148 THE ANTIQUARIAN. 



apology. I feel at present less confident, not of mv 

 own grounds, but of your views of those grounds. 



Allow me therefore, imprimis, not from the fool- 

 ish vanity of carping at a great character, or to 

 point out minute defects, but in sheer defence of my 

 present pursuit, to shew you the remarkable instance, 

 not perhaps heeded by most readers of Addison's 

 works, of his pseudo antiquarian critique on Chevy- 

 Chase. It is curious, passing strange indeed, that 

 so accomplished a writer, and acute observer, in 

 setting forth the beauties of what Ben Jonson covet- 

 ed, and Sir Philip Sydney admired, should give 

 our present version of this ballad as an antiquated 

 song. This will at once appear by giving a verse 

 from the copy Addison has criticized, and then its 

 correspondent one in the original — 



" The stout earl of Northumberland 



A vow to God did make 

 His pleasure in the Scottish woods 



Three summer days to take:*' — 



The old version runs this, or nearly so, for I quote 

 ]>artly from recollection — 



"The Persie owte of Northumberlande 



A vowe to God made he 

 To boune him for the Scottish woods 



At a huntis days three 

 Maugre the doughty Douglas 

 And all that might with him be." 



The hvniis of Chevet by Rj/chard Sheale. 



Here is a palpable, if, as may doubtless be argued, 

 not very important result of antiquarian neglect ; the 

 same neglect which, if carried into other pursuits 

 and branches of knowledge, will speedily betray the 

 unwary. 



The divine, 'specially if he be of our established 

 church, should have some insight into Scriptural 

 Antiquities, without which many texts of the sacred 

 volume will certainly be misapprehended, and may 

 be misapplied. 



My friends of the legal profession should neither 

 sign, seal, nor deliver either in propria persona, or 



