It was published affords no pofitive indication of that date". from an antient manuscript in the year 1631, and reduced to a more modern style, by William Bedwell, rector of Tottenham, and one of the tranflators of the Bible. He fays it was written by Gilbert Pilkington, supposed to have been rector of the fame parish, and author of an unknown tract, called PASSIO DOMINI JESU. But Bedwell, without the leaft comprehenfion of the scope and spirit of the piece, imagines it to be a serious narrative of a real event; and, with as little fagacity, believes it to have been written before the year 1330. Allowing that it might originate from a real event, and that there might be fome private and local abuse at the bottom, it is impoffible that the poet could be ferious. Undoubtedly the chief merit of this poem, although not deftitute of humour, confifts in the defign rather than the execution. As Chaucer, in the RIME OF SIR THOPAS, traveftied the romances of chivalry, the TOURNA MENT OF TOTTENHAM is a burlesque on the parade and fopperies of chivalry itself. In this light, it may be confidered as a curiofity; and does honour to the good fenfe and cifernment of the writer, who seeing through the folly of thefe fauionable exercises, was fenfible at the fame time, that they were too popular to be attacked by the more folid weapons of reafon and argument. Even on a fuppofition that here is an allufion to real facts and characters, and that it was intended to expofe fome popular story of the amours of the daughter of the Reve of Tottenham, we must acknowledge that the fatire is conveyed in an ingenious mode. He has introduced a parcel of clowns and ruftics, the inhabitants of Tottenham, Islington, Highgate, and Hackney, places then not quite so polished as at prefent, who imitate all War faire feld in the ferene, Thaire heviddes for to hide. That king Edward was in; The princes that war rich on raw, And made mirth at thaire might; And full frek for to fight. Gladly thai gaf mete and drink, The wight men that thar ware: For thare than had the lely flowre That fo gat fled for ferd; a In glittering ranks, made the drums, &c, 1 the folemnities of the barriers. The whole is a mock-parody on the challenge, the various events of the encounter, the exhibition of the prize, the devices and efcocheons, the display of arms, the triumphant proceffion of the conqueror, the oath before the combat, and the fplendid feast which followed, with every other ceremony and circumstance which constituted the regular tournament. The reader will form an idea of the work from a fhort extract ". He that bear'th him beft in the tournament, Shal be graunted the gree by the common affent, For to winne my daughter with doughtineffe of dent ̊, For no fpence will I fpare, For no cattell will I care. He shall have my gray mare, and my fpotted fow. There was many a bold lad their bodyes to bede *; Till it come to the day that they should do their dede: They fett on their nowls' Good blacke bowls *, To keep their powls' from battering of battes". They sewed hem in sheepskinnes for they should not brest*, And every ilk of them had a blacke hatte instead of a creft; A baskett or panyer before on their brest, And a flayle in her hande, for to fight preft", Forthe con thei fare 1. There was kid mickle force. Who fhould beft fend his corfe, He that had no good horfe, borrowed him a mare, &c'. It appears to me, that the author, to give dignity to his narrative, and to heighten the ridicule by stiffening the familiarity of his incidents and characters, has affected an antiquity of ftyle. This I could prove from the caft of its fundamental diction and idiom, with which many of the old words do not agree. Perhaps another of the author's affectations is the alliterative manner. For although other fpecimens of alliteration, in fmaller pieces, are now to be found, yet it was a fingularity. To those which I have mentioned, of this reign, I take this opportunity of adding an alliterative poem, which may be called the FALCON AND THE PIE, who fupport a DYALOGUE DESENSYVE FOR WOMEN AGAYNST MALICYOUS DETRACTOURS, printed in 1542". The author's name Robert Vaghane, P Ready. On they went. Kithed, i. e. fhewn. $ Defend. I have before obferved, that it was a difgrace to chivalry to ride a mare. The poems of this manuf.ript do not feem to be all precifely of the faine hand, and might probably once have been feparate papers, here ftitched together. At the end of one of them, viz. fol. 46. The lyfom ledys the Blynde, mention is inferted of an accompt fettled ann. 34. Hen. vi. And this is in the hand and ink of that poem, and of fome others. The TOURNAMENT OF TOTTENHAM, which might once have been detached from the prefent collection, comes at fome distance afterwards, and cannot perhaps for a certainty be pronounced to be of the fame writing. I take this opportunity of correcting a wrong reference to SIR PENI juft cited, at p. 93. It belongs to GALB. E. 9. MSS. Cott. Coloph." Thus endeth the faucon "and pie anno dni 1542. Imprynted by "me Rob. Wyer for Richarde Bankes " I have an antient manufcript alliterative poem, in which a defpairing lover bids farewel to his miftrefs. At the end is written, "Explicit Amōr p. Ducem Ebōrr "nuper fact." I will here cite a few of the ftanzas of this unknown prince. Farewell Lade of grete pris, Farewell or Vaughan, is prefixed to fome fonnets which form a fort of epilogue to the performance. For the purpose of ascertaining or illuftrating the age of pieces which have been lately or will be foon produced, I here stop to Farewell dereworth of dignite, For the ufe of those who collect specimens of alliteration, I will add an instance in the reign of Edward the third from the BANOCBURN of Laurence Minot, all whose pieces, in fome degree, are tinctured with it. MSS. Cott. GALB. E. ix. ut fupr. Skottes out of Berwick and of Abirdene, And now has king Edward wroken it I wene; It es wroken I wene wele wurth the while, War zit with the Skottes for thai er ful of gile. Whare er ze Skottes of faint Johnes toune? For to kindel zow care and crak zowre crowne : He has crakked zowre croune wele worth the while, Schame bityde the Skottes for thai er ful of Skottes of Striflin war fteren © and stout, Bot euer er thai under bot gaudes and gile. a Naked. b Allow it.. < Stern.. Clothing. f As the moon began to rife, Rughfute riueling now kindels thi care, Bufk the unto Brig and abide thare. Thi dwelling in Donde es done for thi gile. The Skottes gafe in burghes and betes All thife Inglis men harmes he hetes; metes, Bot fone frendes he finds that his bale betes; Bot many man thretes and spekes full ill, Skottes broght him the kayes, bot get for A VISION on vellum, perhaps of the fame age, is alliterative. MSS. Cott. NERO, A. x. These are specimens. Ryzt as the maynful mone con rys, g The even drove down the day-light. h Proceffion. iSummons. Notice, k All wore a crown. 1 White robes. |