Page images
PDF
EPUB

enim etiam ingeniofis adolefcentibus frequenter, ut labore confumantur, et in SILENTIUM ufque defcendant nimia bene DICENDI cupiditate. The Tranflator gives us, For it often happens, that even some young perfons of pregnant parts, fuffer themfelves to be confumed by a ufelefs labour, and are at length obliged to condemn themselves to a fhameful filence, through a defire of doing too well.'-Now to say nothing of the flovenliness of the language, where themselves is introduced twice in the compafs of two lines, in filentium defcendant nimia bene dicendi cupiditate, they become filent through too great a defire of speaking well, is fadly tranflated indeed, when instead of speaking well, doing too well is fubftituted; for where is the contraft between doing and filence? But if the Tranflator has drawn from the French verfion of Rollin's edition, we should no longer be surprised at his infidelity; and, indeed, been obliged to condemn themfelves to a fhameful filence,' has much more the air of a fe livrer a une filence honteuse, of the wordy Frenchman, than of the fimple in filentium defcendant of the close Quintilian.

[ocr errors]

In the fame extract, wreaked inftead of racked his invention,' is an impropriety;-but in the above quotation we meet with nothing more that is very exceptionable: and, in general, the Tranflator has confulted the ftructure of his own language, by properly breaking and dividing the periods of the original. Upon the whole, we can by no means pronounce him to be a good writer, or this to be an elegant or meritorious translation.

ART. II. An exact and circumftantial History of the Battle of Floddon, in Verfe, written about the Time of Queen Elizabeth, in which are related many particular Facts not to be found in the English History. Published from a curious MS. in the Poffeffion of John Askew, of Palinsburn in Northumberland, Efq; with Notes, by Robert Lambe, Vicar of Norham upon Tweed. 8vo. 4 s. fewed. Berwick upon Tweed printed, and fold by Dilly, &c. in London. 1774.

AHE battle of Floddon was one of the moft ftrenuous,

interefting, and decifive that was ever fought between the English and Scots. Henry the Eighth, at that time profecuting his wars in France, had the greateft part of the regu lar forces in his suite, and the Earl of Surry, under the direction of the Queen, was left to protect the realm against the fufpected Scot, with fuch ruftic auxiliaries as he could muster. James the Fourth, urged by a restless ambition, on the one hand, and by the manoeuvres of the court of France, operating on that ambition, on the other, did not long leave the invafion of England in fufpence. The confequence is well known. The Earl of Surry met the Scottish King at the head of the flower of his nobility, and almoft all his forces, at Floddon.

Z 3

The

The latter fell in the battle, and his army, after a moft obfti nate and bloody engagement, was put to the rout.

But a variety of circumftances attending this important bat tle, which are not so well known, are here recorded in verfe, and farther illuftrated by the notes of the Editor. Mr. Lambe supposes the Author to have been a Yorkshire school-mafter, and there is probability in the fuppofition; for the impreffion made by this battle on all that region is, even in its traditionary effects, fo great, that, wherever a village-fray is talked of, the people fay, there is Floddon-field:

From the compofition, as an history in verfe, nothing extraordinary could be expected, though the era were in its favour, But the old bard feems to have been no stranger to the fire or Spirit of the claffical epic, for, on his fetting out, he affumes the Os magna fonaturum :

A fearful field in verfe I'll frame,

If you'll be pleas'd to understand,
O Floddon Mount! thy wonderous name
Doth fore affright my trembling hand.

And of Surry he fays,

What banners bravely blazed and born,
What ftandards ftout brought he to ground,
What worthy Lords by him forlorn,

That forrow in Scotland yet doth found.

Lord Hume's addrefs to James the Fourth, previous to the invafion, fhews what a curious opinion the Scots entertained of the defenceless state of England in the absence of Henry : For England's King, you understand,

To France is past with all his Peers;
There is none at home left in the land,
But joult-head monks, and burften friars,

Or ragged ruftics, without rules,

Or priests prating for pudaing fhives,
Or mill'ners madder than their mules,
Or wanton clerks waking their wives.

Surry's apology for calling a council of war before the battle is pathetic:

It is not I am fright with fear,

Nor for myfelf fuch thoughts I take,
But for young babes and infants dear,
Which fathers fore, I fear, will lack.

Such fortunes fall through fights, doubtless,
Poor widows plenty will be left;

And many a fervant mafterlefs,

And mother of their fons bereft.

And

And the next ftanza does equal honour to his humanity and good fenfe :

This is the cause I counsel crave,

The only caufe I caft such doubts,
I had rather one English foldier fave,
Than for to kill a thousand Scots.

There is something romantic and pleafing in the topical account of the levy of the English forces, not unlike what has been remarked as a beauty in thofe lines,

"All men of pleasant Tividale," &c,

in the poem of Chevy Chace :

And they that Craven coafts did till,
And fuch as Horton fells had fed.

With him did wend all Wenfledale
From Morton unto Morfdale-moor :
All they that dwelt by the banks of Swale,
With him were bent in harness-store,

And all that climb the mountain Cam,
Whose crown from frost is feldom free.

*

All lufty lads, and large of length,

Which dwelt on Seimar-water fide.

The following ftanzas record an anecdote of importance enough to have been mentioned in the History of England, but it is not to be found there. The extraordinary perfon who is the fubject of it had a principal concern in moft of the border disturbances between the two kingdoms in thofe times. He was at last killed upon an incurfion into Scotland;

The army preffed thus to proceed,
And all prepared in ranks to fight,
Came on a champion then indeed,
With fword in hand, in armour bright,

At first his face his helmet hid,
Thus plainly have I heard report,
Who fwiftly by the ranks did ride,
And to the Earl did ftrait resort,

The army marvelled at this man,
To fee him ride in fuch array,
But what he was, or whence he came,
None of them all could certain say,

When he the Earl of Surry faw,

From off his steed, he leaped there,
And kneeling, gracefully did bow,
Holding his horfe and quivering speare
24

[ocr errors]

In little time he filence brake,

My Lord, quoth he, afford fome grace;
Pardon my life for pity's fake,

For now you are in King Henry's place.
Mercy, my Lord, from you I crave,
Freely forgive me mine offence:
Perhaps you shortly may perceive,
Your kindness I fhall recompence.

Quoth the Earl then, Tell us thy name:
Perhaps you have done fome heinous deed,
And dare not shew thy face for shame,
What is thy fact, declare with speed.
If thou haft wrought fome treafon, tell,
Or English blood by murder spilt,
Or haft thou been fome rude rebel,
Elfe we will pardon thee thy guilt.
Then to the Earl he did reply,

My Lord, my crime it is not fuch;
The total world I do defy,

No man for treason can me touch.
I grant indeed I wrong have wrought,
Yet difobedience was the worst ;
Elfe I am clear from deed or thought,
And to extreams I have been forced.
And as for hurting English men,

I never hurt man, maid, or wife,
Howbeit, Scots some nine or ten,

At least I have bereaved of life.
Elfe I in time of wealth and want,
Unto my King perfifted true,

Wherefore, good Lord, my life now grant,
And then my name I will shortly shew.
Quoth the Earl then, Pluck up thy heart,
You seem to be a perfon brave;
Stand up at once, lay dread apart,
Thy pardon freely thou fhalt have.
Thou feemeft to be a man indeed,
And of thy hands hardy and wight,
Of fuch a man. we will stand in need,
Perchance at Friday next at night.
Then on his feet he ftarted ftrait,
And thanked the Earl for that good tide,
Then on his horse he leaped light,
Saying, my Lord, ye lack a guide.
But I fhall you conduct full ftrait
To where the Scots encamped are';
I know of old the Scottish fleight,
And crafty ftratagems of war.

Thereto

Thereto experience hath me taught,
Now I will fhew you who I am;
On borders here I was up brought,
And Baftard Heron is my name.
What, quoth the Earl, Baftard Heron,
He died at least now two years fince,
Betwixt Newark and Northampton,

He perished through the peftilence.
Our King to death had deemed the man,
Cause he the Scottish warden flew,
And on our borders first began

Thofe raging wars for to renew.
But God his purpose did prevent,

He died of the plague, to prove,
King Henry his death did fince lament,
He wondrous well the man did love.
Would God thy tale were true this tide,
Thou Baftard Heron might be found,
Thou in this gate fhould be our guide,
I know right well you know the ground.
I am the fame, faid he again,

And therewith did unfold his face:
Each perfon then perceived him plain,
That done, he opened all the cafe.
Quoth he, When I the Scots warden
Had with my blade bereaved of life,
I knew well I should get no pardon,
But fure I was to fuffer death.
In hafte King Henry for me fent,
To whom I durft not disobey:
So towards London ftrait I went,

But, hark, what I wrought by the way.

I nothing but the truth fhall note:

That time in many a town and borough, The peftilence was raging hot,

And raging, reigned all England thorough.

So coming to a certain town,

I faid I was infected fore;

And in a lodge they laid me down,
Where company I had no more;

But my own fecret fervants three,

Who, fraid of townfmen, careful watched; So in that ftead no more staid I,

But homeward by the dark dispatched.

My fervants fecretly that night,
Did frame a corpfe in cunning fort;
And on the morning, foon as light,
My death did ruefully report.
4

And

« PreviousContinue »