XLII. "As fast I've sped owre Scotlands faes,”- Sair sham'd to mind ought but his dame, And maiden FAIRLY fair. Black fear he felt, but what to fear He wist nae yet; wi' dread 330 Sair shook his body, sair his limbs, 335 And a' the warrior fled. * *.* In an elegant publication, entitled Scottish Tragic Ballads, printed by and for J. Nichols, 1781, 8vo, may be seen a continuation of the ballad of Hardyknute, by the addition of a Second Part, which hath since been acknowledged to be his own composition by the ingenious editor; to whom the late Sir D. Dalrymple communicated (subsequent to the account drawn up above in p. 101,) extracts of a letter from Sir John Bruce, of Kinross, to Lord Binning, which plainly proves the pretended discoverer of the fragment of Hardyknute to have been Sir John Bruce himself. His words are, "To perform my promise, I send you a true copy of the manuscript I found some weeks ago in a vault at Dumferline. It is written on vellum, in a fair Gothic character, but so much defaced by time, as you'll find that the tenth part is not legible." He then gives the whole fragment as it was first published in 1719, save one or two stanzas, marking several passages as having perished by being illegible in the old MS. Hence it appears that Sir John was the author of Hardyknute, but afterwards used Mrs. Wardlaw to be the midwife of his poetry, and suppressed the story of the vault; as is well observed by the editor of the Tragic Ballads, and of Maitland's Scot. Poets, vol. i. p. cxxvii. To this gentleman we are indebted for the use of the copy, whence the second edition was afterwards printed, as the same was prepared for the press by John Clerk, M.D. of Edinburgh, an intimate companion of Lord President Forbes. The title of the first edition was, "Hardyknute, a Fragment. Edinburgh, printed for James Watson, &c. 1719." folio, twelve pages. Stanzas not in the first edition are Nos. 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 34, 35, 36, 37, 41, 42. In the present impression the orthography of Dr. Clerk's copy has been preserved, and his readings carefully followed, except in a few instances, wherein the common edition appeared preferable: viz. He had in ver. 20, but. v. 56, of harm.—v. 64, every.—v. 67, lo down.—v. 83, That omitted. v. 89, And omitted.--v. 143, With argument but vainly strave Lang.-v. 148, say'd.-v. 155, incampit on the plain.—v. 156, Norse squadrons.—v. 158, regand revers. v. 170, his strides he bent.-v. 171, minstrals playand Pibrochs fine. v. 172, stately went.—v. 182, mon.—v. 196, sharp and fatal.-v. 219, which.- -v. 241, stood wyld. stanza 39 preceded stanza 38.-v. 305, There -v. 313, blew westling.-v. 336 had originally been, He fear'd a' cou'd be fear'd. The Editor was also informed, on the authority of Dr. David Clerk, M.D. of Edinburgh, (son of the aforesaid Dr. John Clerk,) that between the present stanzas 36 and 37, the two following had been intended, but were on maturer consideration omitted, and do not now appear among the MS. additions. Now darts flew wavering through slaw speed, Right strengthy arms forfeebled grew, Yet still wars horns sounded to charge, But saftly sae ilk blaster blew The hills and dales fraemang. Nae echo heard in double dints, END OF THE FIRST BOOK. A Ballad of Luther, the Pope, a Cardinal, and a Husbandman. In the former book we brought down this second series of poems as low as about the middle of the sixteenth century. We now find the Muses deeply engaged in religious controversy. The sudden revolution wrought in the opinions of mankind by the Reformation, is one of the most striking events in the history of the human mind. It could not but engross the attention of every individual in that age, and therefore no other writings would have any chance to be read, but such as related to this grand topic. The alterations made in the established religion by Henry VIII., the sudden changes it underwent in the three succeeding reigns within so short a space as eleven or twelve years, and the violent struggles between expiring Popery and growing Protestantism, could not but interest all mankind. Accordingly every pen was engaged in the dispute. The followers of the Old and New Profession (as they were called) had their respective ballad-makers; and every day produced some popular sonnet for or against the Reformation. The following ballad, and that entitled Little John Nobody, may serve for specimens of the writings of each party. Both were written in the time of Edward VI.; and are not the worst that were composed upon the occasion. Controversial divinity is no friend to poetic flights. Yet this ballad of "Luther and the Pope," is not altogether devoid of spirit; it is of the dramatic kind, and the characters are tolerably well sustained; especially that of Luther, which is made to speak in a manner not unbecoming the spirit and courage of that vigorous Reformer. It is printed from the original black-letter copy, (in the Pepys collection, vol. i. folio,) to which is prefixed a large wooden cut, designed and executed by some eminent master. This is copied in miniature in the small Engraving inserted above. We are not to wonder that the ballad-writers of that age should be inspired with the zeal of controversy, when the very stage teemed with polemic divinity. I have now before me two very ancient quarto black-letter Plays:the one published in the time of Henry VIII., entitled Every Man; the other called Lusty Juventus, printed in the reign of Edward VI. In the former of these, occasion is taken to inculcate great reverence for old mother church |