The Rowley Poems by Thomas Chatterton (inspirational books to read .txt) 📖

dyd shee weere;

  Naked shee was, and loked swete of youthe,

  All dyd bewryen that her name was Trouthe.

 

  The ethie ringletts of her notte-browne hayre

  What ne a manne should see dyd swotelie hyde,                            50

  Whych on her milk-white bodykin so fayre

  Dyd showe lyke browne streemes fowlyng the white tyde,

  Or veynes of brown hue yn a marble cuarr,

  Whyche by the traveller ys kenn'd from farr.

 

  Astounded mickle there I sylente laie,                                   55

  Still scauncing wondrous at the walkynge syghte;

  Mie senses forgarde ne coulde reyn awaie;

  But was ne forstraughte whan shee dyd alyghte

  Anie to mee, dreste up yn naked viewe,

  Whych mote yn some ewbrycious thoughtes abrewe.                          60

 

  But I ne dyd once thynke of wanton thoughte;

  For well I mynded what bie vowe I hete,

  And yn mie pockate han a crouchee broughte,

  Whych yn the blosom woulde such sins anete;

  I lok'd wyth eyne as pure as angelles doe,                               65

  And dyd the everie thoughte of foule eschewe.

 

  Wyth sweet semblate and an angel's grace

  Shee 'gan to lecture from her gentle breste;

  For Trouthis wordes ys her myndes face,

  False oratoryes she dyd aie deteste:                                     70

  Sweetnesse was yn eche worde she dyd ywreene,

  Tho shee strove not to make that sweetnesse sheene.

 

  Shee sayd; mie manner of appereynge here

  Mie name and sleyghted myndbruch maie thee telle;

  I'm Trouthe, that dyd descende fromm heavenwere,                         75

  Goulers and courtiers doe not kenne mee welle;

  Thie inmoste thoughtes, thie labrynge brayne I sawe,

  And from thie gentle dreeme will thee adawe.

 

  Full manie champyons and menne of lore,

  Payncters and carvellers have gaind good name,                           80

  But there's a Canynge, to encrease the store,

  A Canynge, who shall buie uppe all theyre fame.

  Take thou mie power, and see yn chylde and manne

  What troulie noblenesse yn Canynge ranne.

 

  As when a bordelier onn ethie bedde,                                     85

  Tyr'd wyth the laboures maynt of sweltrie daie,

  Yn slepeis bosom laieth hys deft headde,

  So, senses sonke to reste, mie boddie laie;

  Eftsoons mie sprighte, from erthlie bandes untyde,

  Immengde yn flanched ayre wyth Trouthe asyde.                            90

 

  Strayte was I carryd back to tymes of yore,

  Whylst Canynge swathed yet yn fleshlie bedde,

  And saw all actyons whych han been before,

  And all the scroll of Fate unravelled;

  And when the fate-mark'd babe acome to syghte,                           95

  I saw hym eager gaspynge after lyghte.

 

  In all hys shepen gambols and chyldes plaie.

  In everie merriemakeyng, fayre or wake,

  I kenn'd a perpled lyghte of Wysdom's raie;

  He eate downe learnynge wyth the wastle cake.                           100

  As wise as anie of the eldermenne,

  He'd wytte enowe toe make a mayre at tenne.

 

  As the dulce downie barbe beganne to gre,

  So was the well thyghte texture of hys lore;

  Eche daie enhedeynge mockler for to bee,                                105

  Greete yn hys councel for the daies he bore.

  All tongues, all carrols dyd unto hym synge,

  Wondryng at one soe wyse, and yet soe yinge.

 

  Encreaseynge yn the yeares of mortal lyfe,

  And hasteynge to hys journie ynto heaven,                               110

  Hee thoughte ytt proper for to cheese a wyfe,

  And use the sexes for the purpose gevene.

  Hee then was yothe of comelie semelikeede,

  And hee had made a mayden's herte to blede.

 

  He had a fader, (Jesus rest hys soule!)                                 115

  Who loved money, as hys charie joie;

  Hee had a broder (happie manne be's dole!)

  Yn mynde and boddie, hys owne fadre's boie;

  What then could Canynge wissen as a parte

  To gyve to her whoe had made chop of hearte?                            120

 

  But landes and castle tenures, golde and bighes,

  And hoardes of sylver rousted yn the ent,

  Canynge and hys fayre sweete dyd that despyse,

  To change of troulie love was theyr content;

  Theie lyv'd togeder yn a house adygne,                                  125

  Of goode fendaument commilie and fyne.

 

  But soone hys broder and hys syre dyd die,

  And lefte to Willyam states and renteynge rolles,

  And at hys wyll hys broder Johne supplie.

  Hee gave a chauntrie to redeeme theyre soules;                          130

  And put hys broder ynto syke a trade,

  That he lorde mayor of Londonne towne was made.

 

  Eftsoons hys mornynge tournd to gloomie nyghte;

  Hys dame, hys seconde selfe, gyve upp her brethe,

  Seekeynge for eterne lyfe and endless lyghte,                           135

  And sleed good Canynge; sad mystake of dethe!

  Soe have I seen a flower ynn Sommer tyme

  Trodde downe and broke and widder ynn ytts pryme.

 

  Next Radeleeve chyrche (oh worke of hande of heav'n,

  Whare Canynge sheweth as an instrumente.)                               140

  Was to my bismarde eyne-syghte newlie giv'n;

  'Tis past to blazonne ytt to good contente.

  You that woulde faygn the fetyve buyldynge see

  Repayre to Radcleve, and contented bee.

 

  I sawe the myndbruch of hys nobille soule                               145

  Whan Edwarde meniced a seconde wyfe;

  I saw what Pheryons yn hys mynde dyd rolle;

  Nowe fyx'd fromm seconde dames a preeste for lyfe.

  Thys ys the manne of menne, the vision spoke;

  Then belle for even-songe mie senses woke.                              150

 

 

 

 

ON HAPPIENESSE, by WILLIAM CANYNGE.

 

 

  Maie Selynesse on erthes boundes bee hadde?

  Maie yt adyghte yn human shape bee founde?

  Wote yee, ytt was wyth Edin's bower bestadde,

  Or quite eraced from the scaunce-layd grounde,

  Whan from the secret fontes the waterres dyd abounde?

  Does yt agrosed shun the bodyed waulke,

  Lyve to ytself and to yttes ecchoe taulke?

 

  All hayle, Contente, thou mayde of turtle-eyne,

  As thie behoulders thynke thou arte iwreene,

  To ope the dore to Selynesse ys thyne,

  And Chrystis glorie doth upponne thee sheene.

  Doer of the foule thynge ne hath thee seene;

  In caves, ynn wodes, ynn woe, and dole distresse,

  Whoere hath thee hath gotten Selynesse.

 

 

 

 

ONN JOHNE A DALBENIE, by the same.

 

 

  Johne makes a jarre boute Lancaster and Yorke;

  Bee stille, gode manne, and learne to mynde thie worke.

 

 

 

 

THE GOULER'S REQUIEM, by the same.

 

 

    Mie boolie entes, adieu! ne moe the syghte

    Of guilden merke shall mete mie joieous eyne,

    Ne moe the sylver noble sheenynge bryghte

    Schall fyll mie honde with weight to speke ytt fyne;

    Ne moe, ne moe, alass! I call you myne:                                 5

    Whydder must you, ah! whydder must I goe?

    I kenn not either; oh mie emmers dygne,

    To parte wyth you wyll wurcke mee myckle woe;

    I muste be gonne, botte whare I dare ne telle;

  O storthe unto mie mynde! I goe to helle.                                10

 

    Soone as the morne dyd dyghte the roddie sunne,

    A shade of theves eche streake of lyght dyd seeme;

    Whann ynn the heavn full half hys course was runn,

    Eche stirryng nayghbour dyd mie harte afleme;

    Thye loss, or quyck or slepe, was aie mie dreme;                       15

    For thee, O gould, I dyd the lawe ycrase;

    For thee I gotten or bie wiles or breme;

    Ynn thee I all mie joie and good dyd place;

    Botte now to mee thie pleasaunce ys ne moe,

  I kenne notte botte for thee I to the quede must goe.                    20

 

 

 

 

THE ACCOUNTE OF W. CANYNGES FEAST.

 

 

  Thorowe the halle the belle han sounde;

  Byelecoyle doe the Grave beseeme;

  The ealdermenne doe sytte arounde,

  Ande snoffelle oppe the cheorte steeme.

  Lyche asses wylde ynne desarte waste                                      5

  Swotelye the morneynge ayre doe taste,

 

  Syke keene theie ate; the minstrels plaie,

  The dynne of angelles doe theie keepe;

  Heie stylle the guestes ha ne to saie,

  Butte nodde yer thankes ande falle aslape.                               10

  Thus echone daie bee I to deene,

  Gyf Rowley, Iscamm, or Tyb. Gorges be ne seene.

THE END. [Illustration]

[NOTE ON THE GLOSSARY

The following glossary was compiled by Tyrwhitt before he had

discovered Chatterton's use of Kersey's and Bailey's dictionaries

(vide Introduction, p. xxviii) and a number of words were thus

necessarily left unexplained by him. The present editor has added,

in square brackets, explanations of all these words except about

half-a-dozen which neither Kersey's _Dictionarium Anglo-Britannicum

(K.)_, nor Bailey's _Universal Etymological Dictionary (B.)_, nor the

glossary to Speght's edition of Chaucer (_Speght_), nor the notes of

Prof. Skeat in his 1871 edition (_Sk._), nor any native ingenuity of

his own has served to elucidate.]

 

 

 

 

A GLOSSARY OF UNCOMMON WORDS IN THIS VOLUME.

 

 

_In the following Glossary, the explanations of words by CHATTERTON,

at the bottom of the several pages, are drawn together, and digested

alphabetically, with the letter C. after each of them. But it should

be observed, that these explanations are not to be admitted but with

great caution; a considerable number of them being (as far as

the Editor can judge) unsupported by authority or analogy. The

explanations of some other words, omitted by CHATTERTON, have been

added by the Editor, where the meaning of the writer was sufficiently

clear, and the word itself did not recede too far from the established

usage; but he has been obliged to leave many others for the

consideration of more learned or more sagacious interpreters._

 

 

Part : 4

 

 

EXPLANATION OF THE LETTERS OF REFERENCE.

 

 

  Æ stands for _Ælla; a tragycal enterlude_,

  Ba.  ------  _The dethe of Syr C. Bawdin_,

  Ch.  ------  _Balade of Charitie_,

I. ----  _Eclogue the first_, II. ---  _Eclogue the second_, III. --  _Eclogue the third_,

  El.  ------  _Elinoure and Juga_,

  Ent.  -----  _Entroductionne to Ælla_,

  Ep.  ------  _Epistle to M. Canynge_,

-------  _Goddwyn; a Tragedie_, 1. ----  _Battle of Hastings, No 1._ 2. ----  _Battle of Hastings, No 2._

  Le.  ------  _Letter to M. Canynge_,

-------  _Englysh Metamorphosis_,

  P.G.  -----  _Prologue to Goddwyn_,

-------  _Tournament_,

 

  The other references are made to the pages.

 

 

 

 

A GLOSSARY.

 

 

  [B.=Bailey's _Universal Etymological Dictionary_ (8th ed. 1737).

  K.=Kersey's _Dictionarium Anglo-Britannicum_ (1708).

  Sk.=Prof. Skeat's Aldine Edition (1871).

  Speght=Glossary to Speght's Chaucer (1598).

  T.=Tyrwhitt.

  C.=Chatterton's notes to the poems.]

 

Abessie, E. III. 89. _Humility_. C.

 

Aborne, T. 45. _Burnished_. C.

 

Abounde, H. 1. 55. [Evidently _avail_; K. B. and Speght do not help.]

 

Aboune, G. 53. _Make ready_. C.

 

Abredynge, Æ. 334. _Upbraiding_. C.

 

Abrewe, p. 281. 60. as _Brew_.

 

Abrodden, E. I. 6. _Abruptly_. C.

 

Acale, G. 191. _Freeze_. C.

 

Accaie, Æ. 356. _Asswage_. C.

 

Achments, T. 153. _Atchievements_. C.

 

Acheke, G. 47. _Choke_. C.

 

Achevments, Æ. 65. _Services_. C.

 

Acome, p. 283. 95. as _Come_.

 

Acrool, El. 6. _Faintly_. C.

 

Adave, H. 2. 402. [Probably _beheld_; cannot be explained from K., who

has nothing nearer than adawe (O.), _to awaken; awoke_ can hardly be

the meaning.]

 

Adawe, p. 282. 78. _Awake_.

 

Addawd, H. 2. 110. [_Limply_. Sk. translates _wakened_ from B.'s

addawe, _to waken_, which makes no sense. K. has 'adaw, _to awaken_;

but it is used by the poet Spencer _to slacken_'; hence the meaning I

have given.]

 

Adente, Æ 396. _Fastened_. C.

 

Adented, G. 32. _Fastened, annexed_. C.

 

Aderne, H. 2. 272. See _Derne, Dernie_. [_Sad, cruel_, from K.'s dern

(O.), _sad_, &c.]

 

Adigne. See _Adygne_.

 

Adrames, Ep. 27. _Churls_. C.

 

Adventaile, T. 13. _Armour_. C.

 

Adygne, Le. 46. _Nervous; worthy of praise_. C.

 

Affynd, H. 1. 132. _Related by marriage_.

 

Afleme, p. 287. 14. as _Fleme_; to drive away, to affright.

 

After la goure, H. 2. 353. should probably be _Astrelagour_;

Astrologer. [A singular mistake for B.'s Asterlagour _an astrolabe_.

Sk.]

 

[Agested, p. 278. 9. _Heaped up_ (B.). (For C.'s _clowde_ Sk. boldly

reads _clod_.)]

 

Agrame, G. 93. _Grievance_. C.

 

Agreme, Æ 356. _Torture_. C.--G. 5. _Grievance_. C.

 

Agrosed, p. 286. 6. as _Agrised_, terrified.

 

Agroted, Æ. 348. See _Groted_.

 

Agylted, Æ. 334. _Offended_. C.

 

Aidens, Æ. 222. _Aidance_.

 

Ake, E. II. 8. _Oak_. C.

 

Alans, H. 2. 124. _Hounds_.

 

Alatche, Æ. 117. [? _call for help_. K. has latch (O.) _release, let

go_, but this cannot be the meaning intended.]

 

Aledge, G. 5. _Idly_. C.

 

Alest, Æ. 50. _Lest_.

 

All a boon, E. III. 41. _A manner of asking a favour_. C.

 

Alleyn, E. I. 52. _Only_. C.

 

Almer, Ch. 20. _Beggar_. C.

 

[Alofe, H.