No moe the amblynge palfrie and the horne
Shall from the lessel rouze the foxe awaie;
I'll seke the forreste alle the lyve-longe daie;
Alle ncte amenge the gravde chyrche glebe wyll

goe,

And to the passante spryghtes lecture mie tale of

woe.

JUGA.

Whan mokie cloudis do hange upon the leme
Of leden Moon, ynn sylver mantels dyghte;
The tryppeynge Faeries weve the golden dreme
Of selyness, whyche flyeth wythe the nyghte;

1 Ruddeborne, rudborne (in Saxon, red-water); a river near Saint Albans, famous for the battles there fought between the houses of Lancaster and York.

2 Unauthorized. The imitative verb crool, or something like it, is said to have denoted the sound made by the dove.

3 Mr. Bowles has introduced this line in his Monody, written at Matlock.

Whilst hush'd, and by the mace of ruin rent,
Sinks the forsaken hall of merriment.

The breezy call of incense-breathing morn,

Entroductyon bie Queen Mabbe.
(Bie Iscamme.)

Whan from the erthe the sonnes hulstred,
Than from the flouretts straughte3 with dewe;
Mie leege menne makes yee awhaped,
And wytches theyre wytchencref doe.

1 John Carpenter, bishop of Worcester, who in conjunction with Mr. Canynge, founded the abbey at Westbury.

2 John Iscam, according to Rowley, was a canon of the monastery of Saint Augustine in Bristol. He wrote a dramatic piece called The Pleasaunt Dyscorses of Lamyngeton; also at the desire of Mr. Canynge (Rowley being then collecting of drawings for Mr. Canynge) he translated a Latin piece called Miles Brystolli into English metre The place of his birth is not known.

3 Straughte, stretched. I think this line is borrowed from a much better one of Rowley's, viz. Like kynge cuppes brasteynge wyth the morn

The swallow twittering from her straw-builtynge dew. The reason why I think Iscam guilty

shed,

The cock's shrill clarion, or the echoing horn, No more shall rouse them from their lowly bed. Gray.

VOL. XV.

of the plagiary is, that the Songe to Ella, from whence the above line is taken, was wrote when Rowley was in London collecting of drawings for Mr. Canynge to build the church, and Ischain

CC

wrote the above a little before the finishing of the wylle be abeste." Entroductyon to the Entyr

Spryte of Elle speeketh.

Swythyn, yee sprytes, forsake the bollen floude,
And browke a sygthe wyth mee, a syghte enfyne;
Welle have 1 vended myne for Danyshe bloude,
Syth thys greete structure greete mie whaped eyne.
Yee that have buylden on the Radclefte syde,
Tourne there your eyne and see your workes out-
vyde.

Spryte of Bythrycke speeketh.

What wondrous monumente! what pyle ys thys!
That byndes in wonders chayne entendemente!
That dothe aloof the ayrie skyen kyss,
And seemeth mountaynes joined bie cemente,
From Godde hys greete and wondrous storehouse

sente.

Fulle welle myne eyne arede ytte canne ne bee,
That manne could reare of thylke agreete ex-
tente,

A chyrche so bausyn fetyve as wee see:
The flemed cloudes disparted from it flie,
Twylle bee, I wis, to alle eternytye.

Elle's spryte speeketh.

Were I once moe caste yn a mortalle frame,
To heare the chauntrie songe sounde ynne myne
To heare the masses to owre holie dame, [eare,
To viewe the cross yles and the arches fayre!
Through the halfe hulstred sylver twynklynge
glare

Of yon bryghte Moone in foggie mantles dreste,
I must contente the buyldynge to aspere,
Whylste ishad cloudes the hallie syghte arreste.
Tyll as the nyghtes growe wayle I flie the lyghte,
O were I manne agen to see the syghte!
There sytte the canons; clothe of sable hue
Adorne the boddies of them everie one;
The chaunters whyte with scarfes of woden blewe,
And crymson chappeaus for them toe put onne,
Wythe golden tassyls glyttrynge ynne the Sunne;
The dames ynne kyrtles alle of Lyncolne greene,
And knotted shoone pykes of brave coloures done:
A fyner syghte yn sothe was never seen.

Byrtonne's spryte speeketh.

Inne tyltes and turnies was mie dear delyghte,
For manne and Godde hys warfare han renome;
At everyche tyltynge yarde mie name was hyghte,

I beare the belle awaie whereer I come.
Of Redclifte chyrche the buyldynge newe I done,
And dyd fulle manie holie place endowe,
Of Maries house made the foundacyon,
And gave a threescore markes to Johncs hys toe.
Then clos'd myne eyne on Erthe to ope no moe,
Whylst syx moneths mynde upon mie grave was
doe.

Full gladde am I mie chyrche was pyghten down,
Syth thys brave structure doth agreete myne eye.
Thys geason buyldynge limedst of the towne,
Like to the donours soule, shalle never die;
But if percase Tyme, of hys dyre envie, [stone;
Shalle beate ytte to rude walles and throckes of
The faytour traveller that passes bie
Wylle see yttes royend auntyaunte splendoure

shewne

Inne the crasd arches and the carvellynge,
And pyllars theyre greene heades to Heaven rear-
ynge.

Spryte of Segowen speeketh.

Bestoykynge golde was once myne onlie toie,
Wyth ytte mie soule wythynne the coffer laie;
Itte dyd the mastrie of mie lyfe emploie,
Bie nyghte mie leman and mie jubbe bie daye.
Once as I dosynge yn the wytch howre laie,
Thynkynge howe to benym the orphyans breadde,
And from the redeless take theyre goodes awaie,
I from the skien heare a voyce, which said,
"Thou sleepest, but loe Sathan is awake;" [take.
Some deede thats holie doe, or hee thie soule wylle

I swythyn was upryst wyth feere astounde;
Methoughte yn merke was plaien devylles felle:
Strayte dyd I nomber twentie aves rounde,
Thoughten full soone for to go to Helle.
[telle,
In the morne mie case to a goode preeste dyd
Who dyd areede mee to ybuild that daie
The chyrche of Thomas, thenne to pieces felle.
Mie heart dispanded into Heaven laie:
Soon was the sylver to the workmenne given,-
Twas beste astowde, a karynte gave to Heaven.
But welle, I wote, thie causalles were not soe,
Twas love of Godde that set thee on the rearynge
Of this fayre chyrch, O Canynge, for to doe
Thys lymed buyldynge of so fyne appearynge:
Thys chyrch owre lesser buyldyngs ll owt-dary-
inge,

Lyke to the Moone wythe starres of lyttle lyghte;
And after tymes the feetyve pyle reverynge,
The prynce of chyrches buylders thee shall hyghte;
Greete was the cause, but greeter was the effecte,
So alle wyll saie who doe thys place prospect.

Spryte of Fytz Hardynge speeketh.

From royal parentes dyd I have retaynynge,
The redde-hayrde Dane confeste to be mie syre;
The Dane who often throwe thys kyngdom drayn-

and fyre.

As stopped ryvers alwaies ryse moe hygher,
And rammed stones bie opposures stronger bee;
So thie whan vanquyshed dyd prove moe dyre,
And for one peysan theie dyd threescore slee.
From them of Denmarques royalle bloude came I,
Welle myghte I boaste of mie gentylytie.

The pypes maie sounde and bubble forth mie
And tellen what on Radclefte syde 1 dyd: [name,
Trinytie Colledge ne agrutche mie fame,
The fayrest place in Brystowe ybuylded.
The royalle bloude that thorow mie vaynes slydde
Dyd tyncte mie harte wythe manie a noble

thoughte;

Lyke to mie mynde the mynster yreared,
Wythe noble carvel workmanshyppe was wroughte.
Hie at the deys, lyke to a kynge on's throne,
Dyd I take place and was myself alone.
But thou, the buylder of this swotie place,
Where alle the say nctes in sweete ajunctyon stande,
A verie Heaven for yttes fetyve grace,
The glorie and the wonder of the lande, [hande,
That shewes the buylders mynde and fourmers
To bee the beste that on the Erthe remaynes;
At once for wonder and delyghte commaunde,
Shewynge howe muche hee of the godde reteynes,

Canynge the great, the charytable, and good,
Noble as kynges, if not of kyngelie bloude.

Spryte of Framptone speeketh.

Brystowe shall speeke mie name, and Radclefte
toe,

For here mie deeds were goddelye everychone;
As Owdens mynster bie the gate wylle shewe,
And Johnes at Brystowe what mie workes han done.
Besydes anere howse that I han begunne;
Butte myne comparde to thyssen ys a groffe:
Nete to bee mencioned or looked upon,
A verie punclstre or verie scoffe;
Canynge, thie name shall lyven be for aie,
Thie name ne wyth the chyrche shall waste awaie.

Spryte of Gaunts speeketk.

1 dyd fulle manie reparatyons give,
And the bonne Hommes dyd fulle ryche endowe;
As tourynge to mie Godde on Erthe dyd lyve,
So alle the Brystowe chronycles wylle shewe.
But all my deedes wylle bee as nothynge rowe
Syth Canynge have thys buyldynge fynyshed,
Whych seemeth to be the pryde of Brystowe,
And bie ne buyldeyng to bee overmatched :
Whyche aie shalle laste and bee the prayse of
And onlie in the wrecke of nature falle. [alle,

A Knyghte Templars spryte speeketh.

In hallie land where Sarasins defyle
The grounde whereon oure Savyour dyd goe,
And Chryste hys temple make to moschyes vyle,
Wordies of despyte genst oure Savyour throwe.
There twas that we dyd our warfarage doe,
Guardynge the pylgryms of the Chrystyan faie;
And dyd owre holie armes in bloude embrue,
Movynge lyke thonder boultes yn drear arraie.
Owre strokes lyke levyn tareynge the tall tree
Owre Godde owre arme wyth lethalle force dyd
dree..
[welthe,

Maint tenures fayre, ande mannoures of greete
Greene woodes, and brooklettes runnynge throughe
the lee,

Dyd menne us gyve for theyre deare soule her
helthe,

Gave erthlie ryches for goodes heavenlie.
Ne dyd we lette our ryches untyle bee,

But dyd ybuylde the Temple chyrche soe fyne,
The whyche ys wroughte abowte so bismarelie;
Itte seemeth camoys to the wondrynge eyne;
And ever and anon when belles rynged,

From place to place ytte moveth yttes hie heade:
Butte Canynge from the sweate of hys owne
browes,

Dyd gette hys golde and rayse thys fetyve howse.

Lanyngetonnes spryte speeketh.

Lette alle mie faultes bee buried ynne the grave;
Alle obloquyes be rotted wythe mie duste;
Lette him fyrst carpen that no wemmes have:
"Tys paste mannes nature for to be aie juste.
But yet in sothen to rejoyce I muste,
That I dyd not immeddle for to buylde;
Sythe thys quaintissed place so gloryous,
Seemeyng alle chyrches joyned yn one guylde,
Has nowe supplied for what I had done,
Whych toe mie cierge is a gloryous sonne.

[This poem is printed from a copy made by Mr.
Catcott, from one in Chatterton's hand-writing.
Sir Simon de Bourton, the hero of this poem, is
supposed to have been the first founder of a
church dedicated to "oure Ladie," in the place
where the church of St. Mary Redcliffe now stands.
The following account is transcribed from one
of the parchment manuscripts produced by
Chatterton:-
"Symonne de Byrtonne eldest sonne of syrre Bald-
wynus de Byrtonne, was born on the eve of the
annunciation m.cc.xxxXXXV. hee was desyr-
abelle of aspect, and in hys yowthe much yeven
to tourneyeynge, and m.c.c.xxxxxxxx at Wyn-
chestre yule games won myckle honnoure, he
abstaynyd from marryage, he was myckle learned,
and ybuylded a house in the Yle of Wyghte af-
ter fashyon of a pallayse royaul, goodlye to be
houlde, wyth carvelly'd pyllars on whych was
thys ryme wroten :

Fulle nobille is thys kyngelie howse
And eke fulle nobille thee,
Echone is for the other fytte

As saynctes for Heaven bee.

"Hee ever was fullen of almesdeeds and was of the poore beloved: in m.cc.lxxxv kynge Edwarde1 kepte hys Chrystmasse at Bryghtstowe and proceeded agaynste the Welchmenne ebroughtënne manye stronge and dowghtee knyghts, amongst whom were syrre Ferrars Nevylle, Geoffroie Freeman, Clymar Pereie, Heldebrand Gournie, Ralph Mohun, syr Lyster Percie, and Edgare Knyvet, knyghtes of renowne, who established a three days jouste on sayncte Maryes Hylle: syrre Ferrars Nevylle appeared dyghte in ruddy armoure, bearyng a rampauute lyon gutte de sangue, agaynste hym came syr Gervayse Teysdylle, who bearyd a launce issuynge proper, but was quycklie overthrowen: then appeared Leonarde Ramsay, who had a honde issuante holdeynge a bloudie swerde peercynge a couroune wyth a sheelde peasenue with sylver; he ranne twayne tyltes, but Neville throwen hym on the thyrde rencountre: then dyd the aforesayd syrre Symonne de Byrtonne avow that if he overthrowen syrre Ferrars Neville, he would

This circumstance is proved by our old chronicles under the year 1285. Rex Edw. I per Walliam progrediens occidentalem intravit Glamorganciam, quæ ad Comitem Gloveruiæ noscitur pertinore: rex dein Bristolliam veniens festum Dominicæ nativitatis eo anno ibi tenit.-Barrett,

there erecte and builde a chyrche to owre Ladye: | allgate there stoode anigh Lamyngtonnes Ladies chamber: hee then encountred vygorously, and bore syrre Ferrars horse and man to the grounde, remaynynge konyge, victore knyght of the jouste, ande settynge atte the ryghte honde of k. Edwarde. Inne m.cclxxxxi hee performed hys vowen ybuylden a godelye chyrche from a pattern of St. Oswaldes abbyes chyrche, and the day of our Lordes natyvyty m.ccc.i. Gylbert de Sante Leonfardoe byshope of Chychestre dyd dedicate it to the Holie Vyrgynne Marye moder of Godde."]