But eir the foremoft could get up,

Baith lady and babes were brent.

He wrang his hands, he rent his hair,
And wept in teenefu' muid:

O traitors, for this cruel deid

Ze fall weip teirs o' bluid.

And after the Gordon he is gane,

Sa faft as he micht drie;

And foon i' the Gordon's foul hartis bluid,
He's wroken his dear ladie.

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1

XII.

AN ELEGY

ON HENRY FOURTH EARL OF NORTH

HUMBERLAND.

As it was propofed to give Specimens of the compofition of most of our ancient poets, the reader has here an ELEGY of SKELTON'S: yet as this is some little deviation from our plan, we chufe to throw it tho the end of the FIRST BOOK, though evidently written before some of the preceding.

This

The Subject of this poem is the death of HENRY PERCY, fourth earl of Northumberland, who fell a victim to the avarice of Henry VII. In 1489 the parliament had granted the king a fubfidy for carryng on the war in Bretagne. tax was found fo heavy in the North, that the whole country was in a flame. The E. of Northumberland, then lord peutenant for Yorkshire, wrote to inform the king of the dif content, and praying an abatement. But nothing is so unre

lenting

lenting as avarice: the king wrote back that not a penny Should be abated. This meffage being delivered by the earl with too little caution, the populáce rofe, and supposing him to be the promoter of their calamity, broke into his house and murdered him with several of his attendants: who yet are charged by Skelton with being backward in their duty on this occafion. This melancholy event happened at the earl's feat at Cocklodge, near Thirske, in Yorkshire, April 28. 1489. See Lord Bacon, &c.

If the reader does not find much poetical merit in this old poem (which yet is one of Skelton's best) he will see a striking piElure of the state and magnificence kept up by our ancient nobility during the feudal times. This great earl is defcribed here as having among his menial Servants, KNIGHTS, SQUIRES, and even BARONS See v. 32. 183. &c. Which however different from modern manners, was not unusual with our greater barons, whose castles had all the Splendour and offices of a royal court, before the Laws against Retainers abridged and limited the number of their attendants.

JOHN SKELTON, who comonly styled himself Poet Laureat, died June 21. 1529. The following poem, which appears to have been written Soon after the event, is printed from an ancient edition of his poems in bl. let. 12mo. 1568. It is addreffed to Henry fifth earl of Northumberland, and is prefaced, &c. in the following manner :

Poeta Skelton Laureatus libellum fuum metrice

alloquitur,

Ad dominum properato meum mea pagina Percy,
Qui Northumbrorum jura paterna gerit.

Ad nutum celebris tu prona repone leonis,
Quæque fuo patri tristia jufta ***

Aft ubi perlegit, dubiam fub mente volutet
Fortunam, cuncta quæ male fida rotat.
Qui leo fit felix, & Neftoris occupet annos,
Ad libitum cujus ipfe paratus ero.

SKELTON LAUREAT UPON THE DOLOURS DETHE AND
MUCH LAMENTABLE CHAUNCE OF THE
MOST HONORABLE ERLE OF
NORTHUMBERLANDE.

I

Wayle, I wepe, I fobbe, I figh ful fore
The dedely fate, the dolefulle defteny
Of him that is gone, alas! without restore,
Of the bloud royal defcending nobelly;
Whose lordfhyp doutles, was flaine lamentably
Thorow trefon again him compaffed and wrought,
Trew to his prince, in word, in dede, and thought.
Of hevenly poems, O Clyo calde by name

In the colege of mufis goddefs hyftoriall,
Adres the to me, whiche am both halt I lame
In elect uteraunce to make memoryall:
To the for fouccour, to the for helpe I call
Mine homely rudnes and dryghnes to expell
With the freshe waters of Elyconys well.

10

Of noble actes aunciently enrolde`,

15

Of famous pryncis and lordes of aftate, By thy report ar wont to be extold,

*Henry, first E. of Northumberland, was begotten of Mary daughter to Henry E. of Lancaster, Second Son of K. Henry III. He was alfo lineally defcended from Godfrey Duke of Brabant, fon of the Emperour Charlemagne, by Gerberga niece to Lothar K. of France, See Cambden Brit.

Regeftringe trewly every formaré date;

Of thy bountie after the ufuall rate,
Kyndell in me fuche plenty of thy noblès,
These forrowfulle ditès that I may fhew exprefs.

In fefons paft who hath herde or fene

Of formar writyng by any prefidente That vilane haftardis in their furious tene,

Fulfylled with malice of froward entente, Confetered togeder of common concente Falfly to flee theyr moft finguler good lord? It may be regiftrede of shamefull recorde.

So noble a man, fo valiaunt lord and hnyght,

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25

Fulfilled with honor, as all the world doth ken; At his commaundement, which had both day and nyght Knyghtes and fquyers, at every feafon when He calde upon them, as meniall houfhold men: Were not thefe commons uncurteis karlis of kind To flo their own lord? God was not in their mynd.

And were not they to blame, I fay alfo,

That were aboute him his owne servants of truft,

To fuffre him flain of his mortall fo?

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35

Fled away from hym, let hym ly in the duft: They bode not till the rekening were difcuft. What fhuld I flatter? what fhuld I glofe or paint? Fy, fy for fhame, their hartes were to faint.

40

In England and Fraunce, which gretly was redouted;
Of whom both Flaunders and Scotland ftode in dredė;

To whom great estates obeyed and lowted;

A mayny of rude villayns made hym for to blede:
Unkindly they flew him, that holp them oft at nede:

He

45

He was their bulwark, their paves, and their wall,
Yet fhamfully they flew hym; that shame mot them befal.

I fay, ye comoners, why wer ye so stark mad?
What frantik frenfy fyll in your brayne?

Where was your wit and refon, ye should have had ?
'What wilful foly made yow to ryfe againe
Your natural lord? alas! I can not fayne.

Ye armed you with will, and left your wit behynd;
Well may you be called comones most unkynd.

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He was your chefteyne, your fhelde, your chef defence,
Redy to affift you in every time of nede:
Your worfhyp depended of his excellence :
Alas! ye mad men to far ye did excede:
Your hap was unhappy, to ill was your fpede:
What moved you againe him to war or to fyght?
What aylde you to fle your lord agayn all ryght?

The ground of his quarel was for his foverain lord,
The well concerning of all the hole lande,
Demanding fuche duties as nedes most acord

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To the right of his prince which fhold not be withstand; For whofe caufe ye flew him with your owne hand:

But had his noble men done wel that day

Ye had not been able to have fayd hym nay.

But ther was fals packing, or els I am begylde;
How be it the mater was evydent and playne,
For if they had occupied their spere and their fhilde,
This noble man doutles had not bene flayne.

But men say they wer lynked with a double chaine, 75 And held with the comones under a cloke,

Which kindeled the wild fyr that made al this fmoke. VOL. III.

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