Loud and chill blew the weftlin wind, Sair beat the heavy showir, "Thairs nae licht in my ladys bowir, Thairs nae licht in my hall; Nae blink fhynes round my Fairly fair, Nor ward ftands on my wall. Quhat bodes it? Robert, Thomas, fay;"- 325 Nae answer fits their dreid. "Stand back, my fons, I'll be zour gyde:" But by they past with speid. "As faft I haif sped owre Scotlands faes,”, There ceift his brag of weir, 330 Sair fchamit to mynd ocht but his dame, And maiden Fairly fair. Black feir he felt, but quhat to feir He wift not zit with dreid; Sair fchuke his body, fair his limbs, 335 * Since Since this poem of HARDYKNUTE was first printed off, fill farther information has been received concerning the original manner of its publication, and the additions made to it afterwards. "The late Dr. John Clerk, a celebrated physician in Edinburgh, one of Lord Prefident Forbes's intimate companions, has left in his own hand writing, an ample account of all the additions and variations made in this celebrated poem, as alsō two additional ftanzas never yet printed." The title of the first edition was, “ HARDYKNUTE, A FRAGMENT. EDINBURGH. 1719." folio. 12 pages. Stanzas not in the first edition, but added afterwards in the EVERGREEN, 1724, 12mo. are the two, beginning at ver. 129. Aryfe young knicht, &c. to ver. 144.-Inftead of ver. 143, 144, as they stand at prefent, Dr. Clerk's MS. has 66 With argument, but vainly ftrave Lang courteoufly in vain. Again, from ver. 153. Now with his ferfs, &c. to 176, are not in the firft edit.In Dr. Clerk's MS. ver. 170, &c. runs thus, In hafte his ftrides he bent While minstrells play and pibrocks fine Afore him ftately went. Laftly, from ver. 257. Quhair lyke a fyre, &c. to the ena of the poem, were not in the ft copy. Variation of line the laft (v. 336.) is "He feared a' could be feared." The two additional ftanzas come in between ver. 388. and v. 389. and are thefe, Now darts flew wavering through flaw speed, Scarce could they reach their aim; Or Or reach'd, fcarce blood the round point drew, Right ftrengthy arms forfeebled grew, Sair wreck'd wi' that day's toils; E'en fierce-born minds now lang'd for peace, Yet ftill wars horns founded to charge, But faftly fae ilk blafter blew The hills and dales fraemang. Nae echo heard in double dints, This obliging information the Reader owes to David Clerk, M. D. at Edinburgh, Son of Dr. John Clerk. It is perhaps needless to obferve, that these two ftanzas, as well as most of the variations above, are of inferior merit to the rest of the poem, and axe probably first sketches that were afterwards rejected. THE END OF THE FIRST BOOK. A BALLAD OF LUTHER, THE POPE, A CARDINAL, AND A HUSBANDMAN. · In the former Book we brought down this Second 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 Ariking events in the hiftory of the human mind. It could not but engross the attention of every individual in that and therefore no other writings would have any chance to be read, but fuch as related to this grand topic. The alterations made in the established religion by Henry VIII, the fudVOL. II. I age, den den changes it underwent in the three fucceeding reigns within fo fhort a space as eleven or twelve years, and the violent • Struggles 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 they were called) had their respective Ballad-makers; and every day produced fome popular fonnet 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 fuftained; 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 fhould be infpired with the zeal of controverfy, when the very fage 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 an; the other called Lufty Juvcutus, 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) Take a fpecimen from his high encomiums on the priesthood, "There is no emperour, kyng, duke, ne baron "That of God hath commijsyon, "As bath the leeft preeft in the world beynge. * * ** "God hath to them more power gyven, "Than to any gungell, that is in beven; |