The Rowley Poems

Thomas Chatterton was born in Bristol on the 20th of November 1752. His father--also Thomas--dead three months before his son's birth, had been a subchaunter in Bristol Cathedra...

Dodsley having failed him, Chatterton next took the bolder step of writing to Horace Walpole, who must have been much in his mind for some years before his sending the letter. S...

He rarely employs personifications, but no poet used the figure more convincingly. The third Mynstrelle's description of Autumn is a lovely thing, and one will not easily forget...

Soon after this Mr. Catcott commenced his acquaintance with young Chatterton[1], and, partly as presents partly as purchases, procured from him copies of many of his MSS. in in...

Oh! I coulde waile mie kynge-coppe-decked mees[26], Mie spreedynge flockes of shepe of lillie white, Mie tendre applynges[27], and embodyde[28] trees, Mie Parker's Grange[29], f...

Oh thou, whereer (thie bones att reste) Thye Spryte to haunte delyghteth beste, 20 Whetherr upponne the bloude-embrewedd pleyne, Orr whare thou kennst fromm farre The dysmall cr...

'Tys songe bie mynstrelles, thatte yn auntyent tym, Whan Reasonn hylt[1] herselfe in cloudes of nyghte, The preeste delyvered alle the lege[2] yn rhym; Lyche peyncted[3] tyltyng...

Ofte have I seene thee atte the none-daie feaste, 45 Whanne deysde bie thieselfe, for wante of pheeres[18], Awhylst thie merryemen dydde laughe and jeaste, Onn mee thou semest a...

Thie wordes are greate, full hyghe of sound, and eeke Lyche thonderre, to the whych dothe comme no rayne. Itte lacketh notte a doughtie honde to speke; 465 The cocke saiethe dre...

Heere, uponne mie true loves grave, Schalle the baren fleurs be layde. 880 Nee one hallie Seyncte to save Al the celness of a mayde. Mie love ys dedde, Gonne to hys death-bedde,...

Whylomme[1]bie pensmenne[2] moke[3] ungentle[4] name Have upon Goddwynne Erie of Kente bin layde: Dherebie benymmynge[5] hymme of faie[6] and fame; Unliart[7] divinistres[8] hav...

He wedded Gendolyne of roieal sede, Upon whose countenance rodde healthe was spreade; Bloushing, alyche[30] the scarlette of herr wede, She sonke to pleasaunce on the marryage b...

His bloude at this was waxen flaminge hotte, Without adoe he turned once agayne, And hytt de Griel thilk a blowe, God wote, Maugre hys helme, he splete his hede in twayne. This...

As when the shepster in the shadie bowre In jintle slumbers chase the heat of daie, Hears doublyng echoe wind the wolfins rore, That neare hys flocke is watchynge for a praie, H...

Then Addhelm hurld a croched javlyn stronge, With mighte that none but such grete championes know; Swifter than thoughte the javlyn past alonge, Ande hytte the Scot most feircli...

Mie boolie entes, adieu! ne moe the syghte Of guilden merke shall mete mie joieous eyne, Ne moe the sylver noble sheenynge bryghte Schall fyll mie honde with weight to speke ytt...

Hyger, Æ. 627. The flowing of the tide in the Severn was antiently called the _Hygra_. Gul. Malmesb. de Pontif. Ang. L. iv. ['The eagre or "bore" of the Severn is a large and sw...

Granting _alleyn_ to be rightly put for alone, no ancient writer, I apprehend, ever used such a phrase as this; any more than we should now say--_my son alone_ for _my only son_...

[Footnote 4: This is a point so material to the following argument, that, though it has never hitherto, I believe, been made a question, it ought not perhaps to be assumed witho...