The fine heroic song of CHEVY-CHASE has ever been admired by competent judges. Those genuine strokes of nature and artless passion, which have endeared it to the most simple 10 readers, have recommended it to the most refined; and it has equally been the amusement of our childhood, and the favouBrite of our riper years. 5 [Mr. 2] Mr. Addison has given an excellent critique* on this very popular ballad, but is mistaken with regard to the an- 15 tiquity of our present copy; for this, if one may judge from the stile, cannot be older than the time of Elizabeth, and was probably written after the elogium of Sir Philip Sidney: perhaps in consequence of it. I flatter myself, I have here recovered the genuine antique poem: the true original song, 20 which appeared rude even in the time of Sir Philip, and caused him to lament, that it was so evil-aparelled in the rugged garb of antiquity. This curiosity is printed, from an old manuscript, at the end of Hearne's preface to Gul. Newbrigiensis Hist. 1719. 25 8vo. vol. I. To the MS. Copy is subjoined the name of the * Spectator, No. 70. 74. 10 author, RYCHARD SHEALES: whom Hearne had so little jud gment as to suppose to be the same with a R. Sheale, who was living in 1588. But whoever examines the gradation of language and idiom in the following volumes, will be con5 vinced that this is the production of an earlier poet. It is indeed expressly mentioned among some very ancient songs in an old book intituled, The Complaint of Scotlandt, (fol. 42,) under the title of the HUNTIS OF CHEVET, where the two following lines are also quoted; The Perssee and the Mongumrye mette. Which, tho' not quite the same as they stand in the ballad, yet differ not more than might be owing to the author's quoting from memory. Indeed whoever considers the stile and 15 orthography of this old poem will not be inclined to place it lower than the time of Henry VI: as on the other hand the mention of James the Scotish king, with one or two [Ana- 3] Anachronisms, forbid us to assign it an earlier date. King James I, who was prisoner in this kingdom at the 20 death of his father*, did not wear the crown of Scotland till the second year of our Henry VI, but before the end of that long reign a third James had mounted the thronet. A succession of two or three Jameses, and the long detention of one of them in England, would render the name familiar 25 to the English, and dipose a poet in those rude times to give it to any Scottish king he happened to mention. So much for the date of this old ballad: with regard to its subject, altho' it has no countenance from history, there is room to think it had originally some foundation in fact. 30 It was one of the laws of the marches frequently renewed between the two nations, that neither party should hunt in the other's borders, without leave from the proprietors or their 35 40 § Subscribed, after the usual manner of our old poets, expliceth [explicit] quoth Rychard Sheale. One of the earliest productions of the Scottish press, now to be found. The title page was wanting in the copy here quoted; but it is supposed to have been printed in 1540. See Ames. See Pt. 2. v. 25. || See Pt. 1. v. 104. ↓ Pt. 2. v. 36. 140. *Who died Aug. 5. 1406. James I. was crowned May 22. 1424. murdered Feb. 21. 1436-7. † In 1460. — Hen. VI. was deposed 1461: restored and slain 1471. deputies. There had long been a rivalship between the two martial families of Percy and Douglas, which heightened by the national quarrel, must have produced frequent challenges and struggles for superiority, petty invasions of their respective domains, and sharp contests for the point of honour; which 5 would not always be recorded in history. Something of this kind we may suppose gave rise to the ancient ballad of the HUNTING A THE CHEVIAT. Percy carl of NorthumberB. 2 land had vowed to hunt for three days in the Scottish [border 4] border without condescending to ask leave from Earl 10 Douglas, who was either lord of the soil, or lord warden of the marches. Douglas would not fail to resent the insult, and endeavour to repel the intruders by force: this would naturally produce a sharp conflict between the two parties: something of which, it is probable, did really happen, tho' not attended with the 15 tragical circumstances recorded in the ballad: for these are evidently borrowed from the BATTLE OF OTTERBOURN†, a very different event, but which after-times would easily confound with it. That battle might be owing to some such previous affront as this of CHEVY CHASE, though it has escaped 20 the notice of historians. Our poet has evidently jumbled the two events together: if indeed the lines in which this mistake is made, are not rather spurious, and the after-insertion of some person, who did not distinguish between the two stories. Hearne has printed this ballad without any division of 25 stanzas, in long lines, as he found it in the old written copy: but it is usual to find the distinction of stanzas neglected in ancient MSS; where, to save room, two or three verses are frequently given in one line undivided. See flagrant instances in the Harleian Catalog. No. 2253. s. 29. 34. 61. 70 etc. 30 passim. Item... Concordatum est, quod,... NULLUS unius partis vel alterius ingrediatur terras, boschas, forrestas, warrenas, loca, dominia quæcunque alicujus partis alterius subditi, causa venandi, piscandi, aucupandi, disportum aut solacium in eisdem, aliave 35 quacunque de causa ABSQUE LICENTIA ejus.... ad quem... loca... pertinent, aut de deputatis suis prius capt. & obtent. Vide Bp. Nicholson's Leges Marchiarum. 1705. 8vo. pag. 27. 51. This was the original title. See the ballad, Pt. 1. v. 106. 4 Pt. 2. v. 165. † Sce the next ballad. Vid. Pt. 2. v. 167. 40 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 THE THE FIRST PART. HE Persé owt of Northombarlande, That he wolde hunte in the mountayns Off Chyviat within dayes thre, [The 5] The fattiste hartes in all Cheviat He sayd he wold kyll, and cary them away: The wear chosen out of shyars thre. This begane on a monday at morn The dryvars thorowe the woodes went Bomen bickarte uppone the bent Then the wyld thorowe the woodes went Grea-hondes thorowe the greves glent The begane in Chyviat the hyls above. [Be 6] Be that it drewe to the oware off none A hondrith fat hartes ded ther lay. The blewe a mort uppone the bent, V. 5. magger in Hearne's MS. Ver. 11. The the Persé. MS. V. 13. archardes bolde off blood and bone. MS. V. 19. throrowe. MS. V. 31. blwe a mot. MS. B 3 35 40 He sayd, It was the Duglas promys But I wyste he wold faylle verament: At the laste a squyar of Northom belonde He was war ath the doughetie Doglas comynge; With him a myghtè meany, Both with spear, 'byll,' and brande: Yt was a myghti sight to se. 45 Hardyar men both off hart nar bande Wear not in Christiantè. The wear twenty hondrith spear-men good 5 10 The wear borne a-long he the watter a Twyde, 15 [Leave 7] Leave off the brytlyng of the dear, he sayde, For never sithe ye wear on your mothars borne 65 He rode his men beforne; His armor glytteryde as dyd a glede; A bolder barne was never born. Tell me 'what' men ye ar, he says, Or whos men that ye be: Who gave youe leave to hunte in this Chyviat chays in the spyt of me? The first mane that ever him an answear mayd, We wyll not tell the 'what' men we ar, he But we wyll hount hear in this chays V. 42. myghtte. MS. passim. V. 43. brylly thowte... feale. MS. V. 52. boys lock ye tayk. MS. V. 56. att his. MS. V. 59. whos. MS. whoys. MS. says, 20 25 30 MS. V. 48. wi- 35 MS. V. 54. ned. V. 64 (7. 65). |