the barons raised a popular clamour, that he was bringing with him foreigners to overrun the kingdom: upon which he was forced to dismiss almost all his followers, otherwise the barons would have opposed his landing. In the 5th stanza, the writer regrets the escape of the Earl of Warren; and in the 6th and 7th stanzas, insinuates that, if he and Sir Hugh Bigot once fell into the hands of their adversaries, they should never more return home; a circumstance which fixes the date of this ballad; for, in the year 1265, both these noblemen landed in South Wales, and the royal party soon after gained the ascendant. See Holinshed, Rapin, &c. The following is copied from a very ancient MS. in the British Museum. [Harl. MSS. 2253. s. 23.] This MS. is judged, from the peculiarities of the writing, to be not later than the time of Richard II.; th being every where expressed by the character }; the y is pointed, after the Saxon manner, and the í hath an oblique stroke over it. Prefixed to this ancient libel on government is a small design, which the engraver intended should correspond with the subject. On the one side a Satyr, (emblem of Petulance and Ridicule,) is trampling on the ensigns of royalty; on the other, Faction, under the mask of Liberty, is exciting Ignorance and Popular Rage to deface the royal image; which stands on a pedestal inscribed MAGNA CHARTA, to denote that the rights of the king, as well as those of the people, are founded on the laws; and that to attack one, is in effect to demolish both. SITTETH alle stille, ant herkneth to me; Ver. 2, kyn. MS. Thritti thousent pound askede he For te make the pees in the countre, Ant so he dude more. Richard, thah thou be ever trichard, Tricthen shalt thou never more. Richard of Alemaigne, whil that he wes kying, Let him habbe, ase he brew, bale to dryng, Richard, thah thou be ever, &c. 5 10 The kyng of Alemaigne gederede ys host, To store Wyndesore. Richard, thah thou be ever, &c. By God, that is aboven ous, he dude muche synne, That lette passen over see the erl of Warynne: 20 25 He hath robbed Engelond, the mores, ant th fenne, The gold, ant the selver, and y-boren henne, For love of Wyndesore. Richard, thah thou be ever, &c. Sire Simond de Mountfort hath suore bi y s chyn, Hevede he nou here the erl of Waryn, 30 Shuld he never more come to is yn, Ne with sheld, ne with spere, ne with other gyn, 35 To help of Wyndesore. Richard, thah thou be ever, &c. Sire Simond de Montfort hath suore bi ys cop, Al he shulde grante here twelfmoneth scot Richard, thah thou be ever, &c. Be the luef, be the loht, sire Edward, Ant that reweth sore Edward, thou dudest as a shreward, Richard, &c. V. 40, g'te here. MS. i. e. grant their. Vide Glos. 40 45 50 This ballad will rise in its importance with the reader, when he finds that it is even believed to have occasioned a law in our Statute-Book, viz. "Against slanderous reports or tales, to cause discord betwixt king and people." (Westm. Primer, c. xxxiv. anno 3. Edw. I.) That it had this effect, is the opinion of an eminent writer. See Observations upon the Statutes, &c. 4to. 2d edit. 1766, p. 71. However, in the Harl. Collection may be found other satirical and defamatory rhymes of the same age, that might have their share in contributing to this first law against libels. II. a On the Death of K. Edward the First. Edward I. We have here an early attempt at Elegy. died July 7, 1307, in the 35th year of his reign, and 69th of his age. This poem appears to have been composed soon after his death. According to the modes of thinking peculiar to those times, the writer dwells more upon his devotion, than his skill in government; and pays less attention to the martial and political abilities of this great monarch, in which he had no equal, than to some little weaknesses of superstition, which he had in common with all his contemporaries. The king had in the decline of life vowed an expedition to the Holy Land; but finding his end approach, he dedicated the sum of 32,000l. to the maintenance of a large body of knights, (140 say historians, 80 says our poet,) who were to carry his heart with them into Palestine. This dying command of the king was never performed. Our poet, with the honest prejudices of an Englishman, attributes this failure to the advice of the king of France, whose daughter Isabel, the young monarch, who succeeded, immediately married. But the truth is, Edward and his destructive favourite, Piers Gaveston, spent the money upon their pleasures. To do the greater honour to the memory of his hero, our poet puts his eloge in the mouth of the Pope, with the same poetic licence as a more modern bard would have introduced Britannia, or the Genius of Europe, pouring forth his praises. This antique elegy is extracted from the same MS. volume as the preceding article; is found with the same peculiarities of writing and orthography; and, though written at near the distance of half a century, contains little or no variation of idiom: whereas the next following poem, by Chaucer, which was probably written not more than 50 or 60 years after this, exhibits almost a new language. This seems to countenance the opinion of some antiquaries, that this great poet made considerable innovations in his mother tongue, and introduced many terms and new modes of speech from other languages. ALLE, that beoth of huerte trewe, That maketh me syke, ant sorewe among; Of a knyht, that wes so strong, Of wham God hath don ys wille; Me-thuncheth that deth hath don us wrong, Al Englond ahte for te knowe 5 Of wham that song is, that y synge; 10 |