hero in his own country, but raises the reputation of it by several beautiful incidents." (Addison, Spectator, No. 70.) "The sentiments in that ballad are extremely natural and poetical, and full of the majestick simplicity which we admire in the greatest of the ancient poets: for which reason I shall quote several passages of it, in which the thought is altogether the same with what we meet in several passages of the Eneid; not that I would infer from thence that the poet (whoever he was) proposed to himself any imitation of those passages, but that he was directed to them in general by the same kind of poetical genius, and by the same copyings after nature. Had this old song been filled with epigrammatical turns and points of wit, it might perhaps have pleased the wrong taste of some readers; but it would never have become the delight of the common people, nor have warmed the heart of Sir Philip Sidney like the sound of a trumpet; it is only nature that can have this effect, and please those tastes which are the most unprejudiced or the most refined. I must however beg leave to dissent from so great an authority as that of Sir Philip Sidney, in the judgment which he has passed as to the rude style and evil apparel of this antiquated song; for there are several parts in it where not only the thought but the language is majestick and the numbers sonorous; at least, the apparel is much more gorgeous than many of the poets made use of in Queen Elizabeth's time." (Addison, Spectator, No. 74.) "What can be greater than either the thought or the expression in that stanza. This way of considering the misfortunes which this battle would bring upon posterity, not only on those who were born immediately after the battle and lost their fathers in it, but on those also who perished in future battles which took their rise from this quarrel of the two earls, is wonderfully beautiful, and conformable to the way of thinking among the ancient poets. 'Audiet pugnas vitio parentum Rara juventus.'-Hor." (Addison, Spectator, No. 74.) Of the two preceding stanzas (lines 9-16), with which he joined the tenth (lines 37-49), Addison wrote: "What can be more sounding and poetical, resembling more the majestic simplicity of the ancients? Vocat ingenti clamore Citharon Taygetique canes, domitrixque Epidaurus equorum : Et vox assensu nemorum ingeminata remugit.'"' (Addison, Specta'or, No. 74.) 3" The country of the Scotch warriors, described in these two last verses, has a fine romantick situation, and affords a couple of smooth words for verse. If the reader compares the foregoing six lines of the song with the following Latin verses, he will see how much the are written in the spirit of Virgil 'Adversi campo apparent, hastasque reductis + Turnus ut antevolans tardum precesserat agmen,' &c. (Addison, Spectator, No. 74.) At the same time that our poet shows a laudable partiality to his countrymen, he represents the Scots after a manner not unbecoming so bold and brave a people." (Addison, Spectator, No. 70.) In Scotland nor in France hero in his own country, but raises the reputation of it by several beautiful incidents." (Addison, Spectator, No. 70.) "The sentiments in that ballad are extremely natural and poetical, and full of the majestick simplicity which we admire in the greatest of the ancient poets: for which reason I shall quote several passages of it, in which the thought is altogether the same with what we meet in several passages of the Eneid; not that I would infer from thence that the poet (whoever he was) proposed to himself any imitation of those passages, but that he was directed to them in general by the same kind of poetical genius, and by the same copyings after nature. Had this old song been filled with epigrammatical turns and points of wit, it might perhaps have pleased the wrong taste of some readers; but it would never have become the delight of the common people, nor have warmed the heart of Sir Philip Sidney like the sound of a trumpet; it is only nature that can have this effect, and please those tastes which are the most unprejudiced or the most refined. I must however beg leave to dissent from so great an authority as that of Sir Philip Sidney, in the judgment which he has passed as to the rude style and evil apparel of this antiquated song; for there are several parts in it where not only the thought but the language is majestick and the numbers sonorous; at least, the apparel is much more gorgeous than many of the poets made use of in Queen Eliza beth's time." (Addison, Spectator, No. 74.) 1 "What can be greater than either the thought or the expression in that stanza. This way of considering the misfortunes which this battle would bring upon posterity, not only on those who were born immediately after the battle and lost their fathers in it, but on those also who perished in future battles which took their rise from this quarrel of the two earls, is wonderfully beautiful, and conformable to the way of thinking among the ancient poets. 'Audiet pugnis vitio parentum Rara juventus.'-Hor." (Addison, Spectator, No. 74.) Of the two preceding stanzas (lines 9-16), with which he joined the tenth (lines 37 -40), Addison wrote: "What can be more sounding and poetical, resembling more the majestic simplicity of the ancients ? -Vocat ingenti clamore Citharon Taygetique canes, domitrixque Epidaurus equornin : 1 Upon the next three stanzas Addison wrote: "His sentiments and actions are every way suitable to an hero. 'One of us two,' says he, must dye: I am an earl as well as yourself, so that you can have no pretence for refusing the combat: however,' says he, ''tis pity, and indeed would be a sin, that so many innocent men should perish for our sakes; rather let you and I end our quarrel in single fight." (Addison, Spectator, No. 70.) Out of an English bow, With that there came an arrow keen Who struck Earl Douglas to the heart 144 A deep and deadly blow;2 Who never spake more words than these, "Fight on, my merry men all! For why my life is at an end, Lord Piercy sees my fall." 3 2 "Eneas was wounded after the same manner by an unknown hand in the midst of a parly: 'Has inter voces, media inter talia verba, (Addison, Spectator, No. 74.) 3 Of the two preceding stanzas Addison said: "When these brave men had distinguished themselves in the bittle and a single combat with each other, in the midst of a generous parly, full of heroick sentiments, the Scotch earl falls; and with his dying words encourages his men to revenge his death, representing to them, as the most bitter circumstance of it, that his rival saw him fall. Merry Men, in the language of those times, is no more than a cheerful word for companions and fellow-soldiers. A passage in the Eleventh Book A gathering mist o'erclouds her chearful eyes; And from her cheeks the rosie colour flies. Turnus did not die in so heroic a manner; though our poet seems to have had his eye upon Turnus's speech in the last verse 1 "Earl Piercy's lamentation over his enemy is generous, beautiful, and passionate; I must only caution the reader not to let the simplicity of the style, which one may well pardon in so old a poet, prejudice him against the greatness of the thought. That beautiful line. Taking the dead man by the hand, will put the reader in mind of Eneas's behaviour towards Lausus, whom he himself had slain as he came to the rescue of his aged father. " At vero ut vultum vidit morientis, et ora, Ingemuit, miserans graviter, dextramque tetendit,' &c. He griev'd, he wept; then grasp'd his hand, and said, (Addison, Spectator, No. 70.) "Of all the descriptive parts of this song, there are none more beautiful than the four following stanzas, which have a great force Sir Charles Carrel that from the field One foot would never fly; Sir Charles Murray of Rateliff too,- Sir David Lamb, so well esteemed, 203 And the Lord Maxwell in like case Did with Earl Douglas die; Of twenty hundred Scottish spears, Scarce fifty-five did fly; and spirie in them, and are filled with very natural circumstances. The thought in the third stanza was never touched by any other poet, and is such an one as would have shined in Homer or in Virgil." (Addison, Spectator, No. 74.) 3 "In the catalogue of the English who fell, Witherington's behaviour is in the same manner particularised very artfully, as the reader is prepared for it by that account which is given of him [lines 94-100] in the beginning of the battle (though I am satisfied your little buffoon readers, who have seen that passage ridiculed in Hndibras, will not be able to take the beauty of it: for which reason I dare not so much as quote it). We meet with the same heroick sentiments in Virgil- 'Non pudet, O Rutuli, cunctis pro talil us unam (Addison, Spectator, No. 74.) "One may observe likewise, that in the catalogue of the slain the author has followed the example of the greatest ancient poets, not only in giving a long list of the dead, but by diversifying it with little characters of particular persons. The familiar sound in these names destroys the majesty of the description: for this reason I do not mention this part of the poem but to shew the natural cast of thought which appears in it, as the two last verses look almost like a translation of Virgil -Culit et Ripheus justissimus unus (Addison, Spectator, No. 74 1 |