"Such an one did I meet, good fir, "With an angelicke face? "Who like a nymphe, a queene appeard "Both in her gait, her grace." Yes: fhe hath cleane forfaken me, And left me all alone; Who fome time loved me as her life, And called me her owne. "What is the cause fhe leaves thee thus, "And a new way doth take, "That fome time loved thee as her life, "And thee her joy did make?" I that loved her all my youth, Love liketh not the falling fruite, As this fine morfel of heroic poetry hath generally past for ancient, it is here thrown to the end of our earliest pieces; that fuch as doubt of its age may the better compare it with other pieces of genuine antiquity. For after all, there is more than reafon to fufpect, that most of its beauties are of modern date; and that thefe at leaft (if not its whole exiftence) have flowed from the pen of a lady, within this prefent century. The following particulars may be depended on. G 4 One One Mrs. Wardlaw, whofe maiden name was Halket (aunt of the late for Peter Halket of Pit-ferran in Scotland, who was killed in America along with general Bradock in 1755) pretended she had found this poem, written on foreds of paper, employed for what is called the bottoms of clues. A fufpicion arofe that it was her own compofition. Some able judges afferted it be modern. The lady did in a manner acknowledge it to be fo. Being defired to fhew an additional ftanza, as a proof of this, the produced the three laft beginning with "Loud and fchrill, &c." which were not in the copy that was first printed. The late Lord Prefident Fories, and Sir Gilbert Elliot of Minto (now Lord Justice Clerk for Scotland) who had believed it ancient, contributed to the expence of publishing the firft Edition, which came out in folio about the year 1720. This account is tranfmitted from Scotland by a gentleman of distinguished rank, learning and genius, who yet is of opinion, that part of the ballad may be ancient; but retouched and much enlarged by the lady abovementioned. Indeed he hath been informed, that the late William Thompson, the Scottish musician, who published the ORPHEUS CALIDONIUS, 1733, 2 vols. 8vo, declared he had heard fragments of it repeated during his infancy: before ever Mrs. Wardlaw's copy was heard of. STately ftept he eaft the wa, And ftately ftept he west, Full seventy zeirs he now had fene, With fkerfs fevin zeirs of rest. He livit quhen Britons breach of faith Wroucht Scotland meikle wae: And ay his fword tauld to their coft, He was their deidly fae. 5 Hie on a hill his castle ftude, Quhair he lodgit mony a knicht. Saif Elenor the quene. Full thirtein fons to him scho bare, Nyne loft their lives bot doubt; Hie was their fame, hie was their micht, And hie was their command. The king of Norse in fummer tyde, Puft up with powir and micht, Landed in fair Scotland the yle, With mony a hardy knicht. The tydings to our gude Scots king Came, as he fat at dyne, With noble chiefs in braif aray, Drinking the blude-reid wyne. "To horfe, to horfe, my ryal liege, The king of Norfe commands." Our gude king raise and cryd, 35 40 45 "Cum down, cum down, lord Hardyknute, 55 And rid zour king frae harm." Then |