wards gone over to take possession of his dignity, was in the year 1259 about to return into England, when the barons raised a popular clamour, that he was bringing with him foreigners to over- run the kingdom: upon which he was forced to difmiß almost all his followers, otherwise the barons would have opposed his landing. In the 5th ft. the writer regrets the escape of the Earl of Warren, and in the 6th, and 7th sts. infinuates that if he and Sir Hugh Bigod 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 thefe noblemen landed in South Wales, and the royal party Soon after gained the afcendant. See HolingShed, 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 expreffed by the character p; 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 defign, which the engraver intended Should correspond with the Subject. On the one fide a Satyr, (emblem of Petulance and Ridicule) is trampling on the enfigns of Royalty ; on the other Faction under the masque of Liberty is exciting Igno- ̧ rance 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 ftille, ant herkneth to me; The kyng of Alemaigne, bi mi leaute, Thritti thoufent pound askede he For te make the pees in the countré, Ant fo he dude more. Richard, thah thou be ever trichard, Tricthen fhalt thou never more. Richard of Alemaigne, whil that he wes kying, Richard, thah thou be ever &c. The kyng of Alemaigne wende do ful wel, With hare sharpe fwerdes he grounde the ftel; To helpe Wyndefore. Richard, thah thou be ever &c. The kyng of Alemaigne gederede ys hoft, To ftore Wyndefore. Richard, thah thou be ever &c. By God, that is aboven ous, he dude muche fynne, Ver. 2. kyn. MS. He He hath robbed Engelond, the mores, ant th fenne, Richard, thah thou be ever &c, Sire Simond de Mountfort hath fuore bi ys chyn, Shuld he never more come to is yn, Ne with fheld, ne with fpere, ne with other gyn, To help of Wyndefore Richard, thah thou be ever &c. Sire Simond de Montfort hath fuore bi ys 'fot,' To helpe Wyndefore. Richard, thah thou be ever trichard, " 30 35 The SERIES OF POEMS given in this volume will Shew the gradual changes of the ENGLISH Language thro' a fucceffion of FIVE HUNDRED years. This and the foren going article may be confidered as Specimens of it in its most early state, almost as soon as it ceafed to be SAXON. In deed the annals of this kingdom are written in the Saxon language almost down to the end of K. Stephen's reign: for fo far reaches the SAXON CHRONICLE; within little more than a century of the date of this poem, Ver. 38. top. or cop. Ver. 40. g'te here. MS. i. e, grant their, Vid, Gloß, II. ON THE DEATH OF K. EDWARD We have here an early attempt at Elegy. EDWARD I. died July 7, 1307, in the 35th year of his reign, and 69th of his age. This poem appears to have been composed foon 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 fome little weaknesses of Superftition, which he had in common with all his cotemporaries. 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 hiftorians, 80 fays our poet,) who were to carry his heart with them into Palestine. the king was never performed, prejudices of an Englishman, advice of the king of France, whose daughter Isabel our young monarch 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 heroe, 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 dying command of Our poet, with the honest attributes this failure to the 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 tho' written at near the distance of half a century contains little or no varia tion 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 confiderable innovations in his mother tongue and introduced many terms, and new modes of Speech from other languages. ALLE, that beoth of huerte trewe, A ftounde herkneth to my fong Of duel, that Deth hath diht us newe, Of wham God hath don ys wille; Me thuncheth that deth hath don us wrong Of wham that fong is, that y fynge; Of Edward kyng, that lith so lowe, Zent al this world is nome con springe: Treweft mon of alle thinge, Ant in werre war ant wysy For him we ahte oure honden wrynge, s Byfore that oure kyng wes dedins^. J "Helpeth 20 1 |