The story of the Wandering Jew is of considerable antiquity it had obtained full credit in this part of the world before the year 1228, as we learn from Matthew Paris. For in that year, it seems, there came an Armenian archbishop into England, to visit the shrines and reliques preserved in our churches; who, being entertained at the monastery of St. Albans, was asked several questions relating to his country, &c. Among the rest a monk, who sat near him, inquired "if he had ever seen or heard of the famous person named Joseph, that was so much talked of; who was present at our Lord's crucifixion and conversed with him, and who was still alive in confirmation of the Christian faith." The archbishop answered, That the fact was true. And afterwards one of his train, who was well known to a servant of the abbot's, interpreting his master's words, told them in French, "That his lord knew the person they spoke of very well that he had dined at his table but a little while before he left the East: that he had been Pontius Pilate's porter, by name Cartaphilus; who, when they were dragging Jesus out of

:

the door of the Judgment-hall, struck him with his fist on the back, saying, "Go faster, Jesus, go faster, why dost thou linger?" Upon which Jesus looked at him with a frown, and said, "I indeed am going. but thou shalt tarry till I come." Soon after he was converted, and baptized by the name of Joseph. He lives for ever, but at the end of every hundred years falls into an incurable illness, and at length into a fit or ecstacy, out of which when he recovers, he returns to the same state of youth he was in when Jesus suffered, being then about thirty years of age. He remembers all the circumstances of the death and resurrection of Christ, the saints that arose with him, the composing of the apostles creed, their preaching, and dispersion; and is himself a very grave and holy person." This is the substance of Matthew Paris's account, who was himself a monk of St. Albans, and was living at the time when the Armenian archbishop made the above relation.

Since his time soveral impostors have appeared at intervals under the name and character of the "Wandering Jew;" whose several histories may be seen in Calmet's dictionary of the Bible. See also the Turkish Spy, Vol. II. Book 3. Let. 1. The story that is copied in the following ballad is of one, who

appeared at Hamburgh in 1547, and pretended he had been a Jewish shoemaker at the time of Christ's crucifixion.-The ballad however seems to be of later date. It is preserved in black-letter in the Pepys collection.

WHEN as in faire Jerusalem

Our Saviour Christ did live, And for the sins of all the worlde

His own deare life did give ;

The wicked Jewes with scoffes and scornes Did dailye him molest,

That never till he left his life,

Thus after some fewe ages past

In wandring up and downe;
He much again desired to see
Jerusalems renowne,

But finding it all quite destroyd,
He wandred thence with woe,
Our Saviours wordes, which he had spoke,
To verifie and showe.

"I'll rest, sayd hee, but thou shalt walke," So doth this wandring Jew

From place to place, but cannot rest
For seeing countries newe;
Declaring still the power of him,
Whereas he comes or goes,
And of all things done in the east,

Since Christ his death, he showes.

Our Saviour could not rest.

The world he hath still compast round And seene those nations strange,

Where thousand thousands in the streete

That hearing of the name of Christ,

Yet not one gentle heart was there,

Beheld him passe along,

That pityed this his wrong.

Both old and young reviled him,

As in the streete he wente,

And nought he found but churlish tauntes, By every ones consente:

His owne deare crosse he bore himselfe,

A burthen far too great,

Their idol gods doe change:

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To whom he hath told wondrous thinges

Of time forepast, and gone,

And to the princes of the worlde

Declares his cause of moane :

Which made him in the street to fainte,

For neither lookes he old nor young,

With blood and water sweat.

But as he did those times,

When Christ did suffer on the crosse For mortall sinners crimes,

Thou shalt not rest thee here;

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Where Paul and Peter preached Christ,

Pass on; thy execution place

Those blest apostles deare;

Thou seest nowe draweth neare.

There he hath told our Saviours wordes,

In countries far and neare.

If you had seene his death, saith he,
As these mine eyes have done,
Ten thousand thousand times would yee
His torments think upon:

And suffer for his sake all paine

Of torments, and all woes. These are his wordes and eke his life Whereas he comes or goes.

IV.

-is found in a very scarce miscellany intitled "Davison's Poems, or a poeticall Rapsodie divided into sixe books. The 4th impression newly corrected and augmented, and put into a forme more pleasing to the reader. Lond. 1621, 12mo." This poem is reported to have been written by its celebrated author the night before his execution, Oct. 29. 1618. But this must be a mistake, for there were at least two editions of Davison's poems before that time, one in 1608*, the other in 1611 t. So that unless this poem was an after-insertion in the 4th edit. it must have been written long before the death of Sir Walter: perhaps it was composed soon after his condemnation in 1603. See Oldys's Life of Sir Walter Raleigh, p. 173, fol.

GOE, soule, the bodies guest,
Upon a thankelesse arrant;
Feare not to touche the best,

The truth shall be thy warrant :
Goe, since I needs must dye,
And give the world the lye.

Goe tell the court, it glowes

And shines like rotten wood;

So give them still the ĺye.

Tell potentates they live

Tell friendship of unkindnesse ;

Acting by others actions;

Tell justice of delay:

Not lov'd unlesse they give,

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And if they dare reply,

Not strong but by their factions;

Then give them all the lye.

V.

In the first edition of this book were inserted, by way of specimen of his Majesty's poetic talents, some punning verses made on the disputations at Sterling; but it having been suggested to the Editor, that the king only gave the quibbling commendations in prose, and that some obsequious courtrhymer put them into metre; it was thought proper to exchange them for two sonnets of King James's own composition. James was a great versifier, and therefore out of the multitude of his poems, we have here selected two, which (to shew our impartiality) are written in his best and his worst manner. The first would not dishonour any writer of that time; the second is a most complete example of the Bathos.

A SONNET ADDRESSED BY KING JAMES TO HIS SON PRINCE HENRY.

From King James's Works in folio: where is also printed another called his Majesty's "own Sonnet;" it would perhaps be too cruel to infer from thence that this was not his Majesty's own

sonnet.

GOD gives not kings the stile of Gods in vaine,
For on his throne his scepter do they swey :
And as their subjects ought them to obey,
So kings should feare and serve their God againe.

If then ye would enjoy a happie reigne,

Observe the statutes of our heavenly King; And from his law make all your laws to spring; Since his lieutenant here ye should remaine.

The common popular ballad of "King John and the Abbot" seems to have been abridged and modernized about the time of James I. from one much older, entitled, "King John and the Bishop of Canterbury." The Editor's folio MS. contains a copy of this last, but in too corrupt a state to be reprinted; it however afforded many lines worth reviving, which will be found inserted in the ensuing stanzas.

The archness of the following questions and answers hath been much admired by our old balladmakers; for besides the two copies above mentioned, there is extant another ballad on the same subject (but of no great antiquity or merit), entitled, "King Olfrey and the Abbot.:" Lastly, about the time of the civil wars, when the cry ran against the

bishops, some puritan worked up the same story into a very doleful ditty, to a solemn tune, concerning" King Henry and a Bishop ;" with this stinging moral :

"Unlearned men hard matters out can find,

When learned bishops princes eyes do blind." The following is chiefly printed from an ancient black-letter copy, to "The tune of Derry down." An ancient story Ile tell you anon

Of a notable prince, that was called King John; And he ruled England with maine and with might, For he did great wrong, and maintein'd little right.

An hundred men, the king did heare say,
The abbot kept in his house every day:
And fifty golde chaynes, without any doubt,
In velvet coates waited the abbot about.

How now, father abbot, I heare it of thee,
Thou keepest a farre better house than mee,
And for thy house-keeping and high renowne,
I feare thou work'st treason against my crown.

My liege, quo' the abbot, I would it were knowne,
I never spend nothing, but what is my owne;
And I trust, your grace will doe me no deere,
For spending of my owne true-gotten geere.

Yes, yes, father abbot, thy fault it is highe,
And now for the same thou needest must dye;
For except thou canst answer me questions three,
Thy head shall be smitten from thy bodie.

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15

20

40

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Then home rode the abbot of comfort so cold,
And he mett his shepheard a going to fold:
How now, my lord abbot, you are welcome home;
What newes do you bring us from good King John?

"Sad newes, sad newes, shepheard, I must give;
That I have but three days more to live:
For if I do not answer him questions three,

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I did not think, it could be gone so soone!
-Now from the third question thou must not shrinke
But tell me here truly what I do thinke.
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"Yea, that shall I do, and make your grace merry: You thinke I'm the abbot of Canterbury;

But I'm his poor shepheard, as plain you may see,
That am come to beg pardon for him and for mee."100

The king he laughed, and swore by the masse,
Ile make thee lord abbot this day in his place!
"Now naye, my liege, be not in such speede,
For alacke I can neither write, ne reade."

My head will be smitten from my bodìe.

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• Meaning probably St. Botolph.