WITH daitive steppe Religyon, dyghte in greie, [waie, Her face of doleful hue, Swyfte as a takel thro'we bryghte Heav'n tooke her And ofte and ere anon dyd saie "Aie! mee! what shall I doe; "See Brystoe citie, whyche I nowe doe kenne, Arysynge to mie view, "Thycke throng'd wythe soldyers and wythe Butte sayhctes I seen few." [traffyckmenne; Fytz-Hardynge rose; he rose lyke bryghte sonne in the morne, "Faire dame adryne thein eyne, For 1 wylle rere thee uppe a mynster hie; "I shall ne be forelourne; Here wyll I take a cherysaunied reste, And spend mie daies upon Fytz-Hardynges breste." ON HAPPIENESSE. BY WILLIAM CANYNGE, [This, and the two following poems, attributed to Mr. Canynge, are printed from Mr. Catcott's copies.] MAIE Selynesse on Erthes boundes bee hadde? Does yt agrosed shun the bodyed waulke, All hayle, Contente, thou mayd of turtle-eyne, Ne moe, ne moe, alass! I call you myne: I muste be gonne, botte whare I dare ne telle; dreme; For thee, O gould, I dyd the lawe ycrase; For thee, I gotten or bie wiles or breme; Ynn thee I all mie joie and good dyd place; Botte nowe to mee thie pleasaunce ys ne moe, I kenne notte botte for thee 1 to the quede must, gue. THE ACCOUNT OF W. CANYNGES FEAST. BY THE SAME. Sir [This poem is taken from a fragment of vellum, which Chatterton gave to Mr. Barrett as an original. With respect to the three friends of Mr. Canynge, mentioned in the last line, the name of Rowley is sufficiently known from the preceding poems. Iscamm appears as an actor in the tragedy of Ælla, and in that of Goddwyn; and a poem, ascribed to him, entitled, The Merry Tricks of Laymington, is inserted in the Discorse of Bristow. Theobald Gorges was a knight of an ancient family seated at Wraxhall, within a few miles of Bristol. (See Rot. Parl, 3 H. VI. n. 28. Leland's Itin. vol. VII. p. 98.) He has also appeared as an actor in both the tragedies, and as the author of one of the mynstrelles songes in Ella. His connection with Mr. Canynge is verified by a deed of the latter, dated 20th October, 1467, in which he gives to trustees, in part of a benefaction of 5001. to the churchof St. Mary Redcliffe, " certain jewels of sir Theobald Gorges, knt." which had been pawned to him for 1601.] THE STORIE OF WILLIAM CANYNGE. [The first 34 lines of this poem are extant upon another of the vellum fragments, given by Chatterton to Mr. Barrett. The remainder is printed from another copy, furnished by Mr. Catcott, with some corrections from another copy, made by Mr. Barrett from one in Chatterton's hand-writing. This poem makes part of a prose work, attributed to Rowley, giving an account of painters, carvellers, poets, and other eminent natives of Bristol, from the earliest times to his own. It may be proper just to remark here, that Mr. Canynge's brother, mentioned in ver. 129, who was lord mayor of London in 1456, is called Thomas, by Stowe, in his List of Mayors, &c. The transaction alluded to in the last stanza is related at large in some prose memoirs of Rowley. It is there said that Mr. Canynge went into orders, to avoid a marriage, proposed by king Edward, between him and lady of the Widdevile family. It is certain, from the register of the bishop of Worcester, that Mr. Canynge was ordained Acolythe by bishop Carpenter on 19 September, 1467, and received the higher orders of subdeacon, deacon, and priest, on the 12th of March, 1467, O. S. the 2d and 16th of April, 1468, respectively.] ANENT a brooklette as I laie reclynd, Listeynge to heare the water glyde alonge, a Orr, soone as theie dyd see the worldis lyghte, Fate had wrott downe, thys mann ys borne to fyghte. "Elle," I sayd, or els my mynde dyd saie, "Whie ys thy actyons left so spare yn storie? Were I toe dispone, there should lyvven aie Inn Erthe and Hevenis rolles thie tale of glorie; Thie actes soe doughtie should for aie abyde, And bie theyre teste all after actes be tryde." Next holie Wareburghus fylld mie mynde, Thus all mie wandrynge faytour thynkeynge Astounded mickle there I sylente laie, Myndeynge how thorowe the greene mees yt Whyche mote yn some ewbrycious thoughtes twynd, Awhilst the cavys respons'd yts mottring songe, Engarlanded wyth crownes of osyer weedes Methoughte such doughtie menn must have Dote yn the armour brace that Mychael bore, Whan he wyth Satan kynge of Helle dyd fyghte, And Earthe was drented yn a mere of gore; a abrewe. But I ne dyd once thynke of wanton thoughte: Wyth sweet semblate and an angel's grace 1 Unauthorized. Dean Milles says it is the old English word nete or nought, with the prefix; to which corresponds the old French verb aneantised (annihilated) used by Chaucer. But there is no proof, that the word nete has ever been used as a verb, even if it exists. Shee sayd; "Mie manner of appereynge here telle; [were, And put hys broder ynto syke a trade, [made. That he lorde mayor of Londonne towne was Eftsoons hys mornynge tourned to gloomie nyghte; I'm Trouthe, that dyd descende fromm heaven-Hys dame, hys seconde selfe, give upp her brethe, Goulers and courtiers doe not kenne mee welle; Thie inmoste thoughtes, thie labrynge brayne I sawe, And from thie gentle dreeme will thee adawe. "Full manie champyons and menne of lore, manne What troulie noblenesse yn Canynge ranne." As when a bordelier onn ethie bedde, Immengde yn flanched ayre wyth Trouthe asyde. Strayte was 1 carryd back to tymes of yore, In all hys shepen gambols and chyldes plaie, He'd wytte enowe toe make a mayre at tenne. As the dulce downie barbe beganne to gre, Encreaseynge yn the yeares of mortal lyfe, He had a fader, (Jesus rest his soule!) But landes and castle tenures, golde and bighes, But soon hys broder and hys syre dyd die, Seekynge for eterne lyfe and endless lyghte, pryme. Next Radcleeve chyrche (oh worke of hande of Whare Canynge sheweth as an instrumente,) I sawe the myndbruch of hys nobille soule I sawe what Pheryons yn hys mynde dyd rolle; Thys ys the manne of menne, the vision spoke; HERAUDYN. A FRAGMENTE. [From a MSS. by Chatterton in the British Museum.] YYNGE Heraudyn al bie the grene wode sate, Hereynge the swote Chelandrie ande the Oue, Seeinge the kenspecked amaylde flourettes nete, Envyngynge to the birds hys love songe true. Syrre preeste camme bie ande forthe his bede-rolle drewe, Fyve Aves ande on Pater moste be sedde; Twayne songe, the on hys songe of Willowe Rue The odher one FRAGMENT, BY JOHN, SECOND ABBATTE OF SEYNCTE AUSTYNS MYNSTERRE. [From Barrett's History of Bristol. It was sent by Chatterton to Horace Walpole, as a note to Rowleie's Historie of Peyncters. "This John," he says, "was inducted abbot in the year 1186, and sat in the dies 29 years. He was the. greatest poet of the age in which he lived; he understood the learned languages. Take a specimen of his poetry on King Richard 1st."] HARTE of lyone! shake thie sworde, WARRE. BY THE SAME. [From Barrett's History of Bristol. Chatterton says, As you approve of the small specimen of his poetry, I have sent you a larger, which though admirable is still (in my opinion) inferior to Rowley', whose workes when I have leisure I will fairly copy and send you.] Or warres glumm pleasaunce doe I chaunte mie laie, [the lyne, Trouthe tips the poynctelle, wysdomme skemps Whylste hoare experiaunce telleth what toe saie, And forwyned hosbandrie wyth blearie eyne, Stondeth and woe bements; the trecklynge bryne Rounnynge adone hys cheekes which doeth shewe Lyke hys unfrutefulle fieldes, longe straungers to the ploughe. Saie, Glowster, whanne besprenged on evrich syde, The gentle hyndlette and the vylleyn felle; Whanne smetheynge sange dyd flowe lyke to a tyde, And sprytes were damned for the lacke of knelle, Diddest thou kenne ne lykeness to an Helle, Where all were misdeedes doeyng lyche unwise, Where hope unbarred and deathe eftsoones dyd shote theyre eies. Ye shepster swaynes who the ribibble kenne, In ugsommnesse ware moste bee dyghte toe YNNE whilomme daies, as Stowe saies, A Saxonne boulde renowned of oulde Maint Tanmen slone the Brugge uponne Baldwynne hys name, Rolles saie the same Al bie Seyncte Lenardes yate. None of Rowley's pieces were ever made public, being till the year 1631 shut up in an iron cbest in Redcliff church. One Leefwyne of kyngelie Lyne Inne Brystowe towne dyd leve, Was ynne the strete nempte brede; Fitz Lupous digne of gentle lyne Inne Knyvesmythe strete to lyné, A maioure dheene bee and Jamne hee But be ytte ne sed bie elde or yynge That ever dheye oderwyse dyd synge Than Ave Maria, &c. This broder was called evrich wheere To Kenshamm and to Bristol nonnere, Ave Maria, &c. tending to confirm the authenticity of these poems. In the first place, this sort of macaronic verse of mixed languages is a style used in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Dante has some of these amongst his Rhyme, (p. 226. vol. 2d. Venice 1741) which are composed of French, Italian, and Latin, and conclude thus: WALWORTH. Quæ requirit misericordiam mala causa est. THE MERRIE TRICKS OF BY MAYSTRE JOHN A ISCAM. [From Dean Milles's edition.] Namque locutus sum in linguâ trinâ. Skelton, who lived not long after Rowley, has also poems in the same kind of verse. Secondly, the correctness of the Latin, and the propriety of the answers in English, show it to have been written at least by a better scholar than Chatterton. Thirdly, the low humour of the dialogue, although suited to the taste of that early and illiterate age, could be no object of imitation to a modern poet. But it is a most re- A RYGOUROUS doome is myne, upon mie faie: markable circumstance, that he has introduced Before the parent starre, the lyghtsome Sonne, his two Cockneies under the names of two most Hath three tymes lyghted up the cheerful daie, respectable aldermen of the city of London, To other reaulmes must Laymingtonne be gonne, who lived about the year 1380, sir William Or else my flymsie thredde of lyfe is spunne; Walworth and sir John Philpot; men of such And shall I hearken to a cowarts reede, distinguished reputation, not only in their own And from so vain a shade, as lyfe is, runne? city, but also in the whole kingdom, that the No! flie all thoughtes of runynge to the queed: first parliament of Richard the Second, in grant-No! here I'll staie, and let the Cockneies see, ing a subsidy to that king, made it subject to That Laymyntone the brave, will Laymyngetowne still be. the controul and management of these two citizens. (Walsingham, p. 200. Rapin, vol. i. p. 454 and 458.) PHILPOT. God ye god den ', my good naighbour, howe d'ye How does your wyfe, man! what never assole? Ah, Mastre Phyllepot, evil tongues do saie, PHILPOT. Animum submittere noli rebus in adversis, This salutation, which should be written God ye good den, is more than once used by Shakespear: In Love's Labour Lost, the clown says, God dig you den all. Act iv. Sc. 1. To fyght, and not to flee, my sabatans I'll don, and girth my swerde unto my syde; Go to my trustie menne in Selwoods chase, gore, That is to say, God give you a good evening; for dig To be a bloudie foe in armes, gaynst all manis undoubtedly a mistake for give. RALPH. So in the dialogue between the Nurse and Mercutio, in Romeo and Juliet, Act ii. Sc. 5. the for- I go my boon companions for to fynde. [Ralph goes out. Unfaifull Cockneies dogs! your god is gayne. What shoals of tradesmenne eaten from my plate, DD |