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friend to the dark ages, as they are called, than is commonly fuppofed. Our writers caught this vein from the provencial poets. There are indeed the writings of fome english poets now remaining, who wrote before Gower or Chaucer. But these are merely chroniclers in rhyme, and feem to have left us the laft dregs of that fort of compofition, which was practiced by the British Bards: for inftance, the Chronicle

*That laborious antiquary Thomas Hearne, firft printed this au ther, at Oxford, 1724. In his preface, he tells us, p. 10. how he was firft tempted to publish this rare piece. "When I first saw a MSS. "of this author (which was even when I was a young under-graduate) "in the Bodleian Library, being one of the first MSS. I had ever pe"rufed there, I was WONDERFULLY DELIGHTED with it." He afterwards informs us, with no fmall degree of triumph, p. 84. "As "the Acts of the Apostles, that I published from arch-bishop Laud's "MSS. is the firft entire book that was ever printed in England, in "capital letters; fo this Chronicle of Robert of Glocester is the first " entire book, that was ever printed in this kingdom, (it may be in the "whole world) in the manner I have done it, that is, in the black let"6 ter, with a mixture of fome Saxon characters." In the next page he proceeds to enter into a warm defence of the old black letter. "As "it is a reproach to us, that the Saxon language fhould be fo forgot, as to have but few (comparatively speaking) that are able to read it; "fo 'tis a greater reproach that the black letter, which was the cha"racter fo much in ufe in our grandfathers days, should be now, as it were, difufed and rejected; especially, when we know the best edi❝tions of our English bibles and common prayer (to say nothing of other "books) are printed in it." I shall cite one more inftance of our antiquary's extreme thirst after antient things, p. 19. "But tho' I have

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“ taken so much pleasure in perusing the English bible of the year 1541, "yet 'tis nothing equal to that I fhould take, in turning over that of

the year 1539."

of

of Robert of Glocefter, who wrote, according to his account, about the year 1280. The moft antient allegorical poem which I have seen in our language, is a manuscript Vifion, in the Bodleian library, written in the reign of Edward II. by Adam Davie. It is in the short verfe of the old metrical romance. However Gower and Chaucer were justly reputed the first english poets, because they were the first, of any note at least, who introduced INVENTION into our poetry; the first who MORALISED THEIR SONG, and ftrove to render virtue more amiable by cloathing her in the veil of fiction. Chaucer, it must be acknowledged, deserves to be placed the first in time of our english poets, on another account; his admirable artifice in painting the familiar manners, which none before him had ever attempted in the most imperfect degree and it should be remembered to his immortal honour, that he was the firft writer who gave the english nation, in their own language, an idea of HUMOUR. About the fame time flourished an allegorical fatyrift, the author of PIERS PLOWMAN'S VISIONS*. To thefe fucceeded Lydgate; who from his principal performances, the FALL OF PRINCES †,

An account of this Poem will be given at large hereafter. †The book on which it is founded, viz. Boccace de CASIBUS VIRORUM ILLUSTRIUM, is a plain historical narrative,

and

and STORY OF THEBES, more properly may be clafsed among the legendary poets, although the firft of thefe is in great measure a series of vifions. But we have of this author two poems, viz. The TEMPLE OF GLASS, and the DANCE OF DEATH, befides several other pieces, chiefly in manufcript, profeffedly written in this fpecies. Lydgate has received numberless encomiums from our old english poets, which he merited more from his language than his imagination. Lydgate is an unanimated writer, yet he made confiderable improvements in the rude ftate of English verfification; and is perhaps the first of our poets whom common readers can perufe with little hefitation and difficulty. He was followed by Hardyng, who wrote a chronicle in verfe, of all the english kings, from Brutus, the favorite fubject of the british bards, or poetical genealogifts *, down to the reign of Edward IV. in whofe reign he lived. This piece is often commended and quoted by our most learned antiquaries. But the poet is loft in the historian: care in collecting and truth in relating events, are incompatible with the fallies of invention. So frigid and

*These were the only hiftorians, and their pieces were fung, as I before obferved. In the ftatutes of a college at Oxford, founded about 1386, it is prescribed, that the scholars, on feftival days, for their common entertainment in the hall, fhall fing CHRONICA Regum Anglia. Coll, Nov. Stat. Rubric, xviii,

profaic

profaic a performance, after such promifing improve ments, seemed to indicate, that poetry was relapfing into its primitive barbarifm; and that the rudeness of Robert of Glocefter, would be foon reinftated in the place of Chaucer's judgement and imagination.

However, in the reign of Henry VII. this interval of darkness was happily removed by Stephen Hawes, a name generally unknown, and not mentioned by any compiler of the lives of english poets. This author was at this period the restorer of invention, which seems to have fuffered a gradual degeneracy from the days of Chaucer. He not only revived, but improved, the antient allegoric vein, which Hardyng had almost entirely banished. Instead of that dryness of descrip tion, so remarkably disgusting in many of his predeceffors, we are by this poet often entertained with the luxuriant effufions of Spenfer. Hawes refined Lydgate's verfification, and gave it fentiment and imagination: added new graces to the seven-lined ftanza which Chaucer and Gower had adopted from the italian; and, to fum up all, was the firft of our poets who decorated invention with perfpicuous and harmonious numbers. The title of his principal performance is almost as obfcure as his name, viz. " The hiftorie of "GRAUNDE AMOURE and LA BEL PUCEL, called "the PASTIME of PLEASURE; Contayning the knowVOL. II. ledge

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<< ledge of the feven fciences, and the courfe of man's lyfe in this worlde. Invented by Stephen Hawes,

66

groome of kyng Henry the seventh his chamber *" Henry VII. is faid to have preferred Hawes to this ftation, chiefly on account of his extraordinary memory, for he could repeat by heart moft of the english poets, especially Lydgate +. This reign produced another allegorical poem, entitled the SHIP of FOOLES 1. It was tranflated from the high-dutch, and professes to ridicule the vices and abfurdities of all ranks of men. The language is tolerably pure: but it has nothing of the invention and pleasantry which the plan seems to promife; neither of which, however, could be expected, if we consider it's original.

In the reign of Henry VIII. claffical literature began to be received and ftudied in England; and the writings of the antients were cultivated with true taste and erudition, by Sir Thomas More, Colet, Afcham,

*In a note after the contents it is faid to be written, art. 21. Hen. vii, or 1505, "Such is the fate of poetry, fays Wood, that this book, "which in the time of Henry VII. and VIII, was taken into the "hands of all ingenious men, is now thought but worthy of a ballad"monger's ftall." Athen. Oxon. ed. 2. vol. 1. pag. 6. col. 2. It is in Muf. Afhmol. Oxon. Cod. impref. A. Wood. He alfo wrote the TEMPLE of GLASS, Wynk, de Worde, 1500. 4to. and other pieces.

+ Wood ubi fupr. et Bale Script. Brit, cent, 8. num. 58.

Finished 1508.

Leland,

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