Vast groves of these, where they the people blest; At which, indignant, wide he flapt his wing,

The hero underneath a dart did fling,

For in this part (like great Achilles' heel)
Tho' else invulnerable, he could feel

Death's leaden hand, and, for the first time, here
His undaunted soul stood appall'd with fear;
Bold Conyers then advancing with his dart,
In this unguarded, this neglected part
Soon found a passage to the serpent's heart;
The purple life this oblique passage found,
And sally'd forth out of the gaping wound;
The vanquish'd serpent clos'd his glaring eyes,
And, like a blasted oak, in ruin lies!

A large shrill horn the hero sounded then,
On which appear'd a group of sturdy men,
Who drew this pond'rous ruin to a pit;
Many a massive stone there heap'd on it:
The good Bishop to Conyers then decreed
These manors for this great and noble deed;
Where he in peace, and glory flourish'd long,
And built three holy churches, fair and strong:
At Sogburn one, where he the serpent slew;
There, in fine stone, his monument we view;
His body at full length, in sculpture fine,
A female on each side, all rare design;
With his large trusty dog beneath his feet,
That with his master did the serpent meet.
This tale now being done, they to his Grace
Present the sword, that in this fatal place
Did the old fiery dragon's life destroy,
Which he, returning, wishes them all joy
Of these fair lands, which they so justly claim;
They to their homes then all return again.
A tale so plausible, none can refuse
To credit; yet the deep, discerning Muse,
In this fable, of the antients setting forth,
Discovers a knight of undaunted worth;
Who here, perhaps, some robber overthrew,
Like Robin Hood with his stout valiant crew;
Or some tyrannic baron, who oppress'd
His neighbours, to mankind a common pest.

Lines to Northumberland.

"Dear, even to the savage, is the land of his fathers."

ALLISON.

AIL to the land where my forefathers nourished The blossoms of Freedom, immortal in worth; And hail to the land where sweet Liberty flourished Wide o'er the rude mountains that border the north. Northumbria! the deeds of thy chieftains, in story, Will shine undiminished while virtue remains; And Mem'ry's soft smile, consecrated by glory, Shall hallow the goblet that foams to their names. Illustrious land! where the Percies inherit

The splendour and worth that distinguish their line,
United with Hotspur's magnanimous spirit,

Who ne'er bent a knee at servility's shrine.
In the archives of Britain, see, Truth is pourtraying
Their patriot merits to eagle-eyed Fame:

Thy sons, with delight the bright pages surveying,
Rear high the bright goblet that foams to their name!

Hail to the land! where the bright eye of beauty
Reflects the mild lustre of sympathy's tear!
And hail to the land where firm Honour and Duty
Restrain the wild ardour of valour's career!
Brave Collingwood! once his loved Island's defender,
Illumined thy shore with the halo of Fame:
We breathe a warm sigh to his mem'ry, and tender
A tear to the goblet that foams to his name.

Ye Heroes! whose day-star of glory is clouded,

And wrapt in the darkness that shadows the tomb!
Still, still it shall beam, though in night it is shrouded,
And spread like a meteor its rays through the gloom.
The laurels ye've won e'en the grave must relinquish,
They're due to your children; and gratitude claims
Each gay trophied garland of fame, to distinguish
The goblet affection still rears to your names.

Thou PRIDE OF THE NORTH! while the billowy ocean Shall roll its white surge on thy cliff-broken strand,

The hearts of thy children, in rapt'rous emotion,

Shall bound at each thought of their dear native land. Sweet spot of my birth, I will ever caress thee,

And cherish each wish that redounds to thy fame: May the Amaranth and Olive of Peace ever bless thee, And twine round the goblet that foams to thy name.

It is recited by tradition, and not without appearance of truth, that a Scotch gentleman named David Dunbar, having travailed through several nations, bearing a fox tail in his cap, as a challenge for any man to fight with him; and lastly, comeing thro' England, goeing towards his owne countrey, was fought with, by one sir Robert Ogle, and by him slain with a pole axe, which, as a monument, remained till lately, in the great hall of Bothal castle.-Gent. Mag.

Auncient Rhymes,

FOR HIS

SHEWING HOWE HENRY PERCYE, EARLE OF NORTHUMBERLAND
COVETOUS AND TRAITOROUS ATTEMPT WAS PUT TO DEATH AT

YORK, ANNO, 1407.

CONTRIBUTED BY F. R. SURTEES, ESQ.

HIS poem has been taken from an edi tion of the Mirror of Magistrates,"

published in black letter, in 1574, wherein may be seen by examples passed in this realm with how grievous plagues, vices are punished in great princes and magistrates. As that work is generally but little known, it may be as well to observe that in the reign of queen Elizabeth and afterwards, it was in considerable repute when books of all kinds were few, and almost the only mode of acquiring a knowledge of English history was by searching the Monkish Chronicles. It purposes to be an account of various historical events in which men of rank had figured, during the time when England was in its very infancy, where either they had had their ambition checked or terminated their vices by an untimely end. No doubt its tendency was likely to be highly beneficial to the few who could read. The mode in which it was compiled is somewhat singular. The different poems contained throughout the book are supposed to be told to Baldwin the author as he informs us-' by divers learned men whose gifts need no prayses." Who take upon themselves every man for his part to be sondrye personages and in their behalfe wail unto me their grievous chaunces hieve destinies and woeful misfortunes. These several informants give him an introduction to each poem as well as a few observations at the conclusion. The following is a portion of the introduction to this particular one.

6

In Henry the fourth's time, the conspiracy made by the bychop of Yorke and the lord Mowbray . was .. pricked forward by the earl of Northumberlad, father to sir Henry Hotspur, who fled himselfe, but his partners were apprehended and put to death with Bainton and Blinkinsops which could not se their duty to their king

* He was so created at the only lord Percy of Alnwick. of the Tower of London.

coronation of Richard II. July 16, 1377, being previously The patent of his creation is still preserved in the records

S

but tooke part with Percy that banished rebell..

.To th'

ende .. Baldwin .. that you may know what to saye of the Percies, whose storie is not all out of memorie (and it is a nota

ble storie) I wyll take upon me the persone of
the Lord Henry Percy, Earle of Nor-
thumberland, father of Syr Henry
Hotspur in whose behalfe
this may be saide as
followeth,'-

MORALL Senec, true finde I thy saying,
That neither kinne, riches, strength or fauour,
Are free from fortune, but are aye decaying;

No worldly wealth is ought saue doubtful labour :
Man's life on earth is like vnto a tabour,

Which nowe to myrth doth mildly men prouoke,
And straight to warre, with a more sturdy stroke.

All this full true I Percye find by proofe,
Which whilome was erle of Northumberland;
And therefore Baldwin, for my piers behoof,

To note men's falles, sith thou hast tane in hande,
I would thou should my state well understand;

2

For fewe kinges were more than I redouted,

Whom double fortune lifted vp and louted.

As for my kinne, their noblenesse is knowen;"
My valiaunt actes were folly for to prayse,

1 Seneca.

2 It is almost needless to state that at all times the Percy family has been about the mightiest as well as the noblest of the English nobility. When a descendant of this earl in king Henry VII's reign, conducted that monarch's daughter Margaret to Scotland, for her marriage with James IV., who with all his nobles was ready to receive her, it has been recorded. "The Scotts very very richly apparelled but above all other the earl of Northumberland who exceeded in the richness of his coat, being of goldsmiths work garnished with pearls and stones, and for the costly apparell of his henchmen and gallant trappings of their horses, besides four hundred tall men well horsed and apparelled in his collars, he was esteemed both of the Scots and Englishmen more like a prince than a subject."

3 When his brother sir Thomas Percy, afterwards created earl of Worcester, was sent to France in 1391, to conclude a peace with king Charles VI. of France. "The day