudge, P. Pa. Agylted, iE. 334. [436.] offended, C. Aidens, IE- 222. aidance, aid Aiglintine, T. ibb. fweet-brier Ake, E. II. 8. oak, C. Alans, H. 2. 124. hounds Allaie, H. 2. 228. was allayed, or fopped.
Allaie ufed as a verb neuter Alatche, v. IE. 1 1 7. accufe, blame, leave, qu. AJedge, G. 5. idly, C. <•.;...', •
P. Pa. Ahnge, E. II. iq. ahrg Ahjlake, IE. 168. a may-pale Alefr, M. 50. left Alyghte, II. 2. 705. t: . hi vpin Alhboon, E. III. 41. S. h. 4. a rnannci
of aficing a favour, C.
AUejn,
52 i
GLOSSARY.
Alleyn, E. T. 52. only, C. [£. 276. 289.
298. 34c. 1159- T. 19.56. alone, fingly.
JE. 370. 425. 487. 545. 822. only.
/E. 465. nevertbelefs' Aimer, Ch. 20. beggar, C. Alcfe, H. 1. 202. aloft Aluftc, H. 1. 88. free, or deliver Alyfe, Le. 29. allow, C. [G. 36. 180.
pay, or allow. JE. 277. 407. to free, or
deliver. Alyche, E. II. 10. Lite Alyne, T. 79. acrols his (boulders, C.
fngly, alone Amainc, H. I. 274. myghte amayne, H. 1.
52. 162. 172. 332. with all hii force Amate, JE. 58. ckftroy, C. [/£. 1036.
quench. See Evvnatt Amayld, E. II. 49. enamelled, C. Amede, n. JE. 1 243, a reicard Ameded part, JE. 54. rewarded Amenged, St. C. 6. mixed, [S. E. 37.
mingled. See Menged Amenufed, E. II. 5. dimi.nifhed, C.
[Le. 28. Amctten, M. 46. met with Amield, T. 5. ornamen'.ed, enamelled, C. Aminge, Ch. 27. among Ancnfle, JE. 1081. 1216. T. 37. againfl Anente, IE, 474. againft, C. [JE. 496,
T. 27. 95. St. C. 1. Anere, IE. 15. another, C. [Ep. 48. Anete, St. C. 64, annihilate Anethe, T. 143. beneath, P. Pa. Anie, St. C. 59. as nie, nigh Ante, H. 2. 120. annoy, or nigh, qu. Anlace, G. 57. an ancient fword, C.
[H. 2. 449. 6ci. JE. 642. 660. 726.
766. 1O74. 1082. G. 73. a fword Antecedent, IE. 233. going before Applings, ,E. I. 33. grafted trees, C. ap- ples, or apple trees Arace, G. 156. divert, C. See Erace
; Arcublafler, H. 2. 52. 303. a
cofs-bow
Arcublafiris, H.I. 163. crofs-bow-me'n
Avdurcm^ S. E. 40. burning
Arediw. E. II. 79. thinking, confidering
Argent borfe, G. 33. the armorial enfgn of Kent
Ariil, Ch. 10. arofe, C. [E. ///. 51. arifn
Arm/an, H. 2. 97. accoutrement for the arms
Armcu -: race, JE. 338. St. C. 20. a fuit of arn
Arrow hede, H. 1. 74. arrow head, or am-ij moy.v.tid with lead, qu.
Afcaunfe, E. III. 52. difdainfully, C. [Le. l j. obliquely
Ajlaunte, H. 2. 143- 507. obliquely
Afkaunted, Le. 19. glaunced, looked ob- liquely
Afaunte, H. 2. 7 1 6. Jlannting
Alenglave, H. 1. 117. [483. H. 2. 166. a launce, II. 1. 423. the jiecly point of a launce
Aflec, IE. 503. Jlide, or creep
Affaie, v. H. 2. 285. make an attempt, P. Pa.
Affaylc, v. H. 1. 325. to attack.
Afieled, E. III. 14. anfwered, C.
Afhrewed, Ch. 14. accurfed, unfortu- nate, C.
Affwaie, v. JE. 352. to ajfay, experience
Ajlarte, H. 1. \%^.Jlarted from, afraid of
Afterte, G. 137. neglected, C.
Afredde, E. II. 11. featcd, C.
Aftoun, and Aftoundcd, part. E. II. 5. aftonifhed, C. [H. 2. 75. 5/. C. 55.
Aftounde, v. M. 83. aftonifh, C. [M. 730
Afydc, St. C. 90. perhaps aftyde, as- cended, by his fide
Athorowe, H. t. 718. through
Athur, H. 2. 466. as thurgh, through, athwart, acrofs
Attend, H. 1. 467. ajfyl, or ivas not With him, qu.
Attenes, iE. 18. atoace, C. [JE, 140. 317. G. 109. Ch. 13. 42.
Attoure,
GLOSSARY.
527
Attoure, v. T. 115. turn, C.
Attourne, v. E. III. 47. JE. 582. to turn
Attoure, adv. JE, 322. around
Ave, H. 2. 636. for Eau, Fr. water, or for Avon, a river
Aumere, Ch. 7. a loofe robe, or mantle, C. or girdle, JE. 307.
, E. III. 25. borders of gold or
silver, C or bracelets
Aunture, H. 2. 133. as aventure, adven- ture, P. Pa.
Auntrous, P. 184. adventurous
Aure, Le. 14. Or, the colour of gold in he- raldry.
Autremete,. Ch. 52. a loofe white robe worn by priefts, C. rather a cowl
Awhape, awhaped, JE. 399. aftonifh, aftonifhed, C. [H. 2. 643, 658.
Aye, E. I. 30. R.C. 7. ever, always
Ayenwarde, Ch. 47, backwards, C. >. Pa.
B
Balefull, E. I. 20. woeful Bane, v. JE. 916. curfe
, n. JE. 32c. hurt, damage, Errt. 2. ruin
Baned, Banie, Benr.ed, JE. 2C7. 512. 521.
1 1 84, curfed Bankes, T. 3. benches Barbe, St. C. 103. beard Barbd hall, JE. 219. hall hung round ;:■/.'.'■
armour Barbed horfe, JE. 27. horfc covered with
armour Barbed javelines, armed with death, H. 1.
261. Barcn, JE 879. for barren Barganette, E. III. 49. a long; or ballad, C.
[r.41. Bataunt, B. T. 276. 292. a frrhiged in-
Jlrument flayed on by beal'r.g, q>t. Set
Strunge Battayles, JE. 706. bosffi, fhip?,. Fr.
[.£. 620,
Batten, G. 3. fatten, C.
Battent, T. 52. loudly, C. rather fur i: us
Battently, G. 50. loud roaring, C. [JE.
825. rather, furious, violent Battone, H. 1. 520. beat with flicks, Fr.
P. Pa. Baubels, Ent. 7. jewels, C. Bawfyn, JE. 57. large, C. [//. 2. 69O.
M. 101.
Bayre, E. II. 76. brow, C.
Heave, H.I. %\b. 1 ,
r, "> y beaver
Beaver, H. 1. 55. m.\
Bcveredd, T. 115. covered with a beaver
Behefte, v. G. 60. command, C. [T. 33.
P. Pa. Behejling, T. 46. commanding Behight, v. H. 2. 355. name Behylte, v. /E.938. prom i fed, C. with-
holden, JE. 1101. f orb;. Behyltrcn, JE. 359. hidden. See HiltCy.
Hilt) in Belent, H. 2. 121. flopped, at a /land Berne, JE. 562. trumpet, [M. 562. Bemente, v. E. I.45. lament, C. [E. HI,
4c. Bementynge, E. IF. 3. lamenting Benned. See Baned
Benymmes, v. JE. 9C4. deprives, tahes away Benymr.ynge, P. G. 3. bereaving, C,
depri Bercie, St. C. S. Birch;:, qu. Berne, JE. 579. child. C. Berten, T. 58. venomous, C. darting,
ping, P. Pa. 1 ies, Befeeme, T. 124. becomes, C.
[G. ;z. T. 124. C.F. 2. P. Pa. Befped, H. 1. 172. 402. P. 434. Bcjprenge, v. II, 2. 363. £ E. 22. (col- ter, fp Beforengynge, H. 2. 553. JE. 7S. IC02.
fr.-rJing
.'- : - " 496.
553. ;. jbk AT,t ;.;?.. 154.
', [pre ad. See SpMlgt Reftadde, C. H. ■$. filiated, difrefed, P.P.:.
BlPl.
52*
GLOSSARY.
Bcfhnne, JE. 410. withfcf oppoffd, loft,
qu. if the fame ivith Bejlad Belted, H. 2. 140. antended for, engaged
in, P. Pa. Beftoiker, /F..91. deceirer, C. [.£. 1068. Beflreints, H. 2. 634. jpr inkles BctreintcJ, H. 2. 697. fprinklcd Bete, G. 85. bid, C. Bethoghtc, H. 1. 44 4. thinking. Sec En-
thogbte Betrafled, and Betrafte, G. 7. IE.. 1030.
betrayed, deceived, impofed upon, C. Bevyle, E. II. 57. bleak. A Herald term,
liquifying a fpear broken in tilting, C.
bend to Bewopen, II. 2. b6$. JLuptfed, Bewrate, n. H. 2. 127. treachery, betraying Bewrecke, v. G. 101. to revenge, C. Bewrecke, n. H. 2. 318. revenge Bciureekynge, JE. 976. revenging Bewreen, Bewryen, Bcwryne. Le. 42.
JE.6. G.72. C. [H. 2. 647. JE. 485.
1018. XC74. iii2. 1227. exprefs, de- clare, difplay, P. Pa. Bewrynning, Brynning, T. 128. declar- ing, C. [JE. 679. 992- See IVryn, and
Yvoreene Beyinde, Ep. 31. beyond Bigbes, JE. 371- jewels, C. [H. 2. 182.
St.C. 121. Birlette, E. III. 24- a hood or covering
for the back part of the head, C. a cap Bifmare, M. 95. bewildered, curious, C.
capricious Bifmarelie, Le.26. curioufly,C. capricioujly Bifmarde, St. C. 141. C. [H. 2. 715.
deluded Blaeke, P. 434. ? » Blake, JE. 178. $ Blake, JE. 407. naked, C. Blakied, E. III. 4. naked, original, C. Blanche, JE. 369 white, pure, [G. 96. Blaunchie, E. II. 50. white, C Blataunte, H. 2. 554. St. C. IX. tw#
<?MJ
Blatauntlie,.^E. ip8- loudly, C. Blazcurs, II. 2. i).'- praifers Blcde, E. I. 4.9. for belive, abide, P. Pa. Blente, E. III. 39. ceaftd, dead, C. rather
mingled. See Tblente, P. Pa. Blents, H. 2. 638. mixes, oppofes, flops, qu. Blethe, T. 98. bleed, C [M. 816. G. 35. Bhdde-red, E. II. 53. Blyn, and Blynge, JE. 334. E. II. 40.
ceafe, {land '{till, C. ['/£. 552. G. 558.
P. Pa. Boddeynge, JE. 160 M. 62. budding Boddekin, JE. 265. body, fubftance, C.
[St. C. 51, a diminutive of body Boleynge, M. 17. fwelling, C. See Em-
bolhny P. Pa. Bollengers, E. II. 33. a kind of boat, C.
or barge Boolie, E. I. 46. beloved, C. [G. R. 1. Boon, /£. 316. favour Bootlefs, H.I. 118. ufehfs. Bordel, E. III. 2. cottage, C. [M. 147. Bordelier, JE. 409. cottager, [H. 2. 633.
JE. 1007. 5/. C. 85. Borne, iE. 74O. bT. 13. burnifh, C.
[//. 2. 289. y«. Borne, H. 2. 48. iriwi Boun, v. E. II. 40. make ready, C. Boune, Bounde, adj. T. 32. ready, C.
[M.&q. T. 148. Bourne, part. JE. 482. bounded, limited Bourne, n. H. 2. 198. boundary, promon- tory Eoute ytte, G. 84. to go about it Bouting matche, S. E. 2. contefl Bowke, T. 19. Bowkic, G. 133. body, C.
[JE. 770. Brafteth, G. i23.burfteth, C. [JE. 293.
614. H. 2. 194. 515. Ch. 4«. Brafleyng, JE. 417. 678. 997. 5. E. lb.
burftirg Braunce, G. 89. braunch Brayd G. 77. difplayed, C. cr proclaimed Brayde, JE, 1009. embroider
Brede*
GLOSSARY.
529
Brede, G. 63. 95. E. II. 4. broad Breme, n. G. 12. ftrengtb, C. [G. 69.
G.R. 1 j. fury , adj. E. II. 6. ftrong, C. [H. 2. 604.
&. 424. 629. furious Bremie, H. 2. 695. P. 434. furious Br-ende, v. G. 50. burn, confume, C. Brendeynge, M. 1036. G. 200. burning Brctful, Ch. 19. filled with, C. Broched, H. 2. 335. pointed, [H. 2. 593.
P. Pa. See Ybroched Brigandine, H. 2. 645. G. 62. body armour Bronde, H. 2. 302. 651. fury, or f word, qu. Erondcd, H. 2. 558. furious Brondeynge, /E. 703. furious Brondeous, E. II. 24. furious, C. [/E. 760.
1087. 1188. G, 68. Burlie Bronde, G. 7. fury, anger, C. great
fword, H. 2. 664. armed fury Brooklette, H. 2. 410. St. C. 1. little brook Browded, G. 130. embroidered, C.
[St. a 43.
Brued, H. 1. 10. embrued
Brutylle, /£. 69 brittle, frail, P. Pa.
Brynning. See Bewryne
Burled, M. 20. armed, C. [H. 2. 37.86.
/E. 707. 1216. G. 194. 210. Burn, JE. 5^4.. probably a mijlake for turn Bylecoyle, C. F. 2. belacueil, Fr. the
name of a perfonage in the Roman de la
Rofe, which Chaucer has rendered, Fair
welcoming Byker, n. JE. 546. battle, [402. 942.
H. 2. 644. Byker, v. JE. 566. to fight, or engage Bykrous, M. 37. warring, C. Byfmare, and Byfmarerie. See Bifmare,
and Bifmarelie
Cale, JE. 853. cold, [H. 2. 632. Ch. 26. Calki, G. 25. caft, C. cajl away
Calked, E. I. 49. caft out, C. driven Caltyfning, G. 67. forbidding, confining Caytifned, JE. 32. binding, enforcing, C.
[/E. 1 1 03. confined, captive Carnes, JE. 1242, rocks, ftones, Brit.
monumental heaps ofjlones Caille-ftede, G. 100. a caille, C. [Ent. 8.
St. C. 17. E. I. 50. Caftle Steers, /E. 565. S. E. 40. the hold
of the cajlle Caties, H, 2. 67. cates Celnefs, JE. 881. coldnefs Chafe, adj. JE. 191. hot, C. P. Pa. Chefe, n. G. n. heat, raflinefs. C. Chuftes, G. 101, beats, (lamps, C. rubs Champyon, n. H. 2. 630. 69O. /E. 590.
T. 89. 93. e. iy. 38.
» adj. H. 1. 24. JE. 631. T. 134.
E. II. 56. Champyon, v. P. G. 12. challenge, C.
[T. 108. 148. Chaper, E. III. 48. dry, fun-burnt, C.
[G. ,23. Chapournette, Ch.45.afma!! round hat, C. Charie, St. C. 116. dear Chafe, H. 2. 82. E. I. 12. to chace, drive
away, or fly from, qu. Checfe, JE. 43. chufe
Chelandree, JE. 105. goldfinch, C. [Ch. 5. Cheorte, C. F. 4. cheery, chearful Cherifaunce, Ent. 1. comfort, C. [JE. 214. Cheriiaunced, JE. 838. comfortable Cheves, Ch. 37. moves, C. Jhivers, trembles Chevyfed, Ent. 2. preferved, C. or, redeem- ed, P. Pa. Chirckynge, M. 23. a confufed noife, C.
or, difagrceable found Choughen, JE. 151. 570. choughs, jack-daws Church-glebe, E. IV. 27. church-yard Church-glebe-houfe, Ch. 24. grave, C. Cicrge, P. 185. a wax-taper Clangs, v. Ch. 38. funds hud Cleyne, v. jE. iioi, to fund, or nuth j
noife, as clang
3 ^
53°
GLOSSARY.
Clarions, H. I. 49. trumpets
Cleembe, n. H. 2. 605. 693. noije, found
Cleme, n. E. II. 9. found, C.
Clymmynge, Ch. 37. noify
Clcpde, St. C. I I . named. Sec Ycicpcd
Clergyon, P. G. 8. clerk, or clergyman, C.
Clergyond, Ent. 13. taught, C. injlrucled
Clevis, H. 2. 46. [510. the cleft of a rock
Clinie, H. 1. 431. declination of the body-
See Dcclinie, P. Pa. Cloude agefted. See Agefled Coiftrell, H. 2. 88. aferving-lad Comfreie plant, E. I. 36. cumfrey Compheeres, M. 21. companions, C.
[JE. 51. 774- 1217. G. 14. Congeon, E. III. 89. dwarf, C. P. Pa. Contake, and Conteke, v. T. 87. to difpute, confuff, or contend with, C. [E. 11. 10. Contekes, n. G. 45. contentions Contekions, JE. 552. contentions, C. Conteins, H. 1. 223. for contents Cope, Ch. 50. a cloak, C. Corven, See Ycorven. formed, fbaped, or
represented, P. Pa. Cotte, E. II. 24. cut
Cottes, E. II. 33. See Bollengers. fnail boats, JIM called alts
Coupe, E. II. 7. cut, C.
Couraciers, T. 74. horfe - courfers, C. [M. 922. horfemen
Courfer, H. I. 154- horfe, P. Pa.
Coyen, IE. 125. coy, qu. coy, modejl, P. Pa.
Crafed, Le. 35. broken
Cravent,n.E. III. 35. coward, C. [&. 365.
Cra-jent, adj. JE. 7 1 4. cowardly
Creand, JE. 580. as recreand, cowardly
Crine, JE. 850. hair, C.
Croche, v. G. 26. to crofs C.
Croched, H. 2. 511. perhaps for broched
Crokyde, H. 2. 413. crooked
Crokynge, M. 119. bending, crooking, twin- ing 'Crofs-flone, JE. 1121. monument, C.
Crouchce, St. C. 63. crucifix
Crouched, G. no. croffed
Croudeynge, JE. 751. crooked, winding
Cuarr, St. C. 53. quarry, qu.
Cuijl)es, H. 2. 230. 256. 328. armour for the thigh
Cullis yatte, E. I. 50. portcullis gate, C.
Cur dell, /E. 221. to card
Curriedowe, G. 176. flatterer. C. [P. 184.
Cuyen kine, E. I. 35. tender cows, C. ra- ther, cow cattle, P. PI.
Dacya, Dacyannes, Dacya's fans, Dacyanne,
JE. 319. 630. 707. 722. 1085. 1089.
1092. S. E. 25. P. 435. Denmark^ Danes,
Dan if j Dale brent, E. III. 54. fun-burnt Daifeeyd, E. IV. 1 5. daifud Daygnous, JE. 50. diflainful Danke, JE. 97. damp
Daieygne, G. 26. attempt, endeavour, C» Darklinge, JE. 1 126. dark Declynie, H. 1. 161. declination, t\\i.Jloop-
ing Decorn, E. II. 14. carved, C. or, decorated,
qu. Deene, E. II. 69. glorious, worthy, C. Deere, n. Ep. 5. hurt, damage, C
P. Pa.
adj. E. III. 88. dire, C. [/£. 583.
Defayte, G. 52, decay, C. to be defeated, a
verb neuter Defs, M. 9. vapours, meteors, C. or,fpec-
tres, fairies, qu. Defte,Ch. 7. neat, ornamental, C. [/£. 859.
St.C. 87. Agrejlis, P. Pa. Deftlie,Ep. 6. /£. 947. P. 183. properly Deigned, E. III. 53. difdained, C. D_lievrctie, T. 44. activity, C. P. Pc<> Demafing, H. 1. 276. mufing Dente, v.JE. 885. zveave, indent
Dented,
GLOSSARY.
53*
Dented, JE. 263. [//. 1. 196. 257. /harp,
pointed. See Adcnte, P. Pa. Dcntfull, II. 2. 673. indented, full of dents Denwere, G. 141. doubt, G. M. 13. tre-
mour, C. [G. 170. DcpeynJte, v. G. 8 . to paint Depeycle, JE. 397. painted Depyclmes, T. 7. drawing?, paintings
[P. 445. pitlures, rcprefentations Dequace, G. 56. mangle, dettroy,C.pulldoivn Dequaced, St. C. -fi-funk, quajhed Dere. See Deere
Derkynnes, JE. 229. young deer, qu. Derne, JE. 581. cruel, C. or,feeret Derne, H. 2. 522. 55 1 . melancholy Dernie, E. I. 19. woeful, lamentable, C.
[AS. 683. M. lob.fecret Deflavate, H. 2. 335. dijloyal, unfaithful Deflavatie, JE. 1046. letchery, C. rather,
undutifulnejs, unfaithfulnfs Detratours, H. 2. 78. traitors, or difgraceful
perfons Deyfde, JE. 46. fituated on a deis, P. Pa. Dheie, they Dhere, JE. 292. there Dhereof, thereof, f E. II. 29. Difficile, JE. 358. difficult, C. Dighte, v. Dyghte, Dighted, Dyghted, Ch. 7. dreft, arrayed, C. [H. 2. 661. AS. 2. 162.300.338. 606. 749. 812. pre- pare, prepared Dightyng, Dyghtynge, H. 2. 537. JE. 1131.
preparing, dreffing Difpande, L. C. 2. 14. perhaps fordifponed,
expanded Difpended, Ch. 38. exhaujled, P. Pa. Dyfpendynge, AS, 7x5. expending Dyfpenfe, G. 150. expence Difpente, G. 15 1, expended, P. Pa. Difponed, St. C. 27. difpofed, [L. C. II. 4. Difraughte, H. 2. 62. JE. 454. 500. E. 11.
53. E. IV. 34. 48. dijhatted Diviniftre, JE. 141. a divine, C. Doffed, P. ft!, put of
Don, P. 183. put on
Donde, H. 1 . ^i. put on, crfnijhed, qu. Dolce, JE.. 1 1 86. foft, gentle, C. Dulce, St. C. 103. foft Dole, n. G. 1^7. lamentation, C [/£. 29. 267. 723. E. III. 88.
adj. C. H. 13. doleful
Doled, JE. 503. doleful
Dole, Dalle, n. St. C. 1 17. R. C. 10. Jhart
Dolte, Ep. 17. foolifl), C.
Dome, JE. 245. 249. 534. 1C94. E. I. 30.
51. E. III. 35. H. 2. 342. fate Donore, H. 1. 5. This line fiiould pro- bably be written thus :
" O fea-o'erteeming Dovor ! ' See the note on the paffage Dortoure, Ch. 25. a ileeping-rocm, C.
P. Pa. Dote, St. C. 2C. perhaps as dighte, doathei Doughtie, /E. 20. 464. St. C. 19. valiant,
brave, powerful Doughtilie, T. 92. valiantly, bravely Doughtremere, H. 2.481. D'outre-mer, Fr.
from beyond fea Draffs, JE. 716. the refufe, or xvhat is ca/i
away, P. Pa. Dreaie, H. 2. 263. dreary Dree, JE. 982. 769. [H. 2. 664. 714.
draw, or drive Drefte, JE. 465. lead, C. threats, qu. Drenche, JE. 85. Ch. 30. drink, orfoak Drentcd, Ch. 45. St. C. 22. faxed, drenched Drented, G. 91. drained, C. Drcynted, JE. 237. drowned, C. Dribblett, E. IE 48. fmall, infignificant, C.
[Le. 29. JE. 1 189. M. 7. Drites, G. 65. rights, liberties, C. Drocke, T. 40. drink, C. rather, dry up Droke, JE. 460. dry
Droorie, Ep. 47. See Chatterton's note. Druerie is courtfhip, gallantry, [.£. 127. modejly Drooried, JE. 127. courted Dulce. See Dolce
3 Y 2 Dureflcd,
532
GLOSSARY.
Durefled, E. I. 39. hardened, C.
Dyd, H. 2. 9. (hould probably be dight, cloathed. See Dight
Dygne, T. 89. worthy, C. [Le. 52. /E. 1099. See Adygne
Dynefarre, H.I. 132. Dynevawr Cajile, in Carmarthcnjhire
Dynne, n. JE. 1064. noi/e
Dynns, v. T. 51. founds
Dynning, E. I. 25. founding, C.
Dyfperpelleft, IE. 414. fcattereft, C. ft* Perpled
Dyfporte, E. I. 28. pleafure, C. [M 54.
Dyfporteyinge, E.I II. 9. /porting
Dyfportifment, IE. 250. as dyfporte, enjoy- ment
Dyfregate, ./E. 541. to break connexion, or fellowjh'p
E.
Eeke, M. 462. amplification, exaggeration
Edraw, H. 2. 52. for ydraw, draw
Eft, E. II. 78. often, C. [/E. 204. 476. G.
12. 99. M. 53. Ep. 8. Eft, /E. 449. T. 116. afterwards Eftfoons, E. III. 54. quickly, C. [H. I. 200.
414. G. 151. T. 76. E. 11. "^b. foon Egedcringe, G. 122. gathering, afjlmbling. Eke, E. I. 27. alfo, C. Elate, IE. 595. L. C. II. 16. exalted, hfty Ele, M. 74. help, C.
Eletten, IE. 447. enlighten, C. or light upon Eletten, H. I. 413. /zff/j/ upon E local ion, Lad. 12. elocution Elues, Ch. 27. perfonages, people Emblanched, E. I. 36. whitened, C. [M.
10. P. PL Embodyde, E. I. 33. thick, ftout, C. forefl-
trees Mmbelltns M, 595. Ch. 37. P. 435. /welling
Embowre, G. 134. lodge, C. rather, inhabit cultivate
Emburled, E. II. 54. armed, C. Set Burled
Emendals, P. 182. a word u/ed in Roivley's. MSS. tofgnify his notes on Turgors Hiflcry of Brijlol. It is an old word, fill ufcd in the Accounts of the Middle Temple. See Covj- ell's Law DicJio'.ary
Emmate, IE. 34. leflen, decreafe, C.
Emmers, G. R. 7. coined money
Emmertleynge, M. 72. glittering, C. cir- cumambient
Emprife, n. H. 2. 187. 627. /£. 4^9. G. 5?, undi r taking 1 Emprife, V. M. 74. undertake
Enactynge, IE. 44. ailing ' Enalfe, G. 159. embrace, C. exalt
Encalcd, IE. g\y. frozen, cold, C. cooled
Enchafed, M. 60. heated, enraged, C [/E. 967. See Chafe
Encbafynge, E. II. 56. beating
Encheare, /E. 754. encourage
Engarlanded, St. C. 7. wearing a garland-
Engyne, v. IE. 380. to torture
Engined, part. M. 1 188. tortured, P. Pa.
Knheedynie, St. C. 105. taking heed
Enhele, IE. I 140. heal
Enhepe, v. G. 1 13. enheped, E. I. 15. to heap
Lnleme, H. 2. 586. enlighten
Enlefed, M. 1 64. full of leaves
Eulowed, IE. 605. flamed, fired, C. See Low
Enrone, IE. 660. unjheath. Perhaps En- zvryne, from pneon, to difplay, draw out
En/eem, L. C. II. i$.feem
Enfeme, IE. 970. to make feams in, qu. or, to furrow
Enfeeming, IE. 745. as feeming
Enjhone, B. T. ib^.jhewed
Enfhoting, T. 174. (hooting, darting, C.
Enftrote, H. 2. 503. deferving punijhment
Enfwote, ^,1174. fweeten, qu.
Enfwolters,
GLOSSARY.
533
Enfwolters, JE. 628. fwallows, fucks in,C.
Enfyrke, S. E. /o. encircle
Ent, E. III. 57. a purfe, or bag, C. [G. 149.
165. St C. 122. G.R. 1. Entendement, JE. 261. underftanding,
[H. 2. 430. comprehenfion Entendement, H- 1. 6. intention, meaning Enthcghte,v. H. 1. 1 1 6. thinking
, H. 2. 67. thought of
Enthoghten, part. H. 2. 366. thought. See
Bethoghte Enthoghteing, IE. 703. thinking Entremed, L. C. II. 4. intermixed, P. Pa. Entrykeynge, JE. 304. as tricking, [JE. 326.
cr intriguing, P. Pa. Entyn, P. G. 10. even, C. or, in fnort Enyronned, T. 50. ivorked with iron Erjl, JE. 99. formerly Eilande, ft. 2. 271. foryflande, ftand Eftells, E. II. 16. a corruption of eftoile,
Fr. a ftar, C. Eftroughted, JE. 918. Jlrctched out . Ethe, n.f. and adj. E. III. 59. eafe, C. eafy,
[/E.814. 819- G-37- T-91- 163.
Ethe, v. JE. 945. C£. 83, to give eafe, to relieve
Ethie, St. C. 49- [85-] «fy
Evalle, E. III. 38. equal, C.
Evemerk, E. II. 16. dark evening
Eve-fpeckt, T. 56. marked with evening dew, C. rather, with darkfpots, qu.
Everiche, H. 1. 42. JE. 590. H. 2. 125. every one
Ewbrice, JE. 1084. adultery, C.
Ewbricious, St. C. 6c. lafcivious, adulte- rous
Eyne gears, St. C. 13. objecls of the eyes
Eyne fight, St. G. 141. eye-fight
F.
Fage, Ep- 30. tale, jeft, C.
Fay,H. 2. 144. JE, 39. P. G, 2-fahb
Faifully, T. 147, faithfully, C. See Un-
faifull Faitour, Ch. 66. a beggar or vagabond, C.
f St. C. 37 . rather, a drawer, P. Pa. Faldftole, JE. 61. a folding-ltool, or feat. See l)u Cange, in v. Faldiftorium, a kneeling /loot Fayre, IE- 1203. 1223. clear, innocent, «r,
virtuous Feere, ./E.964. fire Feerie, E. II.45- Aiming, C. fiery Fele, T. 27. feeble, C. Felle, G. 119. Ep. 5. cruel, bad Fellen, v. E.I. 10. part. fing. qa.fell Feifelie, H. 2. 585.fi rcely Fetelie, G. 24. nobly, C. [H. 2. 413. 418.
finely, beautifully Fetelie/l, H. I. 2c6. mofl beautiful Fetive, Ent. 7. as feftive, [JE. 658. Ch 13. L. C. II. 2. St. C. 14 j. elegant, beaut i- fiul Fetivelie, Le. 42. elegantly, C. Fetivenefs, IE. 399. as feftivenefs, chearful-
nefs Feygnes, E. III. 78. a corruption of feints,
C. Feygne, adj. G. 1 10. willing Fhuir, G. 58. fury, C. [H. 2. 124. 130.
145. JE. 519. Fuired, E. III. 87 . furious Fir, T. 113. defy, C. Flaiten, H. 1. 84. horrible, or undulating Flaunched, H. 2. 242. [St. C. 90. arched Plcme, V. JE. 421. to terrify. See Afiemt Fun.ynge, JE. IC08. terrifying Flemed, T. 56. flighted, C. Flemie, St. C. 11. frightfully Fleeting, H. 2. 87. 304. flying, paffwg Fliize, G. 197. fly, C. Flee, H. 2. 54. arrow, [H. 2. 164. 234.
240. 304. T. 48. 54. 66. 78. S3. Flott, Ch. 33. fly,C or float Flatting, H. i.. $-i. floating, or undulating Foile, E. III. 78. battle, C.
Fons,
534
GLOSSARY.
Fons, Fonnes, E. II. 14. devices, C.
[JE. 420. T. 4. P. Pa. Fore, JE. 244. before For (fend, H. I. 249. forbid, B.l". 1 41. Forgard, JE. 564. lofe, C. [/£. 423. 564.
$t. C. 57. lojl Forletten, E. IV. ig. forfaken, C. Forloyne, JE. 721. retreat, C. Forrey-yng, T. 114. deftroy-ing, C. [H. 2.
„ 529-
Foiflege, v. JE. 1105. flay, C. [/E. 1077, G. 175.
Forflagen, ^E. 1075. flain, C. [&, IO75. 1090. T. 53. 77. 83. G. 99.
Forftraughte, St. C. 58. diffracted, confounded
Forftraughteyng, G. 34. diffracting, C.
Forfwat, Ch. 30. fun-burnt, C.
Forweltring, JE. 617. blafling, C. or burn- ing
Forwyned, E. III. 36. dried, C. [Ch. 23. withered
Fraie, n. T. 1 24. Combat, P. Pa.
Fremde, JE. 429. ftrange, C. [H. 2. 147.
Fremdec1, JE. 554. frighted, C. Jirange, un- known
Freme, JE 267. Jirange, P. Pa.
Fruflile, JE. 185. fruitful
Fuir, Fuired. See Fhuir
G.
■Gaberdine, T. 88. a piece of armour, C. [H. 2. 718. T. 168. /E. 25U acoarfec'oak
•Gallard, Ch. 39. frighted, C.
Gare, Ep. 7. caufe, C. [JE. 632. 651. 809. 953. 1004. 1106. 1 158. 1227. G. 63. ic6. Ep. 7.
Gaftnefs, JE. 417. ghaftlijiefs, [Ch. 31. ter- ror
Gaunthtte, n. T. 88. 106. glove
-, ad\ S. E, 7. challenging
: — , y. T. 1 ib. to challenge
Gayne, JE. 821. toga^ne, fo gayne a prize.
Gayne has probably been repeated by,
miftake. May it notjlandfor gainful, or
for the oppofite to un gayne, i. e. auktvard ? Geare, JE. 299. apparel, accoutrements,
[/£. 285. A/.68. Geafon, Ent. 7. rare, C. G. 120. extraor- dinary, flrange, C. Geer, H. 2. 274. as Gier Geet, JE. 735, as Gitc, qu. whether it
means gate or doathing Gelten, E. III. 25. gilded Geylteynge. JE. I 7 9. gilding. Gemote n. H. 2. 388. council Gemote, v. G. 94. afiemble, C. Gemoted, E. II. ^H, united, afTemblcd, C.
[M. 58, Gerd, M. 7. broke, rent, C.flruck Gies, v. G. 207. guides, C. Gye, n. M. 79. a guide Gier, H. 1. 399, 527. turn or twift. See
Geer Gif, E. II. 39. if, C. [Ep. 36. Le.11. 25.
E. III. 3. 9. 10. Gites, JE. 2. robes, mantels, C. [JE. 606.
G. 32. Gytelles, JE. 437, cloaths, mantles Glair, H. 2. 570. [E. II. 37. Jhining,
clear, P. Pa. Glairie, Ch. 69. clear, Jhining, P. Pa. Gledes,H.2. 217. glides Gledeynge, M 22. livid, C. like a live coal
or glede, or gliding, i. e. Jhooting, qu. Gleme, v. H. 2. 330. M. 926. Jhine. See
Jgleme Glejler, M. 104. B.T. 347. to Jhine Giomb, G. 175, frown, C. Glommed, Ch. 22. clouded, dejected, C. Glowe, S. E. 40. look earncftly,j}are Gloure, Ch. 90. glory Glytted, H. 2. 2nx.Jhone, or glided, qu. God- den, P. 1^5. good evening Gore depycled, JE. 762. painted with blood Gore red, E. II. 16. red as blood Gorne, E. I. 36. garden, C.
1 Gottcs,
C L O S S A R Y.
535
Gotf.es, IE. [404- ] 739- drops
Gouler, St. C. 76. [G. R. Title— ufurer,
P. Pa. Graiebarbet, Le. 25. greybeard*, C. Grange, E I. 34. liberty of paflure, C. an
arable farm Gratche, IE. 115. apparel, C. [A£. 594.
M. 68. 80. Grave, C. F. 2. chief magiftrate, mayor,
qu. if not the epithet given to the aldermen Gravots, E. I. 24. groves, C. Greaves, H. 2. 276. a part of armour Grees, E. I. 44. grows, C. [T. 16. E. 111.
34. St. C. 103. Grete, T. 24. greeted, faluted Groffile, JE. 546. groveling, mean Groffifh, JE. 257. uncivil, rude Groffvnglie, Ep. 33. foolifhly, C. vulgarly,
coarjely Gron, G. 9c. a fen, moor, C. Gronfer, Gronfyre, E. II. 45. a meteor,
from Gron, a fen, and Fer, a corruption
of fire, C. [G. 200- Ai. 460. 642. Groie, H. 2. 27. Groted, JE. 337. fwollen, C. Gryne, H. 2. 706. groin Gule depeyndted, E. II. 13. red painted, C. Gule fteyncl. G. 62. red ftained, C Gye. See Gie Gytcs, Gytelles. See Gitea
H.
Haile, Hailie, E. III. 60. [Ai. 33.] 148.
409. [M. 63.) happy, C. Hallidom, H. 2. 148. 156. holy rcliques,. or
holy church, or holy judgment, qu. Hailie, T. 144. holy, [Ep .9. 43. ^.388,
G. in. 139. 178. T. 144. E.I. 56. Halline, Ch. 82. joy, C^happinefs Hailie, IE. 33. wholely, a mijlake for Hailie Halcelld, M. 37. defeated, C. or, haraffed Hancelled, G. 49. cut off, deftroyed, C.
[P. I.84.
Han, JE. 733. hath, qu. rather had
Hane, G. 20. Ai. 1 136. has, qu.
Han, Hanne, IE. 408. had, particip. qu, IE. 684. had, pa. t. fing. qu, [All the fal- lowing in/lances are in the fingular num- ber, and Jl and for Had, H. \. 74. 182. 188. 207. 282. 319. 322. 337. 396. 429. 455. H. 2. 306 N. B. I 'an and Had, in the jame line, and in the fame tenfe, 703. JE. 649. 733. L. C.I j,. C. F. 1 .
Hanne, fing. number, At. 684. 1 183. 1 184. M. 61. Lad. 9. had
Hann, had, pi. A£. 59.
Hand-fword, H. 2. 702. back fword
Hantoned, IE. 10^3. accuflonud. See H:ax~ tend
Harbergeon, H. 2. 346. coat of mail
Harried, M. 82. toft, C. [M 2c8.
Hart of Gnece, H. 1. 494. a /lag
Hatched, S. E. 25. covered with hatchments
Hatchments, H. 2. 488. atehievements, coat arniour. St e Achmtnts
Haveth, E. I. 17. have, lft perfon, qu.
Havoure, Ai. 714. behaviour
HeafoJ-s, E. II. 7. heads, C. [.£. 495. G. 198.
Heavenwere, G. 146. heaven-ward, C. [.£. 759. M. 97. St. C. 75.
HecKtd, JE. 393. wrapped, clofeiy cover- ed, c.
Heckled, M. 3. wrapped, C.
Heie, E. II. 15. they, C. [Le. 5. A7.. 563.
779. G. 174. T. 123. Heiedeygnes, E. III. 77. a country dance,
ftill praclifed in the north, C. [H. 2. it).
a romping country dance Hele.n.G. 127. help, C. [JE. 1041- G. 127. Hele, v. E. III. 16. to help, C. [Ai. 557.
G. 139. 179. See En Hem, T. 24. a contraction of them, C.
[Le. 24. Ai. IC65. G. 51. E. HI. 4. Hcndiejlroke, //.' 1. 95. ban ■ Hcnte, T. 175, grafp, hold, C. Hentyll, IE. 1160. cufi'om
S36
GLOSSARY.
Herchaughts, Herati'de, T. 21. 151. M. 78.
herald Herebaughirie, Le. 8. heraldry Herfelle, IE. 279. herfelf Hejie, v. G. 138. rs command Hcfte,w. JE. iiSi. [#.2. 28. 188. /£. 446.
a command, Hete, pa. t. St. C. 62. promifed Hight, L.C.I. II. -A/- 1 10. named, called Hike, Hylte, v. JE. 253. 437. 105a. T. 168.
Ep.2. hide, hid Hilted, Hiltren, T. 47. 65. hidden, C
[.*£■ 417. 807. G. 59. hidden, fecret Hiltring, Ch. 13. hiding, C. Holtred, JE. 293- 7 hidden> fecret> C. Hulftred, M. 6. $ Hind,; H. 2. 12. G. 49. Ep. 20. £. ///. 2. 7.
peafant
Hindktte, IE. 774- 99 '« "39- ^<j/««f
Hoaftrie, E. I. 26. inn, or public houfe, C. P. PL
Hoijles, H.Z. 305. lifts up
Hommagers, T. 46. dependents, tenants
Hommeur, JE. 1 189. honour, humour, qu.
Hondepoint, IE. 273. index of a clock, mark- ing hour or minute
Hopelen, IE. 398. hopeleffnefs, or fmall hope
Horrowe, M. 2. unfeemly, difagreeable, C.
Horfe-millanar, Ch. 56. See the note on the pafjl'ge
Hove, H- 1. 43L pa.t. of heave
Houton, M. 92. hollow, C. [R. C. 6. lofty, P. Pa.
Hufcarles, IE. 921. "93- houfe-fervants, [H. 2. 80.
Hygra, H. 2. 326. 69 r.
Hyger, IE. 626. the flowing of the tide in the Severn was anciently called the Hygra, Gul. Malmef. de Pontif. Angl. L. iv.
Hylle fyre, IE. 681. a beacon
Hylte. See Hike, &c.
Hyght. See Hight
I
Jape, Ch. 74. a fhort furplice, Sic. C. P. Pa.
Jernie, H.2. 217. journey
Jefte, G. 195. hoifted, raifed, C.
Ifrete, G. 2. devour, deftroy, Cfret, harafs
Ihantend, E. I. 40. accuftomed, C. Set
Hantoned J;ntle, H. 2. 82. for gentle Impeftering, E. I. 29. annoying, C. hnmenged, St. C. 90. mixed, mingled bnpleafaunce, JE. 285. unpleafantnefs Inhild, E.IV. 14. infuie, C. Joice, E. IV. 1 4. juice Jo icy, IE. 1 8 6. juicy JouJled.T. i&.jufled Ifhad, Le. 37. broken, C. fcattered, JJjed Ithink, H.I. 153. think Jubb, E. III. 71. a bottle, C. [/£. 84. Iwreene, C. H. 9. difclofed. Seeyixireen Iwympled, H. 2. 528. ivrapped up. See
Ywympled Ivcys, E. II. 75. certainly Jyned, IE. 763. joined Jyninge, E. II. 37 .joining
K.
Ken, Kennes, Ep. 14. 28. IE. 410. E. II.
6. E. III. 4. St. C. 76. fees, difcovers,
knows, C. Kept, G. 133. to take care of Keppend, Le. 44. careful Kervetb, JE. 417. cutteth King Coppes, JE. 112. S. E. 16. E. I. 31.
butter-flowers Kifte, Ch. 25. coffin, C. Kivercled, E. III. 63. the hidden, or fecret
part, C. or covering, P. Pa. Kynde, E. III. 4. nature Knite, T. 44. joined, united
5 Knopped,
GLOSSARY.
537
Knoppcd, M. 14. fattened, chained, con- gealed, C. P. Pa. Knowlache. E. III. 8. knowledge Knowlached, H. 1. 76. known, diflinguijhed Knowlaching, part. H. 1. 283. knowing Knowlacheynge, n. Ep. 15. L.C. I. 9. know- ledge
Ladden, H. 1. 206. lay
Late, here, H. 2. 597. 676. /E. 567. /£/>,,
leather Lauds, Ep. 28. praifcs Lave, H. 2. 397. wajh Lavynge, M. 6. wajhing Laverd, P. 183. lord, JE. 155. See Loverd Lea, H. %. 364. ^.618. M. 103. field, or I
ZrayQ, //. 2. 463; /«,/£ Leathel. See Lethal
fici
an
Leeche, H. 2. 260. i Leechemanne, IE. 31. 5" ' Leckedft, H. 2. 332. wo/? dcfpicable Leclure, v. E. IV. 28. St. C. 68. /a rWa/*,
injlrutf Le£turn, Le. 46. fubjecl:, C. or leclure, qu. Lec~furnies, IE. 109. lectures, C. Leden, E. IV. 30. decreafing, C. or heavy,
qu. Ledunne, IE. 1142. heavy, qu. Leege, G. 173. homage, obeifance Leegefolcke, G. 43. fubjecls, C. [G. 137.
147. Leigefull, T. 2q. 90. lawful Leegemen, H. 1 . 31. fubjecls Lege, Ep. 3. law, Q Leggen, v. M. 92. tolcflcn, alloy, C. Leggende, M. 33. alloyed, C. Lemanne, IF.. J32. miftrefs Leme, Lemes, n. IE. 42. lights rays, C.
[IE. 183.929. 1010. 1014.1017, 1127.
M. 5. 107. P. Pa. L«med,v. E.IV. 7. gliftened, C— IE. 605.
lighted, C. [IE. 914. M. 31. E. IV. 7. P. Pa.
Lere. See Lare
Lefl'el, E. IV. 25. a bufh or hedge, C.
Lete, G. 60. (till, C.
Lethal, E. IV. 21. deadly, or death-boding. C. [H. 1. 557. H. 2. 295. 352. 519. IE. 665. 1201. G. 58. E. I. 42. E. IV. 2.. 49.
Leuilen, IE. 272. (till, dead, C.
Lettcn, IE. 927. church-yard, C.
Levynne, M. 104. lightnin;, C. [IE. 242.
Leyynde, E. IV. 18. blai'ud, C. Jlruck with //.
Levyn blajled, E. IV. *.>. blajled with light- ning
Levy, bronde, IE. 413. fla/h of lightning
Levyn forreying, T. 114. aeflroying lightning
furched, JE. 518. forked
fyres, IE. 183. flajhes of lightning
plome, IE. 959. feathered lightning
— — rod die, M. 104. red
rode-forweltring-bronde, red dejlruclivt
darts of lightning, IE. 617. '
Levynmylted, IE. 46i.lightningmelted,qu.
Li'efe, /E. 217. choice.
Liff, E. I. 7. leaf
Ligheth, IE. 636. lodges
Likand, H. 2. 177. liking
Limed, limmed, E. II. 7. M. 90. glafly, re- flecting, C. [E. IV. 37.
Lymmed, part. M. 33. poliflied, C. foftened
Limitour, Ch. 75. a licenced begging friar
Linge, IE. 376. ftay, C. linger
Lyjfe, lyffeth, v. M. 15. T. 2. fporteth, boundeth
Lifted, lyfled, part, bounded, T. 97. C. [M. 53. confined. See Unlift
Lijl, H. 1. 544. attention, regard
Lithie, Ep. 10. humble, C. flexible, P. Pa.
Loafte, IE. 455. lofs
Livelyhode, /E. 961. life
Lode, H. I. 386. had
Lode, H. 1. 33. praife, honour
3 Z Logges.'
538
GLOSSARY.
Log*es, E. t. 55. cottages, C: [£. ///. 2. Lordinge, T. 57. Handing on their hind- legs, C. rather, heavy, fluggijh, P. PL
Lore, Ep. 13. S. E. 6. St. C. 79. 104. learning
Lote, PL r. 256. lot
Loverd, E. Ill: 29. lords, C. [H. 2. 167. JE. 155. 270. 276. 666. 839. H75- G. 1. 104. 149. G. 152. Ch. 53. E. III. 29. See Laverd.
Loughe, Ep. 27. laughter
Loufly, M. \ 170. lujly
Lowe, lowes, G. 50. T. 137. flame, flames, C. [/E. 680. 745. G.50. P. Pa.
Lowings, Ch. 36. flames, C.
Lurdanes, H. I. 36. lord Danes
Lychcynge, E. HI. 5. an idea of likencfs
Lyene, H. 2. 407. lye
Lymmed. See Limed
Lynch, E. IV. 37. bank, C [.£.931.
Lyoncel, E. IL44. young lion, C.
Lyped, E. IV. 34. linked, united, qu.
Lyffe, lyffed. See Lifte
Lyjhynge, St. C. 2, UJlening
M.
Magyflrie, H. 1. 140. "1
Mojlerie, jE. 595. / majlery, viclory
Maflcrfchyppe, &*. 591. J
Mancas, G. 136. marks, C. [G. 174.
180. mancufes, the aureus, or gold coin of
the Roman empire Marks, G. 163. a money of account, in value
two- thirds cf a pound; but here erroneoufy
made fynonymous with, the mancufa Manchyn, H. 2. 222. a flceve, Fr. Mate, H. 2. xtj. match Maugre, H. I. 2 04. notwithflandlng Maynt, meynt, E. II. 66. many, great
numbers, C. [Ep. 40. H. 2. 559. JE. 74.
T. 13. 35. M.77.90. St. C. 86.
Mede, Le. 15. JE. 62. T. 107. reward. See Amede
Meeded, JE. 39. rewarded
Mee, mees, E. I. 31. meadows, C. [JE. 92. M. 8. Ch. 2. St. C. 3.
Memuine, H. 2. 120. mefnie-men, attend- ants, P. Pa.
Mcnged, H.2. 1 1 8. mixed, the many, E. IV '. 42.
Meniced, St. C. 146. menaced, qu.
Mcnnys, jE. 1 109. men
Menfnredd, T. 2. meafurcd
Mere, G. 58. lake, C.
Merke, T. 163. dark, gloomy, C. [St. C.
33- Merkye, JE. 1058. P. 433. dark
Merker, /E- 10 12. darker Merknefs, /£. 1005. 1 1 28. darknefs Merke plante, T. 176. ni^htfhade, C. ra- ther, ivy Aleve, H. I. 485. move Mica I, H. 1. 214. much, mighty Myckle, Le. 16. T. 96. much, H. 1. 12. 14.
and T. 102. pajfim Mifel, JE. 550. myfelf Mifkynette, E. IV. 22. a fmall bagpipe,
C. Mi ft, Ch. 49. poor, needy, C. [mijler,
Ch. 82. needy, P. Pa. Mitches, E. IV. 20. ruins, C. rather fcraps,
fragments. Mittee, myghty, E. II. 28. mighty, C.
[H. 1. 115. Myrynge, JE. J217. wallowing Mockler, St. C. 105. more, greater, migh- tier Moke, Ep. 5. much, C. [G. 137. E. IV.
12. Mokie, E. IV. 29. black, C. [JE. 434.-
G. 47. E. IV. 29. Le. 2. 6, Mokyng, H. 2. 584. mocking Mole, Ch.4. foft, C. Mollock, G. 90. wet, moift, C Moreynge, P. 434. rooting up
Morglaien,
GLOSSARY.
539
Morglaien, M. 20. the name of a fword in
fome old romances, [H. 2. 6oo. 653.
M. 20. the name of Bevis' s fword Morthe, JE. 307. death, murder Morthynge, E. IV. 4. murdering, C. Mote, E. I. 22. might, C. [£. ///. 6. Motte, H. 2. 194. word, or motto Myckle. See Mical Mygbte ameine. See Amayne Myndbruch, JE. 400. [St. C. 74. 145.
firmnefs of mind, fenfe of honour JIAynemenne, H. 2. 435. miners Mynfter, G. 75. monaftery, C. [B. T. 305.
E. I. 56. or church, P. Pa. Mynjlrell, E.I.i. JE. 86. 841. T. 23. 41.
E. III. 80. Myfterlc, M. 33. myftic, C. rather prof ef-
fional
N.
Ne, P. G.6. not,C. [H. 1. 208. JE. 1121.
St. C. 50. 57. 58.61. Ne, [St. C. 42. 43. 44. no, or none Nedere, Ep. II. adder, C. [/£. 252. 513.
1034. 972. water-nedders, P. Pa. Neete, St. C. 41. night, [/£. 398. Nefh, T. 16. weak, tender, C. [H. 2.
575. JE. 163. P.Pa.^ Nete, neete, JE. 398. St. C. 41. night Nete, T. 19. nothing, C. [B. 1. 92. Le. 2.
JE. 400. 530. 570. 1019. T. 18. 67;. 84.
£. ///. 10. Nethe, JE. 405. beneath Killing, Le. j6. unwilling, C. Nome- depeyncled, E. II. 17. rebus'd
fhields, a herald term, when the charge
of the fbield implies the name of the
bearer, C. Xorrurs, P. 435. king if Norway
I ', M. 3CO. knot,/. Notte browne, St. (J. 49. nut-brown .ice, JE. 453- annoyance
O.
Oathed, JE. 1 1 04. bound upon oath
Obaie, E. I. 41. abide, C. [£. //. 26.
P. Pa. Ofrrendes, JE. 51. prefents, offerings, C.
[jE. 430. Olyphauntcs, H. 2. 619. elephants Onfiemed, G. 192. undifmayed Onknowlachyngc, E. II. 26. notknowing,
C. [G. 171. T. 178. Onlight, JE. 677. darken, qu. Onliir, Le. 45. boundlefs, C. Ontylle, /E. IO36. until Orrefls, G. too. overfets, C. Ore, H. 2. 125. other Overefl, JE. 441. uppermojl Ouched, T. 80. See Chatterton's note.
adorned uiith a garland effljwers Ouphante, JE. 887. 928. ouphen, elves Ourt, H. 2. 578. out, or open, qu. Ouzle, JE. 104. blackbird, C. Owndes, G. 91. waves, C. [/E. 367. 457.
E. II. 8. flood Oundynge, JE. 440. fwelling ivaves
Paizde, H. 2. 223. poifed
Pall, Ch. 31. contraction from appall, to
fright, C. Paramente, JE. 52. robes of fcarlet, C
M. 36. a princely robe. [St. C. 45.
offtate Parker, E. I. 34. bailiff, or votrfeer Paffnit, T. b-J.pafmg Paves, pavyes, JE. 432. fhields, [JE. 647 Payred, L- C. II. 15. 16. compai Peede, Cl». 5.pierl, C. Peene, .'¥.. 261. 483. pain .Pencte, Ch. 26. painted, C.
3 Z 2 Pey
54°
GLOSSARY,
Pcyncledd, Ep. 4.
Penne, JE. 727. mountain, eminence
Penfmenne, P. G. I. writers
Percafe, Le. 21. perchance, C.
Perdie,H.\. l\7- privately, or par Dieu,
qu. Pere, E. I. 141. appear, C. Peering, JE. 96. appearing Perforce, ^E.635. was forced, H. 1. 353. Perpled, St. C. 99. purple, qu. featured.
See Difperpled. [JE. 414. Perfant, JE. 560. piercing Pete, JE. 1000. heat, or pluck Peyfan, P. 190. pcafant Pheeres, JE. 46. fellows, equals, C.
[JE. 202. 517. Pheon, H. 2. 272. in heraldry, the barbed
head of a dart, [473. Pheryons, St. C. 147. qu. Pide, E. III. 91. pidure, C. Pyghteth, Ep. 15. M. 73. plucks, or tor- tures Pighte, pyghte, T. 38. pitched, or bent down, C. [JE. 60. 608. 1084. 1187. G. 39. 76. Pittie golphe, H. I. 517. hollow pit Pleafaunce, JE. 1240. E. II. 2. 12. 22. 32.
42. 52. 62. 72. pleafure, blefiing PUnce, H. 2. 564. plunge Pouche, Ch. 80. purfe Poyntel, Le. 44. a pen, C. [JE. 6. 682.
758. P. Pa. Prevyd, JE. 23. hardy, valorous, C. well- tried Protofleine, H. 2. 38. fir ft flain Prowe, H. 1. 108. [H. 2. 514. fore- head Puerilitie, H. I. 67. childhood Pynant, Le. 4. pining, meagre, rather, poig- nant, or relijhing. See the epithet given to Poefie, in the preceding line Pyghte, pyghtethe. See Pight, &c.
Recendize Recrand
,e,^543. VZ ize, JE. 1 192. I
L e
Qiiaccd, T. 94. vanquifhed, G. quajhed, or- beaten down. See Dequaced
Quaintiffed, T. 4. curioufly devifed, C.« P. Pa.
Quanfed, JE. 241. frilled, quenched, C.
Queede, JE. 284. 427. the evil one, the de- vil, [jE. 454. 986. G. R. 20. P. 183- P. PI.
Shient, S. E. 7.2-Jlrange
R,
Ramping, JE. 283. T. 6. furious Receivure, G. 151. receipt, C. Recer, H. 1. 87. for racer, a horfe
for recreandice, cowardice, P. PL ee Creand Recreand, JE. 507. coward, C. [JE. 330.
342. 507. Reddour, JE. 30. violence, C. P. Pa. Rede, Le. 18. wifdom, C. [H. 2. 24. 107. 622. JE. 268. 730. G. 138. 162. counfel, advice Rede, M. 1 1 19. read, or learn Reded, G. 79. counfelled, C. Redeynge,/E. 227. advice, confi deration, qu. Regrate, Le. 7. efteem, C. — M. 70. efteem,
favour, C. [JE. 1038. Rcle, n. JE. 5. 29. wave, C. [G. 144.
M.iu Reles, v. E. II. 63. waves, C. Renome, T.28. honour, glory, C. [/E.651.
830. 978. Renteynge rolles, St. C. 128. Ian account of Rentrolle, Ch. 86. 5 rents due
Rcfponfed, St. C, 4. anfwerid
Reyne,
GLOSSARY.
54'
Reyne, reine, ryne, E. IT. 25. run, C. [JE. 254. G. 12c. T. 27.
Reynin^r, E. II. 39. running, C. [JE. 846.
Reytes, JE. 899. water-flags, C. or ■wreaths, qu.
Ribaude, Ep. 9. rake, lewd perfon, C.
Ribbande geere, St. C. 44. ornaments of ribbands
Ribible, E. I. 25. violin
Riped, JE. 181. ripened
Rodded, Ch. 3. reddened, C.
Rode, E. I. 59. complexion, C. [JE. 851.
Roceing, JE. 324. riding, or command
Roder, JE. 1064. rider, traveller
Roghling, T. 69. rolling, C.
Roin, JE. 325. ruin
Roiend, JE. 577. ruined
Royner, JE. 325. ruiner, [M. 623. 1069.
Ro/lling, E.I. 7. rujlling
Rou, G. 10. horrid, grim, C. [JE. 303. 526.
Rowncy, Le. 32. a cart-horfe, C. a hack- ney-hor/e
Rynde, JE. 1191. ruined, tornaway
S.
Sabalus, E. I. 22. Zabalus, JE. 427. the
devil, C. Sabbatons, P. 183. boots Sabbatanners, JE. 275. [583. looted fol-
diers Sable, n. P. 434. fand. JE. 1009. darknefs Sable, v. E. II. 60. to blacken Sable, adj. JE. ico6. 1 053. black Saint Mary Jiower, E. I. 37. marygold Saic, H. I. 51. military cloak Sanguen, E. IV. 10. bloody Sarims plain, H. 1. 301. Salijbury plain Saunt, P. 184. faunter Sayld, H. 2. 299. ajfailed Scalle, JE. 702. fhall, C,
Scantc, JE.. 1 132. (' arcc, C.
Scantillie, M. 1009. fcarcely, fparingly, C.
^ [H. 2. 525.
Scarpes, JE. 52. fcaifs, C.
Scar re, JE. 981. mark
Scathe, Ch. 86. fcarce
Seethe, Ep. 12. T. 96 hurt, or damage
Scaunce layd, C. H. 4. uneven
Scaunfing, St. C. 56. glauming, or looking
obliquely Sceaftcd, H. 2. 542. adorned v/ith turrets S< . le, £. III. 33. gather, C. or clofe up Scillye, G. 207. clofely, C. or vcith /kill,
qu. Scolles, JE. 239. (holes Scond, H. j. 20. for abfeond Seek, H, 1. 461. for fuck Seeled, Ent. n.clofed, C. Seere, JE. 1163. fearch, C. Selynefs, E. I. 55. happinefs, C. [C. H.
10. 14. JE. 33. 81. 312. 317. 835. E.IV.
V-
Semblament, St. C. 10. appearance Semblate, St. C. 67. appearance Semmlykeed, JE. 298. [St. C. 113. counte- nance, P. Pa. Semlykeene, JE. 9. countenance, C. G. 56.
beauty, countenance, C. [H. 2. 568. •
JE. 1 145. T. 36. 117. Sendaument, St. C. 126. appearance Seme, E. III. 32. feed, C. Semecope, Ch. 87. a fhort under-cloak,
C. Sete, JE. 1068. feat, Jlability Shappe, T. 36. fate, C. [jE. 34. 365. 656.
718. 904. 1238. G. 18. Shapfcourged, JE. 602. fate- fcourged, C. Sheene, n. /£. 678. T. 3. E. II. 19. lujlre>
Jhine Shemres, JE. g. E. II. 37. bhemring, E. II. 14. glimmering, C,
[JE. 738. G. 14. T. 3. Shente, T. 157. broke, deftroyed, C.
I [/E, 1092,
Shepen,
5t-2
GLOSSARY.
Shepen, St. C. 97. innocent Shepftere, E. I. 6. fhepherd, C." Slutting, Ch. 69. Jhooting Shoone-pykes, St. C. 44. fhoes with piked toes. The length of the pikes was re- drained to two inches, by 3 Ed. IV. c. 5. Shotte out, JE. QQ^.Jbut out Sbrove, H. 2. ifTp.. J})roudcd Skyne,fkyen, H. 2. 405. 562. fly Slecth,flee, G. 68. E. I. 43.7V Skene, JE. 678. E. II. 67 . fain Sle.-vc, H. I. 178. clue of thread Metre, IE. 538. {laughter, [IE. 799. Slughornes, E. II. 9. a inufical inftrument, not unlike a hautboy, C. — T. 31. a kind of clarion, C. [H. 2. 190. JE. 690. 721. 1101. T. 31. a military horn, or trumpet Smethe, T. ior. fmoke, C. [IE. 1100.
T. 101. Ch. 3c. Smething, E. I. 1. fmoking, C. [JE. 501.
607. T. 161. E. I. 1. Smore, H. 1. 412. befneared Smothe, Ch. 36. fleam, or vapours, C. Snett, T. 45. rent, C. fnatched up Sockeynge, /E. 442. fucking Sorfeeted, JE. to 4. furj cited So'lle, R.C. q.foul Infothe, JE. 39. 227. in truth Sothen, IE. 127- footh, qu. Soughlys, E. lit. 63. fouls Souten, H. 1. 252. for fought, pa. t. fing.
qu. Sparre, H. I. 26. a wooden bar, or inclofure Spedde, B. 2. 525. fpied, or attained, qu. Spencer, T. 11. difpenfer, C. Spere, IE 69. allzo Sphere, JE. 488. fpcar Sprenges, fprengeel, JE. 161. 723. fatter s,
fprinkles. See Befprenge " Spyryng, /£. ~ob. towering, fpiry, lofty Stale, H. 1. 198. f&flerting StarJcs,,T. 7-5. ftaiks Sieanefs, G. 169 j
Stceked, JE. 1187. a miflakeforjlealed
Steemie, H. 1. 386. ft 'earning
Steeres, S. E. 40. ftairs, [JE. 565. the hold
of the caflle Stente, T. 134. ftained, C. Steynced, IE. 189. alloyed, orjlained, qu. Stints, H. 2. 639. flops Steeke, H. 2. 516. ■% Stoke, H. I. 511. J Storthe, G. R. 10. death Storven, IE. 607. dead, C. P. Pa. Straught, IE. 59. ftretched, C. [H. 2. 687.
iE. 59. T. 143. See Eflroughted Long-Jlraughte, JE. I r 1 6- far-Jlretched Stree, v. H. 1. ^^-flreiv, or didjlrow St re, n. H. 2. 7 1 2. Jlraw Stret, JE. 158. ftretch, C. Strev,.rE. 358. drive Stringe, G. 10. ftrong, C. [JE. 504. 1074.
E. 1. 35. Strange, E. HI. 25. Jlringed Strynge bataunt. See Bataunt Suffycyl, JE. 62. 980. fuflkient Super bailie, G. 78. too holy Surcote, E. I. 5, cloak, or mantle Swarthe, JE.. 165. ghofl Swartheing, JE. 295. expiring Swarthlefs, H. 2. 563. dead, expired Swefte-kervd, E. II. 20. fhort-lived, C.
quick -made Siveitrie, T.61. E. III. 31. fultry Swoleyng, G. 9 1 . /welling S w o 1 ;e n n g , JE, 44 j . overwhelming Swote, E. I. 23. E. III. 27-fweet, P. Pa. Swotie, E. II. 9. fweet, C. [H. 2. 583.
JE. 842. At. 52. Sivotelie,T. 169. fwettly Swythe, Iwythen, fwythyn, quickly, C.
[M. 117. 206. 223. 43c. 433. 1196.
G. 86. T. 12. 32. 1 17. Syke, E. II. 6. fuch, fo, C. [Le. 13. JE. 12.
66. G. 123. T. 20. E. III. 57.91. Sythe, Jythence, JE. 470. 1055. S. E. l.fmce
T. Takclie,
GLOSSARY.
543
Takelle, T. 72. arrow, C. [H. 2. 625.
JE. 27S. 509. T. 72. Talbots, H 2. £9. a /pedes of dogs Teeming donor e, H. 1. 5. prolific benefac~
trefs Teint, H. 1. 462. for tent, rather tinflure Tempejl c';aft, E. Ill- 92. tempejl beaten Tende, T. 113. attend, or wait, C. [M.
1 124. Tene, IE. 366. forrow
Tentyflie, E. III. 48. carefully, C. atten- tively Tere, IE. 46. health, C. conjlitution Thighte, St. C. 104. [H. 2. 578. confoli-
dated Thilk, H. I. 81. 193. that, or fitch Thyk, G. %%.fuch Thoughten, JE. 172. 1135- for thought,
pa. t. fing. qu. Thraflarke, H. 2. 487. lark, or thrufh, qu. Thyfien, E. II. 87. thefe, or thofe, qu. Throflle, JE. 857. tbrujb fide, JE. 86. for betide Tochelod, JE. 205. tackled, or joined Tore, IE. 1019. torch, C. [JE. 964. To/le, JE. 458. for tofs Trechit, H. 2. 93. for treget, deceit,
P. Pa. Treynted, JE. 453. fcattered. See Be-
treinted Trothe, E. III. 60. truth Twyghte, E. II. 78. plucked, pulled, C. Twytte, v. E.I. 2. pluck, or pull, C. Tynge, tyngue, tongue, [JE. 422. 522.
545. 771. 857. Tynge of the morning, M. 49. the tinge or blujh
of the morning 7'ytend, H. 1. 488. drawn tight
Val, T. 138. helm, C. qu.
Venge, n H. 1. 119. vengeance, revengt
Vengeouflie, H. 1. 347. revengefully tynge, H.r. 54. revenging
Vernage, H. 2. 11. vernaccia, Ital. a fort of rich wine
Perte, T. 8 1 . gmn branches, and hives
Ugfomc,adj.E.II. 55. terribly, C—^. 303. terrible, C. [H. 2. 692. JE. 594. 978. G. 10.
Ugfomenefs, IE. 506. terror, C.
Ugfomcue, jE. 555. terribly
Virgyy.:, Ch. I. the fgn of Virgo
Unakndld, H. 1. 208. without any knell rung for them, qu. [H, 2. 556.
Unburled, IE. 1185. unarmed, C.
Uncothe, H. 2. 2qo.Jlrange, unknown
Undted, M. 30. anointed, C.
Undelievre, G. 27. inactive, C.
Undevyfe, JE. 448. explain
Unenhantend, IE. 635. unaccuftomed, C.
Unefprvt,-, G. 27. unfpirited, C.
Unfaifuli, P. 184. unfaithful
Ungentle, Ch. 18. beggarly, fordid
, P. G. 1. uncivil
Unhailie, Ch. 85. unhappy, C.
Unkind, G. 59. unknown
Unknelld. See Unaknelld
Unliart, P.G. 4. unforgiving, C. inflexible
Unlift, E. III. 86. unbounded, C.
Unlored, Ep. 25. unlearned, C.
Unlyd2efull, IE. 536. rebellious, difobedient
Unplayte, G. 86. unplyte, IE. 1237. ex- plain, C.
Unquaced, E. III. 90. unhurt, C. not zrufhed
Unfprytes, JE. 121 1. unfouls, C. unmans
Untentyff, G. 79. uncareful, neglected, C. inattentive
UnthevHS,
C44
GLOSSARY.
Unthewes, M. 32. bad qualities
Unthyllc, T. 30. ufelefs, C.
Unwere, E. III. 87. tempeft, C. [M. 519.
965. 1188. Unwote, H. 1. 261. unbtown Volunde,./E. 73. memory, understanding, C.
— G. 140. will, difpofition Upryne, H. 2. 719. raife up. Upwryen Uprifte, IE. 917, rifen, C. [G. 59. Upfwalynge, j<E. 258. fwelling,C. [£.//. 15. Vpfwol, E. II. 84. fwolUn
W.
Walfome, H. 2. 92. Le. 5. wlatfome, loath-
fome, [wolfome, H. 2. 567. Wanhope, G. 34. defpair, C. Warde, Wardejl, JE. 49. 372. xvatch, watcbejl ffajlle-cake, St.C. IOO. cake of white bread Wayld, IE. 11. choice, fele&ed Waylinge, E. II. 68. decreafing, C. Wayne, E. III. 31. car, C. [H. 2. 569.
JE. 1. E. II 49. E. III. 68. Weal, T. 20. government Wedecejler, JE. 943. watchet Wede, Ch.iS. drefs Weere, Wiere, Wyere, IE. 834. E. II. 79.
grief, C. [/£. 842. 1002. 1 157. TVelke, H. 1. 34. heavenly courfe, qu. Welked, E. III. 50. withered, C. P. Pa. Welkyn, IE. 1054. heaven, C. [IE* 167.
524. 965. Ch. 9. 35. orjky Wemes, P. 1% 5. faults. See Mr. Tyrwhit's
Ghjfary TVbaped, H. 2. 579- See Chapped Wifegger, E. HI. 8. a philofopher, C. phi-
iofophic, Icarr.id Widen, IE. 684, wifli, [St. C. 119. Wite, G. 176. reward, C. Wites, H. 2. 21. 91. 129. men, people Withe, E.IIL56. a contraction of wither, C. Woden blue, St. C. 45. dyed blue with woad lVoe-begcn) Ch, 23. woeful, miferable
Woe-bementing, E. IV. 36. woe-bewailing
Wolfome. See Walfome
Wordeynge, JE. 1229. fending word
Wote, Woteth, H. I. 17. L.C. I. 7. 10. know
IVoted, H. 2. 8. knew '■
Wraytes. SeeReytes
Wrynn, T. 117. declare, C. [JE. 653.
Wurche, Wurcheft, IE. 499. wori:, work- eft, C. [P. G. 5. E. IH. 61.
Wychencref, iE.419 witchcraft
Wyere. See Weer
Wympled, G. 207. mantled, or covered, C. P. Pa.
Wynnynge, IE. 219. charms
Wytte, G. 32. wifdom, or knowledge
Yan, IE. 72. than, [/£. 830. 873. 874.
917. Yaped, Ep. 30. laughable, C. \_/E. 234.
P. Pa. Yatte, T. 9. that, C. [/E. 9. 193. 620.
1065. 1240. Le. 11. 29. T. 9. 86. Ybereynge, /E. 732. bearing Yblente, JE. 40. blinded, C. [jE. 40. Yborne, her yborne, JE. 135. her f on Ylrende, JE. 611. burn Ybrente, /E. 308. 1090. 1". 137. burnt Ybroched, G. 97. horned, C. or, large and
round, like a jewel, qu. Ybrcughten, JE. 918. brought Ycame, H. 2. 675. came Yelled, H. 1. 454. H. 2. 135. M. 69.
called Ycorne, IE. 374. engraved-, carved Ycorven, T. 170. to mould, C. or form Ycrafed, T. 132. broken, C. YJronks, T. 30. drinks Yeave, yeve, M. 960. G. 133. 7*. 12. 130.
gave, give Ydeyd, H. 2. 9. dyed
Yenne,
GLOSSARY.
54;
Yenne, then, J£. 795. Yer, E. II. 29. their, [7". 36. G. 100. yicre, 101. Le. 12. Ent 3. ./E.789. Tie, 537. Yer, ./E. 673. your [900. Tformed, H. 2. 203. farmed Ygrove, H. 2. 434. graven, or formed Yindei, M. 6,1. yonder Tine, IE. 539. thine Tinge, St. C. io3. pung Yis, this, [/£. 1 107. Ylached, H. 2. 436. enclofed, Jlnti up Tla n, jE. 271. lain Xtnaie, H. 2. 281. hW<» Ynhume, Ent. 5. interr, C. Ynutile, IE. 198. ufelefs Xpafs, H. 1. 552. //. 2. 71. 308. pafs, paJJ'ed Yreaden, H. 2. 207. made ready Trearde, L. C. I. 6. 8. 12. reared, raifed Yroughte, H. 2. 318. fir Y wrought
Yfped, M. 1C2. difpatched, C. [/£. 787.
Yfpende, T. 179. confider, C.
Yftorven, E. I. 52. dead, C.
Xtorne, II 2. 46. torn
Ytfel, E.I. 18. itfelf
Tiveilde, M. 669. G. 157. wield
Ywreen, E. II. 30. covered, C. [St. C. 33.
Ywrinde, M. 100. hid, covered, C. [.E. 129.
St. C. 33. Ywrinde, ^ZT. 335. St. C. 71. difclofed. See
Bewreen, CSV. Twrite, IE. 648, write Yine, ^E. 539. thine
Z.
Zabalus. See Sabalus.
E I N I S.
4 A
11 R R A T A.
|
ACS., |
Link. |
|||
|
21 |
6 for |
and read |
et |
|
|
a6 |
17 |
Vetredi — |
— . |
U'Aredi |
|
61 |
26 |
Mcenalus — |
Msnalui |
|
|
81 |
3* |
1779 |
— |
1-77 |
|
£6 |
-3 |
176 — |
— |
165 |
|
88 |
'4 |
78 |
— |
278 |
|
107 |
ult. |
601, 740 — |
600, 739 ' |
|
|
no |
24 |
oryne — — |
— |
cryne |
|
US |
'4 |
appear'd — ■ |
— |
y fcrm'd |
|
Ibid. |
24 |
734 |
— |
733 |
|
117 |
8 |
390 — |
298 |
|
|
119 |
5 |
Brandenbnry |
— |
Brandenburg |
|
I7.0 |
20 |
May — |
— |
Auguft |
|
123 |
ult. |
357 |
— |
557 |
|
i-o |
'9 |
399 - |
389 |
|
|
136 |
J9 |
_— _ — - |
d'I'SSS |
|
|
J 39 |
ult. |
464, 618 |
463, 6:7 |
|
|
147 |
S |
Campyon — |
— |
Campynon |
|
150 |
7 |
627 - - |
626 |
|
|
151 |
25 |
Bertrammel Maine |
Bertram-nil Manne |
|
|
174 |
16 |
Northwich |
— |
Northwick |
|
178 |
12 |
10 Ed. IV. |
— |
9 Ed. IV. |
|
Ibid. |
antepen |
father — |
— |
grandfather |
|
J92 |
ult. |
after perfon |
— |
add at that period |
|
193 |
7 |
' |
dele and |
|
|
294 |
8 |
fou nd — |
— |
found |
|
197 |
>7 |
thefe — |
— |
thofe |
|
198 |
11 |
Hailie — |
— |
Hailie |
|
199 |
18 |
twice ~ |
— |
thrice |
|
214 |
1; |
512 — |
— |
502 |
|
Ibid. |
ult. |
271 — |
_ |
261 |
|
*39 |
ult. |
710 — |
— |
691 |
|
246 |
antepen |
1126 — — |
— |
1125 |
|
&51 |
antepen |
1 — |
— |
deli and |
|
158 |
15 |
fines, — — |
— |
dele 9 |
|
280 |
13 |
Frcrs — |
— |
Freres |
|
283 |
3 |
Halie |
— |
Hailie |
|
302 |
8 |
South — - |
North |
|
|
Ibid. |
H |
1274 |
— |
1277 |
|
4.30 |
1i |
pad — - |
parted |
|
|
43S |
14 |
three months |
— |
one year and three montfu. |
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