518 Notes on the Early Literature of Flodden Field. 



covered. In his ' Collections and Notes,' W. Carew Hazlitt 

 remarks, "In 1867 Dr. Laing fortunately met with an early 

 M.S., also defective, but supplying the lacuna in the text, and 

 communicated it to the 7th volume of the Scottish Antiquarian 

 Society's Transactions, introducing from the printed text what 

 was wanting." It is, however, not the Transactions but the 

 Proceedings to which reference should be made, vol. vii. pp. 141- 

 162, where a facsimile of the title page of the black-letter tract 

 and of the wood-cut is given. 



Next in order comes "A Ballade of the Scottyshe Kynge," 

 reproduced in facsimile by Mr Elliot Stock, in 1882, with a 

 copious introduction by Mr John Ashton, to whom the reader is 

 to consider himself indebted for whatever information he may 

 receive on this portion of the subject. The British Museum 

 Catalogue describes this ballad as being "included in 'a 

 treatyse of the Scottes ' published later among ' Certayne bokes 

 cdpyled by Mayster Skelton,' but with many variations. It is 

 believed to be the first printed English Ballad." It seems that it 

 was found in the inside of the cover of the French Romance 

 " Huon of Bordeaux," printed at Paris by Michel le Noir, in 1513, 

 and bound in oak after its arrival in England. And luckily, in 

 the other side-cover of this book were found the two missing 

 leaves of the above-mentioned tract on Flodden Field. The 

 whole has now been reprinted verbatim by Mr Ashton in his In- 

 troduction to the "Ballade" ; but it is to be hoped that the 

 disjecta membra may be united in a more befitting manner, and 

 given in facsimile to book-lovers. 



The chief literary interest attacliiug to this Ballad is that 

 John Skelton, its author, enlarged or rather re-wrote it some 

 years afterwards under the title of " Skelton, laureate, against 

 the Scottes,'' most assuredly 'with many variations,' whereof the 

 length is not the least important. The reader will find it, in its 

 expanded form, as Appendix ii. to Weber's Floddon Field. 

 Of the original the following description may suffice. 



It is in 4to., four pages, black letter. On the first page is the 

 title * A ballade of the Scottysshe Kynge,' then a rude wood-cut 

 representing two knights, then these four lines ;— 



Kynge Jamy / Jomy your. Joye is all go 

 Ye sommnoed oar Kynge why dyd ye so 

 To you no thynge it dyde accorde 

 To sommon our Kynge your souerayne lorde. 



