ELLA. Comme then, and fee you fwotelie tune the ftrynge, MYNSTRELLE S. We'll ftrayne owre wytte and fynge. FYRSTE MYNSTRELLE. t The nefh yonge coweflepe bendethe wyth the dewe; The trees enlefed, yntoe Heavenne ftraughte, Whenn gentle wyndes doe blowe, to wheftlyng dynne ys brought, The evenynge comes, and brynges the dewe alonge; The roddie welkyne fheeneth to the eyne; Arounde the aleftake Mynftrells fynge the fonge; Yonge ivie rounde the doore pofte do entwyne; I laie mee onn the graffe; yette, to mie wylle, So Adam thoughtene, whann, yn Paradyfe, Go, take a wyfe untoe thie armes, and fee Wynter, and brownie hylles, wyll have a charme for thee, Beerynge uponne hys backe the riped thefe; Whanne levynne-fyres and lemes do mete from far the fyghte; Whann the fayre apple, rudde as even sķie, Do bende the tree unto the fructyle grounde; Methynckes mie hartys joie ys fleynced with fomme care. Angelles bee wrogte to be of neidher kynde; W Angelles alleyne fromm chafe " defyre bee free; Yatte, wythout wommanne, cannot fylled bee; Ne feynae yn celles, botte, havynge blodde and tere *, Do fynde the fpryte to joie on fyghte of womanne fayre : Wommen bee made, notte for hemfelves, botte manne, Anodher Mynftrelles Songe, bie Syr Thybbot Gorges. She fayde, as herr whytte hondes whyte hofen was knyttynge, Mie bufbande, Lorde Thomas, a forrefter boulde, I have ytt as foone as I afke ytt. Whann I lyved wyth mie fadre yn merrie Clowd-dell, Aylle wanted fometbynge, botte whatte ne coulde telle, Eche mornynge Irfye, doe I fette mie maydennes, Shee putte uppe her knyttynge, and to hym went fhee; The Reader is to obferve, that the notes at the bottom of the feveral pages throughout the book, are all copied from MSS. in the hand-writing of Thomas Chatterton; and that most of thofe obfolete words, which, in the foregoing extract, are not explained, may be illuftrated by turning to the Glossary, at the end of the volume. For the teftimonies we fhall produce in our next Review, we are obliged to fome Gentlemen of character and ingenuity in and near Bristol. L. y Quickly. ART. ART. VII. A Voyage round the World, in his Britannic Majefty's Sloop, &c. 1777. HOUGH we have had this work too short a time in our TH hands, to enable us yet to enter upon the narrative part of it; we take the earliest opportunity of explaining the nature and defign of the undertaking, and of reciting the most material circumftances relative to the publication: especially as the fpeedy appearance of another account of the fame Voyage, written by Capt. Cook, under the fanction of the Board of Admiralty, has been announced in the public papers. Accordingly, previous to an abstract of the Voyage itself, we shall endeavour to gratify the curiofity of our Readers, by giving an account of the circumftances and motives which induced the Author to undertake this work; fo far, at least, as these are explained to us in his prefatory addrefs, and, we may add, hinted at even in his title-page.-In the latter we are first ftruck with the following quatrain: On ne repouffe point la verité fans bruit, Et de quelque façon qu'on l'arrête au passage, • On verra tot-ou-tard que c'etoit un outrage, • Dont il falloit qu'au moins la bonte fut le fruit.' DE MISSY. This motto seems to convey a meaning not very favourable to certain perfons unknown. As yet it does not appear to us whether the never-failing prevalence of truth, held forth in it, relates only to the Author's perfonal concerns, or dealings with those who have the direction of the Admiralty-account of the last circumnavigation; or whether it carries another and more general meaning, relative to matters of a more public nature. Such lights as the Preface affords we fhall endeavour to communicate, in the following analysis of it: After * Speaking of the intended publication, the Author hints his apprehenfions that, in one particular, it may probably refemble Dr. Hawkesworth's compilation, where many important obfervations, thought obnoxious, have been fuppreffed, as is cuftomary in France.' The fame authority, he adds, which blew off M. de Bougainville from the island of Juan Fernandez, could hufh to filence the British guns, whilft the Endeavour cannonaded the Portuguese fort at Madeira.' -The two circumftances here alluded to, fays the Author, are wellknown facts, though fuppreffed in the published narratives. M. ..Ide Bougainville fpent fome time at Juan Fernandez, and completely 9 refreshed After speaking of the liberal motives which had produced and directed the three former voyages of discovery, a fourth,' fays the Author, was undertaken by order of an enlightened Monarch, upon a more enlarged and majestic plan than ever was put in execution before. The greateft navigator of his time, two able aftronomers, a man of science to study nature in all her receffes, and a painter to copy fome of her most curious productions, were felected at the expence of the nation. After completing their voyage, they have prepared to give an account of their respective discoveries, which cannot fail of crowning their employers, at leaft, with immortal honour.' The British nation,' the Author adds, did not send out and liberally fupport my father [Dr. J. R. Forfter] as a natu ralift, who was merely to bring home a collection of butterflies and dried plants. That fuperior wisdom which guides the counfels of this nation, induced many perfons of confiderable diftinction to act on this occafion with unexampled greatness. So far from prefcribing rules for his conduct, they conceived that the man whom they had chofen, prompted by his natural love of fcience, would endeavour to derive the greateft poffible advantages to learning from his voyage. He was only therefore directed to exercise all his talents, and to extend his obfervations to every remarkable object. From him they expected a philofophical hiftory of the Voyage, free from prejudice and vulgar error, where human nature fhould be represented without any adherence to fallacious fyftems, and upon the principles of general philanthropy; in short, an account written upon a plan which the learned world had not hitherto feen executed.' Mr. Forfter next proceeds to inform us that the firft fpecimens of his father's labours were infcribed and prefented to his Majefty within four months after his return from the voyage; that, with respect to the Hiftory of the Voyage, the principal performance which was demanded at his hands,' it was at first propofed that a fingle or continued narrative should be formed from his and Capt. Cook's journals, diftinguished by particular marks ;-that his father accordingly drew up feveral Theets as a fpecimen; but that it was afterwards thought more expedient to separate the two journals;-that the Lords of the refreshed his crew there; though he wishes to have it understood that contrary winds prevented his touching at that island.-Capt. Cook, in the Endeavour, battered the Loo fort at Madeira, in conjunction with an English frigate, thus refenting an affront which had been offered to the British flag. This ftory, however, is flatly contradicted by the Gentlemen who made this voyage; and who pofitively affirm that no fuch circumftance ever happened. • Characteres Generum Plantarum, &c. 4to. Lond. See Monthly Review, Dec. 1776, P. 472. Admiralty Admiralty generously granted the whole emoluments arifing from the numerous plates engraved for the future publication, the expence of which amounted to upwards of 2000 l. in equal fhares to Dr. Forfter and Capt. Cook ;-that an agreement, authenticated by the fignature of Lord Sandwich, was drawn up in April laft, fpecifying the particular parts of the account which were to be prepared for the prefs by each of the parties feparately, and confirming to them both jointly the generous gift of the plates from the Board of Admiralty.' In conformity to this arrangement, we are told, Dr. Forfter prefented a fecond fpecimen of his Narrative for the perufal of the Earl of Sandwich, and was much furprised at firft that this fecond effay was entirely difapproved; but after fome time he was convinced that, as the word " Narrative" was omitted in the agreement, he had no right to compofe a connected account of the voyage. He was told that if he meant to preferve his claim to half the profits arifing from the plates,-he must conform to the letter of the agreement; and though he. had always confidered himself as fent out chiefly with a view to write the hiftory of the voyage, he acquiefced for the benefit of his family, and ftrictly confined himself to the publication of his unconnected philosophical observations made in the course of the voyage.' I must confefs,' adds the Author, whofe own words we choose to give on this occafion, as the queftion is rather of the cafuiftical kind- it hurt me much, to fee the chief intent of my father's miffion defeated, and the Public disappointed in their expectations of a philofophical recital of facts. However, as I had been appointed his affiftant in the course of this expedition, I thought it incumbent upon me at least to attempt to write fuch a narrative. Every confideration prompted me to undertake the tafk, which it was no longer in his power to perform. It was a duty we owed to the Public; I had collected fufficient materials during the voyage, and I had as much good will to begin with, as any traveller that ever wrote, or any compiler that ever was bribed to mutilate a narrative. I was bound by no agreement whatfoever, and that to which my father had figned, did not make him anfwerable for my actions, nor in the most diftant manner preclude his giving me affiftance. Therefore in every important circumstance, I had leave to confult his journals, and have been enabled to draw up my narrative with the moft fcrupulous attention to hiftorical truth.' After flightly mentioning the two anonymous relations of the late voyage, Mr. Forfter takes frefh notice of the intended publication, by Authority. Here too it may be proper to leave the Author to speak for himself. • Another narrative of this circumnavigation, is faid to have been written by Capt. James Cook of his Majefty's Royal Navy, under |