CONTENT S. Song to the lute in mufiche. 4. King Cophetua and the Beggar - maid. 5. Take thy old cloak about thee. 8. Corydon's Farewell to Phillis. tune. T 1 I never heard the old fong of Percie and Douglas, that I found not my heart moved more than with a trumpet: and yet it is fung but by some blinde crowder, with no rougher voice, than rude ftile; which beeing fo evill aparelled in the duft and cobweb of that [uncivill age, what would it work, trimmed in the gorgeous eloquence of Pindare? SIR PHILIP SIDNEY'S DEFENCE OF POETRY. UNCIENT THE ANCIENT BALLAD OF CHEVY-CHASE. The fine heroic Song of CHEVY-CHASE has ever been admired by competent judges. Those genuine strokes of nature and artless paffion, which have endeared it to the most fimple readers, have recommended it to the most refined; and it has equally been the amusement of our childhood, and the fuvourite of our riper years. VOL. III. A Mr. Mr. Addifon has given an excellent, critique on this very popular ballad, but is mistaken with regard to the antiquity of our prefent copy; for this, if one may judge from the stile, cannot be older than the time of Elizabeth, and was probably written after the elogium of Sir Philip Sidney: perhaps is confequence of it. I flatter myself, I have here recovered the genuine antique poem: the true original Song, which appeared rude even in the time of Sir Philip, an caused him to lament, that it was so evil-aparelled in the rugged garb of antiquity. This curiofity is printed, from an old manuscript, at the end of Hearne's preface to Gul. Newbrigienfis Hift. 1719. δυο. vol. I. To the MS. Copy is Subjoined the name of the author, RYCHARD SHEALE **: whom Hearne had so little judgment as to Suppose to be the Same with a R. Sheale, whe was living in 1588. But whoever examines the gradation of language and idiom in the following volumes, will be convinced that this is the production of an earlier poet. It is indeed expressly mentioned among some very ancient songs in an old book intituled, The Complaint of Scotland ***, (fol. 42.) under the title of the HUNTIS OF CHEVET, where the tw☛ following lines are also quoted; The Perffee and the Mongumrye mette ****. Which * Spectator, No. 70. 74. ** Subfcribed, after the usual manner of our old poets, expliceth (explicit) quoth Rychard Sheale. *** One of the earliest production of the Scottish prefs, now to be found. The title page was wanting in the copy bere quoted, but it is supposed to have been prin➡ ted in 1540. See Ames. **** See Pt. 2. v. 25. ***** See Pt. 1. v. 104. |