> 01 "Helpeth mi fone, ant crouneth him newe, "Ich biqueth myn herte aryht, Kyng of Fraunce, thou hevedeft finne, All Engelond to zeme ant wyffe The meffager to the pope com, And feyde that oure kyng wes ded: Ywis his herte wes ful gret: >The Pope him felf the lettre redde, "Alas! he feid, is Edward ded? 3a 35 49 45 This is probably the name of Some perfon, * to prefide over this business. who was Ver. 33. funne. MS, Ver. 35. kyng Edward MS. Ver. 43. ys is probably a contraction of in hys or yn his. *This little Sonnet, which hath escaped all the editors of Chaucer's works, is now printed for the first time from an ancient MS. in the Pepyfian library, that contains many other poems of its venerable author. The verfification is of that Species, which the French call RONDEAU, very naturally englished by our honest countrymen ROUND 0. Tho' So early adopted by them, our ancestors had not the honour of inventing it: Chaucer picked it up, along with other better things, among the neighbouring nations. A fondneß For * Here follow in the original three lines more, which, as evidently Spurious, we chufe to throw to the bottom of the Page, viz. That lafteth ay withouten ende, Bidde we God, ant oure Ledy to thilke bliffe Jefus us fende. Amen. for laborious trifles hath always prevailed in the dawn of literature. The ancient Greek poets had their WINGS and AXES the great father of English poefy may therefore be pardoned one poor Solitary RONDEAU. — Dan Geofrey Chaucer died Oct. 25. 1400. aged 72. I. I. OURE two eyn will fle me fodenly, Yo I may the beaute of them not suftene, 2. And but your words wil helen hastely 3. Upon my trouth I fey yow feithfully, That ye ben of my liffe and deth the quene; Youre two eyn &c. II. I. So hath youre beaute fro your herte chafed 2. Giltlefs my deth thus have ye purchased; 3. Alas, that nature hath in yow compassed III. I III. I. Syn I fro love escaped am so fat, 2. He may anfwere, and fey this and that, 3. Love hath my name i-ftrike out of his fclat, For ever mo *this is non other mene, Syn I fro love efcaped &c. IV. THE TURNAMENT OF TOTTENHAM: OR, THE WOOEING, WINNING, AND WED"DING OF TIBBE, THE REEV'S DAUGHTER THERE.„, It does honour to the good sense of this nation, that while all Europe was captivated with the bewitching charms of Chivalry and Romance, two of our writers in the rudest times could fee thro' the false glare that Surrounded them, and discover whatever was abfurd in them both. Chaucer wrote bis Rhyme of fir Tropas in ridicule of the latter, and in the following poem we have a humourous burlesque of the former. Without pretending to decide, whether the inftitution of chivalry was upon the whole useful or pernicious in the rude ages, Ther. |