Gulielmi Wallacei Henricus, a nativitate luminibus captus, meæ infantiæ tempore cudit: et quæ vulgo dicebantur carmine vulgari, in quo peritus erat, conscripsit. Ego autem talibus scriptis solum in parte fidem impertior; quippe qui HISTORIARUM RECITATIONE CORAM PRINCIPIBUS victum et vestitum, quo dignus erat, nactus est." And that, in this poem, Blind Harry has intermixed much fable with true history, will appear from some proofs collected by sir David Dalrymple, in his judicious and accurate annals of Scotland, lately published.

I cannot return to the English poets without a hint, that a well-executed history of the Scotch poetry from the thirteenth · century, would be a valuable accession to the general literary history of Britain. The subject is pregnant with much curious and instructive information, is highly deserving of a minute and regular research, has never yet been uniformly examined in its full extent, and the materials are both accessible and ample. Even the bare lives of the vernacular poets of Scotland have never yet been written with tolerable care; and at present are only known from the meagre outlines of Dempster and Mackenzie. The Scotch appear to have had an early propensity to theatrical representations; and it is probable, that in the prosecution of such a design, among several other interesting and unexpected discoveries, many anecdotes, conducing to illustrate the rise and progress of our ancient drama, might be drawn from obscurity.

CHIST. MAGN. BRITAN. L.. iv. c. xv. f. 74. a. edit. Ascens. 1521. 4to. Compare Hollinsh. Scor. ii. p. 414. And

Mack. tom. i. 423. Dempst. lib. viii. p. 349.

d See p. 245. edit. 1776. 4to.

VOL. III.

M

SECTION XXXIII.

MOST of the poems of John Skelton were written in the reign of king Henry the Eighth. But as he was laureated at Oxford about the year 1489, I consider him as belonging to the fifteenth centry.

Skelton, having studied in both our universities, was promoted to the rectory of Diss in Norfolk. But for his buf

fooneries in the pulpit, and his satirical ballads against the Mendicants, he was severely censured, and perhaps suspended by Nykke his diocesan, a rigid bishop of Norwich, from exercising the duties of the sacerdotal function. Wood says, he was also punished by the bishop for "having been guilty of certain crimes, AS MOST POETS are." But these persecutions only served to quicken his ludicrous disposition, and to exasperate the acrimony of his satire. As his sermons could be no longer a vehicle for his abuse, he vented his ridicule in rhyming libels. At length, daring to attack the dignity of cardinal Wolsey, he was closely pursued by the officers of that powerful minister; and, taking shelter in the sanctuary of Westminster

How to speke well, How to dye when ye will. A translation of Diodorus Siculus, oute of freshe Latin, that is, of Poggius Florentinus, containing six books. MS. C. C. C. Camb. viii. 5. Poggius's version was first printed at Venice, 1476. Caxton in his Preface to Virgil's ENEIDOS, says that Skelton "translated diverse other workes out of Latyn into Englysh," beside Tully's Epistles, and Diodorus Siculus. Bale mentions his Invectiva on William Lily the grammarian. I know nothing more of this, than that it was answered by Lily in Apologia ad Joh. Scheltonum. Pr. "Siccine vipereo pergis me," &c. The piece of Skelton most frequently printed was, I believe, his ELINOUR RUMMYNG, or Rumpkin. The last of the old editions is in 1624. 4to. In the title page, is the picture of our genial hostess, a deformed old woman, holding a pot of ale, with this inscription.

The Peregrinacion of Mannes Lyfe, from the French, perhaps of Guillaume, prior of Chalis. [See supr. vol. ii. p. 427.] But it should be observed, that Pynson printed Peregrinatio humani generis, 1508. 4to. The triumphes of the redde rose, containing many stories long unremembered. Speculum principis, a manual written while he was creauncer, or tutor, to Henry the Eighth, when a boy. The Tunnyng of Elinour Rummyng. See p. 123. Colin Clout. See p. 179. John Yve. Joforth Jacke. Verses to maistres Anne. Epitaph of one Adum a knave. See p. 271. The balade of the mustarde tarte. The fate of Philip Sparrowe. See p. 215. The grounting of the swyne. The mourning of the mapely rote. A prayer to Moyse's hornes. The paiants [pageaunts] played in joyous garde, that is, in king Arthur's castle, so called in the romance of MORTE ARTHUR. The fenestrall [window] of castell Angel. The recule of Rosamundes bowre. How dame Minerva first found the olive-tre. The myller and his joly mate, or wife. Marine clarion. Of the Bonhoms of Ashrige near Berkhamstead, where is the sange royall of Christ's blode, that is, the real blood of Christ. He professes to have received many favours from this monastery. The nacion of foles. The boke of three fooles is printed in his Works, p. 260. Apollo that whirled up his chare. The mayden of Kent. Of lovers testaments. Of Jollas and Phillis. The boke of honorouse asiate : Of royall demenaunce: How to fle synne:

When Skelton wore the lawrel crown My ale put all the alewives down. See Davies's CRITICAL HISTORY OF PAMPHLETS, p. 28. 86. [Skelton's printed poems have been incorporated by Mr. A. Chalmers in his Collection of the British Poets, vol. 2d.-EDIT.]

See WORKS, p. 200. 202. &c. hАTH. OXON. i. 22. seq. [Fuller says it was for keeping a concubine, and Delafield (in Mr. Bliss's edition of Wood Ath. Oxon.) for being married. -EDIT.]

abbey, was kindly entertained and protected by abbot Islip', to the day of his death. He died, and was buried in the neighbouring church of Saint Margaret, in the year 1529.

Skelton was patronised by Henry Algernon Percy, the fifth earl of Northumberland, who deserves particular notice here; as he loved literature at a time when many of the nobility of England could hardly read or write their names, and was the general patron of such genius as his age produced. He encouraged Skelton, almost the only professed poet of the reign of Henry the Seventh, to write an elegy on the death of his father, which is yet extant. But still stronger proofs of his literary turn, especially of his singular passion for poetry, may be collected from a very splendid manuscript, which formerly belonged to this very distinguished peer, and is at present preserved in the British Museum. It contains a large collection of English poems, elegantly engrossed on vellum, and superbly illuminated, which had been thus sumptuously transcribed for The pieces are chiefly those of Lydgate, after which follow the aforesaid Elegy of Skelton, and some smaller compositions. Among the latter are a metrical history of the family of Percy, presented to him by one of his own chaplains; and a prolix series of poetical inscriptions, which he caused to be written on the walls and ceilings of the principal apartments of his castles of Lekinfield and Wressil'. His cultivation of

his use.

His Latin epitaph or elegy on the Death of Henry the Seventh, is addressed to Islip, A.D. 1512. p. 285.

MSS. Reg. 18 D. 11.

See supr. vol. ii. p. 438. And MSS. C.C.C. Cant. 168. Three of the apart-he gayfe to Alexander, kynge of Massy2. "The counsell of Aristotill, whiche ments in Wressill Castle, now destroyed, dony; whiche are wrytyn in the syde of were adorned with POETICAL INSCRIP the Utter Chamber above the house in TIONS. These are called in the manuscript the Garden at Wresyll." This is in above mentioned, "PROVERBES in the distichs of thirty-eight lines; beginning

LODGINGS in WRESSILL."

"

thus,

"Punyshe moderatly and discretly correcte,

As well to mercy as to justice havynge a respecte," &c.

S.. "The proverbis in the syde of the Utter Chamber above of the hous in the

the arts of external elegance appears, from the stately sepulchral monuments which he erected in the minster, or collegiate church, of Beverly in Yorkshire, to the memory of his father