The Rowley Poems Part 53

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 n.o.blenesse 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 s.e.xes 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 h.o.a.rdes 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 w.i.l.l.yam 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 n.o.bille 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, Wh.o.e.re hath thee hath gotten Selynesse.

ONN JOHNE A DALBENIE, by the same.

Johne makes a jarre boute Lancaster and Yorke; Bee stille, G.o.de 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 n.o.ble sheenynge bryghte Schall fyll mie honde with weight to speke ytt fyne; Ne moe, ne moe, ala.s.s! 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 h.e.l.le. 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 a.s.ses 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, b.u.t.te 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. [Ill.u.s.tration]

[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-Britannic.u.m (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 a.n.a.logy. 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._

EXPLANATION OF THE LETTERS OF REFERENCE.

ae stands for _aella; a tragycal enterlude_, Ba. ------ _The dethe of Syr C. Bawdin_, Ch. ------ _Balade of Charitie_, E. I. ---- _Eclogue the first_, E. II. --- _Eclogue the second_, E. III. -- _Eclogue the third_, El. ------ _Elinoure and Juga_, Ent. ----- _Entroductionne to aella_, Ep. ------ _Epistle to M. Canynge_, G. ------- _G.o.ddwyn; a Tragedie_, H. 1. ---- _Battle of Hastings, No 1._ H. 2. ---- _Battle of Hastings, No 2._ Le. ------ _Letter to M. Canynge_, M. ------- _Englysh Metamorphosis_, P.G. ----- _Prologue to G.o.ddwyn_, T. ------- _Tournament_,