Who sees him ?-thousands see, and One 1

With unparticipated gaze;

1

Who 'mong those thousands, friend hath none,

And treads in solitary ways.

He, following wheresoe'er he might,

Hath watched the Banner from afar,

As shepherds watch a lonely star,

Or mariners the distant light

That guides them through a stormy night.2
And now, upon a chosen plot

Of rising ground, yon heathy spot!

He takes alone his far-off stand,3

With breast unmailed, unweaponed hand.
Bold is his aspect; but his eye

Is pregnant with anxiety,
While, like a tutelary Power,

He there stands fixed from hour to hour:
Yet sometimes in more humble guise,
Upon the turf-clad height he lies
Stretched, herdsman-like, as if to bask
In sunshine were his only task,

Or by his mantle's help to find
A shelter from the nipping wind:
And thus, with short oblivion blest,

His weary spirits gather rest.

The pageant glancing to and fro;
And hope is wakened by the sight,
He thence may learn, ere fall of night,1
Which way the tide is doomed to flow.

To London were the Chieftains bent;
But what avails the bold intent?
A Royal army is gone forth

To quell the RISING OF THE NORTH;
They march with Dudley at their head,

And, in seven days' space, will to York be led!—
Can such a mighty Host be raised

Thus suddenly, and brought so near?
The Earls upon each other gazed,
And Neville's cheek grew pale with fear;
For, with a high and valiant name,
He bore a heart of timid frame; 2
And bold if both had been, yet they
Against so many may not stay.'*
Back therefore will they hie-to seize3
A strong Hold on the banks of Tees;
There wait a favourable hour,

Until Lord Dacre with his power

From Naworth come; and Howard's aid

Be with them openly displayed.

While through the Host, from man to man,
A rumour of this purpose ran,
The Standard trusting to the care1
Of him who heretofore did bear
That charge, impatient Norton sought
The Chieftains to unfold his thought,
And thus abruptly spake ;-"We yield
(And can it be?) an unfought field !——
How oft has strength, the strength of heaven,2
To few triumphantly been given !

Still do our very children boast

Of mitred Thurston-what a Host

He conquered!*-Saw we not the Plain

(And flying shall behold again)

Where faith was proved ?-while to battle moved

The Standard, on the Sacred Wain

That bore it, compassed round by a bold

Fraternity of Barons old;

And with those grey-haired champions stood,

Under the saintly ensigns three,

The infant Heir of Mowbray's blood—

All confident of victory!3

*

"See the Historians for the account of this memorable battle, usually denominated the Battle of the Standard."-W. W., 1815.

Shall Percy blush, then, for his name?
Must Westmoreland be asked with shame
Whose were the numbers, where the loss,
In that other day of Neville's Cross?*

* "In the night before the battle of Durham was strucken and begun, the 17th day of October, anno 1346, there did appear to John Fosser, then Prior of the abbey of Durham, commanding him to take the holy Corporaxcloth, wherewith St Cuthbert did cover the chalice when he used to say mass, and to put the same holy relique like to a banner-cloth upon the point of a spear, and the next morning to go and repair to a place on the west side of the city of Durham, called the Red Hills, where the Maid's Bower wont to be, and there to remain and abide till the end of the battle. To which vision, the Prior obeying, and taking the same for a revelation of God's grace and mercy by the mediation of holy St Cuthbert, did accordingly the next morning, with the monks of the said abbey, repair to the said Red Hills, and there most devoutly humbling and prostrating themselves in prayer for the victory in the said battle: (a great multitude of the Scots running and pressing by them, with intention to have spoiled them, yet had no power to commit any violence under such holy persons, so occupied in prayer, being protected and defended by the mighty Providence of Almighty God, and by the mediation of Holy St Cuthbert, and the presence of the holy relique). And, after many conflicts and warlike exploits there had and done between the English men and the King of Scots and his company, the said battle ended, and the victory was obtained, to the great overthrow and confusion of the Scots, their enemies: And then the said Prior and monks, accompanied with Ralph Lord Nevil, and John Nevil his son, and the Lord Percy, and many other nobles of England, returned home and went to the abbey church, there joining in hearty prayer and thanksgiving to God and holy St Cuthbert for the victory atchieved that day.'

"This battle was afterwards called the Battle of Neville's Cross from the following circumstance :—

6

"On the west side of the city of Durham, where two roads pass each other, a most notable, famous, and goodly cross of stone-work was erected, and set up to the honour of God for the victory there obtained in the field of battle, and known by the name of Nevil's Cross, and built at the sole cost of the Lord Ralph Nevil, one of the most excellent and chief persons in the said battle.' The Relique of St Cuthbert afterwards became of great importance in military events. For soon after this battle, says the same author, 'The Prior caused a goodly and sumptuous banner to be made, (which is then described at great length,) and in the midst of the same banner-cloth was the said holy relique and corporax-cloth enclosed, &c. &c. and so sumptuously finished, and absolutely perfected, this banner was dedicated to holy St Cuthbert, of intent and purpose, that for the future it should be carried to any battle, as occasion should serve; and was never carried and shewed at any battle but by the especial grace of God Almighty, and the mediation of holy St Cuthbert, it brought home

When the Prior of Durham with holy hand
Raised, as the Vision gave command,
Saint Cuthbert's Relic-far and near
Kenned on the point of a lofty spear;

While the Monks prayed in Maiden's Bower
To God descending in his power.1

Less would not at our need be due
To us, who war against the Untrue;-
The delegates of Heaven we rise,
Convoked the impious to chastise:
We, we, the sanctities of old

Would re-establish and uphold:

Be warned"-His zeal the Chiefs confounded,
But word was given and the trumpet sounded:2
Back through the melancholy Host

Went Norton, and resumed his post.
Alas! thought he, and have I borne

When, as the Vision gave command,

The Prior of Durham with holy hand

Saint Cuthbert's Relic did uprear

Upon the point of a lofty spear,

And God descended in his power,

While the Monks prayed in Maiden's Bower.

uphold."

-The Chiefs were by his zeal confounded,

1815

But word was given-and the trumpet sounded; 1815.

victory; which banner-cloth, after the dissolution of the abbey, fell into the possession of Dean WHITTINGHAM, whose wife was called KATHARINE, being a French woman, (as is most credibly reported by eye-witnesses,) did most injuriously burn the same in her fire, to the open contempt and disgrace of all ancient and goodly reliques.'-Extracted from a book entitled, Durham Cathedral, as it stood before the Dissolution of the Monastery.' It appears, from the old metrical History, that the abovementioned banner was carried by the Earl of Surry to Flodden Field."W. W., 1815.