*

** The title of SIR was not formerly peculiar to Knights, it was given to priests, and fometimes to very inferior perfonages.

Dr. Johnson thinks this Title was applied to fuch as had taken the degree of A. B. in the universities, who are fill filed, Domini, Sirs," to diftinguish them from Undergraduates, who have no prefix, and from Mafters of Arts, who are filed Magiftri, "Mafers."

IX.

AN ELEGY

ON HENRY FOURTH EARL OF NORTH

UMBERLAND.

The fubject of this poem, which was written by SKELTON, 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 carrying on the war in Bretagne. This tax wa: found fo heavy in the North, that the whole country was in a flame. The E. of Northumberland, then lord lieutenant for Yorkshire, wrote to inform the king of the discontent, and praying an abatement. But nothing is fo unrelenting as avarice: the king wrote back that not a penny should be abated. This meage being delivered by the earl with too little caution, the populace rofe, and, fuppofing him to be the promoter of their calamity, broke into his houfe, and murdered him, with feveral 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, 36.

If

If the reader does not find much poetical merit in this old poem (which yet is one of. Skelton's beft), he will see à friking picture of the flate and magnificence kept up by our ancient nobility during the feudal times. This great earl is defcribed here as having, among his menial fervants, KNIGHTS, SQUIRES, and even BARONS: See v. 32. 183. &c. which, however different from modern manners, was formerly not unusual with our greater Barons, whofe caftles had all the fplendour and offices of a royal court, before the Laws against Retainers abridged and limited the number of

their attendants.

JOHN SKELTON, who commonly ftyled himself Poet Laureat, died June 21, 1529. The following poem, which appears to have been written foon after the event, is printed from an ancient MS. copy preferved in the British Museum, being much more correct than that printed among SKELTON's Poems in bl. let. 12mo. 1568.—It is addressed to Henry Percy, 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 justa cano.

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 DOLORUS DETHE AND

MUCH LAMENTABLE CHAUNCE OF THE MOOST

HONORABLE ERLE OF NORTHUMBERLANDE.

Wayle, I wepe, I fobbe, I figh ful fore
The dedely fate, the dolefulle destenny

Of him that is gone, alas! withoute restore,

Of the blode* royall defcendinge nobelly;
Whos lordfhepe doutles was flayne lamentably
Thorow trefon ageyn hym compaffyd and wrought;
Trew to his prince, in word, in dede, and thought.

Of hevenly poems, O Clyo calde by name

In the college of mufis goddess hystoriall,
Adres the to me, whiche am both halt and lame
In elect uteraunce to make memoryall:
To the for foccour, to the for helpe I call
Myne homely rudnes and drighnes to expelle
With the freshe waters of Elyconys welle.

Of noble actes auncyently enrolde,

Of famous princis and lordes of astate,
By thy report ar wonte to be extold,
Regeftringe trewly every formare date;
Of thy bountie after the usuall rate,
Kyndle in me fuche plenty of thy noblès,
Thes forrowfulle dities that I may fhew expres.

In fefons past who hathe harde or fene

Of formar writinge by any prefidente

That vilane hastarddis in ther furious tene,

The mother of Henry, first Earl of Northumberland, was Mary daughter to Henry E. of Lancaster, whofe father Edmond was fecond fon of K. Henry III.-The mother and wife of the fecond Earl of Northum berland were both lineal descendants of K. Edward III.-The PERCYS alfo were lineally defcended from the Emperour Charlemagne and the ancient Kings of France, by his ancestor fofceline de Lovain (Son of Godfrey Duke of Brabant), who took the name of PERCY on marrying the heiress of that house in the reign of Hen. II. Vid. Camden Britan. Edmondson, &c. Fulfyld

VOL. I.

H

Fulfyld with malice of froward entente, Confeterd togeder of commoun concente Falfly to flo ther mofte fingular goode lorde? It may be registerde of fhamefull recorde.

25

So noble a man, fo valiaunt lorde and knight,
Fulfilled with honor, as all the worlde dothe ken; 30
At his commaundement, whiche had both day and night
Knyghtis and fquyers, at every feason when

He calde upon them, as menyall houshold men : Were no thes commones uncurteis karlis of kynde To flo their owne lorde? God was not in their minde. 35

And were not they to blame, I fay also,

That were aboute hym, his owne fervants of trust,

To fuffre hym flayn of his mortall fo?

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

40

In Englande and Fraunce, which gretly was redouted; Of whom both Flaunders and Scotland ftode in drede; To whome grete aftates obeyde and lowttede;

45

A mayny of rude villayns made him for to blede: Unkindly they flew hym, that holp them oft at nede: He was their bulwark, their paves, and their wall, Yet fhamfully they flew hym; that flame met them befal.

I fay, ye commoners, why wer ye so stark mad?
What frantyk frenfy fyll in youre brayne?
Where was your wit and refon, ye fhuld have had?
What willfull foly made yow to ryfe agayne

Your naturall lord? alas! I can not fayne.

50

Ye armed you with will, and left your wit behynd; 55 Well may you be called comones most unkynd.

60

He was your chyfteyne, your shelde, your chef defence,
Redy to affyft you in every tyme of nede:
Your worship depended of his excellence:
Alas! ye mad men, to far ye did excede:
Your hap was unhappy, to ill was your spede:
What movyd you agayn hym to war or to fight?
What aylde you to fle your lord agyn all right?

The grounde of his quarel was for his fovereyn lord,
The welle concernyng of all the hole lande, 65
Demaundyng foche dutyes as nedis moft acord [ftand;
To the right of his prince which fhold not be with-
For whos cause ye flew hym with your awne hande:
But had his nobill men done wel that day,

Ye had not been hable to have faide him nay.

But ther was fals packinge, or els I am begylde:
How-be-it the matter was evident and playne,
For yf they had occupied ther fpere and ther fhelde,
This noble man doutles had not be flayne.

70

Bot men fay they wer lynked with a double chayn, 75 And held with the commouns under a cloke,

Whiche kindeled the wyld fyre that made all this smoke.