Than fum they rade, and fum they rin, Fou faft out-owre the bent; But eir the foremost could get up, 135 Baith lady and babes were brent. He wrang his hands, he rent his hair, O traitors, for this cruel deid Ze fall weip teirs o' bluid. And after the Gordon he is gane, Sa faft as he micht drie; And foon i' the Gordon's foul hartis bluid, He's wroken his dear ladie. 140 XII. AN ELEGY ON HENRY FOURTH EARL OF NORTH HUMBERLAND. As it was propofed to give specimens of the compofition of most of our ancient poets, the reader has here an ELEGY of SKELTON'S: yet as this is fome little deviation from our plan, we chufe to throw it to the end of the FIRST BOOK, though evidently written before fome of the preceding. This The fubject of this poem 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. tax was 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 dif content, and praying an abatement. But nothing is fo unrelenting as avarice: the king wrote back that not a penny Should be abated. This message 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 boufe 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, Sc. If If the reader does not find much, poetical merit in this old poem (which yet is one of Skelton's best) he will fee a firiking picture of the fate 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: fee v. 32. 183. &c. Which however different from modern manners, was not unusual with our greater barons, whofe cafiles had all the splendour and offices of a royal court, before the Laws against Retainers abridged and limited the number of their attendants. JOHN SKELTON, who commonly fiyled himself Poet Lau reat, died June 21. 1529. The following poem, which appears to have been written foon after the event, is printed from an ancient edition of his poems in bl. let. 12mo. 1568.It is addreffed to Henry 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, ** Aft ubi perlegit, dubiam fub mente volutet SKELTON LAUREAT UPON THE DOLOURS DETHE AND MUCH LAMENTABLE CHAUNCE OF THE MOST HONORABLE ERLE OF NORTHUMBERLANDE. Wayle, I wepe, I fobbe, I figh ful fore Of Of the bloud + royall defcending nobelly; Whose lordfhyp doutles, was flayne lamentably 5 Thorow trefon again him compaffed and wrought; Trew to his prince, in ward, in dede, and thought. Of hevenly poems, O Clyo calde by name In the colege of mufis goddess hyftoriall, Of noble actes aunciently enrolde, Of famous pryncis and lordes of aftate, Regeftringe trewly every formaré date ; In fefons past who hath herde or fene Of formar writyng by any prefidente That vilane haftarddis in their furious tene, Fulfylled with malice of froward entente, Confetered togeder of common concente Falfly to flee theyr most finguler good lord? It may be regiftrede of fhamefull recorde. Henry, firft E. of Northumberland, was begotten of Mary daughter to Henry E. of Lancaster, fecond fon of K. Henry IIIHe was alfo lineally defcended from Godfrey Duke of Brabant, fon of the Emperour Charlemagne, by Gerberga niece to Lothar K. of France. See Cambden Brit. So So noble a man, so valiaunt lord and knyght, Fulfilled with honor, as all the world doth ken; 30 At his commaundement, which had both day and nyght Knyghtes and fquyers, at every feafon when He calde upon them, as meniall houshold men : Were not these commons uncurțeis karlis of kind To flo their own lord? God was not in their mynd. 35 And were not they to blame, I fay also, That were aboute him his owne fervants of truft, To fuffre him flayn of his mortall fo? Fled away from hym, let hym ly in the daft: They bode not till the rekening were discust. What fhuld I flatter? what shuld I glofe or paint? Fy, fy for fhame, their hartes were to faint. 40 In England and Fraunce, which gretly was redouted; Of whom both Flaunders and Scotland stode in drede; To whom great eftates obeyed and lowted; -45 Amayny of rude villayns made hym for to blede: Unkindly they flew him, that holp them oft at nede: He was their bulwark, their paves, and their wall, Yet shamfully they flew hym; that shame mot them befal. 50 I fay, ye comoners, why wer ye so stark mad ? He |