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levity and pieces of popular entertainment. His muse was of universal access; and he was not only the poet of his monastery, but of the world in general. If a disguising was intended by the company of goldsmiths, a mask before his majesty at Eltham, a may-game for the sheriffs and aldermen of London, a mumming before the lord mayor, a procession of pageants from the creation for the festival of Corpus Christi, or a carol for the coronation, Lydgate was consulted and gave the poetry *.

About the year 1430, Whethamstede the learned and liberal abbot of saint Albans, being desirous of familiarising the history of his patron saint to the monks of his convent, employed Lydgate, as it should seem, then a monk of Bury, to translate the Latin legend of his life in English rhymes. The chronicler who records a part of this anecdote seems to consider Lydgate's translation, as a matter of mere manual mechanism; for he adds, that Whethamstede paid for the translation, the writing, and illuminations, one hundred shillings. It was placed before the altar of the saint, which Whethamstede afterwards adorned with much magnificence, in the abbey church".

Our author's stanzas, called the DANCE OF DEATH, which he translated from the French, at the request of the chapter of saint Paul's, to be inscribed under the representation of DEATH leading all ranks of men about the cloister of their church in a curious series of paintings, are well known. But their history has not,

See a variety of his pieces of this kind, MSS. Ashmol. 59. ii. Stowe says, that at the reception of Margaret queen of Henry Sixth, several pageaunts, the verses by Lydgate, were shewn at Paul's gate, in 1445. Hist. p. 385. See also MSS. Harl. 2251. 118. fol. 250. b. The COVENTRY PLAY for Corpus Christi day, in the Cotton library, was very probably written by our author. VESPAS. D. viii. fol. [Mr. Ritson, in his Bibliographia Poetica, has furnished a list of 251 pieces written by Lydgate. Many of them, however, are attributed to him upon authority of no very early date, and he is doubtlessly made responsible for a

large portion of the anonymous rhymes of his age.-The Coventry Plays bear no internal marks of Lydgate's hand.EDIT.]

Y GEST. Joh. Whethamst. ut supra, p. cxvi. cxxvii. cxxiv. It is added, that Whethamstede expended on the binding, and other exterior ornaments of the manuscript, upwards of three pounds. Bale and Pitts say, that Whethamstede himself made the translation. p. 584. 630. It is in Trinity college at Oxford, MSS. 10. And in Lincoln cathedral, MSS. I. 57. Among Lydgate's works is recited, Vita S. Albani Martyris ad JÓH. FRUMENTARIUM [Whethamstede] abbatem.

I believe, yet appeared. These verses, founded on a sort of spiritual masquerade, anciently celebrated in churches", were originally written by one Macaber in German rhymes, and were translated into Latin about the year 1460, by one who calls himself Petrus Desrey Orator. This Latin translation was published by Goldastus, at the end of the SPECULUM OMNIUM STATUUM TOTIUS ORBIS TERRARUM compiled by Rodericus Zamorensis, and printed at Hanau in the year 1613". But a French translation was made much earlier than the Latin, and written about the walls of saint Innocents cloister at Paris; from which Lydgate formed his English version.

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as 1383.

See the DAUNCE OF MACABRE, MSS. Harl. 116. 9. fol. 129. And OBSERVATIONS on the FAIRY QUEEN, vol. ii. p.116. seq. The DANCE OF DEATH, falsly supposed to have been invented by Holbein, is different from this, though founded in the same idea. It was painted by Holbein in the Augustine monastery at Basil, 1543. But it appeared much earlier. In the chronicle of Hartmannus Schedelius, Norimb. 1493. fol. In the Quotidian Offices of the church, Paris, 1515. 8vo. And, in public buildings, at Minden, in Westphalia, so early At Lubec, in the portico of saint Mary's church, 1463. At Dresden, in the castle or palace, 1534. At Annaberg, 1525. At Leipsic, &c. Paul Chris tian Hilscher has written a very learned and entertaining German book on this subject, printed at Dresden, 1705. 8vo. Engravings of Holbein's pictures at Basil were published, curante Matthæo Meriano, at Francfort 1649, and 1725, 4to. The German verses there ascribed, appeared in Latin elegiacs, in Caspar Laudisman's DECENNALIA HUMANE PEREGRINATIONIS, A.D. 1584. I have not mentioned in my observations on

Spenser, that Georgius Æmylius published this DANCE at Lyons, 1542; one year before Holbein's painting at Basil appeared. Next, at the same place, 1547. 8vo.

[The most antient complete French copy of LA DANSE MACABRE was printed in folio at Lyons, in 1499, together with some other short spiritual pieces, under the title La Grand DANSE MACABRE des hommes et des femmes historiée, avec de beaux dits en Latin et huitains en François, &c. To this work Erasmus alludes in the third book of his RATIO CONCIONANDI, where he says, "Quin et vulgares rhetorista censuerunt hoc decus, qui interdum versibus certo numero comprehensis, pro clausula, accinunt brevem et argutam sententiam, velut in Rhythmis quos Gallus quispiam edidit in CHOREAM MORTIS." tom. v. Opp. pag. 1007. Naude calls this allegory, "Chorea ab eximio Macabro edita.' MASCUR. p. 224. I believe the first Latin edition, that of Pierre Desrey which I have mentioned, was printed at Troyes in 1490, not 1460. The French have an old poem, partly on the same idea, LA DANSE DES AVEUGLES, under the conduct of Love, Fortune, and Death, written by Pierre Michault, about the year 1466. See MEM. ACAD. INSCRIPT. et BEL. LET. ii. 742. And Goujet, BIBL. FR. ix. 358. In De Bure's BIBLIOGRAPHIE Instructive, an older but less perfect edition of Le Danse Macabre is recited, printed at Paris in 1486, for Guyot Marchant. fol. In this edition the French rhymes are said to

In the British Museum is a most splendid and elegant manuscript on vellum, undoubtedly a present to king Henry the Sixth. It contains a set of Lydgate's poems, in honour of saint Edmund the patron of his monastery at Bury. Besides the decoration of illuminated initials, and one hundred and twenty pictures of various sizes, representing the incidents related in the poetry, executed with the most delicate pencil, and exhibiting the habits, weapons, architecture, utensils, and many other curious particulars, belonging to the age of the ingenious illuminator, there are two exquisite portraits of the king, one of William Curteis abbot of Bury, and one of the poet Lydgate kneeling at saint Edmund's shrine. In one of the king's pictures, he is represented on his throne, crowned, and receiving this volume from the abbot kneeling: in another he appears as a child prostrate on a carpet at saint Edmund's shrine, which is richly delineated, yet without any idea of perspective or proportion. The figures of a great number of monks and attendants are introduced. Among the rest, two noblemen, perhaps the king's uncles, with bonnets, or caps, of an uncommon shape. It appears that our pious monarch kept his Christmas at this magnificent monastery, and that he remained here, in a state of seclusion from the world, and of an exemption from public cares, till the following Easter: and that at his departure he was created a brother of the chapter. It is highly probable, that this sumptuous book, the poetry of which was undertaken by Lydgate at the command of abbot Curteis, was previously prepared, and presented to his majesty during the royal visit, or very soon afterwards. The substance of the whole work is

be by Michel Marot. tom. i. p. 512. num. $109. BELL. LETTR. He has catalogued all the antient editions of this piece in French, which are many. Pierre Desrey above mentioned wrote a French romance called LA GENEALOGIE, on Godfrey of Bouloign. Paris, 1511. fol. -ADDITIONS.]

d MSS. Harl. 2278. 4to.

There is an antient drawing, probably coeval, of Lydgate presenting his poem called the PILGRIM to the earl of

Salisbury, MSS. Harl. 4826. 1. It was written 1426. Another of these drawings will be mentioned below.

f Fol. 6.

Curteis was abbot of Bury between the years 1429 and 1445. It appears that Lydgate was also commanded, "Late charchyd in myn oold days," to make an English metrical translation of De Profundis, &c. To be hung against the walls of the abbey church. MSS. Harl. 2255. 11. fol. 40. See the last stanza.

the life or history of saint Edmund, whom the poet calls the "precious charboncle of martirs alleh." In some of the prefatory pictures, there is a description and a delineation of two banners, pretended to belong to saint Edmund'. One of these is most brilliantly displayed, and charged with Adam and Eve, the serpent with a human shape to the middle, the tree of life, the holy lamb, and a variety of symbolical ornaments. This banner our bard feigns to have been borne by his saint, who was a king of the East Angles, against the Danes: and he prophesies, that king Henry, with this ensign, would always return victorious. The other banner, given also to saint Edmund, appears to be painted with the arms of our poet's monastery, and its blazoning is thus described.

The' other standard, ffeld sable, off colour ynde',
In which of gold been notable crownys thre,
The first toknè: in cronycle men may fynde,
Grauntyd to hym for royal dignyte:
And the second for his virgynyte:
For martyrdam the thridde, in his suffring.
To these annexyd feyth, hope, and charyte,
In toknè he was martyr, mayd, and kyng.
These three crownysm kynge Edmund bar certeyn,
Whan he was sent by grace of goddis hand,

At Geynesburuhe for to sleyn kyng Sweyn.

A sort of office, or service to saint Edmund, consisting of an antiphone, versicle, response, and collect, is introduced with these verses.

The poet's Prayer to saint Edmund for his assistance in compiling his LIFE, fol. 9. The history begins thus, fol. 10. b. In Saxonie whilom ther was a kyng Callid Alkmond of excellent noblesse. It seems to be taken from John of Tinmouth's SANCTILOGIUM, who flourished about the year 1360. At the end, connected with saint Edmund's legend, and a part of the work, is the life of saint

Fremund. fol. 69. b. But Lydgate has made many additions. It begins thus, Who han remembre the myracles merueilous

Which Crist Jhesu list for his seyntes
shewe,

Compare MSS. Harl. 372. 1. 2. fol. 1.
25. 43. b.
1 blue.

i Fol. 2. 4.
* Fol. 2.
m See fol. 103. b. f. 104.

To all men present, or in absence,
Whiche to seynt Edmund have devocion
With hool herte and dewe reverence,
Seyn this antephnè and this orison;
Two hundred days is grauntid of pardoun,
Writ and registred afforn his holy shryne,
Which for our feyth suffrede passioun,
Blyssyd Edmund, kyng, martyr, and virgyne.
This is our poet's l'envoye.

Go littel book, be ferfull, quaak for drede,
For to appere in so hyhe presence°.

Lydgate's poem called the LYFE OF OUR LADY, printed by Caxton, is opened with these harmonious and elegant lines, which do not seem to be destitute of that eloquence which the author wishes to share with Tully, Petrarch, and Chaucer ". He compares the holy Virgin to a star.

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O thoughtfull hertè, plonged in distresse

With slombre of slouth, this long wynter's night!
Out of the slepe of mortal hevinesse

Awake anon, and loke upon the light

Of thilke sterre, that with her bemys bright,
And with the shynynge of her stremes meryè,
Is wont to glad all our hemisperie1!—

This sterre in beautie passith Pleiades,
Bothe of shynynge, and eke of stremes clere,
Bootes, and Arctur, and also Iades,
And Esperus, whan that it doth appere:
For this is Spica, with her brightè spere,
That towarde evyn, at midnyght, and at morowe,
Downe from hevyn adawith al our sorowe.—

sing; [say.]

• Fol. 118. b.

"This book was compyled by Dan John Lydgate monke of Burye, at the excitation and styrrynge of the noble and victorious prynce, Harry the Fyfthe, in the honowre, glory and reverance of the

byrthe of our most blessed Lady," &c. Without date. fol. Afterwards by Robert Redman, 1531. 4to. See MSS. Harl. 629. fol. membran.

Cap. xxxiii. xxxiv. hemisphere. sphere. 'affright, remove, [awakens.]

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