REVIEWS — THE BALLADS OF SCOtLANtJ. 297 



in Sir Philip Sydney's words: *'So evil apparelled in the dust and 

 cobweb of an uncivil age." 



The Percy out of Northtiraberland 



And a vow to God made he, 

 That he would hunt in the mountains 



Of Cheviot within days three, 

 In the mauger of doughty Douglas, 



And all that ever with him be. 



So sang the old English Minstrel of the fifteenth century, with 

 graphic force and rough vigour, stirring the hearts of all as with the 

 . sound of a trumpet. Towards the end of the seventeenth and in 

 the eighteenth century, readers congratulated themselves on possess-* 

 ing, in lieu of this, the refined and genteel paraphrase which delivered 

 itself in such long-winded sing-song dogrel as follows ; even Bishop 

 Percy thinking it in many respects an improvement on the rugged 

 simplicity of the elder minstrel : — 



God prosper long our noble King 



Our lives and safeties all ; 

 A woefuU hunting' once there did 



In Chevy-chace befall; 



To drive the deer with hound and horn, 



Earl Percy took his way ; 

 The child may rue that is unborn 



The hunting of that day. 



The stout Earl of Northumberland 



A vow to God did make, 

 His pleasure in the Scottish woods 



Three summer days to take ; 



The chiefest harts in Chevy-chace 



To kill and bear away ; 

 These tidings to Earl Douglas came 



In Scotland where be lay ; 



Who sent Earl Percy present word 

 He would prevent his sport ; 

 (fee. &c. &c. 



This is an nnquestionable ballad of England, alike in its ancient 

 and modern forms ; and takes its tone from the auditors it was de- 

 signed for. But Scotland has her historical ballad of '' The battle of 



