"A ballad made by one of the adherents to Simon dè "Montfort, earl of Leicefter, foon after the battle of Lewes, "which was fought May 14, 1264,"

-affords a curious fpecimen of ancient Satire, and fhews that the liberty, affumed by the good people of this realm, of

VOL. II.

B

abufing

abufing their kings and princes at pleasure, is a privilege of very long standing.

To render this antique libel intelligible, the Reader is to underftand that just before the battle of Lewe swhich proved Jo fatal to the interefts of Henry III, the barons had offered his brother Richard King of the Romans 30,000l, to procure a peace upon fuch terms, as would have divefted Henry of all his regal power, and therefore the treaty proved abortive.-The confequences of that battle are well known: the king, prince Edward his fon, his brother Richard, and many of his friends fell into the hands of their enemies: while two great barons of the king's party John earl of Warren, and Hugh Bigot the king's Jufticiary had been glad to escape into

France.

In the 1ft ftanza the aforefaid fum of THIRTY THOU SAND pounds is alluded to, but with the ufual mifrepresentation of party malevolence, is afferted to have been the exorbitant demand of the king's brother.

With regard to the 2d ft. the Reader is to note that Richard, along with the earldom of Cornwall, had the honours of WALINGFORD and Eyre confirmed to him on his marriage with Sanchia daughter of the Count of Provence, in 1243.

WINDSOR caftle was the chief fortress belonging to the king, and had been garrisoned by foreigners: a circumftance, which furnishes out the burthen of each stanza.

The 3d ft. very humorously alludes to fome little fat, which history hath not condefcended to record. Earl Richard poffeffed fome large WATER-MILLS near Iftleworth, which had been plundered and burnt by the Londoners: in thefe perhaps by way of defence he had lodged a party of Sol

diers.

The 4th ft. is of obvious interpretation: Richard, who had been elected king of the Romans in 1256, and had afterwards gone over to take poffeffion of his dignity, was in the year 1259 about to return into England, when the barons raifed a popular clamour, that he was bringing with him foreigners to over-run the kingdom: upon which he was

forced

forced to difmifs almost all his followers, otherwife the barons would have oppofed his landing.

In the 5th ft. the writer regrets the efcape of the Earl of Warren, and in the 6th, and 7th fts. infinuates that if he and Sir Hugh Bigod once fell into the hands of their adverfaries, they should never more return home. A circumstance, which fixes the date of this ballad; for in the year 1265 both thefe noblemen landed in South Wales, and the royal party foon after gained the afcendant. See Holing/hed, Rapin,

&c.

The following is copied from a very ancient MS. in the British Mufeum. [Harl. MSS. 2253. S. 23.] This MS. is judged, from the peculiarities of the writing, to be not later than the time of Richard II; th being every where expreffed by the character ; the y is pointed after the Saxon manner; and the í hath an oblique ftroke over it.

Prefixed to this ancient libel on government is a small defign, which the engraver intended fhould correfpond with the fubject. On the one fide a Satyr, (emblem of Petulance and Ridicule) is trampling on the enfigns of Royalty; on the other Faction under the mafque of Liberty is exciting Ignorance and Popular Rage to deface the Royal Image; which ftands on a pedestal infcribed MAGNA CHARTA, to denote, that the rights of the king, as well as thofe of the people, are founded on the laws; and that to attack one, is in effect to demolish both.

ITTETH alle ftille, ant herkneth to me;

SITTETH

The kyng of Alemaigne, bi mi leaute,

Thritti thoufent pound askede he

For te make the pees in the countre,

Ant fo he dude more.

Richard, thah thou be ever trichard,

Tricthen shalt thou never more.

Richard of Alemaigne, whil that he wes kying,
He fpende al is trefour opon fwyvyng,
Haveth he nout of Walingford oferlyng,
Let him habbe, afe he brew, bale to dryng,
Maugre Wyndefore.

Richard, thah thou be ever &c.

The kyng of Alemaigne wende do ful wel,
He faifede the mulne for a caftel,

With hare sharpe fwerdes he grounde the stel,
He wende that the fayles were mangonel

To helpe Wyndefore.

Richard, thah thou be ever &c.

The king of Alemaigne gederede ŷs host,
Makede him a caftel of a mulne poft,
Wende with is prude, ant is muchele bost,
Brohte from Alemayne mony fori goft

To ftore Wyndefore.

Richard, thah thou be ever &c.

By God, that is aboven ous, he dude muche fynne,
That lette paffen over fee the erl of Warynne:
He hath robbed Engelond, the mores, ant th fenne,
The gold, ant the felver, and y-boren henne,

For love of Wyndefore.

Richard, thah thou be ever &c.

Sire Simond de Mountfort hath fuore bi ys
Hevede he nou here the erl of Waryn,

chyn,

Shuld he never more come to is yn,

Ne with sheld, ne with fpere, ne with other gyn,

To help of Wyndefore

Richard, thah thou be ever &c.

Sire Simond de Montfort hath fuore bi ys 'fot,'
Hevede he nou here Sire Hue de Bigot:

Al he fhulde grante here twelfmoneth fcot,
Shulde he never more with his fot pot

To helpe Wyndefore.

Richard, thah thou be ever trichard,
Tricthen fhalt thou never more.

Ver. 38. top. or cop.

Ver, 40. g'te here, MS, i. e, grant their. Vid. Glofs.

35

40

In

**The SERIES OF POEMS given in this volume will fhew the gradual changes of the ENGLISH Language thro' a fucceffion of FIVE HUNDRED years. This and the foregoing article may be confidered as fpecimens of it in its most early state, almost as foon as it ceased to be SAXON. deed the annals of this kingdom are written in the Saxon language almost down to the end of K. Stephen's reign: for fo far reaches the SAXON CHRONICLE: within little more than a century of the date of this poem.