RELIQUES

ANCIENT ENGLISH POETRY.

RELIQUES

OF

ANCIENT ENGLISH POETRY:

CONSISTING OP

OLD HEROIC BALL ADS, SONGS,

AND OTHER PIECES,

OF OUR

EARLIER POETS.

TOGETHER WITH SOME FEW OF LATER DATE,

AND A COPIOUS GLOSSARY.

BY THOMAS PERCY, D.D.

BISHOP OF DROMORE.

LONDON:
JOHN TEMPLEMAN, REGENT STREET;
JOHN RUSSELL SMITH, OLD COMPTON STREET, SOHO;
JOHN MILLER, OXFORD STREET.

MDCCCXXXIX.

1193.

WALTER SPIERS, PRINTER, 399, OXFORD STREET, LONDON.

TO

ELIZABETH,
LATE DUCHESS AND COUNTESS OF NORTHUMBERLAND,

IN HER OWN RIGHT
BARONESS PERCY,

ETC. ETC. ETC.,
WHO, BEING SOLE HEIRESS TO MANY GREAT FAMILIES

OF OUR ANCIENT NOBILITY,
EMPLOYED THE PRINCELY FORTUNE,

AND SUSTAINED
THE ILLUSTRIOUS HONOURS, WHICH SHE DERIVED FROM THEM,

THROUGH HER WHOLE LIFE,
WITH THE GREATEST DIGNITY, GENEROSITY, AND SPIRIT;

AND WHO FOR HER MANY PUBLIC

AND PRIVATE VIRTUES

WILL EVER BE REMEMBERED

AS ONE OF THE FIRST CHARACTERS OF HER TIME,

THIS LITTLE WORK

WAS ORIGINALLY DEDICATED :
AND AS IT SOMETIMES AFFORDED HER AMUSEMENT,

AND WAS HIGHLY DISTINGUISHED
BY HER INDULGENT APPROBATION,

IT IS NOW,
WITH THE UTMOST REGARD, RESPECT, AND GRATITUDE,

CONSECRATED
TO HER BELOVED AND HONOURED

MEMORY.