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The Multitude was so Moche, it Mighte not be nombred.
Methoughte y herd a Crowned Kyng, of his Comunes axe
A Soleyne Subsidie, to Susteyne his werres.

2

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With that a Clerk Kneled adowne and Carped these wordes,
Liege Lord, yif it you Like to Listen a while,
Som Sawes of Salomon y shall you Shewe Sone."

The writer then gives a solemn lecture to kings on the art of governing. From the demand of subsidies "to susteyne his werres," I am inclined to believe this poem was composed in the reign of King Henry V., as the MS. appears from a subsequent entry to have been written before the 9th of Henry VI. The whole poem contains but 146 lines.

The Alliterative Metre was no less popular among the old Scottish poets, than with their brethren on this side the Tweed. In Maitland's Collection of ancient Scottish Poems, MS. in the Pepysian Library, is a very long poem in this species of versification, thus inscribed :

"HEIR begins the Tretis of the Twa Marriit Wemen and the Wedo, compylit

be Maister William Dunbar.3

"Upon the Midsummer evven Mirriest of nichtis
I Muvit furth alane quhen as Midnight was past
Besyd ane Gudlie Grene Garth, full of Gay flouris
Hegeit of ane Huge Hicht with Hawthorne treeis

5

Quairon ane Bird on ane Bransche so Birst out hir notis

6

That nevir ane Blythfuller Bird was on the Beuche hard," &c.

The author pretends to overhear three gossips sitting in an arbour, and revealing all their secret methods of alluring and governing the other sex: it is a severe and humorous satire on bad women, and nothing inferior to Chaucer's Prologue to his Wife of Bath's Tale. As Dunbar lived till about the middle of the sixteenth century, this poem was probably composed after Scottish Field (described above in p. 6), which is the latest specimen I have met with written in England. This poem contains about 500 lines.

But the current use of the Alliterative Metre in Scotland appears more particularly from those popular vulgar prophecies which are still printed for the use of the lower people in Scotland, under the names of Thomas the Rymer, Marvellous Merling, &c. This collection

2 Solemn.

3 Since the above was written, this poem hath been printed in "Ancient Scottish Poems, &c., from the MS. Collection of Sir R. Maitland, of Lethington, knight, of London, 1786," 2 vols. 12mo. The two first lines

are here corrected by that edition.

4 Garden.

5 Hedged.

6

Bough.

seems to have been put together after the accession of James I. to the crown of England, and most of the pieces in it are in the metre of Pierce Plowman's Visions. The first of them begins thus:

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Merling sayes in his book, who will Read Right,

Although his Sayings be uncouth, they Shall be true found.
In the seventh chapter, read Whoso Will,

One thousand and more after Christ's birth," &c.

And the Prophesie of Beid:

"Betwixt the chief of Summer and the Sad winter;
Before the Heat of summer Happen shall a war
That Europ's lands Earnestly shall be wrought
And Earnest Envy shall last but a while," &c.

So again the Prophesie of Berlington:

"When the Ruby is Raised, Rest is there none,
But much Rancour shall Rise in River and plain,
Much Sorrow is Seen through a Suth-hound
That beares Hornes in his Head like a wyld Hart," &c.

In like metre is the Prophesie of Waldhave:

"Upon Lowdon Law alone as I Lay,

Looking to the Lennox, as ine Lief thought,
The first Morning of May, Medicine to seek

For Malice and Melody that Moved me sore," &c.

And lastly, that entitled the Prophesie of Gildas:

"When holy kirk is Wracked, and Will has no Wit,
And Pastors are Pluckt, and Pil'd without Pity,
When Idolatry Is In ENS and RE,

And spiritual pastours are vexed away," &c.

It will be observed in the foregoing specimens that the alliteration is extremely neglected, except in the third and fourth instances, although all the rest are written in imitation of the cadence used in this kind of metre. It may perhaps appear from an attentive perusal, that the poems ascribed to Berlington and Waldhave are more ancient than the others: indeed, the first and fifth appear evidently to have been new modelled, if not entirely composed, about the beginning of the last century, and are probably the latest attempts ever made in this species of verse.

In this and the foregoing Essay are mentioned all the specimens I have met with of the Alliterative Metre without rhyme; but instances occur sometimes in old manuscripts of poems written both with final rhymes and the internal cadence and alliterations of the metre of Pierce Plowman.

END OF THE ESSAY.

The following Song, entitled The Complaint of Conscience, is printed from the Editor's folio manuscript. Some corruptions in the old copy are here corrected; but with notice to the reader wherever it was judged necessary by inclosing the corrections between inverted 'commas.'

As I walked of late by an' wood side,
To God for to meditate was my entent,
Where under a hawthorne I suddenlye spyed
A silly poore creature ragged and rent;
With bloody teares his face was besprent,
His fleshe and his color consumed away,

And his garments they were all mire, mucke, and clay. This made me muse and much 'to' desire

To know what kind of man hee shold bee;
I stept to him straight, and did him require
His name and his secretts to shew unto mee.
His head he cast up, and wooful was hee.

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My name," quoth he, " is the cause of my care,
And makes me scorned and left here so bare."

5

10

16

Then straightway he turnd him and prayd 'me' sit downe, "And I will," saithe he," declare my whole greefe. My name is called CONSCIENCE:"-wheratt he did frowne, He pined to repeate it and grinded his teethe. "Thoughe now, silly wretche, I'm denyed all releef,' 'Yet' while I was young and tender of

yeeres,

I was entertained with kinges and with peeres.
"There was none in the court that lived in such fame,
For with the kings councell 'I' sate in commission;
Dukes, earles, and barrons esteem'd of my name;
And how that I liv'd there needs no repetition.

I was ever holden in honest condition,

20

25

For howsoever the lawes went in Westminster-hall,
When sentence was given, for me they wold call.

"No incomes at all the landlords wold take, But one pore peny that was their fine,

And that they acknowledged to be for my sake.

30

Ver. 1, one. MS.

V. 15, him. MS.
V. 23, he sate. MS.

V. 19, not in MS.

The poore wold doe nothing without councell mine;
I ruled the world with the right line;

For nothing was passed betweene foe and friend,
But Conscience was called to bee at 'the' end.

"Noe bargaines nor merchandize merchants wold make, But I was called a wittenesse therto;

Noe use for noe money, nor forfett wold take,

But I wold controule them if that they did soe;

' And ' that makes me live now in great woe, For then came in Pride, Sathan's disciple,

That is now entertained with all kind of people;

"He brought with him three, whose names, 'thus they call,'

That is Covetousnes, Lecherye, Usury, beside;

35

40

They never prevail'd till they had wrought my downe-fall.
Soe Pride was entertained, but Conscience decried.
And now ever since' abroad have I tryed

46

To have had entertainment with some one or other,
But I am rejected and scorned of

my brother.

"Then went I to the Court, the gallants to winn, But the porter kept me out of the gate.

50

To Bartlemew Spittle, to pray for my sinne,

They bade me goe packe; it was fitt for my state;

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Goe, goe, threed-bare Conscience, and seeke thee a mate!' Good Lord, long preserve my king, prince, and queene, With whom evermore I esteemed have been!

·

"Then went I to London, where once I did' dwell,'
But they bade away with me when they knew my name;
For he will undoe us to bye and to sell!'
They bade me goe pack me, and hye me for shame,
They lought at my raggs, and there had good game;

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56

60

This is old threed-bare Conscience that dwelt with
Saint Peter;'

But they wold not admitt me to be a chimney-sweeper.

V. 35, an end. MS derided. MS.

V. 43, they be these. MS.
V. 53, packe me.

V. 46, was

V. 57, wonne. MS.

“Not one wold receive me, the Lord 'he' doth know.
I, having but one poor pennye in my purse,
On an awle and some patches I did it bestow;
'For' I thought better cobble shooes than doe worse.
Straight then all the coblers began for to curse,

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And by statute wold prove me a rogue and forlorne,
And whipp me out of towne to 'seeke' where I was borne.

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“Then did I remember and call to my minde,
The Court of Conscience where once I did sit,
Not doubting but there I some favor shold find,
For my name and the place agreed soe fit.
But there of my purpose I fayled a whit,

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For thoughe' the judge us'd my name in everye ' commission,'

The lawyers with their quillets wold get 'my' dis-
mission.

"Then Westminster-hall was noe place for me;
Good Lord! how the lawyers began to assemble;
And fearfull they were lest there I shold bee!
The silly poore clarkes began for to tremble;
I showed them my cause, and did not dissemble.

Soe they gave me some money my charges to beare,
But swore me on a booke I must never come there.

80

"Next the Merchants said, 'Counterfeite, get thee away,
Dost thou remember how wee thee fond?
We banisht thee the country beyond the salt sea,
And sett thee on shore in the New-found land,

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And there thou and wee most friendly shook hand;
And we were right glad when thou didst refuse us,
For when we wold reape profitt here thou woldst accuse

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us.'

'Then had I noe way but for to goe on
To Gentlemens houses of an ancyent name,
Declaring my greeffes; and there I made moane,
'Telling' how their forefathers held me in fame,
And at letting their farmes how always I came.

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95

V. 77, get a. MS.

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