Spare farther the defcriptive fong Nature fhudders at the fight. Protract not, curious ears, the mournful tale, 90 But o'er the hapless groupe low drop Compaffion's veil. 2 Echone bementynge for her absente mate, Who atte Seynote Albonns fhouke the morthynge fpeare. The nottebrowne Ellynor to Juga fayre 5 Dydde fpeke acroole, wyth languyshment of eyne, Lyke droppes of pearlie dew, lemed the quyvrynge brine. Born 1752; dyed 1770. These poems, with many others, the author pretended to have been written by Thomas Rowley, an imaginary priest of Bristol, in the 15th century: an impofition of which fome of the best judges of old English poetry were at firft the dupes, and which feveral writers of eminence have been found weak enough to support. Rudborn, (in Saxon, Red-water) a river near Saint Albans, famous for the battles there fought between the houfes of Lancaster and York. 2 lamenting. 3 murdering. 4 faintly. 5 glistened. ELINOURE. O gentle Juga! heare mie dernie plainte, Moke moe thanne deathe in phantasie I feelle; See! fee! upon the grounde he bleedynge lies; Inhild fome joice of life, or elfe mie deare love dies. JUGA. Syfters in forrowe, on thys daife-ey'd banke, 15 Where melancholych broods, we wylle lamente; Be wette with mornynge dewe and evene danke; Lyche levynde 1° okes in echo the oder bente, Or lyke forlettenn " halles of merriemente, Whofe gaftlie mitches 12 holde the traine of fryghte 13, Where lethale 14 ravens bark, and owlets wake the nyghte, [ELINOURE. ] No mo the miskynette 's fhall wake the morne, The minstrelle daunce, good cheere, and morryce plaie ; fad complaint. 7 arrayed, or cafed. infufe. 9 juice. 10 blafted, forfaken. 12 ruins. 13 fear. 14 deadly or deathboding. 15 a fmall bagpipe. No mo the amblynge palfrie and the horne Shall from the leffel 16 rouze the foxe awaie; 25 I'll feke the foreste alle the lyve-longe daie ; Alle nete amenge the gravde chirche 17 glebe wyll goe, And to the paffante fpryghtes lecture1 mie taleof woe. [JUGA.] Whan mokie 1 cloudes do hange upon the leme Of leden moon, ynn fylver mantels dyghte; 30 The tryppeynge faeries weve the golden dreme Of felynefs, whyche flyethe with the nyghte; Thenne (butte the feynêtes forbydde!) gif to a fpryghte Syrr Rychardes forme ys lyped, I'll holde dyftraughte Hys bledeynge clai-colde corfe, and die eche daie yn thoughte. ELINOURE. 35 Ah woe bementynge wordes; what wordes can fhewe! Thou limed 22 ryver, on thie linche 23 mai bleede Champyons, whofe bloude wylle wythe thie waterres flowe, 19 black. 16 in a confined sense, a bufh or hedge, though fometimes 17 church-yard. 18 relate. ufed as a foreft. 20 decreasing. 21 happiness. 22 glaffy. 23 bank. And Rudborne ftreeme be Rudborne ftreeme indeede! Hafte, gentle Juga, trippe ytte oere the meade, To knowe, or wheder wee mufte waile agayne, Or wythe oure fallen knyghtes be menged onne the plain. Soe faieing, lyke twa levyn-blafted trees, Or twain of cloudes that holdeth ftormie raine; Distraughte 25 theie wandered to fwollen Rud- Yelled theyre leathalle knelle, fonke in the waves, and dyde. SONGE то ELLA, LORDE OF THE CASTEL OF BRYSTOWE OF YNNE DAIES OF YORE. BY THE SAME. H thou, orr what remaynes of thee, Ælla, the darlynge of futurity, 34. meads.' 25 diftra&ted. This little gloffary is pecu liarly Chattertons own, many of the words it explains being invented by himself. |