Table Of Content

Reliques of Ancient English Poetry By Thomas Percy Published by the Ex-classics Project, 2016 http://www.exclassics.com Public Domain Percy's Reliques CONTENTS TitlePage.......................................................................................................................7 Dedication......................................................................................................................8 Advertisement totheEditionof1876............................................................................9 Preface..........................................................................................................................11 AnEssayOnTheAncient Minstrels InEngland.........................................................16 Notes and Illustrations ReferredtointheForegoingEssay........................................36 Epigraph.......................................................................................................................73 BOOK I........................................................................................................................74 I.TheAncient Balladof Chevy-Chase........................................................................74 II. The BattleofOtterbourne.......................................................................................84 ANoteontheNames inthetwoPrecedingBallads....................................................94 III. TheJew's Daughter. ASCOTTISH BALLAD......................................................96 IV.SirCauline.............................................................................................................98 V.Edward,Edward.ASCOTTISH BALLAD.FROM AMANUSCRIPT COPY TRANSMITTEDFROM SCOTLAND.....................................................................108 VI.KingEstmere.......................................................................................................110 VII.SirPatrickSpence..............................................................................................120 VIII.RobinHoodandGuyof Gisborne....................................................................122 IX.AnElegyonHenry,fourthEarl ofNorthumberland...........................................131 X.TheTowerofDoctrine..........................................................................................137 XI.TheChildofElle.................................................................................................140 XII. Edom O'Gordon.A SCOTTISH BALLAD.....................................................145 BOOK II.....................................................................................................................150 EssayontheOriginoftheEnglish Stage,Etc...........................................................150 I. Adam Bell,Clym oftheClough,andWilliam ofCloudesly.................................166 II. TheAged LoverRenounceth Love.......................................................................184 III. JephthahJudgeof Israel.......................................................................................186 V.ASongtothe Lutein Musicke.............................................................................190 VI.KingCophetuaandtheBeggar-Maid..................................................................192 VII. TakeThyAuldCloakAbout Thee....................................................................195 VIII.Willow,Willow,Willow...................................................................................198 IX.Sir Lancelot du Lake............................................................................................201 X.Corydon's Farewell toPhillis................................................................................205 XI.Gernutus, theJewof Venice................................................................................207 XII.ThePassionateShepherdtohis Love.................................................................213 XIII.Titus Andronicus's Complaint...........................................................................216 XIV.TakeThose Lips Away.....................................................................................220 XV.King Leirandhis ThreeDaughters....................................................................221 XVI.YouthAndAge.................................................................................................225 XVII.TheFrolicksome Duke,ortheTinker's GoodFortune....................................227 XVIII.TheFriarofOrders Gray................................................................................230 BOOK III...................................................................................................................233 I.ThemoremodernBalladofChevyChace.............................................................233 II. Death's Final Conquest..........................................................................................244 III. TheRisingintheNorth........................................................................................245 IV.NorthumberlandBetrayedbyDouglas................................................................251 V.MyMindtoMea Kingdom is..............................................................................258 VI. ThePatient Countess..........................................................................................259 -2- Percy's Reliques VII. Dowsabel...........................................................................................................265 VIII.TheFarewell fo Love........................................................................................269 IX.Ulysses andtheSyren..........................................................................................270 XI.TheCharacterofa HappyLife............................................................................275 XII.Gilderoy..............................................................................................................276 XIII.Winifreda..........................................................................................................279 XIV.TheWitchofWokey.........................................................................................280 XV.BryanandPereene, AWEST-INDIAN BALLAD............................................282 XVI. GentleRiver,GentleRiver. TRANSLATEDFROM THESPANISH...........284 XVII.Alcanzorand Zayda. AMOORISHTALE. IMITATED FROM THE SPANISH...................................................................................................................287 BOOK IV...................................................................................................................290 I.RichardofAlmaigne..............................................................................................290 II. OntheDeathofK.Edwardthe First.....................................................................293 III. Anoriginal BalladbyChaucer............................................................................296 IV.TheTurnament ofTottenham; OR,THEWOOEING,WINNING,AND WEDDINGOFTIBBE, THEREEV'S DAVGHTER THERE.................................298 V.Forthe Victoryat Agincourt.................................................................................305 VI.TheNot-BrowneMayd........................................................................................307 VII.A Balet bytheEarl Rivers..................................................................................317 VIII.Cupid's Assault: byLord Vaux.........................................................................319 IX.SirAldingar.........................................................................................................322 X.TheGaberlunzieMan ASCOTTISH BALLAD..................................................327 XI.OnThomas LordCromwell.................................................................................330 XII.Harpalus. AN ANCIENTENGLISHPASTORAL...........................................333 XIII. RobinandMakyne.ANANCIENTSCOTTISHPASTORAL.......................336 XIV.Gentle Herdsman,tell toMe.DIALOGUEBETWEENAPILGRIM AND HERDSMAN.............................................................................................................340 XV.KingEdward IV.andtheTannerofTamworth.................................................343 XVIAs Yecame from theHolyLand.DIALOGUEBETWEENAPILGRIM AND TRAVELLER............................................................................................................349 XVII.Hardyknute.ASCOTTISHFRAGMENT......................................................351 BOOK V....................................................................................................................361 I. ABalladof Luther,the Pope,aCardinal,and a Husbandman...............................361 II. JohnAnderson myJo.ASCOTTISHSONG.......................................................365 III. LittleJohnNobody..............................................................................................367 IV.QueenElizabeth's Verses, WhilePrisonerAt Woodstock.WRITWITH CHARCOALONASHUTTER................................................................................370 V.TheHeir Of Linne.................................................................................................371 VI.Gascoigne's Praiseof theFair Bridges, afterwards LadySandes, ON HER HAVING ASCAR IN HER FOREHEAD................................................................377 VII.FairRosamond...................................................................................................380 VIII.QueenEleanor's Confession.............................................................................387 IX.TheSturdyRock..................................................................................................390 X.TheBeggar's DaughterofBednall-Green.............................................................392 AnEssayontheMeaningoftheWord FIT...............................................................399 XI.Fancyand Desire. BYTHEEARLOFOXFORD..............................................402 XII.SirAndrewBarton..............................................................................................404 XIII. LadyAnne Bothwell's Lament ASCOTTISHSONG......................................413 XIV.TheMurderofthe KingofScots......................................................................415 -3- Percy's Reliques XV.ASonnet byQ.Elizabeth...................................................................................418 XVI. TheKingofScots andAndrewBrowne..........................................................420 XVIII. YoungWaters. A SCOTTISH BALLAD......................................................426 XIX.MaryAmbree....................................................................................................428 XX.Brave LordWilloughbey....................................................................................431 XXI.Victorious Menof Earth...................................................................................434 XXII.TheWinningofCales......................................................................................435 XXIII.TheSpanish Lady's Love...............................................................................438 XXIV.ArgentileandCuran.......................................................................................441 XXV.Corin's Fate......................................................................................................450 XXVI.JaneShore......................................................................................................451 XXVII.Corydon's Doleful Knell...............................................................................458 BOOK VI...................................................................................................................460 OntheAlliterativeMetre,without Rhyme,inPiercePlowman's Visions................460 I.TheComplaint ofConscience................................................................................470 II. PlainTruthandBlind Ignorance...........................................................................473 III. TheWanderingJew.............................................................................................477 IV.The Lye. BYSIR WALTER RALEIGH.............................................................481 V.Verses byKingJames I.........................................................................................484 VI.KingJohnandtheAbbot ofCanterbury..............................................................486 VII.YouMeaner Beauties.........................................................................................489 VIII.TheOldandYoungCourtier............................................................................490 IX.SirJohnSuckling's Campaigne...........................................................................492 X.ToAlthea From Prison..........................................................................................494 XI.TheDownfall ofCharingCross...........................................................................496 XII. LoyaltyConfined................................................................................................498 XIII.Verses byKingCharles I..................................................................................501 XIV.TheSaleofRebellious House-holdStuff.........................................................504 XV.The BaffledKnight, or Lady's Policy................................................................507 XVI.Whyso Pale?....................................................................................................512 XVII.OldTom of Bedlam.MADSONGTHEFIRST.............................................513 XVIII.TheDistractedPuritan. MADSONGTHE SECOND..................................515 XIX.The Lunatic Lover. MADSONGTHETHIRD...............................................518 XX.The LadyDistracted with LoveMADSONG THEFOURTH..........................520 XXI.TheDistracted LoverMADSONGTHEFIFTH.............................................521 XXII.TheFrantic Lady. MADSONGTHESIXTH.................................................523 XXIII. Lilli Burlero....................................................................................................523 XXIV.The Braes OfYarrow. IN IMITATIONOF THEANCIENTSCOTS MANNER..................................................................................................................526 XXV.Admiral Hosier's Ghost...................................................................................529 XXVI.JemmyDawson..............................................................................................532 BOOK VII.Poems onKingArthur,etc.....................................................................534 EssayOnTheAncient Metrical Romances, Etc........................................................534 I.TheBoyandtheMantle.........................................................................................555 II. TheMarriageofSirGawaine................................................................................561 III. KingRyence's Challenge.....................................................................................569 IV.KingArthur's Death AFRAGMENT..................................................................571 V.The LegendofKingArthur..................................................................................576 VI.ADyttietoHeyDowne.......................................................................................579 VII.Glasgerion..........................................................................................................580 -4- Percy's Reliques VIII.OldRobinofPortingale....................................................................................583 IX.ChildWaters........................................................................................................587 X.PhillidaandCorydon............................................................................................592 XI. LittleMusgraveand LadyBarnard......................................................................594 XII.TheEw-Bughts Marion......................................................................................598 XIII.TheKnight andShepherd's Daughter...............................................................599 XIV.TheShepherd's Address tohis Muse................................................................602 XV. LordThomas and FairEllinor............................................................................604 XVI.CupidandCampaspe........................................................................................606 XVII.The LadyturnedServing-Man........................................................................607 XVIII. Gil Morrice. ASCOTTISH BALLAD..........................................................611 BOOK VIII................................................................................................................617 I.The LegendofSirGuy...........................................................................................617 II. GuyandAmarant..................................................................................................622 III. The AuldGoodman ASCOTTISHSONG..........................................................628 IV.FairMargaret andSweet William........................................................................630 V.BarbaraAllen's Cruelty.........................................................................................633 VI.Sweet William's Ghost.ASCOTTISH BALLAD..............................................635 VII.SirJohnGrehmeandBarbara Allan.ASCOTTISH BALLAD........................637 VIII.TheBailiff's Daughterof Islington...................................................................639 IX.TheWillow-Tree. APASTORALDIALOGUE.................................................641 X.The Lady's Fall......................................................................................................643 XI.WalyWaly, Lovebe Bonny.ASCOTTISHSONG...........................................647 XII.TheWantonWifeof Bath..................................................................................649 XIII.TheBride's Burial.............................................................................................653 XIV.Dulcina..............................................................................................................657 XV.The LadyIsabella's Tragedy..............................................................................659 XVI.TheHueandCryafterCupid............................................................................662 XVII.TheKingofFrance's Daughter.......................................................................664 XVIII.TheSweet Neglect.........................................................................................670 XIX.TheChildreninthe Wood................................................................................671 XX.A Lover Of Late.................................................................................................675 XXI.TheKingandthe MillerofMansfield..............................................................676 XXII.TheShepherd's Resolution..............................................................................682 XXIII. Queen Dido....................................................................................................684 XXIV.TheWitches'Song.........................................................................................688 XXV.RobinGood-Fellow.........................................................................................690 XXVI.The FairyQueen............................................................................................694 XXVII.TheFairies Farewell.....................................................................................696 BOOK IX...................................................................................................................700 I.TheBirthofSt.George..........................................................................................700 II. St.George andtheDragon....................................................................................707 III. Love will findout theWay..................................................................................713 IV. LordThomas andFairAnnet ASCOTTISH BALLAD.....................................714 V.UnfadingBeauty...................................................................................................717 VI.George Barnwell..................................................................................................718 VII.TheStedfast Shepherd........................................................................................727 TheSpanish Virgin,orEffects ofJealousy...............................................................729 IX.Jealousy,Tyrant oftheMind...............................................................................733 X.Constant Penelope.................................................................................................734 -5- Percy's Reliques XI.To Lucasta,on goingtotheWars........................................................................737 XII.ValentineandUrsine..........................................................................................738 XIII.TheDragonofWantley.....................................................................................748 XIV.St.George forEngland.THEFIRSTPART....................................................755 XV.St.GeorgeforEngland THESECONDPART..................................................758 XVI.Margaret's Ghost...............................................................................................770 XVII. LucyandColin................................................................................................772 XVIII.The Boyandthe Mantle.AS REVISED ANDALTERED BYAMODERN HAND[1]...................................................................................................................774 XIX.TheAncient Fragment ofTheMarriageofSirGawaine..................................780 GLOSSARY..............................................................................................................786 -6- Percy's Reliques Title Page RELIQUES OF ANCIENTENGLISHPOETRY: CONSISTING OF OLD HEROIC BALLADS, SONGS, AND OTHER PIECES OFOUR EARLIER POETS; TOGETHER WITHSOMEFEW OF LATER DATE. BYTHOMAS PERCY, LORD BISHOP OFDROMORE. EDITED BY J. V. PRICHARD. -7- Percy's Reliques Dedication. TOTHERIGHTHONOURABLE Elizabeth, Countess of Northumberland: IN HER OWNRIGHT BARONESS PERCY, LUCY,POYNINGS,FITZPAYNE, BRYAN,AND LATIMER. MADAM, THOSEwriters whosolicit theprotectionofthenobleandthe great areoften exposedtocensurebytheimproprietyoftheir addresses: aremarkthat will perhaps betooreadilyappliedto him who,havingnothingbettertoofferthantherudeSongs ofancient Minstrels, aspires tothepatronageoftheCountess ofNorthumberland,and hopes that thebarbarous productions ofunpolishedages canobtaintheapprobationor thenoticeofher,whoadorns courts byherpresence,anddiffuses elegance byher example. But this impropriety,it is presumed,will disappear,whenit is declaredthat thesepoems arepresentedto your Ladyship,not as labours ofart,but as effusions of nature,showingthefirst efforts of ancient genius, andexhibitingthecustoms and opinions ofremoteages, --ofages that hadbeenalmost lost tomemory,hadnot the gallant deeds of yourillustrious Ancestors preservedthem from oblivion. Noactiveor comprehensivemindcanforbearsomeattentiontothereliques of antiquity: it is prompted bynatural curiositytosurveytheprogress oflife and manners, andtoinquirebywhat gradations barbaritywas civilized,grossness refined, andignoranceinstructed; but this curiosity,Madam,must bestrongerinthosewho, like your Ladyship,can remarkineveryperiodtheinfluenceofsome great Progenitor, andwhostill feel intheireffects thetransactions andevents of distant centuries. Bysuch Bards, Madam, as Iam nowintroducingto yourpresence,was the infancyof genius nurturedandadvanced; bysuch weretheminds ofunlettered warriors softenedand enlarged; bysuchwas thememoryofillustrious actions preservedandpropagated; bysuchweretheheroicdeeds oftheEarls of Northumberlandsungat festivals inthehall ofALNWICKandthoseSongs whichthe bountyof your ancestors rewarded,now returnto your Ladyshipbyakind of hereditaryright; and, Iflattermyself,will findsuchreceptionas is usuallyshownto poets andhistorians bythosewhoseconsciousness ofmerit makes it theirinterest to belongremembered. Iam,Madam, Your Ladyship's most humble andmost devotedservant, THOMAS PERCY, MDCCLXV. -8- Percy's Reliques Advertisement to the Edition of 1876. As earlyas the year1794,whenonlythefourtheditionoftheReliques had appeared,theRev.Thomas Percy,actingas assistant-editortohis uncle,theBishop of Dromore,hintedat thedifficultyattendant uponsuchacompositionas acollectionof poems from amutilatedandincorrect manuscript. At that dateBishop Percy, his nephew,and afewfriends were aloneenabledtopass this judgment.To-day, however,the concealed manuscript is thepropertyofthe British Museum,its masterly edition[1] byMessrs. Hales andFurnivall rests inthehands ofthepublic,andour knowledgeoftheoriginal poems enables us toappreciatetheextraordinaryingenuity displayedbythe Bishop inhis manipulationoftheforty-fivenumbers extractedfrom his FolioManuscript; nor is ouradmirationforhis poeticgenius otherthanredoubled bythediscovery. TheFolioManuscript itself,whichhas beentoocloselyconnectedinthe general mindwiththeReliques, consideringthat thelattercontains onlyabout one- sixthofthecontents oftheformer,is anarrowbook,about fifteen andahalfinches longbyfive andahalfwide,whichhas beentorn andcut,andis deficient inmany parts. It consists of amass ofsometwohundredSonnets, Ballads, Historical Songs, andMetrical Romances, transcribed,weareassured,"from defectivecopies, orthe imperfect recitationofilliteratesingers; so that a considerableportionofthesongor narrativeis sometimes omitted,andmiserabletrash ornonsensenot unfrequently introducedintopieces of considerablemerit."[2] Mr.Furnivall fixes thedateofthehandwritingto the year1650,or thereabouts, andobserves, "Thedialect ofthe copies oftheMS.seems tohavebeen Lancashire."[3] Whothiscopiermayhavebeenstill remains amystery.Percy's suggestionthat it was Thomas Blount has beendismissedas incredible. Concerningthetreatment ofthetext inPercy's selections, wehaveMr. Furnivall's wordthat the ReverendEditor "looked uponit as a youngwomanfrom the countrywithunkempt locks, whom hehadtofit forfashionablesociety."[4] Bethat as it may,theReliques haveadmirablyservedtheirpurpose; theyhave passedthroughat least thirtyeditions invarious parts oftheworld; theyrankamong thoseworks whichhave supportedpopularityfor morethanacentury,and theymay maketheirvaunt ofhavingarousedthe "WizardoftheNorth"toexclaim,"Thefirst time Icouldscrapeafew shillings together,--whichwerenot commonoccurrences withme,-- Ibought untomyself acopyofthebelovedvolumes; nordo Ibelieve I everread abookhalfso frequently,orwithhalftheenthusiasm."[5] Theendeavourofthepresent Editorhas beeninnowaycritical,norhas his endinviewbeenthesatisfactionofthe "judicious antiquary"so muchas thedesireto effect acorrect reproductionoftheReliques as put forthduringPercy's life. Consequently,thefourearliest editions havebeen carefullycollatedwiththe FolioManuscript,andwithProfessorChild's English andScottish Ballads (edit.1857, Boston). Theresult is, arefinement andcorrectionofthetext,animprovement inthe punctuation,andanenlarged Glossary.A comprehensive Index has also been prepared. -9- Percy's Reliques Theoriginal threevolumes appearintwo,though Percy's arrangement of Books remains unaltered andconsecutive. Afew explanatoryfoot-notes, thefruit oflateresearch,increasethealready copious stock,but thepaternityofall suchis distinctlynoted. Thework,then,ofrevisionandadditionmerelyaims at heighteningthe intrinsicmerit oftheearlyeditions andat assistinginmakingtheReliques of1875an improvedre-cast. THEEDITOR, Oct.,1875. NOTES 1.Bishop Percy's FolioManuscript.Ballads and Romances. EditedbyC.W.Hales, M.A.,andF.J.Furnivall, M.A.4vols. (Trubner & CO.1868.) 2.Advertisement tothefourtheditionoftheReliques,1794. 3.Percy's FolioMS.i.,xiii. 4.Percy's FolioMS.i.,xvi. 5. Lockhart's LifeofScott,chap.i. -10-