On Norways coaft the widowit dame
May wash the rocks with teirs,
May lang luke owre the fchiples feis

Befoir hir mate appears.

Ceife, Emma, ceife to hope in vain ;
Thy lord lyis in the clay;

The valziant Scots nae revers thole

Let Scots, quhyle Scots, praise Hardyknute,

Let Norse the name ay dreid,

Ay how he faucht, aft how he fpaird,

Sal latest ages reid. I

Loud and chill blew the westlin wind,

Sair beat the heavy showir,

310

"Thairs nae licht in my ladys bowir,
Thairs nae ficht in my hall ;

Nae blink fhynes round my Fairly fair,
Nor ward ftands on my wall.

"Quhat bodes it? Robert, Thomas, fay;"→ 325

Nae anfwer fits their dreid.

"Stand back, my fons, I'll be zour gyde :" But by they paft with fpeid.ba

As faft I haif fped owre Scotlands faès,”-
There ceift his brag of weir,

Sair schamit to mynd ocht but his dame,

And maiden Fairly fair.

339

A BALLAD OF LUTHER, THE POPE, A CARDINAL, AND A HUSBAND MAN.

In the former Book we brought down this fecond Series of poems, as low as about the middle of the fixteenth century. We now find the Mufes deeply engaged in religious controverfy. The fudden revolution, wrought in the opinions of mankind by the Reformation, is one of the most ftriking events in the history of the human mind. It could

H 4

not

any

age,

chance to be

not but engrofs the attention of every individual in that and therefore no other writings would have read, but fuch as related to this grand topic. The alterations made in the established religion by Henry VIII, the fudden changes it underwent in the three fucceeding reigns within fo foort a pace as eleven or twelve years, and the violent ftruggles between expiring Popery, and growing Proteftantifm, could not but intereft all mankind. Accordingly every pen was engaged in the difpute. The followers of the Old and New Profeffion (as it was called) bad their respective Ballad-makers and every day produced fome popular jonnet for, or against the Reformation. The following ballad, and that intitled LITTLE JOHN NOBODY, may ferve for Specimens of the writings of each party. Both were written in the reign of Edward VI; and are not the worst that were compofed upon the occafion. Controverfial divinity is no friend to poetic flights. Yet this ballad of " Luther and the Pope," is not altogether devoid of Spirit; it is of the dramatic kind, and the characters are tolerably well fuftain ed; efpecially that of Luther, which is made to Speak in a manner not unbecoming the Spirit and courage of that vigorous Reformer. It is printed from the original black-letter copy (in the Pepys collection, vol. I. folio,) to which is prefixed a large wooden cut, defigned and executed by fome eminent mafter. This is copied in miniature in the small Engraving inferted above.

We are not to wonder that the Ballad-writers of that age fould be infpired with the zeal of controversy, when the very flage teemed with polemic divinity. I have now before me two very ancient quarto black-letter plays: the one published in the time of Henry VIII, intitled, Every Man; the other, called Tufty Juventus, printed in the reign of Edward VI. In the former of thefe, occafion is taken to inculcate great reverence for old mother church and her fuperftitions in the other, the poet (one R. WEVER) with great fuccefs attacks both. So that the Stage in thofe days literally was, what wife men have always wifhed it,-a fupplement

to the Pulpit :-This was fo much the cafe, that in the play of Lufty Juventus, chapter and verfe are every where quoted as formally, as in a fermon; take an instance,

“The Lord by his prophet Ezechiel fayeth in this wife playnlye,

"As in the xxxiij chapter it doth appere:

"Be converted, Oye children, &c."

From this play we learn, that most of the young people were New Gofpellers, or friends to the Reformation; and that the old were tenacious of the doctrines imbibed in their youth: for thus the Devil is introduced lamenting the downfal of Juperftition,

"The olde people would believe ftil in my lawes, "But the yonger fort leade them a contrary way, "They wyl not beleve, they playnly fay,

"In olde traditions, and made by men,

And in another place Hypocrify urges,

"The worlde was never meri
"Since chyldren were fo boulde:
"Now every boy wil be a teacher,

c."

"The father a foole, the chyld a preacher."

Of the plays abovementioned, to the first is fubjoined the following Printer's Colophon, ¶ Chus endeth this morall playe of Every man. ¶ Impronted at London in Powles cherche parde by me John kot. . In Mr. Garrick's collection is an imperfect copy of the fame play, printed by Wynkyn

de Worde.

The other is intitled, An enterlude called Lusty Inventus : and is thus diftinguished at the end: Finis. quod N. Wever. Imprinted at London in Paules churche peard, by Abraham Pele at the figne of the Lambe. Of this too Mr. Garrick has an imperfect copy of a different edition.

THE