Mr. Addifon has given an excellent critique* on this very popular ballad, but is mistaken with regard to the antiquity of our present copy; for this, if one may judge from the files cannot be older than the time of Elizabeth, and was probably written after the elogium of Sir Philip Sidney: perhaps in confequence of it. Iflatter myself, I have here recovered the genuine antique poem: the true original fong, which appeared rude even in the time of Sir Philip, and caused him to lament, that it was fo evil-aparelled in the rugged garb of antiquity. This curiofity is printed, from an old manufcript, at the end of Hearne's preface to Gul. Newbrigienfis Hift. 1719. 8vo. vol. 1. To the MS. Copy is fubjoined the name of the author, RYCHARD SHEALE: whom Hearne had fo little judgment as to fuppofe to be the fame with a R. Sheale, whe was living in 1588. But whoever examines the gradation of language and idiom in the following volumes, will be convinced that this is the production of an earlier poet. It is indeed expressly mentioned among fome very ancient fongs in an old book intituled, The Complaint of Scotland +, (fol. 42.) under the title of the HUNTIS OF CHEVET, where the two following lines are also quoted;

The Perffee and the Mongumrye mette 1.
That day, that day, that gentil day :

Which, tho' not quite the fame as they ftand in the ballads yet differ not more than might be owing to the author's quoting from memory. Indeed whoever confiders the ftile and orthography of this old poem will not be inclined to place it lower than the time of Henry VI: as on the other hand the mention of James the Scotish king, with one or twe Ana

*Spectator, N° 70. 74.

Subfcribed, after the ufual manner of our old poets, expliceth Eexplicit] quoth pchard Sheale.

One of the earliest productions of the Scottish press, now to be found. The title page was wanting in the copy here quoted ; but it is fupposed to have been printed in 1540. † See Pt. 2. v. 25. See Pt. 1. v. 104.

See Ames.

Pt. 2. V. 36. 1491

Anachronifms, forbid us to affign it an earlier date. King James I, who was prisoner in this kingdom at the death of his father*, did not wear the crown of Scotland till the fecond year of our Henry VI, but before the end of that long reign a third James bad mounted the thronet. 4 fucceffion of two or three Jameses, and the long detention of one of them in England, would render the name familiar to the English, and difpofe a poet in those rude times to give it to any Scottish king he happened to mention.

So much for the date of this old ballad: with regard to its fubject, altho' it has no countenance from hiftory, there is room to think it had originally fome foundation in fact. It was one of the laws of the marches frequently renewed between the two nations, that neither party should bunt in the other's borders, without leave from the proprietors or their deputies. There had long been a rivalship between the two martial families of Percy and Douglas, which heightened by the national quarrel, must have produced frequent challenges and ftruggles for fuperiority, petty invasions of their respective domains, and sharp contests for the point of honour; which would not always be recorded in hiftory. Something of this kind we may suppose gave rise to the ancient ballad of the HUNTING A' THE CHEVIAT. Percy earl of Northumberland had vowed to hunt for three days in the Scottis B 2 border

* Who died Aug. 5. 1406.

...

JamesI. was crowned May22.1424. murdered Feb.21.1436-7. In 1460.-Hen. VI. was depofed 1461: reftored and flain1471. Item... Concordatum eft, quod, .. NULLUS unius partis vel alterius ingrediatur terras, bofchas, forreftas, warrenas, loca, dominia quæcunque alicujus partis alterius fubditi, causa venandi, pifcandi, aucupandi, difportum aut folacium in eisdem, aliave quacunque de caufa ABSQUE LICENTIA ejus.... ad quem...loca pertinent, aut de deputatis fuis prius capt. & obtent. Vid. Bp. Nicholson's Leges Marchiarum. 1705. 8vo. pag. 27. 51.

......

This was the original title. See the ballad, Pt. 1. v. 106. Pt. 2. v. 165.

4

border without condescending to ask leave from Earl Douglas, who was either lord of the foil, or lord warden of the marches. Douglas would not fail to refent the infult, and endeavour to repel the intruders by force: this would naturally produce a sharp conflict between the two parties: fomething of which, it is probable, did really happen, tho' not attended with the tragical circumftances recorded in the ballad: for thefe are evidently borrowed from the BATTLE OF OTTERBOURN†, a very different event, but which aftertimes would easily confound with it. That battle might be owing to fome fuch previous affront as this of CHEVY CHASE, though it has escaped the notice of hiftorians. Our poet has evidently jumbled the two events together: if indeed the lines in which this mistake is made, are not rather spurious, and the after-infertion of fome perfon, who did not diftinguish between the two ftories.

Hearne has printed this ballad without any divifion of ftanzas, in long lines, as he found it in the old written copy : but it is ufual to find the diftinction of ftanzas neglected in ancient MSS; where, to fave room, two or three verses are frequently given in one line undivided. See flagrant inftances in the Harleian Catalog. No. 2253. S. 29. 34. 61. 70 & pallim.

TH

THE FIRST PAR T.

HE Perfé owt of Northombarlande,
And a vowe to God mayd he,
That he wolde hunte in the mountayns
Off Chyviat within dayes thre,
In the mauger of doughtè Dogles,
And all that ever with him be.

5

The

+ See the next ballad.

Vid. Pt. 2. v. 167.

V. 5. magger in Hearne's MS.

The fattifte hartes in all Cheviat

He fayd he wold kyll, and cary them away:
Be my feth, fayd the dougheti Doglas agayn,
I wyll let that hontyng yf that I may.

Then the Perfé owt of Banborowe cam,
With him a myghtee meany ;

With fifteen hondrith archares bold ;
The wear chofen out of fhyars thre.

This begane on a monday at morn

15

In Cheviat the hillys fo he,

The chyld may rue that ys un-born,
It was the mor pitté.

The dryvars thorowe the woodes went
For to reas the dear,

Bomen bickarte uppone the bent

With ther browd aras cleare.

Then the wyld thorowe the woodes went
On every fyde fhear,

Grea-hondes thorowe the greves glent
For to kyll thear dear.

The begane in Chyviat the hyls above

Yerly on a monnyn day;

B 3

Be

Ver. 11. The the Perfé. MS. V. 13. archardes bolde off

blood and bone. MS. V. 19. throrowe. MS.